Mayor Paul Soglin PHOTO: WRN
Madison Mayor Paul Soglin said Madison is “grieving and angry,” in the wake of the fatal shooting of an unarmed 19-year-old black man last Friday night. Tony Robinson was shot and killed white officer Matt Kenny in what police described as a struggle inside a Williamson Street apartment. It’s raised questions of racism within the Madison Police Department.
“I would respond by saying that the problem is within the entire criminal justice system, and not to be simplified,” Soglin said during a Monday press conference. “Right now we’re in a period of grief, and we will at some point – I don’t think any of us know when it is – we will move on to a dicussion of some of these larger societal issues, inherent racism, bias.”
He also commended the community for the response in the wake of the shooting. “We’re a pretty good city. We’re not perfect,” said Soglin. “I would say that our response as a community since Friday night is as caring and as wonderful as anyone could imagine.”
Soglin stepped out of his office in Madison later on Friday, to address hundreds of students who left class to march downtown to demand justice for Robinson.
WIBA