A man wielding two knives has been shot dead near the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.
Five police officers opened fire after he refused police commands and charged at an unarmed man on Tuesday, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference.
Police released body camera footage that showed officers on bikes talking before one of them says: “He’s got a knife.”
Several officers then shout “Drop the knife!” as they run toward two men standing in a street. When the armed man moved toward the unarmed man, police fired their weapons.
“Someone’s life was in danger,” Mr 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 are in Milwaukee providing additional security for the convention that began on Monday and will end on Thursday.
The shooting fueled anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood located about a mile from the convention site.
The Columbus Division of Police, as well as the chief of staff for Milwaukee’s mayor and a spokesperson for the convention’s joint command centre, all said there was nothing to suggest the shooting was related to the convention itself.
The man killed was identified as 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe.
Milwaukee residents and activists quickly converged on the site of the shooting, many of them expressing outrage about the involvement of a police department in town because of the convention.
About 100 people held a vigil and march without incident on Tuesday night, pausing for a moment of silence at the blood-stained spot where Sharpe was killed.
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“They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park,” said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the man who was killed. “What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?”
Linda Sharpe said her cousin lived in a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting occurred.
Residents said the encampment was a long-standing feature of the neighborhood, which is home to several social service clinics and a shelter. Some said Milwaukee police officers are familiar with many of those living in the tents and might have been able to deescalate the situation.
David Porter, who said he knew Samuel Sharpe and is also homeless, was angry that officers from outside of Milwaukee were in his neighborhood.
“If MPD would have been there, that man would still be alive right now,” Mr Porter said, referring to Milwaukee police.
Mr Norman said 13 officers who were part of a bicycle patrol from Columbus were within their assigned zone having a meeting when they saw the altercation.
“The officers observed a subject armed with a knife in each hand, engaged in an altercation with another unarmed individual,” he said. They only fired after the armed man ignored multiple commands and moved toward the unarmed man, the chief said.
“This is a situation where somebody’s life was in immediate danger,” Mr Norman said.
The Columbus Division of Police has received attention because of its special unit deployed to Milwaukee that works to improve police-community relationships and had a visible role in guiding the largely uneventful protests on Monday.
The shooting happened near King Park, roughly a mile from the convention centre, where a small group of protesters gathered before marching on Monday. That demonstration was followed by dozens of Columbus police officers, wearing blue vests that read: “Columbus Police Dialogue.”
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office said an autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday.
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