Community, city leaders react to Columbus officer shooting Milwaukee man

By Jenna Wells

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — An investigation is ongoing after Columbus, Ohio police officers shot and killed a man in Milwaukee Tuesday afternoon.

The Milwaukee Police Department said 13 CPD officers were staged near 14th and Vliet Street, when they saw a man with a knife in each hand, fighting with an unarmed person.

In body camera footage obtained Tuesday, officers told him to drop the knife, he did not, and five officers opened fire.

A memorial now sits on the right side of the road where the man died. Family members identified him as Samuel Sharpe.

We learned Wednesday, the Columbus police officers involved will not continue to work in Milwaukee this week.

“This is a tragic situation. I don’t want people to lose their lives,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson on Wednesday morning.

Johnson called it a tragedy both the man’s family, and the officers involved.

“The information we have leaves a clear impression that these Columbus officers, they saved the life of an unarmed man from perhaps death or serious injury,” Johnson said.

Bullet holes marked by law enforcement can still be seen in a concrete wall off Vliet street.

Family members told CBS 58, Samuel Sharpe lived at a tent encampment nearby.

“We went as soon as we heard what happened just to show our support and love,” said Eva Welch, co-director of Milwaukee Street Angels.

Street Angels does outreach at the encampment three times a week. Welch says she has known Sharpe since March.

“We had just seen him the day before, and he just kept telling us how much he loves us, thanking us,” Welch said through tears.

She says her team others that live at the encampment are grieving.

“This was one of our biggest fears with the RNC coming here, and it came true,” Welch explained.

The shooting happened in country chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson’s district. She released a statement Wednesday in part:

“This incident underscores the urgent need for comprehensive police reform and the importance of addressing systemic issues that disproportionately impact marginalized communities, including the homeless. “

“All we really care about is he was our friend, and he did not deserve to die like that,” Welch said.

According to the Milwaukee police department, the Columbus officers that were involved were assigned to that area on bicycles.

MPD said from now on, they will ensure an MPD officer is assigned to accompany out-of-state patrols in front facing and specialty roles.

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