MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The police chief in Wisconsin’s capital city is treading carefully to try to avoid destructive protests after one of his officers killed an unarmed black man.
Chief Mike Koval has said Officer Matt Kenny, who is white, opened fire after he was assaulted by 19-year-old Tony Robinson on Friday.
Koval told the Wisconsin State Journal newspaper in September that he felt confident that if his department was in a similar situation it wouldn’t repeat the missteps of Ferguson that contributed to riots in that Missouri city after a white officer shot an unarmed black man.
Koval is striking a conciliatory tone, acknowledging people are angry and says he’s sorry a young person lost his life. He says he met with Robinson’s grandmother early Saturday morning and prayed with her.
