County Executive Parisi Statement: More Transparency Needed in Quadren Wilson Case

February 21, 2022
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive

Today, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi issued the following statement regarding the arrest investigation of Quadren Wilson:

“Quadren Wilson was forcibly apprehended by 21 law enforcement officers on February 3rd. It’s been over two weeks since his arrest and three days since his initial court appearance, yet we still know little about the circumstances surrounding his arrest.

“This has not been a transparent process. Many questions about this case remain unanswered, such as what happened and why—why such a massive law enforcement presence and such an apparently violent arrest. And, if there was no weapon, what prompted law enforcement officers to shoot so many times?

“Unfortunately, the manner in which the most recent information was shared—dropping a press release at the end of the day on Friday—did not provide the news media or the community an opportunity to have some fairly basic questions asked or answered, nor did it instill a sense of confidence in the process.

“We all know what’s at stake here and how important it is that law enforcement leadership be transparent and upfront with the community. The absence of transparency leaves us only with conjecture, and that’s not good for anyone.

“Most of us have no idea what happened that day or why. Maybe there’s a reasonable explanation, maybe not. Our community understands the need for a thorough investigation. We understand the importance of waiting for the facts before drawing conclusions. That’s reasonable. However, it’s also reasonable to ask for answers to a few basic questions, and for law enforcement leadership to step forward and provide answers.

“We need the leader of this investigation to provide regular, in-person updates, answer questions, and serve as a clearinghouse for information about this case.”