On Tuesday, September 19, the UW-Madison Police Department provided support for two speaker events on Library Mall. Our role was to ensure the safe and lawful expression of participants’ first amendment rights.
During one of the events, an individual engaged in a confrontation with a public speaker, grabbed a hold of their microphone cord, and refused to let go.
The individual was asked several times by UWPD officers to cooperate and let go of the microphone cord. They did not comply and were ultimately arrested. During the arrest, the individual resisted as officers were attempting to handcuff them. They were subsequently cited for resisting/obstructing, under UW System Code 18.10 (7).
On Thursday, September 21, UWPD received an email in which the individual expressed concerns regarding the use of force by the officers involved. UWPD operates with the highest standards and takes complaints against our officers very seriously. A formal review of the incident is already underway.