Madison, Wisconsin, has seen a third day of protests after the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white policeman. Officer Matt Kenny
ADVERTISEMENTMadison, Wisconsin, has seen a third day of protests after the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white policeman.
Officer Matt Kenny fired the fatal shot at 19-year-old Tony Robinson Jr, after suffering a blow to the head, according to police chief Mike Koval.
Kenny followed Robinson into an apartment after responding to calls a man was dodging cars in traffic and had battered another person.
Wisconsin court records indicate the teenager received a six-month suspended sentence in 2014 after pleading guilty to armed robbery. Local police declined to comment on Robinson’s criminal history.
A ‘murky’ investigation
His death has further intensified scrutiny on US police officers following numerous allegations of racial bias within the force.
“This young man was unarmed, which means that the investigation becomes all the more murky or difficult to sort through,” said Koval. “So, the fact that deadly force was used or employed in this instance must mean that there has to be other factors present.”
Kenny has since been put on paid administrative leave while an investigation is conducted.
The officer was involved in another police shooting in 2007, in which a 48-year-old was killed after allegedly pointing a gun at officers and refusing to lower his weapon. Local media reports state the weapon was later determined to be a replica of a .38 calibre handgun.
Kenny was exonerated in the shooting and earned a commendation, according to Koval.
‘Black Lives Matter’
The demonstrations are the latest in a series of marches under the slogan ‘Black Lives Matter’, launched in 2014 after fatal shootings in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City.
Pics from tonight's vigil from the Young Gifted and Black coalition #JusticeForTonyRobinson#BlackLivesMatterpic.twitter.com/hkkrVW1ksb
— Deshawn McKinney (@_NWArsenal) March 9, 2015
They coincided with a march in Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the ‘Bloody Sunday March.’