Taken Down: Dem Lawmaker Tackled by Police at Wisconsin Capitol

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Is this a case of highly coincidental — and unfortunate — mistaken identity?

A Democratic representative from Wisconsin was tackled by police Thursday evening as he attempted to enter the state Capitol building after it was ordered closed by a judge earlier in the day.

Rep. Nick Milroy of South Range arrived at the Capitol sometime after 6 p.m., when it was closed to the public for the first time in weeks. Upon arriving, he was greeted by some police tasked with the guarding the building’s entrance. The officers — who needless to say must be exhausted — apparently mistook Milroy for one of the hundreds of protesters who have been camped out inside the building and were reluctant to leave.  After a brief interaction, where Milroy attempted to show his ID, one of the guards tackled him, bringing him to the ground.

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The whole altercation was caught on film by WISN-TV, igniting a free-for-all across the Internet. However, Milroy maintains that it was merely a misunderstanding, and told the Wisconsin State Journal that he was pleased with the way the police handled the situation. “There was no harm, no foul in this incident… It’s been a long couple of weeks for law enforcement officers, it’s been a long couple of weeks for me.”

Perhaps Milroy will reconsider his choice of attire next time he shows up to the Capitol after-hours. Wearing a puffy jacket, khakis and t-shirt, it’s easy to see why the lawmaker caused some confusion among the police force. After all, Milroy was one of the four Assembly members who moved his desk outside earlier in the week after public access to the building was restricted, so maybe he left all his appropriate clothes in his abandoned office. (via Gawker)

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