Two men were arrested after fighting on the 500 block of State Street Saturday afternoon, according to a Madison Police Department incident report.
The fight reportedly began after Herbert G. Wilkins, a 53-year-old Madison resident, pushed and choked a 19-year-old female at approximately 3:45 p.m. at the intersection of State and West Gilman Streets. The other man, Eric J. Wink, a 30-year-old Madison resident, involved himself in the situation to help the victim.
However, Wink’s assistance “actually escalated matters further,” as he repeatedly shouted “white power” and directed racial epithets at Wilkins, who is black, according to the report.
When police attempted to separate the two men, Wilkins refused to cooperate and attempted to attack the officers, spitting at them more than two dozen times and calling them “the devil.” The incident report noted that police were fortunate to avoid being hit by Wilkins’ “saliva projectiles.”
MPD arrested Wilkins for disorderly conduct, battery and resisting a police officer. Police also charged Wink with disorderly conduct.
