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Hundreds Protest Madison Police Killing at State Capitol Monday

Allison Geyer / Isthmus

On Monday, Madison high school students marched to the state Capitol. Once arriving, they joined with other demonstrators who had gathered.

All are upset that Officer Matt Kenny killed 19-year-old Tony Robinson late Friday.

According to police reports, the officer was responding to concerns about a young man darting in and out of traffic and attacking someone. The officer confronted and eventually shot Robinson inside an apartment.

Madison Police Chief Mike Koval shared news of the shooting. “We had a 19-year-old African American man slain last night. And to his family, and to his friends and to this community, that is a loss," Koval said.

http://youtu.be/87l_SsfhZDY

Within hours, demonstrators had gathered outside the building, decrying the killing of an unarmed black young man. They held a candlelight vigil Sunday.

Michael Johnson, head of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County called the death a humanitarian issue and urged people  not to judge either the Robinson or Kenny, but to wait for the facts to emerge.

The state Department of Justice is coordinating the investigation because, according to a new state law, outside agents must review police killings.

Madison Chief Koval says his department is stepping aside. "This is completely their (investigating agents) oversight. We will only supplement their needs as they request it, and certainly we will not have any sense of an instrumental role in this."

Representatives for the Robinson family said late Monday, they believe the investigation will be fair and urge people to protest peacefully.

Credit Will Kramer
On Monday, students gathered in Wisconsin's Capitol demanding justice for Tony Robinson.

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