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A Milwaukee Police Officer fatally shot a suspect and sparked off a riot. The Chief of Police, Edward Flynn on Sunday, said that the officer who fired shots was black. Also the media identified Smith, the man who was shot, as black.

A silent video of the shooting showed that the officer acted within lawful bounds. The police Chief said the video footage from the officer’s body cam showed Smith turning toward him with a gun. The officer stopped Smith’s vehicle because he noticed that Smith was acting suspiciously. He chased him on foot into a cramped space between two buildings.

Although the exact moment when the officer fired shots could not be determined. Flynn was convinced that the police acted lawfully. Smith was allegedly carrying a stolen handgun loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition when he was stopped. The continuous Police violence against black citizens has become the basis for violent protests in the U.S within the the past two years.

This outrage gave rise to the Black Lives Matter movement. It also led to a national debate concerning race and policing within the United States. There have also been deadly ambushes of Police Officers this summer. Five officers were killed by a black sniper in Dallas back in July during the peaceful protest of two police killings. Less than two weeks later three officers were killed by a gunman in Baton Rouge.

Since 2014, Policing in Milwaukee has been under scrutiny. After a black man who was mentally disabled, Dontre Hamilton was shot to death by a white officer. In June, Police were contacted to Sherman Park after reports of individuals throwing bricks, bottles, and rocks at a bus and a business. The National Guard was deployed in Ferguson in August of the same year.