A 26-year-old man is in critical condition after an early Sunday morning altercation on the corner of State and Johnson streets left him unconscious.
Madison police responded at 1:54 a.m., and as of press time, the victim was on life support.
According to the police report, a disturbance began inside the Crave Lounge at 201 W. Gorham St. The victim walked from Crave Lounge to Johnson and State where he ran into three suspects. The victim was hit “with a blow to the head causing him to fall to the ground.” Madison police found the victim unconscious.
The possibility that this case could become a homicide investigation resulted in a police response much more serious than what might normally result from a typical bar brawl.
According to Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, the victim “was in such severe condition that they thought it was highly possible that he may [die], largely because of his head making contact with the pavement in such a traumatic way.”
Verveer, whose district is where the incident occurred, said roughly 10 squad cars were present at the scene as well as more than a dozen officers. Many officers were interviewing witnesses present at the time of the incident.
According to Verveer, authorities at the scene believed it was highly probable the victim could die due to severe head trauma, which they believe he incurred during the fight.
The incident does not appear to be a random act, but Verveer said he does not believe weapons were not involved.
“The police were taking a precautions and treating this as a potential homicide, which necessitated the tremendous response,” Verveer said.
According to Verveer, among those responding were Capt. Mary Schauf of the central police district, detectives and a special investigator called to the scene to gather forensic evidence.
“Detectives and the police captains were called at their homes in the middle of the night, and detectives were ordered into work to start the investigation immediately,” Verveer said.
An investigation into this incident is continuing. If the case becomes a homicide, it would be the 11th in Madison this year.