Tuesday, March 6, was the three-year anniversary of the high-profile police shooting that sparked months of protest around Madison and put the city into a national spotlight.

Tony Robinson was fatally shot inside a home on Williamson Street by a Madison police officer in 2015. Friends, family and community members held a candlelight vigil and march near the Social Justice Center on Madison’s near east side Tuesday night.

Robinson was fatally shot by Madison police officer Matthew Kenny. Kenny was responding to a disturbance and did not wait for backup. Kenny and Robinson got into a fight. It was later found out that Robinson had drugs in his system.

The shooting was determined to be justified as self-defense by the Dane County District Attorney’s Office. However, last year, Robinson’s family was awarded $3.5 million in a civil lawsuit.

Community members get ready to march outside the Social Justice Center.
[Photo by Leslie Amsterdam]

Robinson’s mother, Andrea Johnson, said that the number of people who showed up to Tuesday’s vigil gave her hope.

“I want people to know that my son didn’t die for nothing, and that at the end of the day there is going to be some form of change, and change needs to happen,” Johnson said.

News 3 reached out to the Madison Police Department for comment on the anniversary, and a spokesperson released a statement:

“The anniversary of Tony Robinson’s death will always serve as a painful reminder of the fragility of life,” the statement said. “It is a date that is no doubt difficult for the Robinson family, his friends, and our community.”

The statement also added that the Madison Police Department will continue to promote a healing process.