Washington--A white police officer who shot and killed an unarmed 19-year-old African American man in Wisconsin used justifiable force and will not face criminal charges, authorities said Tuesday.
The fatal March 6 shooting of Tony Robinson by officer Matt Kenny in the Midwestern university city of Madison touched off days of protest.
It was one of a series of recent police shootings of unarmed black men that sparked a national outcry over how officers treat minorities, especially young black men.
"I conclude that this tragic and unfortunate death was the result of a lawful use of deadly police force and that no charges should be brought," Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne told a press conference.
"My decision will not bring Tony Robinson Jr back. My decision will not end the racial disparities that exist in the justice system," Ozanne said.
Robinson's family quickly criticized the decision.
"This is politics and not justice," said his grandmother, Sharon Irwin.
His mother, Andrea Irwin, said police did not use accurate facts in their account of her son's death. She urged demonstrators to make themselves heard.
"We can stand up and say we are done with this injustice without destroying ourselves or our own city," she told CNN. "And if we don't say something or make sure we stand up for ourselves, this will happen again," she warned.
Family attorney Jon Loevy said while Robinson's relatives supported community members who wished to protest, they did not support violence.
"It is not a situation where people should get hurt or the community should tear itself apart. That makes no sense," he said.
Dozens of young people marched in Madison after Ozanne's announcement, carrying banners that read "Black Lives Matter." Some chanted, "No justice, no peace, no racist police."
School leaders have asked parents to urge their teenagers not to go to demonstrations, after many teens were involved in riots in Baltimore after the funeral of a young black man, Freddie Gray, who died from injuries sustained in police custody.
AFP
