Tony Robinson shooting: US police officer shoots dead unarmed black teenager sparking protests in Madison, Wisconsin
Tony Robinson was shot dead on Friday night after a police officer responded to a disturbance in a residential area
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A 19-year-old African-American teenager was unarmed when he was shot dead by a police officer on Friday evening in Madison, Wisconsin, the city’s police chief has said.
The shooting sparked protests in the city, with demonstrators chanting “black lives matter” on the streets and conducting a sit-in at the City Hall.
Tony Robinson was shot dead by police officer Matt Kenny, who was responding to a report of battery and a man jumping in and out of traffic in a residential area at around 6.30pm.
He then forced his way into an apartment after hearing sounds of a disturbance inside, said Madison police chief Mike Koval on Saturday.
“Once inside the home, the subject involved in this incident – the same one who had allegedly been out in traffic and had battered someone – this same subject then assaulted my officer, and in the context of mutual combat in that sense, the officer did draw his revolver and subsequently shoot the subject,” Koval said in a public statement.
Kenny then administered CPR and Robinson was taken to a local hospital where he later died.
Koval said an initial search found no gun or other weapon at the scene. The shooting is now under investigation by the city’s Department of Criminal Investigations.
“We have to be clear about this,” Koval said. “He was unarmed. That’s going to make this all the more complicated for the investigators, the public, to accept, to understand… why deadly force had to be used.”
Koval also appeared conciliatory in his address, saying he understood distrust in the community after “this tragic death”.
It was also reported that Kenny, a police department employee for twelve years, used deadly force in 2007, when he also shot and killed a man.
He was later exonerated of any wrongdoing, even receiving a commendation, according to the police chief. The incident was later concluded to be “suicide by cop”.
Robinson’s shooting is the latest in a string of African-American deaths at the hands of police in the US that have stirred racial tensions and prompted accusations of institutionalised racism.
It comes days after the US Justice Department said it would not prosecute Darren Wilson, the white police officer who shot an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, whose death sparked riots and nationwide debate.
In its report the Justice Department said the St Louis suburb’s local police system had systematically targeted African Americans.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments