(The Center Square) – A group of three women protesting before being handcuffed and receiving citations at a Port Washington Common Council meeting included one who landed a kick on Police Chief Kevin Hingiss and another who shouted obscenities at council members.
The group was protesting the $8 billion Vantage data center project in Port Washington. Those arrested included Christine Le Jeune, Julianne Wanderer and Paula Butler, according to police reports obtained by The Center Square through a public records request.
The three received tickets for disorderly conduct.
Le Jeune spoke at the meeting and then shouted “shame” and “recall” as she headed to her seat.
Video from the meeting showed Hingiss approaching Le Jeune in the audience and asking her to leave.
“Prior to the meeting, City Attorney Nugent addressed the public crowd, establishing the rules and guidelines for decorum throughout the meeting,” Officer James Mejchar wrote in his report. “The crowd was asked to remain respectful and let everyone speak without interruption. The crowd was warned that disruption of the meeting could result in their removal.”
Mejchar and Hingiss wrote in the report that Le Jeune landed a kick
Police Captain Craig Czarnecki wrote that Wanderer left the seating area “and was now approaching the council, yelling at them and I was later informed by council members she was using profanity and calling them names. I could hear her yelling and saw her gesturing and heard her say shame.”
Police said that two of the individuals arrested were released at the scene and “a third was released from the Police Department after obstructing the arresting officer by initially refusing to identify herself.”
Police say that, as they were attempting to take Le Jeune into custody, the other two interfered.
“Two other female subjects who were ultimately identified as Paula Butler and Julianne Wanderer, positioned themselves between officers and Le Jeune. Wanderer grabbed a hold of Le Jeune’s right arm and tried to keep her arm away from officers while Butler positioned herself along Le Jeune’s left side,” Mejchar wrote. “While Le Jeune was laying on her back, facing the ceiling, Butler laid across Le Jeune’s torso, obstructing officers’ ability to successfully take Le Jeune into custody.”
