Officials confirm Racine officer involved in fatal shooting

 

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Tonight, on May 20, Racine officials confirmed an officer has been placed on administrative leave after being involved in a fatal shooting.

At 1:03 p.m. this afternoon, a Racine police officer was involved in a traffic stop near 12th and Schiller.

Police say a man, armed with a gun, fled from his car on foot, while the officer gave him numerous commands to stop running and drop to the ground.

"There was a family that was on scene that were screaming that he was no longer here and that the police killed him," said Gina Harris of Racine. "It was like between two houses, and all I heard was "pop pop pop pop pop". I walked to the corner, seen police draw their guns."

The man jumped over a fence and ran up a hill, with the officer still giving commands to stop.

Police say the man refused commands and took action, which then resulted in the officer discharging his weapon.

After an unidentified officer shot the man, he was taken to the hospital, where he died.

Natasha Mullen says she is that man's sister.

She says his name his name is Dashontay King. He was in his 30's and has lived in Racine his whole life, and leaves behind four children.

She doesn't know why he was shot, and police haven't specified.

"Y'all didn't take any efforts besides shoot. he was running from yall. he was trying to get away from yall. it's not like he was running toward you," said Mullen.

Mullen and her sister tried to see King at the hospital, and she says they were denied, and that law enforcement still hasn't properly notified the family.

"They played it like we were going to be able to see him, and they told us it was going to be outside agencies coming in, first it was Milwaukee, then it was Madison, and then four hours later after sitting at the hospital they wanna come with, we can't see him," said Mullen.

Mullen also says King is the cousin of Demond Hicks, a man shot and killed in Racine earlier this year.

"it was a significant hit that we gotta try to deal with. that we gotta get his children through," she said.

Mullen hopes the body camera footage officers say they have will be released quickly.

"We just need answers. Somebody has to be held accountable. Just because you wear a badge does not mean, or give you the right, to take someone's life," said Mullen.

The city of Racine has had a 49% increase in shots fired incidents and 6 homicides this year.