>>> WELCOME TO "NOON WEDNESDAY,"
I'M MARISA WOJCIK, MULTIMEDIA
JOURNALIST WITH "HERE & NOW" ON
PBS WISCONSIN.
TODAY IS FEBRUARY 9.
QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW POLICE USE
FORCE HAVE BEEN RENEWED AFTER AN
OFFICER SHOT A BLACK MAN IN
MADISON DURING A, QUOTE,
MULTIJURISDICTIONAL ARREST
EFFORT ON THURSDAY WITH THE WITH
DANE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
OFFERING FEW DETAILS ABOUT THE,
QUOTE, OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING
WHERE, QUOTE, SHOTS WERE FIRED.
HERE TO DISCUSS HER REPORTING ON
THIS IS EMILY HAMER, CRIMINAL
JUSTICE REPORTER FROM THE
"WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL," AND
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING.
>> YEAH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO WHO IS QUADRON WILSON?
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE
MAN SHOT BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS?
>> YEAH.
SO HE'S 38, AND WE DON'T KNOW
MUCH ABOUT -- I HAVE NOT TALKED
TO HIM YET, BUT I DID TALK WITH
HIS FAMILY, AND THEY JUST ARE
REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HIM AND
HIS SAFETY.
HE IS -- HIS MOTHER SAID HE WAS
SHOT, AND THAT HE RECENTLY WENT
THROUGH SURGERY, AND HE'S NOW IN
THE DANE COUNTY JAIL.
THE DANE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
SAID HE WAS WANTED ON A WARRANT
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW
WHAT THAT WARRANT IS OR WHY
POLICE WERE AFTER HIM BECAUSE
POLICE HAVE NOT SAID AT THIS
POINT.
>> SO CAN YOU RUN US THROUGH THE
TIME LI LINE OF EVENT ZS AS YOU
UNDERSTAND THEM?
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING
THURSDAY MORNING ON MADISON'S
FAR EAST SIDE?
>> YEAH.
SO THIS INFORMATION IS ALL
COMING FROM WILSON'S MOTHER
BECAUSE POLICE HAVE NOT SAID
MUCH AT ALL ABOUT WHAT HAS
HAPPENED.
THE SHOOTING HAPPENED A LITTLE
AFTER 8:00 A.M. IN MADISON IN
INTERSECTION.
WE KNOW THAT FOR SURE.
WILSON'S MOTHER SAID THAT SHE
WAS TOLD IN A BRIEF CONVERSATION
HE PULLED UP TO A STOPLIGHT, AND
A TRUCK IN FRONT OF HIM BACKED
UP INTO HIS VEHICLE, AND THEN
ANOTHER TRUCK KIND OF SANDWICHED
HIM FROM BEHIND, AND THEN HE
REALIZED THAT THE OCCUPANTS WERE
UNDERCOVER OFFICERS, AND THEY
CAME OUT AND STARTED YELLING FOR
HIM TO PUT HIS HANDS UP.
SHE SAID THAT WILSON SAID THEY
BROKE HIS WINDOWS, AND HE PUT
HIS HANDS UP ON THE DASH, UP ON
THE STEERING WHEEL RIGHT AWAY,
AND HE SAID THAT THEY JUST
STARTED SHOOTING AT HIM SO THAT
IS WILSON'S ACCOUNT OF THE
SHOOTING AS TOLD TO ME BY HIS
MOTHER.
I DON'T KNOW MUCH MORE ABOUT IT
OTHER THAN THAT BECAUSE POLICE
ARE NOT PROVIDING VERY MANY
DETAILS AT ALL.
THERE IS A VIDEO OF THE
AFTERMATH OF THE SHOOTING, AND
IT DOESN'T SHOW THE SHOOTING,
ITSELF, THOUGH, BUT IT SHOWS A
LOT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AROUND
THIS SANDWICHED VEHICLE, AND IT
SHOWS A MAN BEING PULLED ON A
STRETCHER INTO AN AMBULANCE.
>> YOU SAID LAW ENFORCEMENT
HAVEN'T SAID MUCH ABOUT THIS,
BUT OF WHAT THEY HAVE SAID, CAN
YOU SHARE, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST
EVEN THE SMALLEST OF DETAILS?
ARE THEY RESPONDING TO YOUR
INQUIRIES?
ARE THEY GIVING ANY INDICATION
OF WHEN THEY MIGHT PROVIDE MORE
DETAILS TO THE PUBLIC?
>> NOT REALLY AT ALL, NO.
