Madison police shut down Madison Avenue early Sunday morning after a chaotic scene erupted while they were trying to respond to a call regarding an unconscious woman.

The 20-year-old woman, who was allegedly celebrating her 20th birthday, was unconscious from excessive drinking when officers arrived at 1:41 a.m. She was cited for underage possession of alcohol on a licensed premise and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Madison Police Department Lt. Joe Balles said what is concerning about the situation is that approximately 25 officers were called to the scene to control the crowds.

“It’s not a time for people to sit around and gawk and see what’s going on,” Balles said, adding the police treated the situation as a life-or-death situation.

According to the police report, the crowd in the bar was pushing, shoving and fighting, which interfered with the paramedics’ ability to treat the woman.

Police have been called to Madison Avenue more than 100 times since January, Balles said. He added Madison Avenue and Johnny O’s have accommodations for more than 1,000 people.

“You have to keep in mind the capacity at those two places,” Balles said. “It can get out of hand in a hurry.”

Ald. Eli Judge, District 8, said the Alcohol License Review Committee keeps track of violations, such as having an underage person drinking in the establishment. After a certain number of violations, the establishment has to meet with the committee to discuss the issue.

Alcohol Policy Coordinator Katherine Plominski is currently trying to arrange a meeting between police and Madison Avenue.

Balles said he hopes the meeting comes before Halloween.

“I would not be surprised if that meeting is related to what happened,” Judge said. He added he was shocked he was not notified of the situation when it occurred, which usually occurs when something big surfaces in his district.

Balles said MPD is not as strict with Madison Avenue and Johnny O’s because the establishments and the area have a lot of bar-time traffic, making it more prone to needing police assistance.

“We have a higher tolerance level for the number of calls they have,” Balles said, adding MPD does not want the bar to stop calling them for assistance because they want to make sure everyone is safe.

The chaotic scene, Balles said, was caused by a breakdown in communication between the staff at Madison Avenue and the police. He said he is concerned with how the staff acted in the situation.

“We need to maintain a good dialogue and a good relationship,” Balles said about working with Madison Avenue and Johnny O’s.

Balles said police were especially sensitive to this situation because they were unsure of the cause initially, and lately they have seen an increase in heroin overdoses. He added one way to avoid crowds like this is to remind people they need to use the “buddy system” and watch out for each other.

“You have to have the ability to pull yourself away from a bad situation,” Balles said, adding when 10 or 15 police close in on an area or a bar, people should know it is time to go.

Madison Avenue’s manager did not return phone calls seeking comment.