Man allegedly climbed light pole, incited fans

A Massachusetts man faces felony charges for his alleged role in a December riot in downtown State College.

According to the criminal complaint filed by State College police, while waiting for riot squads to move forward, an officer observed Jimmy Wang, 31, of Acton, Mass., climb to the top of a light pole where he remained for several minutes.

While at the top of the pole, police said, he began waving his arms, inciting the crowd who was cheering for him. When officers stopped Wang and he climbed down, “hundreds of people in the crowd” reportedly surrounded the officers and Wang, chanting “Let him go.”

After being identified by officers, police said, Wang was told to leave the area and would be charged later.

Wang was charged with one felony count of rioting and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct, according to court documents. Unsecured bail was set at $1,000.

A preliminary hearing was slated for Feb. 1.

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 5:13 PM with the headline "Man allegedly climbed light pole, incited fans."