THEY PROVIDED A BRIEF UPDATE
YESTERDAY MORNING WHERE THEY
FINALLY CONFIRMED THAT THE MAN
SHOT WAS QUADRON WILSON, AND
BEFORE THAT, THEY ONLY SAID IT
WAS A 38-YEAR-OLD MAN.
OTHER THAN THAT, THEY SAID
THAT -- THEY ARE SAYING THAT IT
WAS AN OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING
IN WHICH SHOTS WERE FIRED.
THEY HAVE NOT EVEN CONFIRMED
THAT POLICE WERE THE ONES TO
SHOOT WILSON.
WE DO KNOW THAT MADISON POLICE
WERE ASSISTING THE WISCONSIN
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE'S DIVISION
OF CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IN AN
ARREST.
MADISON POLICE DID NOT FIRE ANY
WEAPONS AT ALL.
THEY GOT IN AN UPDATE MONDAY, I
BELIEVE, SAYING THEY DID NOT
EVEN SEE THE SHOOTING HAPPEN.
THEY WERE ON THE PERIMETER, SO
IT SEEMS PRETTY CLEAR IT WAS AN
OFFICER WITH THE DIVISION OF
CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION.
THAT IS WHAT WILSON'S MOTHER
SAID, BUT POLICE AUTHORITIES
HAVE NOT GIVEN US THAT
INFORMATION YET, NOR SAID WHO
THE OFFICER WAS WHO SHOT WILSON.
IT COULD EVEN MAYBE BEEN MORE
THAN ONE OFFICER.
>> IN YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REPORTER, IS
THAT STANDARD PRACTICE THAT AT
THIS POINT IN A CASE THAT'S KIND
OF MURKY AND HAS THE POTENTIAL
TO BE UPSETTING TO THE PUBLIC
THAT THERE IS NO MORE DETAILS
OTHER THAN THESE VERY, VERY
VAGUE PHRASES BEING SAID?
DO YOU THINK THAT POLICE SHOULD
BE PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION
REGARDLESS?
>> I DEFINITELY THINK THAT
POLICE SHOULD BE PROVIDING MORE
INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC ON
THIS.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT
STANDARD PRACTICE IS.
I DO THINK THAT POLICE REPORTING
AND HOLDING THE POLICE
ACCOUNTABLE IS SOMETHING THAT MY
COLLEAGUE, CHRIS RICKER, HAS
DONE MORE OF WHILE I FOCUS ON
THE BUSINESS SYSTEM, SO HE KNOWS
MORE ABOUT THAT AND THE HISTORY
OF THAT, BUT I THINK FROM HIS
REPORTING THEY TYPICALLY LET US
KNOW A LITTLE BIT QUICKER THAN
THIS, THE DETAILS OF THE
SHOOTING, BUT THERE WAS AN
INCIDENT LAST FALL WHEN THEY
USED -- AUTHORITIES USED THIS
KIND OF MURKY LANGUAGE, AND THEY
MADE IT SEEM LIKE A SUSPECT SHOT
POLICE WHEN, REALLY, IT WAS
POLICE OFFICERS WHO FIRED THEIR
WEAPONS, AND SO THEY HAVE USED
THIS KIND OF MURKY LANGUAGE IN
THE PAST THAT'S CONFUSED THINGS
IN THE INITIAL STAGES.
>> QUADRON WILSON IS -- HAS
UNDERGONE SURGERY, AS YOU
MENTIONED, FOR HIS INJURIES.
HOW EXTENSIVE WERE THOSE
INJURIES, AND HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE
TO REACH HIM FOR COMMENT AT ALL?
>> WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO
REACH HIM YET AT THIS POINT.
I'M ALSO NOT SURE HOW EXTENSIVE
HIS INJURIES WERE.
HIS MOTHER SAID THAT WHEN SHE
TALKED WITH DOCTORS THAT HE --
THEY SAID HIS INJURIES WERE IN
THE BACK, AND THAT HE WAS SHOT
SEVERAL TIMES IN THE BACK.
THEY WERE VERY WORRIED, WHEN I
SPOKE WITH THEM ON SATURDAY,
THEY HAVE NOT GOT AN UPDATE YET.
THEY WERE WORRIED, WONDERING IF
HE WAS EVEN ALIVE, BUT HE DID
MAKE IT THROUGH SURGERY OKAY,
AND HE IS IN THE DANE COUNTY
JAIL.
THEY SAID THAT HE IS NOT DOING
GREAT.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT
MEANS, THOUGH, BUT HE IS ALIVE,
SO THAT'S ABOUT ALL WE KNOW.
