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Homeless black man with knives shot by police outside Republican event

Theo

Milwaukee:

A homeless black man armed with two knives was shot dead by Ohio police officers near the venue of a Republican Party convention in Wisconsin on Tuesday.

According to police, the man, identified by relatives 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 recovered at the scene.

“Someone’s life was in danger,” Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said during a press conference. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act today and save someone’s life.”

The incident occurred amid heightened security measures in Milwaukee, with thousands of officers from multiple jurisdictions on site to ensure safety for the Republican National Convention, which began Monday and is scheduled to end Thursday.

The shooting, however, has sparked outrage among Milwaukee residents, who questioned the need for out-of-state police officers to patrol their neighborhood, which is more than a mile from the convention site. Many locals gathered at the scene to express their anger and planned a nightly vigil in Sharpe’s honor.

“They came into our community and gunned down our family here in a public park,” said Linda Sharpe, Samuel’s cousin. “What are you doing in our town, gunning down people?”

Linda Sharpe described her cousin Samuel as a longtime resident of a tent encampment across from King Park, where the shooting occurred. That encampment is a well-known fixture in the neighborhood, which is home to several social service agencies and a homeless shelter. Residents believe Milwaukee police officers, familiar with the local homeless population, may have been able to deescalate the situation more effectively.

Norman explained that a group of 13 Columbus police officers who were 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 commands and walked toward the unarmed person, at which point the officers fired.

The Milwaukee County Coroner’s Office has scheduled an autopsy for Wednesday; further investigation into the shooting is ongoing.

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