MADISON, WI – Another un-armed black teen was shot dead, this time in Madison, Wisconsin.
Police in Wisconsin’s capital city said a 19-year-old man, Tony Robinson, had been jumping in and out of traffic before running for an apartment. He was confronted by an officer there.
According to several reports, Robinson was shot 5 times in the chest and killed. It was not immediately clear if Robinson had mad physical contact with the officer, but police indicated that Robinson assaulted the officer.
According to the advocacy group Black Lives, Matter, “reports between the police and the youth’s friends differ, but it is clear he was unarmed. Few details are currently known, but this police murder is in the same vein as what happened to Michael Brown in Ferguson, Eric Garner in New York, and Dontre Hamilton in Milwaukee. Given the racial disparities in Madison, we have known our city is no different.”
Rallies were launched and some folks had taken to the streets to protest the shooting.
The Department of Justice has now said that it will conduct a through investigation into the shooting, and Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel released a statement, as well:
“I offer my sympathy to the family of the young man who lost his life As a parent, I can only imagine the heartbreak they must be feeling right now in the wake of this tragedy. Likewise, I am concerned for the officer involved in this incident, who I imagine is experiencing great trauma, as well. They are all in my thoughts and prayers. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation will conduct a thorough, professional and transparent investigation into this incident. DCI agents have been on the scene gathering information since we were notified early last evening.”
