Residents place candles at the site of Samuel Sharpe Jr.’s death during the Vigil for Samuel Sharpe Jr. on Tuesday, July 16, in Milwaukee. (Photo by Joe Timmerman/Wisconsin Watch)
By Edgar Mendez
This story was originally published by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, where you can find other stories reporting on fifteen city neighborhoods in Milwaukee. Visit milwaukeenns.org.
Angelique Sharpe now sadly knows firsthand how frequently police interactions can turn deadly for Black men.
Her brother, Samuel Sharpe Jr., was shot and killed on North 14th and West Vliet streets on Tuesday, July 16 by Columbus, Ohio, police officers who were in the city to work at the Republican National Convention.
Police treat Black men “like their lives are just disposable,” she said. “He was ambushed from behind.”
According to the Milwaukee Police Department, five officers opened fire on Sharpe Jr. after he ignored orders to drop two knives he was carrying and lunged toward another man.
“Someone’s life was in danger,” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman during a news conference Tuesday. “These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone’s life today.”
Angelique Sharpe, a business and economic development specialist in Milwaukee, said it was actually her brother’s life that was in danger.
“I talked to Sam on Saturday. This guy had threatened to kill my brother, his dog and burn up his tent,” said Angelique Sharpe, adding that her brother suffered from advanced multiple sclerosis, which affected his balance and also his hearing. “They didn’t even know he was trying to defend himself.”
The other individual involved in the altercation has not been publicly identified.
Samuel Sharpe Jr., 43, was shot and killed by Columbus, Ohio, police in town for the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, July 16. (Photo provided by Angelique Sharpe)
Additional reaction
On Thursday afternoon, Jacob Gatlin II, a community activist and former neighbor of Sharpe Jr., recorded cell phone video as he approached the scene of the shooting.
“When you give someone commands from hundreds of yards away, how are they supposed to hear anything, especially when they’re trying to defend themselves from someone else,” Gatlin said. “It’s a busy street. It’s crowded. It’s loud. How are they supposed to hear?”
Earlier in the week, dozens of protesters marched to the site of the shooting chanting, “Justice for Samuel Sharpe.”
“We’re here today for a community vigil to honor Samuel Sharpe Jr.,” said Alan Chavoya, a member of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Oppression, which organized the rally. “We’re here with the people of Milwaukee, the long list we have, of victims of police crimes.”
Fears over out-of-town police warranted, advocates say
The Coalition to March on the RNC 2024, a group that has clashed with officials over protests routes during the RNC, issued a statement condemning Sharpe Jr’s shooting.
“For years, the coalition has warned city officials of the dangers of bringing 4,500 police officers from outside of our state,” read a statement by the coalition. “The incident today is something that was predicted by Black and Brown communities since the RNC was announced for Milwaukee. It is painful to say that these predictions came true.”
Angelique Sharpe said unfamiliarity with the community is the main problem when you bring in police from outside of the area.
“These people have no attachment so it’s easier for them to have no regard for lives,” she said. “You didn’t know these people; you don’t know our community.”
Gatlin said the city chose to remove officers that patrol the area and knew Samuel Sharpe Jr. and bring in outsiders.
“These officers were on mobile bikes patrolling in a city they know nothing about,” Gatlin said. “You want to gun down people that you don’t even know.”
A statement issued by the Milwaukee Police Department said that the Columbus police were not responding to calls in the area of the shooting, nearly a mile outside of the RNC security zone.
“At the time of the incident, the CPD [Columbus Police Department] bicycle unit officers were briefing and debriefing the day’s events,” read part of the statement.
The release added that officers from Columbus responded to demonstrations on North 14th and West Vliet streets the day before the shooting.
Angelique Sharpe (right) says her brother Samuel Sharpe Jr. was defending himself when he was shot by police. (Photo provided by Angelique Sharpe)
Officers’ actions defended
Ald. Scott Spiker, who represents the 13th Aldermanic District on the South Side, also issued a statement. He said that while Sharpe Jr’s death is a tragedy, he defends the actions of the officers and disagrees with the response by some in the community.
“Some have said that “this is what happens when” you have out-of-town officers policing a city with which they are not familiar,” Spiker stated. “Any officers on the scene responding to a threat of deadly force mere yards away would have responded similarly to protect the public, it could be said, and done so justly.”
The ACLU of Wisconsin has filed open records requests related to the conduct of out-of-state law enforcement agencies in Milwaukee to work at the RNC.
What happens now?
Although she said she’s devastated and angry, Angelique Sharpe said she also is worried about her mother as she helps to prepare for her brother’s final arrangements.
“He was a true mama’s boy,” she said.
Sharpe Jr. had lived with his mother in a totally renovated basement until 10 months ago, Angelique Sharpe said. But he wanted to live on the streets where he could help others.
“He felt like it was his duty to make sure that all the shelterless people knew that Jehovah had not forgotten about them and let them know about God’s promises,” she said.
Along with his dog, Ices, Sharpe Jr. lived in a tent city with others near the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 1531 W. Vliet St.
His family cleaned out his tent Friday, allowing his friends to look through and find whatever they wanted to take.
Meanwhile, they are still waiting to share what they know with the Greenfield Police Department, which is overseeing the investigation of Sharpe Jr.’s death.
“They (police) have not contacted us,” Angelique Sharpe said. “The only time they came over was to show us a picture of a ventilator on his face.”