Police Incident Reports A Selection of Noteworthy Incident Reports

Incidents listed are selected by the Officer In Charge of each shift that may have significant public interest. Incidents listed are not inclusive of all incidents. To view Calls for Services information, please visit communitycrimemap.com. Requests for information can be directed to the MPD Records Unit: (608) 266-4075.

Incident Report for Case #2020-000000

Incident Type

Information

Incident Date

06/02/2020 - 1:00 AM

Address

100 block State Street

Details

     It was unexpected, but yet an oh-so welcome peace offering, considering these turbulent and divisive times, and it came from an organizer of last night's protest.
     A MPD Special Events Team (SET) was away from the gathering on State Capitol grounds, giving people space to exercise their First Amendment rights. The team was ready to deploy to State Street, should looting and other violence erupt again. The following is an account from one of its members:
     "We formed a line in front of Grace Episcopal Church, when we were approached by three protesters. As I recall, two were black men, and one was a black woman. The woman informed SET that the peaceful protest was over, and she was leaving. She went on to tell us that she would go down to the top of State Street, encourage the group to leave, and inform them that the protest was over. The woman made clear that whoever remained would know that their decision could carry a consequence. The woman then headed down to the top of State Street, and I could hear her voice in what I understood to be an attempt to speak with the group. The woman returned back to our position, and she wished SET a safe night. Her group also handed out flowers to SET officers, and I do not know an officer who turned the offer down. Many officers carried the flowers on them during the subsequent clear of State Street (after looting broke out).
     Obviously, this week has been extremely challenging for so many. I thought it was incredibly brave for these three individuals to approach the police, and offer a gesture of kindness. This demonstrated to me what almost all of us recognize - many of those in the crowd wish to lawfully express their constitutional liberties, and only a small group of people are causing the chaos we have seen. SET is absolutely committed to protecting lawful protest, and this commitment is why I joined the team. Unfortunately, SET's responsibilities to public safety limit our ability to engage in a conversation about what is happening while in hard gear, but many SET officers noted how remarkable and kind this moment was."
     This story will likely not make headline news, but for those looking for glimmers of hope, they are out there, on our streets: in this case protesters and police sharing moments of humanity.

Released 06/02/2020 at 8:20 PM by PIO Joel Despain

Additional Resources

A gesture of kindness (image)