Wisconsin Officer Fatally Shoots Man Advancing on Him with Pitchfork

A Madison, WI, police officer fatally shot a man Thursday night after the man emerged from Lake Monona, broke into a residence on the city’s Near East Side and was “aggressing” toward the officer with what appeared to be a pitch fork, Police Chief Mike Koval said.

A department news release early Friday morning stated that the officer “used deadly force tonight to stop a burglary suspect who was advancing on the officer while armed with a pitchfork. The suspect had ignored orders to drop the weapon after breaking into a home,” the Wisconsin State Journal reports.

Koval said a neighbor called 911 around 9 p.m. to report that a man was about chest-deep in the water and acting oddly, seemingly talking to himself and slapping the water.

The man then reportedly threw a rock into the window of the residence, Koval said.

The homeowners also called 911 and fled the residence after they heard the man smashing items, he said.