Wisconsin officer kills man armed with knife, police say, as shooting sparks protests

A police officer fatally shot a man who allegedly pulled out a knife during a struggle as officers were looking into a report of someone “checking vehicle doors” Wednesday afternoon in Madison, Wisconsin, police said. Police responded to the Marquette neighborhood about 1 p.m. after a report of someone checking parked cars, Madison Police Chief John Patterson said at a news conference. That person fled on a bicycle, but officers re-encountered him around 1:35 p.m., the chief said. The man “either fell off or was taken off of the bicycle by officers,” and there was a struggle with police in the intersection, Patterson said. “During the struggle, the man, we’re told, pulled out a knife or produced a knife, a fixed-blade knife, and an officer was injured by this while attempting to arrest him,” Patterson said. The police department included a photo showing a knife on the ground in a news release about the deadly encounter. Patterson said that a stun gun was used during the struggle, but it was not effective, and that the officer who was injured by the knife was the officer who fired his gun. Videos of the shooting were captured by bystanders and were circulated online. One of them, verified by NBC News, appears to show officers holding onto the man as someone yells, “Let go!” Multiple shouts of “He’s got a knife!” can be heard. The video also shows what appears to be an officer yelling “Taser!” as the man stands while being held by police. About three seconds later, while the man is on the ground, a male officer standing over him appears to fire three rounds and the man stops moving. Patterson said that he has seen some videos but added that other video has not been circulated online and is being reviewed. “I caution everyone, this is one perspective,” Patterson said. “It is not a full overview of everything that was visible from different angles, certainly visible from the officers.” The shooting was not captured on body camera footage, Patterson said. “We do not have body cameras on any of the officers involved,” he said. The person who was killed was not identified at Wednesday’s news conference, but he was described as a man in his 30s. “I want to take a moment to honestly and sincerely offer my heartfelt sympathies to his family for this loss,” Patterson said. The police officer who fired was also not identified. Patterson said the officer is a man and “is what I would consider a veteran officer.” Madison Council Alder Davy Mayer, who represents the district where the shooting took place, said he was in contact with city officials and police about the incident. “My priority is to make sure the community remains safe and that the public receives full details about what happened as soon as possible,” Mayer said. There were four officers at the scene, and all four will be placed on administrative leave, which Patterson said was routine practice after a shooting involving police. Michael Doubek, who recorded one of the videos showing the shooting, said he was returning from a co-op grocery store on Williamson Street when he saw police cruisers “flying by.” Doubek said the officers were struggling to restrain the person on the ground when one of the officers fired. Doubek said that after the person was shot, he saw police toss a knife to the side while surrounding the individual on the ground. Video from a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter showed a large group of protesters walking down a street Wednesday evening. The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra announced that a planned outdoor performance had been canceled. Police said that there will be an independent investigation into the shooting conducted by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and that the district attorney will conduct a review.