News

Actions

Police: Teen was pepper sprayed, assaulted at Donald Trump rally in Wisconsin

Posted at 8:12 AM, Mar 31, 2016
and last updated 2016-03-31 08:12:11-04

A 15-year-old girl was pepper sprayed and said she was groped Tuesday during a protest outside Donald Trump’s rally in Janesville, Wisconsin, according to local police, one of several incidents at the event that required law enforcement.

The teenager said she was groped by a male in the crowd, then was pepper-sprayed by another individual after she pushed him away, according to a news release from the Janesville Police Department. A 19-year-old woman was also hit by second-hand pepper spray, police said.

Authorities are looking for one person in connection with the alleged sexual assault and another in connection with the pepper spray. Police released an image Wednesday of one individual in connection to the alleged incident, but they did not specify which alleged crime the person was possibly connected to.

Police also said that of the 1,000 attendees inside the event and 1,000 people outside, both supporting and protesting Trump, two people carried concealed weapons and two carried weapons openly, and all four cooperated with law enforcement.

Three suspicious objects were investigated, including a vehicle left in the street by someone who had gone to get food, but all were cleared.

The Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on the incident in Janesville, though Trump has said in the past that he does not condone violence at his events.

Trump has been criticized by his opponents and members of his party for not doing enough to calm the violence at his events, and for having used violent imagery in the past.

Pepper

A 15-year-old girl was pepper sprayed and said she was groped Tuesday during a protest outside Donald Trump’s rally in Janesville, Wisconsin

Trump’s rallies have attracted huge crowds as well as protests across the country, and some of the events have gotten violent. Protesters were treated violently by a crowd in Alabama, a protester being escorted out by police was sucker-punched by a Trump supporter in North Carolina, a Chicago rally was canceled because of concern about protests and the dispersing crowds clashed violently, and protesters in Arizona shut down a road leading to a Trump event.

While his campaign plays a recording before events asking attendees to let security handle protests, he has also made statements saying the actions of his supporters have been justified and has offered to pay legal fees of people involved.