Two women were arrested Wednesday night after battering a police officer who was trying to break up a fight on Prairie Road on the west side of Madison.
According to a Madison Police Department incident report, the incident occurred at 6:40 p.m. when an MPD officer pulled his car over after he saw a large crowd of people standing in the street and thought there was some sort of disturbance.
The officer saw a woman holding pepper spray punch a man in the face. When the officer tried to arrest the woman, members of the crowd began making anti-police comments, like “we need to start killing these officers,” according to the report.
The suspect’s daughter began grabbing at the police officer, and a struggle ensued during which the suspect punched the officer in the face and grabbed his throat.
Despite trying to calm the crowd by explaining the situation, the struggle between the officer and the suspects continued until back-up officers arrived.
The two women, Latonya James, 40, and Nanyamka James, 20, were arrested on multiple charges, according to the report. Latonya James reportedly made verbal threats to the officer’s life on the way to jail.
The report noted that a nearby resident told the investigating detective the police officer who was attacked had in the past been a positive part of the community and communicated well.
