19-Year-Old Black Man Shot Dead by Wisconsin Cop Was Unarmed
Tony Robinson was unarmed when he was shot to death by a Wisconsin police officer following an altercation inside his apartment Friday (March 6) evening, Madison Police Chief Mike Koval announced today.
Officer Matt Kenny, 45, made his way into 19-year-old Robinson’s unit after hearing a disturbance of some kind. According to Koval, Kenny was hit in the head and ultimately knocked down.
Authorities had received a call about a man jumping into traffic around 6:30 p.m. Friday. The suspect was reportedly the same man “responsible for a battery that had recently been committed,” Koval revealed at an earlier news conference.
However, the narrative of a white cop killing an another unarmed black man is still a factor. “That's going to make this all the more complicated for the investigators, for the public to accept,” Koval said.
Neighbors confirmed that Robinson lived in the apartment and was alone in the unit at the time. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Approximately 100 protesters gathered after the shooting, which is still under investigation. Robinson’s family has urged for peace in the wake of the tragedy.
Last year, a state law was passed requiring outside parties to investigate police-involved incidents of the kind. While complete details won’t be released until the case is closed, State Attorney General Brad Schimel assured that “the result of that investigation will be one in which the public can have confidence.”
Kenny, a veteran of the force for over 12 years, has been put on paid administrative leave. He was previously cleared of wrongdoing in a fatal officer-involved shooting in 2007.
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(Photo: AP Photo/Wisconsin State Journal, Steve Apps)
