A fatal police shooting in Madison, Wisconsin has shaken the community, with Gov. Tony Evers demanding “transparency and accountability” in any investigation while residents gathered Thursday at a growing memorial honoring the man who was killed.
Following the shooting, protesters took to the streets Wednesday and held a candlelight vigil. Some community members stayed at the memorial — covered in candles, flowers, and signs — through the night, including Ben Weger.
“I don’t plan to leave anytime soon because it’s important to hold this space,” said Weger, who serves as pastor of Stoughton United Methodist Church, located about 20 miles away.
Sabrina Thompson, a Madison resident, was in tears at the memorial. “It’s really unbearable,” she said. “You can’t describe it.”
Gov. Evers took to social media, writing, “We will continue to keep the loved ones and family of the individual who was killed in our hearts and prayers.” He added, “His life mattered.”
Cellphone video capturing the confrontation — in which three gunshots can be heard — spread widely across social media platforms.
Madison Police Chief John Patterson addressed the media and cautioned that the video circulating online represented only one viewpoint of the incident. “I want to take a moment to honestly and sincerely offer my heartfelt sympathies to his family for this loss,” Patterson said. The man who died was in his 30s, though police have not released his name.
According to Patterson, officers were initially called to the area after reports of someone trying to break into parked vehicles. The suspect attempted to flee on a bicycle before officers caught up with him in the street.
Patterson said the suspect either fell from the bike or was pulled off by officers. During the ensuing struggle, the suspect drew a knife and wounded one of the officers. A taser was deployed but failed to stop the man. The same officer who had been cut by the knife then fired his weapon. The man was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Patterson described the officer who fired as a veteran on the force, though he did not provide additional details. A second officer was also hurt, though the circumstances of that injury remain unclear. Two other officers involved in the incident were not harmed.
The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation will conduct a review of the shooting, and all four officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway also weighed in online, writing, “There are questions that must be answered. It’s understandable that people want answers now.”
The shooting took place on a busy city street in a well-known neighborhood filled with restaurants, bars, shops, and homes — less than 2 miles from the state Capitol. Video footage shows cars stopped at the intersection with bystanders watching as the events unfolded.
The street where Wednesday’s shooting occurred has a painful history. In 2015, a white police officer fatally shot Tony Robinson, who was biracial, at the same location. That incident also sparked major protests, though the district attorney ultimately chose not to file charges, ruling the officer’s actions were justified.
Police have not disclosed the race of either the officer who fired or the man who was killed. However, Black advocacy groups in Madison quickly responded, stating their belief that the man 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, who leads the Madison-based Black community advocacy group Urban Triage. “That is the cruelty of state violence.”
The incident quickly became a topic in the Democratic race for governor, with one candidate appearing at the vigil Wednesday night to address mourners and others pushing for swift investigations.
“I am horrified and devastated,” wrote Francesca Hong, who went to the scene just blocks from her campaign office.
Another candidate, County Executive David Crowley, acknowledged that more details are still needed but said, “these reports are painfully reminiscent of the tragedies we have witnessed in Kenosha, Minneapolis, and far too many communities across our country.”
On Wednesday, a crowd formed near the shooting scene with people chanting, “Arrest the cops!” Protesters also marched to the state Capitol and interrupted a summer outdoor concert, demanding the officer’s name be released and that he face accountability. The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra announced via social media that the concert was canceled.
