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Police Incident Reports
| Incident report for Case#08-050546 |
| Released 02/24/2008 at 8:33 PM by Sgt. Jim Dexheimer |
| Incident Type |
Weapons Violation |
| Incident Date |
02/24/2008 - 7:00 PM |
| Address |
1709 Monroe St |
| Details |
At 7:00 p.m. Sunday night a citizen reported two subjects with guns inside a storefront in the 1700 block of Monroe St. It was also reported that another subject had his hands tied behind his back. At least thirteen officers from the Madison Police Department responded to the weapons incident involving a possible hostage. Several of the officers were members of the MPD Emergency Response Team (ERT). UW police also assisted. Upon arrival a perimeter was established and traffic on Monroe St was redirected. An officer positioned across the street from the store confirmed that a subject inside was carrying a shotgun.
While officers were on scene, one subject emerged from the building and was taken into custody. In response to the commands issued to this first subject, three others left the store and were promptly detained. From these subjects it was learned that six other subjects were still in the building. It was also learned that all were members of group known as Strollers Theatre. They were rehearsing a play involving guns and a hostage. As one cast member remarked about the prop guns, “They’re suppose to look real.”
While the outcome of this incident seems humorous, it is worth noting that the officers responded “lights and siren”, real rifles and handguns were directed towards citizens and a peaceful neighborhood was disrupted and disturbed by the sight of armed subjects both real and imagined. The four subjects who emerged from the building were subjected to the brusque professionalism required of officers in these situations. They were ordered to back toward the voices of the armed officers, handcuffed, searched and at least one was placed in a squad.
The director and crew were urged to cover the windows and inform the 911 Center when rehearsing scenes that might be misunderstood if observed out of context. It is not unusual for dramatic groups and filmmakers to use Madison as a backdrop for their productions. MPD asks such groups to consider public perceptions and work with us to assure that everyone is safe and that reality doesn’t intrude. The building in this case is a vacant store that was being used by the theater group for rehearsals. All subjects were released without charges. |
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