Angela Lang on Police Killing Samuel Sharpe Jr. and 2024 RNC

Frederica Freyberg:
Community advocates say the city should be held accountable in the fatal shooting of a man who had been living in a tent less than a mile from the security perimeter during the RNC. The Columbus, Ohio Police Department released body cam footage of its officers shooting and killing Samuel Sharpe as he wielded a knife in an apparent street fight.

Police Officer:
Stop! Drop the knife.

Another Police Officer:
Drop the knife. Drop the knife!

Police Officer:
Please drop your knife.

Another Police Officer:
Drop. Drop the knife now!

[shots being fired]

Frederica Freyberg:
But why were out of state police patrolling city neighborhoods beyond the security zone? Angela Lang from Black Leaders Organizing for Communities calls Sharpe’s death devastating. Angela, thanks very much for being here.

Angela Lang:
Thanks for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:
So you blame the RNC for the death of Samuel Sharpe. Why?

Angela Lang:
I do. I, I fully believe that had the RNC not been hosted in Milwaukee, we wouldn’t have even had those out of state police even over there. And I think there is calls and questions of why they were over there in the first place. And I’ve seen accounts from friends and family members that all have said that if this was a local police officer, it probably would not have resulted in his death because they knew him. And they would be more trained in de-escalation.

Frederica Freyberg:
Have you gotten any answers as to the question as to why those officers were there?

Angela Lang:
I have not. I did see some commentary from law enforcement trying to explain why they were out there. And I know that there was a response that on the last day of the RNC, if there were out of state cops patrolling some of those areas, they would be accompanied with a Milwaukee Police Department officer, which doesn’t quite answer the question. And I don’t think actually really solved or got to the heart of the issues.

Frederica Freyberg:
Just ahead of the convention, there were sweeps downtown of unsheltered people. How did that play into this?

Angela Lang:
Yeah, I mean, I think with any convention, and we had similar concerns if we were to host the DNC about unhoused folks and the additional security. And when you have a large convention or a large event like this, a lot of folks, they want to beautify their city and make it look as attractive as possible. And so a lot of folks were told, I believe, by last week Saturday that they had to find a different place to go. Folks have said that law enforcement did provide resources, but there’s only so many shelters and so many beds that I can imagine it pushed folks to go to other areas, away from maybe where they typically were.

Frederica Freyberg:
Before the convention you said that you felt betrayed by the mayor for, “rolling out the red carpet for people who hate us.” How about now, after the convention?

Angela Lang:
I’m even more betrayed and saddened that this is actually what happened in our city. And there had been years of warnings from community members and residents that said we did not want this hateful language and this hateful party but have also been saying about the increase in law enforcement would have been a concern. And it goes to show what happens when you don’t actually listen to community members and actually listen to our concerns, because unfortunately, now we’re having to deal with this tragedy and losing a Milwaukee community member.

Frederica Freyberg:
In a city that Donald Trump called “horrible,” do you feel like so many eyes on Milwaukee helped show it in a different light?

Angela Lang:
You know, I’m not sure. You know, we’ve seen reports and commentary that some of the folks weren’t, you know, necessarily seeing some of the great, amazing places of Milwaukee. There are restaurants, beloved restaurants and attractions that were closed and didn’t have as many reservations. So I’m curious of how much the participants actually saw of Milwaukee. I hope that they left with a different perspective, but I will say that even tweeting about the shooting that happened and seeing some of the comments in my mentions, I’m not sure if people have any sympathy for Milwaukee. And I think some folks still consider it a place of murder and crime and these terrible stereotypes and statistics.

Frederica Freyberg:
What would you like people to know about the city of Milwaukee?

Angela Lang:
Oh, I want people to know that Milwaukee is an incredibly beautiful and special place. And I say this as a lifelong resident by choice. I chose to live here and to work here. One of my favorite things is the summer, but also the people and the resilience. And that in the face of tragedy, we always find a way to center joy and come together and find a way to make things work, even under really tremendous circumstances.

Frederica Freyberg:
Angela Lang, thanks very much for joining us.

Angela Lang:
Thanks for having me.