Sheboygan Police Shot, Killed 32-Year-Old Black Man

A Sheboygan police officer shot and killed a man Thursday morning.

The Sheboygan Police Department hasn’t released the identity of the man who was killed, but family members told the Sheboygan Press they lost a smart and funny “teddy bear.” They also said the Sheboygan police were aware the 32-year-old Black man had a mental disability.

Sheboygan Police Chief Christopher Domagalski said the Sheboygan County dispatch center received a call early Thursday morning about a man armed with two knives chasing a woman.

Initially, an officer attempted to deescalate the situation by speaking to the man and subsequently showing his taser, Domagalski said. When the man began to chase the officer, the officer pulled his firearm, he said.

The man died at the scene, and the woman was taken to the hospital, he said. She has since been released.

The officer, who’s been with the Sheboygan Police Department for more than two years, has been placed on administrative leave. Additional information about the officer will be released in the next couple days, Domagalski said.

The Sheboygan Police Department didn’t offer much additional information on the incident, which is being investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Officials declined to take questions at a Thursday afternoon news conference.

“I offer my sincere condolences to the family of the deceased, as well as to the Sheboygan community,” Domagalski said. “I understand the impact and the trauma these events cause on the community.”

Sheboygan Common Council President Ryan Sorenson said he didn’t want to comment on the incident before the investigation was complete, but he said the Common Council will work to ensure the investigation is fair and that it addresses the community’s questions.

Sheboygan is one of many cities across Wisconsin to see Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was killed by Minneapolis police in May.

Recent events have highlighted the racial disparities Black people face in Wisconsin and across the country, Sorenson said. He believes the city’s top priority should be addressing them, he added.

“We must confront these problems and we must all live to our core values of respect and accountability,” he said. “We must make it clear that Black lives matter in our community and every community.”