Madison police fatally shoot man after officer injured during struggle, prompting large protests

A Madison police officer fatally shot a Black man Wednesday afternoon after authorities said the man injured an officer with a knife during a struggle near Williamson and South Baldwin streets on Madison’s eastside. The event sparked large protests and an independent state investigation. 

The incident began around 1:34 p.m. when officers responded to reports of a man attempting to open the doors of locked vehicles in the Williamson Street neighborhood, Madison Police Chief John Patterson said during a Wednesday evening press conference. Police said the man fled on a bicycle before officers confronted him several blocks away. 

According to Patterson, officers attempted to take the man into custody, leading to a physical struggle. The man produced a knife and injured one officer. After an attempted taser deployment was unsuccessful, the injured officer fired his service weapon three times, striking the man. The man was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

The officer who fired the shots was also taken to a hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening. 

Three other officers were present during the incident. All four officers have been placed on administrative leave, consistent with department policy. 

The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation has assumed responsibility for investigating the officer-involved shooting, the standard procedure for fatal police shootings involving Wisconsin law enforcement agencies.

The shooting marked Madison's first fatal police shooting since 2015, when Madison police Officer Matt Kenny fatally shot 19-year-old Tony Robinson, an unarmed Black man, while responding to reports of a disturbance near Williamson Street. 

Robinson's death sparked weeks of protests and became a defining moment in Madison's conversation about race and policing. The Dane County district attorney later declined to file criminal charges against Kenny, concluding he acted in lawful self-defense, and the Madison Police Department determined the shooting complied with department policy.

Cellphone video of the encounter circulated widely on social media Wednesday afternoon and drew hundreds of protesters to the scene and later to the state Capitol. Community members called for transparency and accountability as the investigation moves forward.

Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said in a statement that she was "angered and saddened" by the shooting and pledged that the city would support a full and transparent investigation. Gov. Tony Evers also called for transparency and accountability as state investigators review the incident.

Police had not publicly released the identities of either the man who was killed or the officers involved as of Thursday morning. The investigation remains ongoing.

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