A 19-year-old black man was shot dead Friday during a confrontation with a police officer in Madison, Wisconsin, according to police.
A family spokesman said the deceased was Tony Terrell Robinson, Jr., a graduate of Sun Prairie High School. He was believed to have been unarmed.
The shooting took place Friday at about 6:30 p.m., Madison police said, and sparked protests, including a sit-in at Madison City Hall. Police have not released the race or any other details about the officer involved.
Madison Police Chief Mike Koval said at a press conference that an officer responded to reports of a man jumping in and out of traffic and that "the same subject had been responsible for a battery that had recently been committed."
Koval said the officer followed the man to the residence where the battery took place, and said the man attacked the officer there. During the confrontation, the officer drew his weapon and shot the suspect.
"The initial finds at the scene did not reflect a gun or anything of that nature" on the suspect, Koval said.
The officer performed CPR on the suspect, who was taken to a hospital but later died. Koval said the state Department of Justice's Division of Criminal Investigation will lead a probe into the shooting.
More than 100 protesters gathered at the scene of the shooting, according to witnesses and reports, with video showing the crowd chanting: "Who can you trust? Not the police."
Robinson's family said police have not allowed them to see his body.
"They won't let us come near him," Sharon Irwin, Robinson's grandmother, told the crowd that had gathered Friday night after the altercation. "I just want to hold him and tell him it's OK. Go home to God. They told me he was evidence."
Family spokesman Michael Johnson said on Facebook that Robinson was a "loving and caring young man" who was about to attend Milwaukee Area Technical College to pursue a business degree. The family met with the mayor and police chief last night, Johnson told NBC News.
"It's a challenging time for this family right now. To lose a son, especially the way they lost a son," he said.
Koval appealed to the public to stay calm while the investigation got underway.
"In light of so much things that have happened not just across this country, but in our own community, it was understandable that the reaction seemed from some of our citizens extremely volatile, emotional, and upsetting," he said. "We understand that. It is absolutely appropriate under the circumstances."