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The fatal shooting of a man by police officers in Madison, Wis., on Wednesday is sparking protests.
In a statement, the Madison Police Department (MPD) said the man injured an officer with a fix-blade knife while he was resisting arrest. After officers unsuccessfully tried to get the man into custody using a taser, the injured officer shot the man, according to authorities.
MPD also noted its officers provided “life-saving measures” to the man, whose identity has not been revealed, on the scene. The victim, in his thirties, was transported to the hospital and later pronounced dead.
“I want to take a moment to honestly and sincerely offer my heartfelt sympathies to his family for this loss,” Madison Police Chief John Patterson told reporters Wednesday, referring to the deceased man.
A video of the incident shared on Instagram shows one officer kicking the man down, while another officer approaches and shoots him while he’s on the ground, according to Nexstar affiliate WFRV-TV in Green Bay, Wisc.
The MPD acknowledged the cell phone footage but said it is “only one perspective” of the incident. The authorities are also reviewing additional video.
The shooting occurred in the Marquette neighborhood, after officers were dispatched there for a person allegedly “checking parked vehicles,” Patterson said.
“Officers located the man, they attempted to contact him, but he fled on a bicycle and then traveled through some nearby backyards, we think [in] an attempt to get away,” he added.
After reconnecting with the man, officers engaged in a physical struggle with the man in an intersection — during which the officer who shot the man was injured. Another officer was injured in the incident, but Patterson said it is “not clear how that occurred” and he “does not believe” those injuries were from the man’s knife.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation is probing the incident. The MPD also said it is placing all four officers involved on administrative leave.
A crowd formed near where the shooting occurred on Wednesday, as people chanted, “Arrest the cops!” according to The Associated Press. Protesters also marched to the Wisconsin State Capitol and took the stage at a summer concert series, which the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra later canceled, the AP reported.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) said Wednesday he was briefed on the shooting and will “continue to receive updates” as information is released.
“There must be transparency and accountability in any investigation moving forward,” Evers wrote on social platform X.
“We will continue to keep the loved ones and family of the individual who was killed in our hearts and prayers. His life mattered,” the governor added later in a separate post. “As folks exercise their First Amendment rights tonight and in the days ahead, we urge them to do so peacefully and respectfully.”
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