An unarmed black man, age 19, was fatally shot on Friday night by a white police officer in Madison, Wisconsin, sparking protests and the now sadly familiar chants of “Black lives matter.” The protests began shortly after the news spread of the teen’s death and have continued into the weekend. Law enforcement officials reported the officer fired his weapon after he was attacked by Anthony Robinson on Friday evening. The police officer who fired at the teen was identified as 12-year veteran, Officer Matthew Kenny, 45. Following the fatal shooting, the officer was placed on paid administrative leave per agency protocols.
Robinson was killed around 6:30 p.m. as police officers were responding to several different reports of a public disturbance. Police were told a man was reportedly jumping in and out of traffic, nearly causing several accidents. In addition, Robinson, allegedly, was suspected of committing battery before he took off into a nearby apartment building.
Reports indicate Officer Kenny entered the apartment that Robinson allegedly ran into, following the sounds of the reported public disturbance. At that time, Robinson struck the officer on the head, said Madison Police Chief Mike Koval. It was at this time the officer withdrew and fired his weapon at the suspect. Chief Koval said he understood where the protesters’ anger was stemming from, and assured demonstrators that the police department would protect their civil rights as he pleaded with them to exercise control and restraint.
Chied Koval said the event could, for some individuals appear to look like a “perverse perfect storm” of specifics that would fit the national description of officer related deaths of black men, according to Fox News. The chief spoke at a televised news conference, adding he understood what the people in Madison were going through.
Robinson died shortly after the shooting at a local hospital. The shooting happened at a time of intensified inspection of police violence against minorities in the United States. Robinson’s mother, Andrea Irwin, refused to comment on her son’s death Saturday. However, a friend of the family who preferred to remain anonymous said that all Robinson’s family wanted at the present time was to find out the facts.
The deadly shooting is under investigation by the Wisconsin Department’s Division of Criminal Investigation. This is a organization created after a state law was passed in 2014, which requires outside agencies to investigate any deaths related to law enforcement.
The Wisconsin Attorney General released a short public statement, saying he was positive the result of the investigation would be one that the community could have confidence in. However, the public had no intention of waiting on the study and took matters into their own hand,s so to speak, by protesting.
There were over 150 individuals who had gathered throughout the city to protest the shooting. Some stood outside the police department holding signs that said “Black Lives Matter.” They also chanted the same phrase. That is a slogan which has been adopted by protesters and activists all over the nation after several different police officer related deaths of unarmed black men.
Civil rights activists along with many other protesters joined together and walked to the neighborhood where the shooting happened, gathering around the apartment building to demonstrate their unity against the questionable police-involved shooting.