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Wisconsin teen killed by police officer had taken hallucinogenic drugs
By Mary Spicuzza
Mar 19, 2015
MILWAUKEE — Tony Terrell Robinson was experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs on the day he died, his uncle says.
"He had made a bunch of changes. It was going to be the final step that would change his life around," Turin Carter said Thursday, adding that his nephew was "very inexperienced" with the drugs, believed to have been hallucinogenic mushrooms.
The experiment ended in tragedy. After a friend and others called 911, Robinson, a black teenager, was shot and killed by a Madison police officer responding to the calls. Police have said that Robinson assaulted the officer.
Also on Thursday, family members of that officer, Matt Kenny, released their first public comments in the wake of the March 6 shooting, which has triggered large protests in Madison.
The statement, signed by Kenny's sister, Amanda, expressed sadness over Robinson's death and racial disparities facing Madison.
"While we acknowledge that Madison has problems, we also feel that my brother is not one of them," she wrote. "Matthew is an exemplary officer who operates with the highest level of integrity, judgment, and restraint."
She wrote that the family doesn't want to speak directly to the media, but wanted to "attest to Matthew's caring, considerate nature and his conscientiousness."
She added that Kenny's life "has taken him across the country and around the world and into contact with people of all cultures and backgrounds."
"Growing up, Matthew lived in Fort Bragg, N.C., Houston, Texas, and outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During his service in the Coast Guard, Matthew moved from Alaska to Puerto Rico to Virginia; while serving on the icebreaker the Polar Sea he sailed from the North Pole to Antarctica," she wrote. "It would not be difficult to find a wide array of people who can testify to his kindness, work ethic and sense of fairness."
She added that, while working for the Madison Police Department, her brother has intervened in "countless domestic disputes, and deftly handled innumerable intoxicated, out-of-control people."
And the family urged people to consider "the humanity of all involved" as the public discussion of the tragedy continues.
"As we have this important discussion about race, inequality and best practices for community policing, we hope we can all continue to consider the complexity of these issues, the challenges we ask our police to address daily, and the humanity of all involved," the statement read.
Robinson's family members have stressed that they are not anti-police, and have repeatedly urged protesters to remain peaceful.
Madison's protests have been peaceful so far.
Carter repeated Thursday that Robinson's family remains confident that the investigation into his death, which is required to be conducted independently due to a new state law signed last year, will be handled with integrity.
Still, Carter raised questions on Thursday about whether Kenny followed proper police protocol on the night he shot and killed Robinson, a biracial 19-year-old. Preliminary autopsy results released last week confirmed that he was shot multiple times.
"Under no circumstance should an unarmed teen be shot so many times," Carter said. "The first call was to help him, and said he may be under the influence of an illicit substance."
He also said it was part of a broader problem of police officers too often using deadly force, especially when it comes to unarmed black men.
continued here http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/ne...police-officer-had-taken-hallucinogenic-drugs
By Mary Spicuzza
Mar 19, 2015
MILWAUKEE — Tony Terrell Robinson was experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs on the day he died, his uncle says.
"He had made a bunch of changes. It was going to be the final step that would change his life around," Turin Carter said Thursday, adding that his nephew was "very inexperienced" with the drugs, believed to have been hallucinogenic mushrooms.
The experiment ended in tragedy. After a friend and others called 911, Robinson, a black teenager, was shot and killed by a Madison police officer responding to the calls. Police have said that Robinson assaulted the officer.
Also on Thursday, family members of that officer, Matt Kenny, released their first public comments in the wake of the March 6 shooting, which has triggered large protests in Madison.
The statement, signed by Kenny's sister, Amanda, expressed sadness over Robinson's death and racial disparities facing Madison.
"While we acknowledge that Madison has problems, we also feel that my brother is not one of them," she wrote. "Matthew is an exemplary officer who operates with the highest level of integrity, judgment, and restraint."
She wrote that the family doesn't want to speak directly to the media, but wanted to "attest to Matthew's caring, considerate nature and his conscientiousness."
She added that Kenny's life "has taken him across the country and around the world and into contact with people of all cultures and backgrounds."
"Growing up, Matthew lived in Fort Bragg, N.C., Houston, Texas, and outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During his service in the Coast Guard, Matthew moved from Alaska to Puerto Rico to Virginia; while serving on the icebreaker the Polar Sea he sailed from the North Pole to Antarctica," she wrote. "It would not be difficult to find a wide array of people who can testify to his kindness, work ethic and sense of fairness."
She added that, while working for the Madison Police Department, her brother has intervened in "countless domestic disputes, and deftly handled innumerable intoxicated, out-of-control people."
And the family urged people to consider "the humanity of all involved" as the public discussion of the tragedy continues.
"As we have this important discussion about race, inequality and best practices for community policing, we hope we can all continue to consider the complexity of these issues, the challenges we ask our police to address daily, and the humanity of all involved," the statement read.
Robinson's family members have stressed that they are not anti-police, and have repeatedly urged protesters to remain peaceful.
Madison's protests have been peaceful so far.
Carter repeated Thursday that Robinson's family remains confident that the investigation into his death, which is required to be conducted independently due to a new state law signed last year, will be handled with integrity.
Still, Carter raised questions on Thursday about whether Kenny followed proper police protocol on the night he shot and killed Robinson, a biracial 19-year-old. Preliminary autopsy results released last week confirmed that he was shot multiple times.
"Under no circumstance should an unarmed teen be shot so many times," Carter said. "The first call was to help him, and said he may be under the influence of an illicit substance."
He also said it was part of a broader problem of police officers too often using deadly force, especially when it comes to unarmed black men.
continued here http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/ne...police-officer-had-taken-hallucinogenic-drugs
