Madison, Wisconsin Cops Shoot, Kill Man in Shocking Bystander Video ... They Say He Pulled Knife

Published July 23, 2026 9:40 AM PDT

Police officers in Madison, Wisconsin, sparked controversy Wednesday ... after they shot and killed a man who was being detained in the middle of the street, and the moment was captured by a bystander on video.

The shocking clip shows four officers wrestling with a man in the street, attempting to pin his arm back and subdue him.

In an attempt to subdue the man, it appears one officer pulled out a taser ... informing her fellow officers by yelling out "Taser! Taser! Taser!" so as not to hit her comrades with an electric shock.

Seconds after the man was being tased, several gunshots are then heard, and the man's body goes limp. This individual has not been identified by authorities yet, but has been described as a male in his early 30s.

Madison Police Chief John Patterson says officers shot and killed the man after he pulled out a fixed blade and injured an officer. The state's Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation is reviewing the shooting.

Patterson also warned citizens not to judge this shooting based on only one video angle, asking them to reserve judgment until authorities come to a full determination of what happened.

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Here is a different angle of the shooting obtained by WISN News.

None of the officers were wearing body cameras during the incident ... which will certainly add to the growing controversy around the shooting.