Funeral of Wisconsin teen to bring together hundreds

MADISON, Wisc. — Hundreds of people were expected to gather on Saturday for the funeral of a 19-year-old man killed by a police officer in Wisconsin’s capital on March 6, a shooting that prompted protests over law enforcement’s treatment of minorities.

Tony Robinson Jr., a biracial young man, was unarmed during a confrontation with a white police officer in Madison, his death being the latest in a string of shootings of unarmed black and Latino men in U.S. cities that stirred debate about race and policing.

Wisconsin residents were expected to join friends and family of Tony Robinson, also known as Terrell, at a funeral service to be held at a high school fieldhouse to accommodate the large crowd. Robinson’s family has asked that those who attend leave their social and political concerns at the door.

“We want this to be about a celebration of Terrell/Tony’s life and not necessarily about the issues it raises,” Robinson’s uncle, Turin Cater, said in a statement to Milwaukee Fox affiliate WITI.

There have been large, peaceful protests in Madison, with activists saying the shooting highlights a longstanding trend of racial bias among law enforcement in the city. The protests have drawn up to 2,000 people and echoed chants and slogans from “Black Lives Matter” demonstrations over police-involved deaths in Ferguson, Missouri, New York City and Cleveland.

Madison Police Officer Matt Kenny said Robinson attacked him as he responded to a call about a man who had assaulted several people.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice expects to turn over reports of its investigation to the Dane County district attorney in about two weeks. The prosecutor will decide whether Kenny should face charges.

A preliminary autopsy report released Friday said Robinson died from “firearm related trauma,” and was struck in the head, torso and arm. The medical examiner did not disclose how many times he was shot.