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Bodycam video: Police response to Wisconsin State Fair disturbances
FOX6 News filed an open records request with the West Allis Police Department after multiple fights broke out on the last day of the Wisconsin State Fair. Body camera footage from some of the West Allis police officers who responded shows people running, Tasers deployed, and punches flying.
WEST ALLIS, Wis. - FOX6 News filed an open records request with the West Allis Police Department after multiple fights broke out on the last day of the Wisconsin State Fair. Body camera footage from some of the West Allis police officers who responded shows people running, Tasers deployed, and punches flying.
It was a violent closing night at the Wisconsin State Fair. Cellphone video showed the chaos, and now West Allis police body camera footage provides a clearer look at the scene.
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Wisconsin State Fair: Fighting, multiple disturbances on final night
The Wisconsin State Fair ended in chaos with fighting, punching and beating people up. The State Fair said one officer was hit but did not have serious injuries. Police arrested seven people.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Christina Van Zelst and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
Final night mayhem
The backstory:
The Wisconsin State Fair ended in chaos with fighting, punching and beating people up. The State Fair said one officer was hit but did not have serious injuries. In total, a statement said police arrested seven people.
The Wisconsin State Fair put out a statement 18 hours after the violence erupted. It said police responded to the fights and unauthorized people trying to get into the fair. The fair added that despite initial claims, there were no gunshots. It said officers responded quickly to the fights and the Fair will continue to review security plans.
It said for 11 days, it was a safe event, except for the final hours. Besides State Fair Police, it says it had extra police all the days, including from Milwaukee, West Allis and Wisconsin State troopers, along with mounted and bike patrols and drones.
Wisconsin State Fair policies state no one under 17 is allowed in after noon without an adult 21 and over. It also states that a chaperone can only bring in six minors.
Statement from Wisconsin State Fair
What they're saying:
"For 11 days, hundreds of thousands of guests came together for a safe and successful Wisconsin State Fair. The incidents Sunday evening were isolated to the final hours of the Fair and are not representative of the experience our guests enjoyed throughout the event. The behavior is always unacceptable and is not what we expect or will tolerate at the Wisconsin State Fair Park."
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"We had enhanced security and additional law enforcement resources in place throughout the Fair, including support from the Milwaukee and West Allis police departments, Milwaukee Police District 3, MPD Major Events Response Team, mounted and bicycle patrols, and drone coverage. Those resources allowed our security and public safety teams to respond quickly Sunday evening. We continually review our security plans with our law enforcement partners and look for ways to make the Fair even safer for our guests.
"The safety of our Fairgoers, vendors, exhibitors and employees is always our highest priority. We are grateful to Wisconsin State Fair Park Police and all of our law enforcement partners for their response Sunday evening and their work throughout the Fair."
-Wisconsin State Fair Park
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the West Allis Police Department, State Fair police and State Fair officials.