State Senator Attacked As Unrest Gripped Wisconsin State Capitol

MADISON, WI — A Wisconsin State Senator says he was attacked by "eight to ten people" Tuesday night as civil unrest gripped the State Capitol. The Wisconsin State Capitol was besieged by protesters, and police say two statues were torn down in the fracas.

State Sen. Tim Carpenter said he was punched and kicked in the head, neck and ribs. He is concerned that he may have a concussion.

"Capitol locked - stuck in office. Stop violence now, please!" he wrote Tuesday night. “This has got to stop before someone gets killed,” Carpenter wrote in a message to the Washington Post. “Sad thing I’m on their side for peaceful demonstrations — am a Gay Progressive Dem Senator served 36 years in the legislature.”

Lance Veeser, a sports reporter from WKOW said a television crew was working at the state capitol covering the unrest when they came across Carpenter, who appeared to be passed out on the street. Veeser said Carpenter collapsed as he was walking toward the Capitol. Fellow journalists called paramedics, summoning an ambulance to treat his injuries.

Authorities say the incident began Tuesday after police arrested Devenore Johnson, a protester who approached a restaurant on Capitol Square while carrying a baseball bat on his shoulder. Madison police say Johnson was talking through a megaphone while walking around the restaurant’s outdoor patio. Police released video showing several officers taking Johnson to the sidewalk and carrying him to a police squad car during the course of his arrest.

According to police, protesters chanted for Johnson's release, breaking glass at the Tommy Thompson Center, and smashing windows and lights at the Capitol.

Lawmakers Express Frustration

Fellow Wisconsin State Senator Van Wanggaard (R-Racine), who was in Racine at the time of the incident, said he was incensed over the news of Tuesday's civil unrest.

“Forgive my language, but I don’t care about being 'senatorial' anymore. The time for platitudes is over. This is b*******t," he said Wednesday morning. “The role of police is to protect life first, property second. Last night in Madison, Madison police did neither. An innocent bystander, a state senator who has largely stood with the BLM movement, was attacked for watching and taking a picture. I am praying Tim will be okay."

State Rep. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield) is calling on his fellow lawmakers to step up efforts to curb civil unrest-related destruction. More than 75 businesses were damaged or looted, and one police squad car was set on fire during the first weekend of protests in Madison, which happened following death of George Floyd on Memorial Day.

"Last night we again witnessed the effects of violence and wanton destruction in the heart of our State's Capitol. Wisconsin has endured weeks of such violence, destroying businesses and endangering our citizenry,” Hutton said. “This must stop. I call upon Governor Evers and Mayor Rhodes-Conway to take appropriate actions to ensure public order and safety.”

State Sen. Chris Kapenga said it took more than two hours for the police to disperse the crowd — an unacceptable timeframe in his view.

"These criminals need to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, and be ordered to pay restitution to repair the damage. For those local governments seeking to reduce police funding to appease these violent actions, I will be looking at reductions in state aid to their budgets," state Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) said. "Based on media reports, it also appears that it took nearly two and half hours for the Madison police to respond and disperse the crowd. This is simply unacceptable. If the Madison Police were told to stand down while the destruction was happening, I will also be advocating for a reduction in state aid to cover the costs of the damage."

Unrest Overwhelms Capitol Area

A group of 200-300 people along with a number of vehicles moved through the downtown Madison area Tuesday evening into the morning, Madison police said.

The group initially marched, blocked intersections, and obstructed driveways. As the group's behavior escalated, they entered a private condominium building and surrounded a towing vehicle, requiring the driver to abandon the vehicle, police said.

The group later moved to the Capitol Square and removed the statues of Lady Forward and Hans Christian Heg and broke windows in a number of buildings.

Windows at the City County Building were broken, and a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the building. The group went on to also attempt to force entry to the State Capitol building, police said. Police deployed tear gas from within the building to repel people who were trying to break in, police said.

Assessing The Damage

Evers said officials are assessing the damage to state property, including the State Capitol building, the surrounding area, and the Tommy G. Thompson Center.

Both “Forward” and Col. Hans Christian Heg statues have been recovered after the Heg statue was beheaded and thrown into the lake and the "Forward" statue was toppled and left on Capitol Square.

Wisconsin's "Forward" statue depicts a woman in classical attire with her arm extended out in front of her symbolic of the state's official motto.

Wisconsin's Hans Christian Heg was cast in honor of his efforts as a journalist, anti-slavery activist and Wisconsin's 15th Volunteer Regiment during the American Civil War. He died as a result of wounds suffered in combat.

"We are prepared to activate the Wisconsin National Guard to protect state buildings and infrastructure and are continuing to work with local law enforcement to understand their response to last night’s events and their plan to respond to similar events in the future,” Evers said in a statement.

Reporting and writing from The Associated Press was used in this report.