A police officer in Madison, Wisconsin, fatally shot a man who authorities say attacked him with a knife while resisting arrest, according to disturbing cellphone video of the encounter. The incident occurred Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
The footage shows at least three officers struggling with the suspect in an intersection. A female officer is heard repeatedly yelling, “Taser, taser!” as the man appears to fall to the ground. Another officer then fires his gun three times.
In the video, one witness can be heard crying out “No!” as officers kneel over the suspect's body. Blood appears to pool on the concrete around the man, who is lying face down. An officer is heard reporting over the radio, “Shots fired, roll EMS.”
Madison Police Chief John Patterson stated at a news conference that the cellphone clip, which has circulated on social media, offers only one perspective of the event. He explained that officers were responding to reports of an individual attempting to enter parked cars when the confrontation began. The suspect’s street bike was seen lying nearby.
According to Patterson, the suspect pulled out a knife and injured the officer who subsequently shot him. The officer who fired his weapon is a veteran cop. Another officer had deployed a Taser that was unsuccessful, Patterson added. The suspect, whose identity has not been publicly released, died later at a local hospital.
The incident has prompted a response from Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, who called for "transparency and accountability" regarding the investigation into the shooting.
A knife, described as having a black handle and a silver blade, was recovered at the scene.
Protests have occurred in response to the shooting.
