The homeless man fatally shot by police outside the Republican National Convention on Tuesday appeared to be armed with two knives as he tried to attack another person, as seen in bodycam video released Wednesday.
The 43-year-old suspect, identified as Samuel Sharpe Jr., was gunned down by quick-thinking police officers from Columbus, Ohio, who were helping with security at the event in Milwaukee, Wis.
The incident didn’t appear to be connected to the political gathering, where prominent GOP figures including Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his newly announced running mate J.D. Vance have been present throughout the week.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman held a press conference after Tuesday’s shooting to quell concerns about the local man being gunned down by cops from another state.
“These officers, who were not from this area, took it upon themselves to act and save someone’s life today,” he told reporters.
The bodycam video shows the alleged assailant lunging at his adversary with a knife in his right hand. Columbus Police Department officers can be heard shouting “Drop the knife!” as they charge toward the suspect and his apparent target.
The Columbus Division of Police said it released the bodycam video for the sake of transparency.
“The incident took place in the outer perimeter of the RNC, within the operational zone to which our officers were assigned,” Ohio officials said in statement. “CPD officers encountered an armed individual threatening another person and subsequently discharged their weapons.”
Video obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel shows local first responders rushing to where the shooting took place about a mile from the convention’s security perimeter.
Following the incident, locals described Sharpe Jr. as a “beautiful person” who carried a Bible and cared for a dog.
It’s unclear why he and the unidentified man he was trying to stab were at odds.
With News Wire Services
