Madison police say 6 people arrested after fires, damage downtown overnight
MADISON, Wis. — Madison police say they arrested six people as protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha stretched into the early-morning hours Tuesday.
Hundreds of people gathered peacefully on the Capitol Square starting at about 9 p.m. Monday before marching down State Street. After that group returned to the Capitol, police reports claim they were joined by more people, with police estimating the entire group to be about 500 people.
At that time, police say the group again marched around the downtown area, with some people starting fires in dumpsters and breaking windows around the Capitol Square and State Street. Police reported multiple businesses were also looted, including one that saw people trying to pour gasoline inside to start it on fire.
Police say they did use chemical agents against the crowd, with officers saying rocks, bottles and other items were thrown at them. News 3 Now crews downtown overnight witnessed police using pepper spray and smelled tear gas in the air.
In addition to the six arrests made, police say they are continuing to investigate and are working to identify additional suspects. Police used city cameras and surveillance video to make multiple arrests after looting in late May and early June following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
COPYRIGHT 2020 BY CHANNEL 3000. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
