Police officers arrested a UW-Madison student Friday on State Street for creating disturbances, as he experienced what appeared to be a mental health or substance abuse crisis.
22-year-old Nehemiah Siyoum was reported for "profane music at a volume that made officers first think it was from the coffee shop's amplification system," Lt. Brian Austin said in a statement obtained by the Wisconsin State Journal.
Staff members of the shop, located on the 600 block of State Street, called police shortly after 8 a.m. when Siyoum refused to leave. He eventually left the coffee shop peacefully and police left as well.
Then, just before 10 a.m., Siyoum was again reported by a State Street business’ staff for playing loud music and refusing to leave. Police came and Siyoum would not give his name or cooperate with officers. The report said he was also yelling nonsensical statements.
Officers restrained Siyoum on the 700 block of State Street. He was escorted unharmed, and without causing harm to officers, to the Dane County Jail.
Police who responded to the calls said Siyoum could have been suffering both a mental health and substance abuse
According to the WSJ, Siyoum will work with mental health officers to decide next steps, which could be voluntary admission to a mental health or substance abuse unit or