Tony Robinson shooting protest at Capitol draws 1,500; police chief apologizes

[alp227]

Source: Wisconsin State Journal

Students from throughout Madison left school and took their rage, sorrow and demands to the city's power centers on Monday, rocking the State Capitol rotunda with chants of "Justice for Tony" then demanding a meeting with Mayor Paul Soglin and Police Chief Mike Koval while massed outside the City-County Building.

In loud, well-choreographed voices, they vowed to press public officials and police for consequences in the death last Friday of Tony Robinson, an unarmed 19-year-old shot by a police officer after an altercation on the Near East Side.

"We demand that the officer who shot our brother be arrested," the group of 1,500 young people chanted in call-and-response outside the City-County Building. The group included students of all races although most were black. They came from Sun Prairie High School -- where Robinson graduated last spring -- plus all four traditional Madison high schools, and they included middle school and college students.

The roving protests -- perhaps the largest in the Capitol rotunda since the Act 10 rallies of 2011 -- highlighted the third day of angry reactions after Robinson was shot by Madison veteran police officer Matt Kenny. Police say Robinson, 19, of Madison, assaulted Kenny, 45, inside a second-floor apartment at 1125 Williamson St. before Kenny fatally shot Robinson. Kenny suffered minor injuries, police said.

Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/tony-robinson-shooting-protest-at-capitol-draws-police-chief-apologizes/article_3cd0e2f5-868c-507d-a51c-55a23a4fe2a6.html

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Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: Students stage walkout, rally at Capitol over police shooting

[Augiedog]

1. Unsurprisingly.....

A right wing news organ works to inflame public opinion and provoke unworthy responses from the ill informed. The pretend fair and balanced wisconsin state urinal er journal used passive aggressive phrasing in its coverage of the tragic weekend police shooting of a young black man. Apparently the Madison community isn't volitile enough for the extremists at the journal. Can't have a really good lead without some more blood so let's pretend that police chief Mike Koval apologized for the officers actions, which the reporter KNOWS is not the case. Chief Koval was extending his heart felt condolences to the family for their loss, as we all do, except maybe the reporter at the urinal. Unsurprisingly the Urinal sees this as an opportunity to mislead and foment violence. The family members and community members who were close to the slain teen were far more respectful and circumspect, recognizing that Madison is not Fergussen. The State will investigate this police officers actions and the Feds are playing a watchful over site roll. No doubt this will interfere with the hopes of all right wing faux news creaters, cause ya know ...haters gotta hate. My condolences also go to the family and friends of Tony Robinson. And to chief Koval, you are doing an excellent job in this time of crises, please let the officer involved know that the citizens of Madison are concerned for him too...their is, really, no good outcome in this, just the truth with which we will all have to deal.

[murielm99]

6. Since you are from Madison,

you may know that Wisconsin has a unique law. Police departments may not investigate themselves if there is a fatal shooting like this one. It stems from an incident where a police officer shot a white man who was unarmed. That shooting may not have been justified, and the cop in question had a questionable history where shooting was involved. After an internal investigation, the cop was found to have done nothing wrong. There was a public outcry, and the law was passed. This shooting will be investigated under that law. Other states are looking at this law, to see if they should pass something similar.

My daughter lived in Madison for a long time. She left because she is an academic, and she felt that the atmosphere in Wisconsin was becoming oppressive and unfriendly for academics.

She feels that Madison is more segregated than Chicago. She told me that a black person is more likely to be stopped for questioning in Madison than in Ferguson. I don't know where she got that information, but she claims this is true.

[Augiedog]

9. She is correct

In her estimations. Our current governor is very hostile towards any form of secular education, but especially post high school. He also has an admitted animus and detain for Madison as an idea, we have been called in the past "the Berkely of the Midwest". This links directly to the education level of the average person in Madison and has been a Thorne in our governors side, back and butt. The state of Wisconsin has the highest percentage of African American incarceration in the nation. You are correct that I am from Madison so my next statement needs to be taken with that in consideration, I think the Madison Police Dept. is different in regards to race issues. It is not systemically racist nor do they seem to treat Caucasians better than anybody else, that is just my unproven impression. I think Tony Robinson's family and friends have properly expressed faith in the justice system working in this case, not that you could tell from the reporters article. The level of education and screening that Madison's police officers meet, along with the training and culture of intolerance towards Fergusson type officers leaves me to also have faith in how this case will be dealt with...there will no cover up nor a white washing of the issues here.

[murielm99]

11. I agree with you about the Madison

police force. So does my daughter. She has a positive impression of them, in spite of some of the race issues in Wisconsin. I know it sounds contradictory, but I understand what you are saying.

She was involved in some of the demonstrations in Madison when Walker first started dumping on the unions. The police seemed sympathetic and respectful toward the protestors. They gave directions and were polite to the people there. They even ate pizza with them. Later, they were ordered to back off and not fraternize with the protesters, even though some of them, as union members, may have sympathized with the goals of the demonstrators.

I think the family of the young Robinson man is behaving with remarkable restraint and dignity. It may complicate matters for the racists, too, when they realize that the young man is biracial.

I hope that this is handled in an enlightened manner, and becomes an example of how such incidents should be handled by other cities and police forces. Let Madison, as they often do, lead the way.

And get rid of that brain dead governor you have! I know our newly elected jerk is no better, but Walker scares me more than most of his kind.

[madville]

2. According to court documents

From his home invasion/armed robbery conviction last year, he had some mental issues.

The police really need some extra training, apparently when they get assaulted these days the immediate reaction is to start shooting.

[840high]

3. If he had a conviction - was

he out on bail? I'm not up on this news.

[madville]

4. First offense/felony

He was on 3 years probation, he was armed with a BB gun during the home invasion/robbery.

[840high]

5. Thank you.

[ManiacJoe]

7. Many times the correct response to an assault is to start shooting.

When assaulted with a deadly weapon, a lethal defense is the correct response. A non-lethal assault should get a non-lethal defense.

Do you know something about this event that the rest of us don't know?

[madville]

8. I would bet this was a justified shooting

Even if the person committing the assault is unarmed, all it really takes is for the victim to have a reasonable fear for their life to justify deadly force.

It just seems like it's all or nothing these days, if one physically assaults a cop it's a pretty good bet they aren't going to get pepper sprayed or tazed, they're going to get shot.

Of course the 19 year old recently being convicted of armed robbery/home invasion doesn't work in his favor either.

[Scuba]

10. I caught part of a Wisconsin Public Radio discussion on this yesterday. Incredibly ....

... three callers in a row stated that citizens should just do whatever the police say or else the police are justified in shooting them.

I don't know what's happened to my state, but it isn't good.