Chief orders investigation into reports a child was pepper sprayed by police during protest

Published 9:02 am Thursday, May 14, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS — The police chief in Minneapolis has ordered an investigation into reports a child was pepper sprayed by an officer during a demonstration over a police shooting in Madison, Wisconsin.

The group Black Lives Matter Minneapolis claims a 10-year-old was among those police sprayed with a chemical irritant as dozens of people marched downtown Wednesday night. Police have not said whether officers used pepper spray on the crowd. But, Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau said in a statement that the group’s concerns would be investigated.

The demonstration follows a decision by the top prosecutor in Dane County, Wisconsin, not to charge an officer in the death of 19-year-old Tony Robinson in March. The officer is white. Robinson is biracial.

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Dozens of people took over a two-block area before heading to the Hennepin County Government Center where the protest ended.