Madison police officer fatally shoots suspect who stabbed officer during arrest

A Madison police officer fired his weapon and killed a suspect who had stabbed the officer during a struggle after police attempted to stop him for trying to enter parked vehicles. The incident occurred on a busy street in a neighborhood near the state Capitol, and bystanders captured three gunshots on a cellphone video that quickly spread online.

Police Chief John Patterson said the suspect fled on a bike, fell or was taken off the bike, and then produced a knife that wounded an officer. A taser was deployed but did not stop the suspect, and the injured officer subsequently shot the man, who later died at a hospital. Another officer was also injured, while two other officers were unharmed.

The Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation will conduct a probe of the shooting. The chief expressed sympathy for the victim’s family, noting the deceased was in his 30s, but did not release his name or the races of those involved. Community advocates said the victim was Black and called for accountability, with some demonstrators chanting slogans near the scene.

"I want to take a moment to honestly and sincerely offer my heartfelt sympathies to his family for this loss," Chief Patterson said at a news conference.

The shooting follows a 2015 incident on the same street in which a biracial man was killed by police, a case that also drew protests but resulted in no charges against the officer.