Police: Officers Shot and Killed a Man Near the RNC
In a dramatic incident near the Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee, five Columbus, Ohio, police officers shot and killed a man wielding two knives. The officers, part of a security detail for the convention, acted decisively to protect an unarmed individual from imminent danger, according to Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.
The incident occurred just blocks away from the RNC, adding to the already heightened security presence in the city. Chief Norman detailed the event in a news conference, stating that the man, identified as 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe, refused police commands and charged at an unarmed man with a knife in each hand. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone’s life today,” Norman said.
Body camera footage released by the police shows the tense moments leading up to the shooting. Officers on bikes are seen discussing their patrol before one exclaims, “He’s got a knife.” The video captures multiple officers shouting, “Drop the knife!” as they approach the two men standing in the street. When Sharpe advanced toward the unarmed man, officers opened fire.
Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the deceased, voiced her grief and anger, saying, “They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park. What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?” She described her cousin as living in a tent encampment across from King Park, a longstanding feature of the neighborhood known for its social service clinics and shelters.
David Porter, a friend of Samuel Sharpe and also homeless, expressed his frustration, suggesting that local Milwaukee police might have handled the situation differently. “If MPD would have been there, that man would still be alive right now,” Porter said.
The Columbus Division of Police, along with Milwaukee officials, emphasized that the shooting was not related to the RNC itself. The officers involved were part of a bicycle patrol that happened to witness the altercation. Despite the controversy, Chief Norman defended their actions, stating, “This is a situation where somebody’s life was in immediate danger.”
The Columbus Police’s special unit in Milwaukee, designed to improve police-community relations, had been visible in guiding peaceful protests earlier in the week. Their presence now, however, is under scrutiny following the fatal shooting near King Park.