>> AND YOU MENTIONED YOU SPOKE
WITH HIS FAMILY MEMBERS, AND HIS
MOTHER SHARED WHAT HER SON TOLD
OF HER ABOUT THE INCIDENT, WHICH
YOU ALREADY SHARED A LITTLE BIT.
CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING ELSE
THAT SHE RELAYED TO YOU?
>> SHE -- ONE THING I HAD NOT
MENTIONED YET WAS THAT SHE SAID
QUADRON WILSON WAS UNARMED IN
THE SHOOTING.
SHE SAID THAT HE TOLD HER HE
DIDN'T KNOW OR UNDERSTAND WHY
POLICE WERE AFTER HIM, AND THAT
HE BELIEVES HE WAS SHOT IN THE
BACK AT LEAST FIVE TIMES.
HE TOLD HER THAT HE HEARD MAYBE
20 SHOTS.
AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW HOW
ACCURATE THAT IS YET.
HAVEN'T GOTTEN MUCH CONFIRMATION
FROM THE POLICE.
IN THE VIDEO OF THE AFTERMATH,
IT DOESN'T HAVE THE SHOOTING OR
SOUND, AND SO WE -- THERE'S
STILL VERY LITTLE INFORMATION
ABOUT IT, BUT WE DO KNOW,
ACCORDING TO HIS MOTHER, HE WAS
UNARMED.
>> NOW, AGAIN, IN YOUR
EXPERIENCE AS A CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REPORTER, HAVE YOU COME ACROSS
ANYTHING THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS
BEFORE?
YOU KNOW, TWO TRUCKS BACKING IN
AND FORWARD INTO A CAR TO
SANDWICH THEM IN THE MORNING
DAYLIGHT IN PUBLIC?
IT'S THE OFFICE OF -- IT'S DCI
AGENTS THAT ARE DOING THIS.
DOES THIS SEEM OUT OF THE
ORDINARY OF A SITUATION FOR WHAT
HE WAS POTENTIALLY WANTED FOR?
>> UH-HUH.
YEAH.
I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
THAT BEFORE.
I DID -- I KNOW THAT I COVERED
SOME OF THE PROTESTS IN THE
SUMMER OF 2020 AFTER THE MURDER
OF GEORGE FLOYD, AND I SAW
POLICE PULL UP IN AN UNMARKED
VEHICLE AND TAKE A SUSPECT INTO
THE CAR, JUST KIND OF BY
SURPRISE.
IT FELT LIKE IT WAS OUT OF
NOWHERE.
IT IS NOT THE EXACT SAME THING,
BUT I HAVE SEEN THEM BEFORE
USE -- WHEN THEY MAKE AN ARREST,
THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE THE
ELEMENT OF SURPRISE TO LIMIT
SITUATIONS LIKE WHAT HAPPENED
WHERE IT ENDS UP IN A SHOOTING,
OBVIOUSLY, THAT DID NOT WORK
HERE, BUT I HAVE SEEN SURPRISE
TACTICS USED BEFORE.
I'M NOT SURE HOW UNUSUAL THIS
METHOD IS, THOUGH.
>> NOW, GIVEN ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS THAT ARE
INVOLVED, THE DANE COUNTY
SHERIFF'S OFFICE ARE THE ONES
THAT ARE INVESTIGATING.
WHY ARE THEY INVESTIGATING THIS
INCIDENT?
>> YEAH.
SO IT'S -- IT'S A LITTLE
CONFUSING, BUT THE -- SO MADISON
POLICE WERE ON SCENE.
THEY WERE HELPING, BUT THEY
DIDN'T SEE THE SHOOTING.
THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE'S DIVISION OF CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION, IT WAS THEIR
ARREST.
IT WAS THEIR INCIDENT.
NORMALLY, WHEN THERE'S AN
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING, THE
STATE DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION IS THE ONE TO LEAD
THOSE SORTS OF INVESTIGATIONS.
IT IS SORT OF AN OUTSIDE AGENCY
THAT'S LOOKING INTO WHETHER
THERE WAS ANY WRONG DOING BY THE
AUTHORITIES, BUT SINCE THE
DIVISION OF CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATION WAS INVOLVED, THE
DANE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS
MEETING THE INVESTIGATION OF THE
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING AS
THEY WERE NOT INVOLVED AT ALL IN
THE INCIDENT, ITSELF.
>> AND WILSON'S BROTHER IS
SAYING THAT RACE IS A FACTOR, AT
LEAST AS TO WHY INFORMATION FROM
LAW ENFORCEMENT IS MINIMAL AND
VAGUE.
