Man dies after struggle with police, sparking protests in US city

A man was shot and killed during a confrontation with police officers in Madison, Wisconsin, after authorities said he pulled out a knife and injured an officer, with the incident now under state investigation and drawing protests from community members.

Madison Police Chief John Patterson stated during a news conference that officers responded Wednesday afternoon, July 22, to a report of a person allegedly checking parked vehicles. Upon arrival, they found a man believed to be in his 30s, Caliber.Az reports via CNN.

Police attempted to speak with the man, but he fled on a bicycle through nearby backyards, Patterson said.

Officers later located the man again less than two miles from the state Capitol, where “a physical struggle ensued,” according to the police chief. During the attempt to arrest him, the man allegedly pulled out a fixed-blade knife and injured one officer, who was described as a “veteran officer.”

Video recorded by a bystander from a nearby vehicle shows officers on the ground at an intersection as they struggle with a man who is eventually lifted to his feet. One officer appears to use a Taser before the man falls back to the ground, where another officer kicks him while a third officer restrains him with a knee.

A fourth officer then fires a gun at the man from close range. The footage captures three gunshots before the man stops moving. It remains unclear what occurred before the video recording began.

All four officers involved in the confrontation have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues, Patterson said.

Authorities are also examining whether the man fell from his bicycle or was forcibly removed by officers when they encountered him near the intersection of Williamson and South Baldwin streets on the city’s Near East Side, the police chief added.

The location has drawn additional attention because, in 2015, a White police officer shot and killed an unarmed biracial 19-year-old, Tony Robinson, on the same street, sparking large-scale protests. The race of both the man killed in the July 22 shooting and the officer involved has not been released.

By Jeyhun Aghazada