Milwaukee Chairwoman Urges Congress To Pass George Floyd Act After Out-Of-State Cops Kill Unhoused Black Man

Family, friends and activists attend a vigil for Samuel Sharpe Jr. who was shot and killed by five Ohio police officers who were in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention (RNC) on July 16, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Source: Spencer Platt / Getty

M ilwaukee leaders are demanding justice after an unhoused Black man was shot and killed Monday by out-of-state police officers who were in the city helping with the Republican National Convention (RNC).

Dora Drake, the state representative for the 11th assembly district and the Chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus in Wisconsin, exclusively spoke with NewsOne about the shooting.

According to reports , two unhoused men were involved in an altercation in King Park, about one mile from Fiserv Forum, the main RNC venue. The park is located outside the convention’s security perimeter. During the fight, one of the men, whose name has been reported as Samuel Sharpe Jr., pulled out a knife and was shot dead by numerous officers from the capital city of Ohio.

The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) held a press conference a few hours after the tragic incident and informed reporters that 13 uniformed Columbus officers were assigned to bicycle patrol during the convention. According to MPD Chief Jeffrey Norman, the officers saw Sharpe Jr. with a knife in each hand fighting another person. Officers say they identified themselves and told Sharpe to drop the knives, but he allegedly refused and five officers shot and killed him. Two knives were also reportedly found on the scene.

When discussing why non-local officers were patrolling the city, Chief Norman said they “had been here for a couple of days and understanding that there was something that happened right in front of them, at the time they were talking to each other and this event unfolded in front of them.”

Norman added: “In fact, this is a situation where somebody’s life was in immediate danger. Again, two knives were recovered from this particular situation, someone’s life was in danger and these officers who are not from this area took it upon themselves to act to save someone’s life today.”

Columbus police chief released the body camera video Tuesday evening.

“In the interest of transparency, I am releasing body-worn camera footage of the shooting. I have been in contact with the Milwaukee Police Department to advise them of my decision to release this footage,” Columbus Police Chief Elaine R. Bryant told WISN .

Milwaukee residents were outraged by the officers’ decision to kill Samuel Sharpe Jr. Some even showed up at the scene and held their own news conference demanding the officers be held accountable.

Drake told NewsOne about the impact of police brutality on the community she cares for dearly.

“It is extremely frustrating, and that’s an understatement, because we know in our communities that we have dealt with police brutality, you know, and this is nothing new,” Drake explained. “You know, it’s not an isolated incident. It is something that happens across our whole country and something that we have still not addressed.”

She also questioned why out-of-state cops would even be assigned to local areas outside of the perimeter of the RNC and called on Congress to pass the George Floyd Act.

“As more details are coming out, I definitely send my condolences to the family. But there needs to be a real conversation about why there was law enforcement that wasn’t even part of the state of Milwaukee, what the details were about patrolling, the importance of having people from our community by law enforcement, and on a national scale addressing and signing into law the George Floyd Act,” Drake continued. “There is a bill enacted, but it still hasn’t been passed by Congress.”

She added: “Everyone deserves to feel protected, regardless of where you live. And this is something that, as we watch for more details, that there is justice not just for their family, but also, understanding what steps look like moving forward to have a more safe community.”

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