Teen Accused Of Hitting Cop In Face At Mifflin Street Party
Police Hand Out Nearly 200 Citations
POSTED: 7:50 p.m. CDT May 1, 2004
UPDATED: 2:33 p.m. CDT May 3, 2004
MADISON, Wis. -- The Mifflin Street Block Party drained police resources Saturday night, causing officers to only respond to top priority calls throughout the rest of the city. Nearly 25,000 people flooded Mifflin Street all day.
Police handed out 190 citations and took 10 people to jail. The detoxification facility hit capacity, police said.
Police also arrested an 18-year-old man for felony battery to a police officer. In addition to that charge, Benjamin P. Miller, 18, of Wautoma, was cited for resisting and obstructing an officer and underage drinking.
Madison Police Officer Rogelio Herrera said he saw Miller with an open intoxicant around 10 p.m. and told him to pour it out, but Miller refused and attempted to flee after hitting Herrera in the face. Police caught Miller, who was combative and had to be placed in leg restraints for his transport to jail, police said.
The crowd shifted to State Street around 11 p.m. and the number of disturbances increased, police said.
Who Cleaned Up?
Not many people showed up Sunday morning to help clean up the party aftermath.
The Mifflin Street Co-Op has organized a cleanup effort the last eight years of the 35 years the event's been going on .
The city donated trash bags that volunteers gave to all the houses along the street, but only three volunteers helped out, donning rubber gloves and picking up cups and beer cans.
"Some years we've had 50 people out there once it gets going," said Glen Chism of the co-op.
Police handed out 190 citations and took 10 people to jail. The detoxification facility hit capacity, police said.
Police also arrested an 18-year-old man for felony battery to a police officer. In addition to that charge, Benjamin P. Miller, 18, of Wautoma, was cited for resisting and obstructing an officer and underage drinking.
Madison Police Officer Rogelio Herrera said he saw Miller with an open intoxicant around 10 p.m. and told him to pour it out, but Miller refused and attempted to flee after hitting Herrera in the face. Police caught Miller, who was combative and had to be placed in leg restraints for his transport to jail, police said.
The crowd shifted to State Street around 11 p.m. and the number of disturbances increased, police said.
Who Cleaned Up?
Not many people showed up Sunday morning to help clean up the party aftermath.
The Mifflin Street Co-Op has organized a cleanup effort the last eight years of the 35 years the event's been going on .
The city donated trash bags that volunteers gave to all the houses along the street, but only three volunteers helped out, donning rubber gloves and picking up cups and beer cans.
"Some years we've had 50 people out there once it gets going," said Glen Chism of the co-op.
Previous Stories:
- April 29, 2004: MPD Limits Beer Kegs For Mifflin Street Block Party
- December 4, 2003: Mifflin Street Co-op To Stay Open -- For Now
- May 5, 2003: Man Falls From Window At Mifflin Street Party
- May 2, 2003: Will Madison Get Rowdy This Weekend?
- May 7, 2002: Mifflin Party Accusations: Woman Sexually Assaulted In Locked Room
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