Two knives were found at the crime scene.
Milwaukee:
A homeless black man armed with two knives was shot and killed by Ohio police officers Tuesday near the site of a Republican Party national convention in Wisconsin.
According to police, the man, identified by family members as 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe, was armed with a knife in each hand. The situation escalated when Sharpe charged at an unarmed person, prompting officers to open fire. Two knives were found at the scene.
“Someone's life was in danger,” Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to go out and save someone's life today.”
The incident came amid heightened security in Milwaukee, with thousands of officers from multiple jurisdictions on hand to ensure safety at the Republican National Convention, which began Monday and is expected to end Thursday.
But the shooting has sparked anger among Milwaukee residents, who questioned the need for out-of-state officers to patrol their neighborhood, which is more than a mile from the convention site. Many locals gathered at the scene, venting their anger and planning an overnight vigil in Sharpe's honor.
“They came to our community and shot our family right here in a public park,” said Linda Sharpe, Samuel's niece. “What are you doing in our town, shooting people?”
Linda Sharpe described her cousin Samuel as a longtime resident of a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting occurred. The encampment is a common sight in the neighborhood, which is home to several social services and a shelter. Residents believe Milwaukee police officers, familiar with the local homeless population, could have de-escalated the situation more effectively.
Norman explained that a group of 13 Columbus officers, part of a bicycle patrol, were in their assigned area when they noticed the altercation with Sharpe. They approached the scene and repeatedly ordered Sharpe to drop his weapons, but he ignored their orders and moved toward the unarmed subject, prompting the officers to fire.
The Milwaukee County coroner has scheduled an autopsy for Wednesday and the shooting remains under investigation.
