Police kill knife-wielding homeless man near Trump-led Republican Party rally in Wisconsin

A homeless man armed with a knife was shot dead near the Republican National Convention in the US state of Wisconsin on Tuesday, following the shocking assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Milwaukee’s police chief said five members of the Columbus, Ohio, police department shot the man, who had a knife in each hand, refused to comply with police commands and charged an unarmed man before police fired. Two knives were recovered at the scene, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference.

The incident comes as Trump’s unsuccessful primary opponents are set to take the stage Tuesday at the Republican Party convention in a show of support for the party’s leading figure and newly nominated presidential candidate. The united front comes a day after the former president sparked a furore when he entered the Milwaukee convention hall to make his first public appearance since surviving an assassination attempt over the weekend.

Police released body camera footage showing officers on bikes arguing before one of them says, “He’s got a knife.” Several officers then yell, “Drop the knife!” as they run toward two men standing in the street. When the armed man moved toward the unarmed man, police opened fire. “Somebody’s life was in danger,” Norman said. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to step up and save somebody’s life today.”

Thousands of police officers from multiple jurisdictions are in Milwaukee to provide extra security during the convention, which ends Thursday. The Associated PressThe shooting sparked anger among residents who questioned why out-of-state police officers were in their neighborhood, which is about a mile from the convention site. The Columbus Division of Police said there was no evidence to suggest the shooting was connected to the convention itself.

A cousin and others identified the slain man as Samuel Sharpe, 43. Milwaukee residents and activists quickly gathered at the scene of the shooting, many expressing outrage over the involvement of a city police department because of the convention. About 100 people held an incident-free vigil and march Tuesday night, observing a moment of silence at the blood-stained spot where Sharpe was killed.

“They came into our community and shot our family right here in a public park,” said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the slain man. “What are you doing in our town, shooting people?” Sharpe said her cousin lived in a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting happened.

Residents said the encampment was a longtime feature of the neighborhood, which is home to several social services clinics and a shelter. Some said Milwaukee police officers know many of those living in the tents and could have defused the situation. The shooting happened near King Park, about a mile from the convention center, where a small group of protesters had gathered before marching Monday.

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(With contributions from the agency)