(NewsNation) — One man is dead after Ohio police officers fired shots at him less than a mile away from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee Tuesday.
Fraternal Order of Police President Brian Steel — who supervises the lodge for Central Ohio — confirmed that Columbus police officers were involved in the shooting Tuesday afternoon.
Five members of the Columbus, Ohio, police department fired on the man, who had a knife in each hand, refused police commands and charged at an unarmed man before police fired, Milwaukee Chief Jeffrey Norman said at a news conference. Two knives were recovered from the scene, the chief said.
Per CBS 58 in Milwaukee, Columbus police say the shooting took place “in the outer perimeter of the RNC” and is not apparently related to the convention.
A local street pastor, Robert Camacho, who knew the man, told NewsNation the deceased was homeless and was displaced by the convention cleanup.
Police released body camera footage that showed officers on bikes talking before one of them says, “He’s got a knife.”
Several officers then yell “Drop the knife!” as they run toward two men standing in a street. When the armed man moved toward the unarmed man, police fired their weapons.
“Someone’s life was in danger,” Norman said. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone’s life today.”
The shooting fueled anger from residents who questioned why out-of-state officers were in their neighborhood located about a mile from the convention site.
A cousin and others identified the man killed as 43-year-old Samuel Sharpe.
Camacho said the man was in his 40s and was called “Jehovah.”
“Jehovah was a good guy. I have never seen him upset. He stayed in a tent, and he took care of his dog,” Camacho said.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office said an adult male was shot and killed and that an autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
The shooting happened at 14th and Vliet streets, where two men were fighting with knives. The scene is less than a mile away from Fiserv Forum, where the RNC is being held, WTMJ reported.
Camacho told NewsNation police shot the victim multiple times.
About 100 people held a vigil and march without incident on Tuesday night, pausing for a moment of silence at the blood-stained spot where Sharpe was killed.
“They came into our community and shot down our family right here at a public park,” said Linda Sharpe, a cousin of the man who was killed. “What are you doing in our city, shooting people down?”
Linda Sharpe said her cousin lived in a tent encampment across the street from King Park, where the shooting occurred.
The convention began on Monday, drawing people from across the country to nominate former President Donald Trump for the presidency.
Steel confirmed that multiple CPD officers were in Milwaukee to assist with event security. No officers were hurt in the shooting, Steel said.
Residents said the encampment was a long-standing feature of the neighborhood, which is home to several social service clinics and a shelter. Some said Milwaukee police officers are familiar with many of those living in the tents and might have been able to de-escalate the situation.
NewsNation affiliate WCMH and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
