In March, 19-year-old Tony Robinson, a black man, was killed by Madison, Wisconsin, Police Officer Matthew Kenny following an altercation, according to police. Today, the prosecutor announced that Kenny will not face charges.
"I conclude that this tragic and unfortunate death was the result of a lawful use of deadly police force and that no charges should be brought against Officer Kenny in the death of Tony Robinson Jr.," Ismael Ozanne, the Dane County district attorney, announced Tuesday afternoon at a news conference.Welp.
...Robinson's death on March 6 prompted days of sustained, peaceful demonstrations in Wisconsin's second-largest city. Police say they were responding to multiple calls about a disturbance involving Robinson, including calls that said he had assaulted other people and ran into traffic.
In a brief statement after the shooting, police said that when they found Robinson, "a struggle ensued" and he was shot and killed. Kenny was placed on paid administrative leave, and the police chief apologized for the shooting and asked for patience during the investigation.
...Ozanne, who was appointed in 2010, is a lifelong Madison resident and the first black district attorney in Wisconsin history, according to his office. He said that he viewed his responsibilities through this lens as "a man who understands the pain of unjustified profiling" and described discussions he has had recently with community members who are distrustful of the criminal justice system.
"My decision will not bring Tony Robinson Jr. back," Ozanne said Tuesday. "My decision will not end the racial disparities that exist in the justice system, in our justice system."
Robinson, of course, being dead, was unavailable to tell his version of events. But, according to Kenny, he chased Robinson into a building, where Robinson hit him in the head and so he "opened fire after he feared that he would be hit again and his gun taken and used to shoot him or others. Kenny fired seven shots in three seconds, and all of the shots hit Robinson on the front of his body."
That's the official version of events. (Coupled with toxicology reports that say Robinson was high at the time.) Even the official version, which apparently constitutes a "lawful use of deadly police force" sounds fucking incredible to me. The only way to deal with a suspect is to fatally shoot him seven times? Fuck that. Fuck that.
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