AS YOU JUST MENTIONED, THE
MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD AND OTHER
CASES REBATES CREATED -- CASES
CREATED A LOT OF CRITICISM FOR
LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE AND THE
MEDIA IN HOW THEY COVER, AND HOW
THESE INVESTIGATIONS ARE LED,
HOW THEY ARE COMMUNICATED, HAS
THIS IMPACTED YOUR APPROACH IN
THIS SPECIFIC STORY?
>> I THINK IN THIS STORY, JUST
KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED WITH
GEORGE FLOYD, I THINK IT MADE US
WANT EVEN MORE TO BE REALLY
AGGRESSIVE IN PURSUING THIS AND
GETTING AS MUCH INFORMATION AS
WE CAN, ESPECIALLY SINCE POLICE
WERE NOT EVEN SAYING THAT THEY
WERE THE ONES WHO SHOT WILSON,
AND SO I -- IT WAS NOT JUST ME
AND MY COLLEAGUE, CHRIS RICKER,
AS WELL, PUSHED OFFICIALS TO TRY
TO GIVE A SOME SORT OF
INFORMATION, JUST ANYTHING A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT HAD
HAPPENED, AND HE WAS THE ONE WHO
FOUND THE FAMILY MEMBERS AND GOT
IN TOUCH WITH THEM, AND WE
REALLY WERE TRYING TO CONVINCE
THEM TO TALK WITH US ABOUT WHAT
THEY KNEW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
JUST SO THE PUBLIC COULD KNOW
ANYTHING MORE ABOUT THIS
SHOOTING, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS
REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN POLICE
SHOOT SOMEONE FOR THE PUBLIC,
THE TAXPAYERS, TO KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED AND WHY.
>> WHAT STANDS OUT TO YOU ABOUT
THIS CASE?
>> I THINK JUST -- WHAT HAS
STOOD OUT TO ME IS JUST KIND OF
HOW FRUSTRATED HIS FAMILY IS AND
HOW WHEN I TALKED WITH THEM OVER
THE WEEKEND, THEY COULDN'T SEE
WILSON, AND THEY WERE REALLY
UPSET BY THAT.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW HE WAS
DOING.
THEY COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM
HIM.
HIS -- HE WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE
HIS LAWYER WHILE HE WAS IN THE
HOSPITAL.
WILSON IS IN CUSTODY, SO THAT'S
PART OF WHY THAT THEY WERE NOT
ALLOWED INTO THE HOSPITAL TO SEE
HIM, BUT THEY JUST WERE REALLY
WORRIED ABOUT HIM AND WANTING
ANSWERS, AND THE AUTHORITIES
WERE NOT GIVING THEM MUCH OF
ANYTHING AT ALL FOR ANSWERS.
MAINE MORRIS, WILSON'S YOUNGER
BROTHER, WAS JUST VERY
EMOTIONAL.
HE FEELS LIKE POLICE TRIED TO
KILL HIS BROTHER, AND IT JUST IS
ANSWERS ON THIS, AND, I GUESS,
WHAT STICKS OUT TO ME IS THAT
AUTHORITIES AREN'T GIVING MUCH
OF THAT AT THIS POINT.
>> SO WILL THERE BE MORE
REPORTING ON THIS AS DETAILS
EMERGE?
>> YEAH.
FOR SURE.
AUTHORITIES HAVE SAID TO JUST
KIND OF -- THE DANE COUNTY
SHERIFF'S OFFICE SAID YESTERDAY
THEY ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC TO BE
PATIENT.
THEY SAY THEY ARE GOING TO BE
RELEASING MORE INFORMATION ON
THIS.
WE'RE NOT SURE WHEN THAT WILL
HAPPEN, BUT I DO TRUST THAT THEY
ARE GOING TO LET US KNOW MORE
ABOUT WHY THEY WERE AFTER
WILSON, WHY THIS ARREST WAS SO
AGGRESSIVE, AND WE SHOULD HEAR
ABOUT THAT -- I DON'T KNOW WHEN,
BUT WE SHOULD HEAR ABOUT IT.
>> WELL, WE APPRECIATE YOUR
REPORTING AND YOUR COLLEAGUE,
CHRIS RICKER, AND WE'LL BE
FOLLOWING AS MORE OF THOSE
DETAILS ARE REPORTED.
EMILY HAMER FROM THE "WISCONSIN
STATE JOURNAL," THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
>> YEAH.
THANK YOU.
>> FOR MORE FROM "HERE & NOW"
AND PBS WISCONSIN, YOU CAN VISIT
PBSWISCONSIN.ORG/NEWS, AND THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON
"NOON WEDNESDAY."