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- Bob Hennellyaward-winning investigative reporter.
Activists and community members in Milwaukee gathered in the streets Tuesday to condemn the police killing of 43-year-old Milwaukee resident Samuel Sharpe. The officers who killed Sharpe, an unhoused Black veteran, are from Ohio, part of a group of 4,500 law enforcement officials in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention. But the shooting took place a mile from the RNC’s proceedings. Sharpe appeared to be in the middle of an altercation with another man when the police officers charged toward him before fatally shooting him. Journalist Bob Hennelly, who is in Milwaukee to cover the convention, says the shooting is what happens “when you militarize your politics.”
Transcript
AMY GOODMAN: I want to turn to another story that you’ve been reporting on. On Tuesday, police officers from Ohio shot dead 43-year-old Milwaukee resident Samuel Sharpe, an unhoused Black veteran, here in Milwaukee. The officers who killed Samuel Sharpe are in Wisconsin here, part of a 4,500 law enforcement officials group to come to the RNC. The shooting took place a mile from the RNC’s proceedings. Sharpe appeared to be in the middle of an altercation with another man when the police officers charged towards him before fatally shooting him.
This is Alan Chavoya of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racial and Political [Repression].
ALAN CHAVOYA: We spoke repeatedly with MPD and expressed the concerns of the people of Milwaukee as to what was going to happen with the thousands of police officers and law enforcement agents from around this country that were going to descend on Milwaukee. And they didn’t give us a single answer. They told us to trust the process. Well, look at what the process got us? We warned the city. We warned Chief Norman. We warned the representatives, the chief of staff, Nick DeSiato. We told them, “You’re going to bring a whole bunch of outside agitators to our city. Look what they’re going to do.” And they did it today. We’re not even two days into this RNC, and we have a casualty. How is that possible?
AMY GOODMAN: So, Robert Hennelly, you’re an award-winning investigative reporter. You’re here to cover the RNC, but you end up covering this, as well.
BOB HENNELLY: It’s no surprise. When you militarize your politics, we see the results. Look what happened in the field in Butler, Pennsylvania. A trillion-dollar national security apparatus that can’t protect the former president of United States from a solo actor. Do we feel safe now?
AMY GOODMAN: So, you have here the killing of an unhoused Black vet.
BOB HENNELLY: Right, which follows on the killing of — by private security guards, of a Black individual who walked into the wrong gender restroom.
AMY GOODMAN: That’s right. That was D’Vontaye Mitchell — and we’ll talk more about his case — killed not far from where we’re broadcasting right now, by security guards. Robert Hennelly, thanks so much for being with us, covering the RNC for Pacifica Radio. I’m Amy Goodman. This is Democracy Now!
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