MADISON, Wis. — In the year since George Floyd’s death, people across the country have called for changes to police practices and more oversight of police departments.
Madison is no different, with a number of changes coming to the city’s police department and past actions under review. Here is a look at what’s changed in Madison since May 25, 2020.
Proposals introduced to ban use of tear gas and projectile crowd-control measures
As peaceful protests gave way to unrest in downtown Madison in the days following Floyd’s death last summer, authorities were seen on video using tear gas and other projectiles in an attempt to disperse crowds, often leading to people throwing the canisters back in the direction of police. Authorities did acknowledge using chemical agents on the crowds in the early days of protests and unrest, but did hold off while largely standing back and observing protests later in the summer.