Ohio police officers in Wisconsin for the Republican National Convention fatally shot a man brandishing two knives close to the convention site, said Milwaukee's police chief. Five members of the Columbus, Ohio, police department fired on the man, who had a knife in each hand, refused police commands and charged at an unarmed man before police fired, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said. “Someone’s life was in danger,” Norman said. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone’s life today.” Thousands of officers from many jurisdictions are in Milwaukee, providing additional security for the convention, which concludes Thursday, The Associated Press reports. The Columbus Division of Police and other officials said there was nothing to suggest the shooting was related to the convention.
Milwaukee residents and activists converged on the site of the shooting, many expressing outrage about the involvement of a police department in town because of the convention. About 100 people held a vigil and march Tuesday night, pausing for a moment of silence at the blood-stained spot where Samuel Sharpe, 43, was killed. “They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park,” said Linda Sharpe, a cousin. “What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?” Linda Sharpe said her cousin lived in a tent encampment across the street from the shooting. Residents said the encampment was a long-standing feature of the neighborhood, home to several social service clinics and a shelter. Some said Milwaukee police officers are familiar with many living in the tents and might have been able to de-escalate the situation.