The family of Madison Police Department officer Matt Kenny, who fatally shot Tony Robinson, expressed sadness over Robinson’s death and the need to discuss racial disparities in Madison in a statement Thursday.

Kenny and his family have remained silent and out of the media’s eye until now. The statement was signed by Kenny’s sister, Amanda Kenny.

“We must discuss, perhaps with more urgency, how our community handles racial inequality and then do something about it,” the statement said. “And while we acknowledge that Madison has problems, we also feel that my brother is not one of them.”

The statement described Kenny as a kind and fair individual. It cited his commitment to his community through his service with MPD and the Coast Guard.

The statement comes two weeks after Kenny fatally shot 19-year-old Robinson, sparking protests and rallies throughout Madison. The family said they waited to release a statement out of respect for Robinson’s family.

The family stressed the importance of maintaining civility moving forward.

“As we have this important discussion about race, inequality, and best practices for community policing, we hope we can all continue to consider the complexity of these issues, the challenges we ask our police to address daily and the humanity of all involved,” the statement said.