A month after a biracial teen was fatally shot by a Madison police officer, his family is calling for a more independent review of the case.
A group of about 50 people marched on the Dane County Courthouse Monday morning, calling for the indictment of Madison Police officer Matt Kenny for the March 6 fatal shooting of 19-year-old Tony Robinson. Police have said the teen was shot after he attacked Officer Kenny, who was responding to reports that Robinson was running in and out of traffic and had assaulted someone. The state Division of Criminal Investigations reviewed the incident, and the report is currently awaiting action from Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne.
Robinson’s mother and family members stood on the steps of the courthouse, as spokesman Jerome Flowers said they have lost faith that a review of the shooting by the Department of Criminal Investigations and Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne will produce a fair result. “What we know about how this case has been handled so far is that it is unjust,” Flowers said.
Members of the Young Gifted and Black Coalition, which has helped organize several of the demonstrations in response to Robinson’s shooting, joined the family in calling for the United Nations Human Rights Council to launch an independent investigation into the shooting. The group argues they do not believe any police organization or the US federal government can conduct a fair and impartial review of the shooting, or the racial disparities that currently exist in the Dane County criminal justice system.
The Department of Justice handed off its review of the shooting to the Dane County DA a week ago Friday. Ozanne has offered no indication when he plans to release a decision on whether or not to file charges against Kenny.
