Both the Madison and UW police departments responded to several reports Thursday of a man acting verbally and physically aggressive in the East Campus Mall area, according to a UW Police Department report.
The subject, later identified as repeat offender Ezekiel Golden, 47, had attempted to hit someone who called 911 upon seeing Golden “acting odd” near State Street and North Park Street, according to the report.
A UW-Madison student called the UWPD 25 minutes later at 2:45 p.m., reporting that he had been struck by a male aggressor who matched the description of the earlier call. The caller provided UWPD with a detailed description of the suspect and his direction of travel, helping to lead to his arrest.
Officers located Golden at the intersection of West Johnson Street and East Campus Mall, where he was stopping traffic and hitting vehicle hoods with his hands, according to the report.
As Golden approached East Campus Mall, officers tried to calm him despite his physical and verbal aggression toward them. After ignoring several warnings and commands, one officer deployed his taser.
Officers arrested and booked Golden into the Dane County jail on multiple charges of battery, something he is not unfamiliar with, according to the report. Golden has been involved in many different “strange encounters” in the past few weeks, some of which have included walking into traffic and attacking vehicles.
