Overview

• Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern announced no charges against five Columbus officers involved in the July 2024 shooting of Samuel Sharpe.
• The officers fatally shot Sharpe after he ignored commands to drop two knives and lunged at another man in a park near the RNC venue.
• Wisconsin law permits deadly force to protect others if imminent harm is believed necessary to prevent, a standard met according to Lovern’s findings.
• Body camera footage confirmed officers identified themselves, issued warnings, and acted only after Sharpe posed an immediate threat.
• The incident has fueled ongoing community concerns about accountability for out-of-state officers deployed for large-scale events.