Law enforcement officials are investigating an incident that occurred outside Donald Trump’s campaign rally Tuesday evening, where a 15-year-old girl was reportedly groped and pepper-sprayed by an unidentified man.
Pictures and video footage posted to social media show the young girl surrounded by protesters and rally attendees at a Holiday Inn Express in Janesville, Wis., which served as the venue for Trump’s first campaign stop in Wisconsin ahead of the state’s April 5 Republican primary.
In a video posted to Twitter by Wisconsin State Journal reporter Molly Beck, the girl appears to be arguing with a middle-aged man and holding a sign, suggesting she was one of several anti-Trump protesters gathered outside the Republican presidential front-runner’s rally.
Here’s a video (and prev photo) taken by @derek94gt of the punch/pepper spray incident at the Janesville Trump rally pic.twitter.com/iVCHvsISDi
— Molly Beck (@MollyBeck) March 29, 2016
Police are reportedly reviewing several videos of the incident as well as eyewitness accounts. According to USA Today, the young woman claimed she was groped by the same man before being pepper-sprayed when she attempted to push him away.
“We intend to learn the true events that occurred and make the appropriate arrests,” Janesville Police Chief David Moore said in a statement Wednesday morning.
Trump, who is polling second in the RealClearPolitics state-level average of Wisconsin Republicans, is set to hold another rally in Green Bay, Wis. at 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
