Protests Erupt After Wisconsin Black Man With Mental Disabilities Shot Dead By Cop

A police officer in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, fatally shot a 32-year-old Black man Thursday (July 2) after he allegedly chased a woman with two knives before charging at the cop. The death prompted protests in the city.

In a statement, Sheboygan Police Chief Christopher Domagalski said the officer responded to the scene after receiving information that a man was chasing a woman. The officer arrived at the scene and attempted to talk to the man from across the street. Then, the man, identified by his family members as Kevan Ruffin, charged at the officer with the knives.

The officer initially attempted to deploy a taser. However, when Ruffin continued to charge at him, he was “forced to use a firearm.” Domagalski said the woman was rushed to a local hospital for treatment. She has since been released.

Investigation into the incident was ongoing and the unidentified officer was placed on administrative leave.

Meanwhile, speaking to Sheboygan Press, the family members said Ruffin’s race may have had a role to play in the incident.

"Because he was Black, he was considered as a threat from the beginning," Sheriyah Appleton, Ruffin's cousin, told the newspaper.

According to the court records, Ruffin was charged with various crimes in the last 10 years. However, he was found not guilty in most of them because of mental health issues. His family members stated Sheboygan police knew Ruffin had a mental disability.

"This stuff has been going on all around the world, this is why everyone is protesting, this is why we are upset. The color of our skin should not determine whether we are taken into custody or taken to the morgue,” Appleton told the newspaper.

Meanwhile, on Thursday afternoon, over 100 protestors marched to Sheboygan's police station from the city’s south side chanting "This is what democracy looks like!" Investigation into the case was ongoing.

The “Black Lives Matter” movement gained momentum in the United States following the death of 46-year-old George Floyd, an African-American man who was killed by a Minneapolis police during an arrest.