Protests Erupt In Madison After Officer Fatally Shoots Man

Madison, Wisconsin, USA. — Source: RudyBalasko / Getty

A man was shot and killed by a police officer in Madison, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, and the local police department says the victim pulled a knife and injured the cop who killed him. While neither the officer nor the civilian has been publicly identified yet, protesters have been gathering in Madison, indicating that the local community isn’t happy with the police violence happening in their streets.

According to the Washington Post, Madison Police Chief John Patterson said in a news conference that officers were dispatched to Madison’s Marquette neighborhood just before 1 p.m. Wednesday in response to a report of a man checking the doors of parked vehicles. Patterson said the shooting victim, described as a man in his 30s, “fled on a bicycle” through backyards after police arrived at the scene, and officers caught up with him around 1:30 p.m. near South Baldwin and Williamson streets. And that’s when the chaotic scene turned deadly.

From the Post:

During the struggle, an officer deployed a Taser while three other officers attempted to restrain the man, but the Taser was “unsuccessful,” Patterson said. Only one officer fired shots, he said.

All four officers have been placed on administrative leave.

Madison resident Michael Doubek, 31, was getting a sandwich nearby when he noticed a number of police cruisers in the area and pulled out his phone to record. A bicyclist had either fallen or been knocked off his bike and three officers were crowded around him in the middle of the intersection, Doubek said.

“He’s got a knife!” one of the officers yelled, Doubek’s video shows. The man appeared to struggle with the three officers, rising up as they tried to force him to the ground. A fourth ran up, yelled “Taser, Taser, Taser,” and then discharged a Taser, according to the video. The man collapsed to the ground, on his side.

A moment later, as one of the officers pressed a knee into the man’s lower-back area, another fired three shots.

“It was basically point blank, three shots to the head, upper-chest area,” Doubek said.

The witness said he never saw the knife the victim was said to have been carrying until after the shots were fired, and he saw an officer retrieve the knife, apparently, from the victim’s person and toss it to the side.

“It was so fast and so unexpected that I didn’t really even have time before it began to when it was over to even really kind of understand what was happening,” Doubek said.

It’s also worth noting that in the video footage, a woman can be heard shouting, “I saw everything! You did not need to kill him!”

Local authorities have, of course, promised the public that a full, transparent investigation is underway, and cautioned people to reserve their judgment until the full circumstances surrounding the shooting can be determined, which didn’t dissuade protesters from taking to the streets on Wednesday night to chant, “Whose streets? Our streets!”

City authorities said road closures around the area of the shooting will remain in place through early Thursday.

Meanwhile, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway has released the following statement:

“I am angered and saddened by what happened today. My heart breaks for those who have lost a loved one, those who witnessed the shooting, and everyone impacted. There is real pain in our city right now. It’s an absolute tragedy when a member of our community is killed by anyone, but especially by the police. I understand the anger, grief, and fear people are feeling — because I am feeling that too. As a city, as a community, as a society, we need to do better.

This incident leaves me, as I’m sure it does others, questioning why this happened and what can be done so it never happens again. What decisions were made by officers that led to escalation instead of deescalation? What different choices could have been made to prevent harm? What needs to change in police policy and training to prevent more deaths? Any officer-involved shooting needs to be rigorously investigated, and this one will be. While we do not yet know all the details, our community deserves full transparency and accountability.

For that reason, the State Department of Criminal Investigation will be conducting an independent investigation, and the officers involved have been put on administrative leave until the investigation is concluded. The Madison Police Department is cooperating fully and is not in charge of the investigation. We are at the first step of that process, and unfortunately, it will take time. But even beyond the formal investigation, there are questions that must be answered. It’s understandable that people want answers now. I want them, too. And in the days and weeks ahead, the Common Council and I, as your representatives, will do our best to get and share information. As a first step, I encourage people to attend the community listening session organized by Common Council President Sabrina Madison. Those details will be released soon.

People have every right to peacefully protest, and it’s important to me that those who want to exercise their First Amendment rights are able to do so safely. City staff are working to facilitate that. Please access mental health resources if you need to. Immediate support is available via the 988 crisis line, and Public Health Madison Dane County has additional resources(external).

Be safe and take care of each other.”