Homeless black man with knives shot by police outside Republican event

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.