Sister of Milwaukee man shot dead by Ohio cop near RNC 'completely distraught' and calls for 'justice'

The sister and community of a homeless man slayed by police in his Milwaukee neighborhood are calling for 'justice' after railing against the influx of 'outside' police departments.

Samuel Sharpe Jr., also known in his community as Jehovah, or 'Jah,' was killed by members of the Columbus, Ohio, police department in town for the Republican National Convention. The RNC has brought 4,000 officers from 23 states to the small city of Milwaukee, much to the displeasure of the neighbors. Now, they're railing against this tragedy.

His sister has started a GoFundMe , where she writes: "The shooting has now left my family completely distraught. We dont understand the lack of regard for human life and why this situation wasnt deescalated at all. Why shoot a gun instead of using a tazer to take someone down?"

READ MORE: Milwaukee community mourns 'harmless' homeless man fatally shot by out of state cops near RNC

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The family has since criticized the police force for not trying to deescalate the situation after police bodycam footage was released. The footage shows police running up on Sharpe, who was standing there in an aggressive stance in a fight with another man, but they shot from mere feet away, when community members say a taser could have been just as effective.

"This officer wanted to kill my brother. If somebody hit me OR YOU, we got the right to use self defense. The officer don’t even know the story before intervening. Why not a Tazer? He didn’t have time to even respond to commands because You trying to defend yourself. He has Multiple sclerosis and his mobility is extremely compromised. He can’t even run. He didn’t even turn around," mourns the sister, Angelique Sharpe.

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Andrew S., 45, a barista in the area says they've lived in Milwaukee for 37 years and seen a fair share of police violence - had a similar statement to the family's. "It's just so upsetting every time, I understand they had knives, but the cops were so close they couldn't have tased them? It was two guys beefing... its just sad a life had to be lost."

A vigil last night was organized by the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (M.A.A.R.P.R.), and a press rep Lo Cross, said that they have gotten in contact with the family and they are obviously in mourning, but doing 'as well as they can be,' under the circumstances.

The organization added in a press statement: "Sharpe was an unhoused veteran in his 40s; he was failed by Milwaukee’s piecemeal social services. These police officers should never have been at King Park to begin with, as the park is half a mile from the soft security zone for the RNC. Beyond that, police murdered Sharpe for the supposed crime of holding a knife while they were fully armed. This mismatch of force should never have resulted in a murder."

When asked how the community is coping, Cross told the Mirror that it's made everyone feel unsafe. "I myself volunteer at the guest house, and I know that kind of park. There’s a lot of kids; the community is pretty tight-knit, and people are scared now and won’t go to the park; people in the encampment nearby don’t even want to communicate with media or each other even."

The group is planning a gathering at Red Arrow Park tomorrow afternoon and can subscribe to mail alerts to find out when to come. The event is titled 'Justice for Jah and D'Vontaye, Rally for truth, transparency, and justice."

Alen Roberts, 56, a driver, told the Mirror, "The area is sometimes known as a war zone; there are shootings there. So it's not shocking, but it's sad, and the cop will probably never get charged for it."

Sage, as they asked to be named, was a passerby who stopped to quip, "What were these officers doing there? And it had to be police from Ohio." The Ohio police department already seems to have some notoriety attached to them, as residents were well aware of past instances of police shootings.

The Community Power Coalition added: "We are outraged by the tragic shooting and murder of Samuel Sharpe early Tuesday morning, just outside the security perimeter of the RNC in Milwaukee. This incident, involving five officers from Ohio, underscores the dangers of increased police presence in our community—an imposition made without our consent."