Police Officer Who Fatally Shot Wisconsin Teen to Learn Fate Tuesday

The white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed biracial man in Madison, Wis., on March 6, sparking protests against perceived police brutality and institutional racism, will learn Tuesday whether he will face charges over the death, Wisconsin county prosecutor Ismael Ozanne said Sunday.

Officer Matt Kenny, 45, was responding to reports that a man suspected of assaulting two people was weaving through traffic on foot, reports Reuters. Investigators say 19-year-old Tony Robinson Jr. was shot in his apartment after he attacked Kenny but no other details have been released.

A county medical examiner says Robinson was shot in the head, torso and right arm.

The incident motivated peaceful demonstrations in Madison organized by the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition. They have called for Kenny to be fired and charged with homicide.

A number of racially charged episodes involving the police and the black community has put the debate about perceived institutional racism at the forefront of America’s national conversation.

Last month in South Carolina, officer Michael Slager was charged with homicide for shooting Walter Scott as he was running away. On May 2, Baltimore Police Officer Caesar Goodson was charged with second-degree murder for the death of Freddie Gray. Five other officers involved in that arrest, which resulted Gray’s death from a severe neck and spine injury, are facing various other charges.

[Reuters]