Fatal shooting by Ohio police during RNC; officers cleared of wrongdoing
Officers cleared in shooting during RNC
There will be no charges against the Ohio officers who shot and killed a man in Milwaukee near the Republican National Convention. That decision is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office.
MILWAUKEE - There will be no charges against the Ohio officers who shot and killed a man in Milwaukee near the Republican National Convention.
That decision is from the Milwaukee County District Attorney's office.
The officers involved in Samuel Sharpe's death have been cleared of any wrongdoing.
Sharpe's sister says she's not surprised.
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Police shooting near 14th and Vliet in Milwaukee
Case details
What we know:
"Police body camera captured the chaos on July 16, 2024, just outside the Republican National Convention security perimeter.
Investigators say Samuel Sharpe was holding a knife in each hand and tried to attack another man.
Officers intervened, eventually opening fire, killing Sharpe.
Investigators say the five Columbus, Ohio officers involved were part of a patrol unit called in to help during the RNC.
On Monday morning, May 5, 2025, Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern cleared the five officers of any criminal liability.
Lovern says Wisconsin law allows someone to use deadly force to protect someone else if that person believes it’s necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.
Lovern says the five officers who fired on Sharpe told investigators they believed Sharpe meant to seriously hurt or kill the other man.
Sharpe’s sister briefly talked with FOX6 on Monday afternoon.
"Historically, throughout the United States, there [is] no real track record of prosecuting killer cops, so that expectation wasn’t really something we were expecting," said Angelique Sharpe.
After the shooting, relatives said Sharpe had known mental health challenges.
"The community knew him. They loved him. He was a great guy," Angelique added.
In the days following the shooting, Milwaukee protesters questioned why out-of-town officers were outside the security perimeter.
For the rest of the convention, MPD required outside departments to have local officers with them.
"That does not stop the work that we’re doing to still get accountability and justice," said Angelique.
Now, the DA's investigation is closed.
The Columbus Division of Police did not return FOX6's messages, and Sharpe's family attorney did not immediately get back to FOX6 for a comment.
Wisconsin law states
Dig deeper:
A news release from the district attorney's office said Wisconsin law provides that a person is permitted to intentionally use force against another for the purpose of preventing or terminating what the person believes to be unlawful interference with a third party. An intervening person may intentionally use only such force as the person reasonably believes is necessary to prevent or terminate the interference with the third party. The intervening person may not intentionally use deadly force unless the person reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to the third party.
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The DA's office release goes on to say the evidence in this matter indicates approaching Columbus police officers repeatedly ordered Sharpe to drop his weapons to no avail. Instead, by the time officers shot Sharpe, he was standing within lunging distance of the second individual. The five officers who fired shots at Sharpe indicated they did so out of concern that the second individual would be seriously harmed or killed by Sharpe.
The DA's office said it is closing its review of this matter with no further action.
Reaction
What they're saying:
Statement from Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression
Earlier today, the District Attorney’s Office announced that the five Columbus Police Officers involved in the killing of Samuel Sharpe Jr. during the Republican National Convention (RNC) on July 16th, 2024, will not face criminal charges. The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression condemns this decision by DA Kent Lovern.
From the moment it was announced that the RNC would be held in Milwaukee, the community was clear: we did not want outside law enforcement agencies unleashed on our community. The Milwaukee Alliance stands for Community Control of the Police, and bringing in outside law enforcement agencies that are completely unaccountable to the people is the opposite of Community Control. Shame on Mayor Johnson for inviting the RNC here! Shame on Chief Jeffrey Norman for allowing outside agencies to murder Milwaukeeans with impunity!
When killer cops are allowed to commit these acts with impunity, a clear message is sent to our communities: the police can and will get away with their crimes. We are accustomed to these kinds of decisions by DAs, but it doesn’t negate the pain they cause. Sharpe and his family deserve justice, and the first steps towards justice are criminal charges for all officers involved. The body camera footage shows the five officers running up to the scene and immediately firing over 20 shots into all parts of Sharpe’s body. This is an act of murder, and should be prosecuted as such.
Angelique Sharpe, Sharpe’s sister and a member of the Milwaukee Alliance, responded to the decision by saying:
"5 killer cops + 1 person defending himself with two paring knives resulting in 23 shots and 34 wounds. The math aint mathing. It’s a miscarriage of justice and gross neglect of oversight on the part of MPD, who lied to the public and let killer cops run loose in one of the most vulnerable communities in our city. My brother's blood is on your hands regardless of the law continuing to support murderers behind badges."
The Sharpe family and the Milwaukee Alliance will not stop fighting for justice and for these officers to be held accountable in the courts! Whether it’s the five Columbus police officers, Mayor Johnson, or the Milwaukee Police Department who allowed these killer cops to operate without supervision in our neighborhoods, there must be accountability for Sharpe’s murder.
Wisconsin DOJ dashboard
Dig deeper:
The Wisconsin Department of Justice tracks use-of-force deaths and injuries.
You can click here to learn more and view the dashboard.
The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.