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A man has been shot and killed near the Republican National Convention by an officer pulled in from out of state to work security for the event.
According to local media, the individual – a 43-year-old Milwaukee resident identified by friends as Samuel Sharpe – had brandished two knives near police before being shot and killed near the Fiserv Forum on Tuesday.
Milwaukee law enforcement later confirmed that the incident had involved members of police from Columbus, Ohio. No officers had been injured, a statement from FOP Lodge 9 said. Columbus police confirmed the incident and said it did not appear to be connected to the convention. Columbus police referred questions to Milwaukee officials.
Milwaukee police later released a statement that stated the incident happened around 1:10 p.m. Officers observed a man armed with a knife in each hand engaged in a fight with another unarmed individual.
Despite the officers identifying themselves as police officers and making several commands to the man to drop the knife, he did not and instead charged at the other individual.
“At this time, several officers discharged their firearms subsequently striking the suspect,” the police statement said.
A man has been shot and killed near the Republican National Convention by an officer from Columbus, Ohio, in Milwaukee to work security for the event (Getty Images)The man died following the incident, though no other injuries were reported. Two knives were recovered from the scene.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said Sharpe lived in one of the tent encampments, was known by the nickname “Jehovah” and took care of a dog, a pit bull named Isis, the newspaper reported.
Local radio host Dan O’Donnell later reported a woman identifying herself as the sister of the dead man told police at the barricade that he lived “on the street” and was “bipolar schizophrenic.”
Local media reported that the deceased man was someone who was well-known in the neighborhood (Getty Images)The woman claimed officers shot the man “when he pulled out his knife,” according to O’Donnell.
Multiple law enforcement agencies had been enlisted to help with beefed up security at the RNC – taking place from July 14 to 18 – including Columbus Division of Police.
Prior to the convention, Milwaukee officials estimated about 4,000 officers from law enforcement agencies outside the area would take part in policing the city this week.
Pictures from the scene of Tuesday’s incident showed multiple officers on bicycles, horses and on foot in attendance. A van labeled as belonging to the city of Columbus was parked nearby.
Donald Trump appeared at the convention on Monday night with a patch of gauze over his ear, following an attempted assassination on Saturday (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)Tensions are running particularly high in the wake of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The former president was shot in the right ear during the shocking incident on Saturday.
It prompted Joe Biden to urge calm. On Sunday, the president announced he had directed the head of the Secret Service to “review all security measures, all security measures, for the Republican National Convention.”
Trump – who has now officially received the GOP presidential candidate nomination – appeared at the convention on Monday night, with a patch of gauze over his ear.
