Before Tony Robinson was shot to death by a Madison, Wi., police officer on Friday, events that night were quickly spiraling out of control for the teen, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Police were called when he started jumping in front of cars on a street. Then in swift succession, Robinson apparently hit a friend and tried strangling someone else. Robinson, 19, who was black and unarmed, was killed by an officer who was called to the incident, which started at a gas station and ended with Robinson’s death in a two-story house across the street.
The shooting drew comparisons with other high-profile killings by police of black men: Dontre Hamilton in Milwaukee, Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner in New York City. In Madison, Robinson’s death prompted protests over the weekend. Yesterday, 100 protesters carrying a large white banner reading “Black Lives Matter” walked down the street where the incident occurred as police cordoned off the area. They carried smaller signs that read “Not one more,” “It’s not fair” and “Why not try love?” as they chanted Robinson’s name and “No justice, no peace.” Robinson was shot by officer Matt Kenny. It was the second time Kenny has killed someone in the line of duty. “There’s no doubt that we have to be clear about this: He was unarmed,” said Madison Police Chief Mike Koval. “That’s going to make this all the more complicated for the investigators, for the public to accept.”