A Wisconsin police officer fatally shot a man who stabbed him with a knife during a violent struggle in broad daylight on a busy Madison street, sparking immediate protests despite the documented attack on law enforcement.

Violent Confrontation Captured on Video

Cellphone footage shows three Madison police officers wrestling with a suspect in the middle of an intersection Wednesday afternoon when one officer suddenly yells, “He’s got a knife!” A female officer deployed her taser, repeatedly announcing “Taser, taser!” before a veteran officer fired three shots at the armed suspect. The graphic video, widely circulated on social media, shows blood pooling around the suspect’s body as officers immediately called for emergency medical services.

Police had responded to multiple reports of someone attempting to break into parked vehicles in the neighborhood. The suspect, a man in his thirties, initially fled on a bicycle through residential backyards before either falling or being removed from the bike by pursuing officers. During the confrontation, he pulled a fixed-blade knife with a black handle and stabbed one of the officers who later shot him in self-defense, according to Madison Police Chief John Patterson.

Officer Injured, Suspect Dies at Hospital

The stabbed officer’s current condition and extent of injuries remain unclear, though authorities confirmed he required medical attention for the knife wound. A second officer also sustained injuries during the struggle, though police indicated those injuries were not knife-related. Officers on scene attempted life-saving measures before paramedics transported the suspect to a local hospital, where medical staff pronounced him dead. The knife used in the attack was photographed lying on the street and included in the police department’s official news release.

Community Response and Investigation

Within hours of the shooting, protesters gathered at the scene chanting “Arrest the cops!” Brandi Grayson, head of Urban Triage, a Madison-based advocacy group, claimed the suspect was black and criticized what she called “state violence,” though authorities have not publicly confirmed the suspect’s race or identity. All four officers involved in or witnessing the shooting have been placed on administrative leave pending investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Chief Patterson emphasized the widely-shared video shows only one perspective of the incident, which unfolded on a popular street lined with restaurants and bars near Wisconsin’s state Capitol.