A Halloween celebration turned to riots with crowds subdued by tear gas and pepper spray early Sunday morning on the 500 block of State Street.
Bottles were thrown during the State Street gathering which caused police to respond in riot gear. As the crowd shifted toward the Capitol, some people began breaking the windows of nine businesses on the street, including Jamba Juice, 401 State St. and Badger Liquor, 402 State St. People also began looting the store for alcohol.
UW-Madison senior Bryant Smith said he witnessed a group in an apartment above State Street flashing and mooning the crowd below. After they closed the shades, Smith said he saw people begin to throw bottles at the window.
Madison Police Department Lt. Cameron McLay said occupants in one of the apartments retaliated by throwing objects. During the exchange, one person was seriously injured and required immediate medical attention.
\As is typical with large groups where alcohol is a factor in behavior, there was an escalation of violent behavior where there would be a bottle thrown here, a window broken there, a fight break out,"" McLay said.
UW-Madison senior Lars Russell said he was taken to Meriter Hospital, 202 S. Park St., after suffering a laceration and bruising above his left eye. Though mixed reports from the incident indicate he was breaking up a fight or had something thrown at him, Russell said he does not recall details.
While officers were attempting to bring an ambulance to the scene, the violence escalated and people began throwing rocks, bottles and concrete, according to McLay. At that point the field officer instructed those on duty to put on protective gear while they attempted to subdue the crowd.
When police were unable to disperse the crowds, officers used chemical munitions, which McLay called the least intrusive option.
However, UW-Madison alumnus Sam Gearing, who witnessed the incident, called some of the actions unwarranted. He said when he saw a row of officers blocking the way and approached one to ask what was going on, another officer pepper sprayed him from about 10 feet away.
""She just nailed me. The look on her face, it was scary,"" he said. ""They were randomly spraying into the crowd, too. It was vicious.""
After initial attempts to break up the crowds with pepper spray failed, police used tear gas.
UW-Madison senior Michael Joseph, who lives at 515 State St., found himself caught in the middle of the riots after his apartment's fire alarm went off coupled with the fact that tear gas began filtering into the building. He said he stood outside the apartment and witnessed two rows of officers lining the streets and pushing people back away from the block.
""I certainly saw police officers pushing and shoving [students] to get off of State Street,"" Joseph said. ""I was just overwhelmed by what was happening.""
McLay said at least eight people were injured during the incident, three significantly. Eight officers also sustained minor injuries. He added there were a number of bonfires in the middle of the street throughout the night, which police managed to extinguish.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, was present for the incident said he saw people throwing traffic signs, bicycle racks, some with bikes on them, and trash cans.
""This group of hoodlums began by destroying the glass panes of the bus shelter in front of the Chocolate Shoppe,"" he said. ""Then they proceded to pull stones of the retaining wall at Lisa Link Peace Park and threw the stones through the Chocolate Shoppe window, the Subway window, the Princess of India window and then pretty much systematically the windows of most every business down the block.""
According to McLay, crowds estimates peaked at approximately 65,000, although he speculated actual numbers to be higher. Police had not made official estimations of the damage Sunday, although Sandy Torkildson, president of the Greater State Street Business Association, said a window pane typically costs approximately $800 to $1,000.
Forty officers were initially patrolling State Street, with 65 additional officers called to the area as the night went on.
At least six people were arrested and at least 10 were given citations, McLay said, adding that by approximately 4:30 a.m., the crowd was mostly subdued.
