MILWAUKEE — One man was killed by police officers from Columbus, Ohio, just blocks away from the RNC security perimeter on 14th and Vliet.
The man was identified by the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) as a 43-year-old Milwaukee man.
Milwaukee Street Angels, an organization that works with the homeless community, tells TMJ4 the man was homeless.
The incident happened around 1:10 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16.
MPD says several officers from Columbus Ohio observed a man, armed with a knife in each hand, and was engaged in an ‘altercation’ with another man they say was unarmed.
They say officers identified themselves as police officers and made several commands for the 43-year-old to drop the knife.
Police say the man refused and charged at the unarmed man with the knives. That’s when several officers discharged their firearms, killing the 43-year-old man.
Surveillance video appears to show the shooting in the middle of Vliet St.
VIDEO: Surveillance video shows the moments the shooting happened
In the video, you can see two men in the street and several Columbus PD officers following them with guns drawn. You then see one man go down.
TMJ4 acquired the bodycam video of the Columbus officers from MPD.
It shows the moments before several officers shot and killed the 43-year-old man.
VIDEO: Edited bodycam video from Columbus Division of Police
According to MPD, the Columbus Division of Police officers from Ohio were assigned to bicycle patrol and were briefing with their supervision in their assigned zone before the incident.
VIDEO:Ohio police officer shoots and kills man near 14th and Vliet in Milwaukee
TMJ4 spoke to two people, who said they witnessed the shooting, and provided a different recount of events, telling TMJ4 they saw a man walk across Vliet St., and said police followed him across the street, and shot the man in the back.
According to the witnesses, the man lived at a nearby homeless encampment and was just trying to cross the street when police shot him.
Two knives were recovered from the scene, according to MPD.
VIDEO: Hear witness accounts of the shooting near 14th & Vliet
An autopsy for the man is scheduled for Wednesday, according to The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office.
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14th and Vliet is near the secure zone of the Republican National Convention, but the incident was not connected to events at the RNC.
The Fraternal Order of Police for the Columbus region shared a statement on Tuesday afternoon, saying that no officers were injured.
According to the statement, Columbus Police Officers, along with multiple officers from multiple jurisdictions nationwide are in Milwaukee to support Milwaukee Police with security for the RNC.
ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director Dr. Melinda Brennan released the following statement regarding the shooting:
“We are aware of the fatal civilian shooting by Columbus, Ohio Police that took place in the King Park neighborhood, approximately a mile away from the Fiserv Forum, well outside of the RNC security perimeter. As we wait for more details to surface, we're calling for a full and transparent investigation into what exactly led to the shooting, including the swift release of any bodycam footage pertaining to the encounter. More than 4,000 additional law enforcement officials are in Milwaukee for the RNC, and we've long feared how this heavy police presence could increase the risk of deadly police encounters, especially by out-of-state officers who don’t know and aren’t accountable to our community. We offer our condolences to the friends and family of the person killed.”
The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team will be investigating the incident.
The Greenfield Police Department will be the lead law enforcement agency in this investigation. The Milwaukee Police Department held a press conference on Tuesday to provide an update.
You can watch the full press conference below:
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