NEW YORK
Hundreds of demonstrators stormed into the capitol building Monday in the U.S. state of Wisconsin to protest a fatal police shooting of an unarmed biracial teenager, local media reported.
About 1,500 protesters, mostly students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and other local schools staged a walkout early morning; they gathered in the rotunda of the state capitol, chanting slogans to protest the death of Tony Robinson, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said.
A white police officer fatally shot Tony Terrell Robinson Jr., 19, Friday in the city of Madison. His death came at a time when a series of recent police-involved killings of unarmed blacks had stirred up racial tensions, setting off nationwide protests over perceived injustices within the U.S. justice system.
The protesters demanded that police officer Matt Kenny who shot Robinson be arrested, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Video and pictures from the protest showed that the demonstrators carried a large "Black Lives Matter" banner, referring to the rallying cry for protesters following the police-involved deaths of Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York.
Meanwhile, Madison Police Chief Mike Koval issued an apology to the family of the teen in his blog.
"Reconciliation cannot begin without my stating 'I am sorry,' and I don't think I can say this enough. I am sorry," Koval wrote.
Monday's demonstration marked the fourth day of protests after Robinson's death.
Police alleged Robinson assaulted Kenny, 45, prior to the fatal shooting inside a second-floor apartment.
The officer was placed on leave as the state Division of Criminal Investigation led a probe into the incident.
