Man shot and killed by police in Madison, Wisconsin, sparking protests

A police officer in Madison, Wisconsin, shot and killed a man who had injured him with a knife while resisting arrest, the city's police chief said Wednesday.

Police have not identified the man who was killed, saying only that he was in his 30s.

The Madison Police Department said in a news release that its officers were responding to calls that someone was stealing bicycles and checking vehicle doors in the city's Marquette neighborhood. The man fled from officers on a bicycle, traveling through backyards to get away, the department said, before officers encountered him again at an intersection.

At the intersection, the man "either fell or was pulled off the bicycle," the department said, noting that how he came off the bicycle "is still being determined." A "struggle ensued" between the man and officers in the intersection, the department said.

"During the struggle, the man pulled out a fix-blade knife and injured an officer," the police department said. The department shared a photo of the knife, which has a black handle. In video reviewed by CBS News, an officer can be heard shouting, "He's got a knife!" 

An officer deployed a Taser, but it was unsuccessful, Police Chief John Patterson said at a news conference on Wednesday. Then, the injured officer fired his weapon. Video reviewed by CBS News shows police appearing to shoot the man three times about two seconds after the Taser was deployed. Video also shows a knife being thrown to the ground after the shooting. Blood appears to be visible alongside the knife in the photo shared by police.

Lifesaving measures were provided at the scene, Patterson said. The man was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the department said. Patterson said he had "heartfelt sympathies" for the man's family.

In total, four officers were involved or witnessed the shooting. Patterson described the officer who fired his weapon as a veteran officer, but did not reveal any other details about that officer or the others present. The veteran officer was the only one who fired his weapon.

Another officer was injured during the incident, but it's not clear how. The department said it did not believe the officer's injuries were caused by the knife. 

Patterson said that "when a knife is produced" during an arrest, "the overall situation is clearly elevated" and "becomes incredibly dangerous."

"It obviously increases risks for everyone there," Patterson said. "For every officer. For the person as well. I think it severely narrows the scope of options and possible outcomes."

Investigation underway

The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation will investigate the shooting because it involves police officers. All four officers have been placed on administrative leave, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said in a statement released Wednesday night. This is standard protocol for the department.

Rhodes-Conway cautioned that the investigation will take time and said that officials will work to resolve the "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," Rhodes-Conway said, adding that details about a "community listening session" will be shared soon. She added that she was "angered and saddened" by the day's events.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said in a social media post he was "briefed on the officer-involved shooting that occurred in Madison today" and continues "to receive updates as more information is released." 

"There must be transparency and accountability in any investigation moving forward," Evers said in the post. 

Madison police officers do not currently use body-worn cameras. Patterson has said that securing funding for the devices is a top priority.

Protests held overnight

The shooting happened on a city street in a popular neighborhood lined with restaurants, bars, shops and residential homes less than 2 miles from the state Capitol. Footage of the incident shows numerous cars stopped in the intersection with people watching as it unfolded.

In 2015, a White police officer shot and killed Tony Robinson, who was biracial, on the same street, a shooting that spurred large protests. The district attorney did not file charges against police in that incident, determining the officer was justified. Robinson's family accepted a $3.35 million settlement from the city in 2017.

The race of the officer who fired his gun on Wednesday and that of the man killed were not released by police. But advocates for the Black community in Madison said the man killed was Black.

"Another Black man is dead on a Madison street, and our community watched him die before we even knew his name," said Brandi Grayson, the head of the Madison-based Black community advocacy group Urban Triage. "That is the cruelty of state violence."

A crowd formed near where the shooting occurred on Wednesday, with some people chanting, "Arrest the cops!" Among the protesters who gathered throughout the night was Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong. Some placed flowers and candles where the man was shot and held a vigil. There were no reports of issues related to the protests. 

Patterson said the department was reaching out to community leaders to "strike the right balance" and ensure that the city can "support any assembly that might happen." 

The police chief also called for calm as the shooting is investigated. He cautioned that videos shared online show just one perspective of the incident.

"I ask the community to recognize that there is other video that they have not seen, that's not circulating online, that will be reviewed as part of this investigation," he said. "So, to the extent that they can as we all navigate this trauma together, we try to remain calm and remember that not all perspectives are online right now."