The arrest of a UW-Madison student caught the attention of passersby Thursday after several UW campus police officers arrived at the Social Science building, surprising students on their way to class.
It seemed likely that the suspect was apprehended as he went to his morning classes, according to Eric Haanstad, an eyewitness and graduate student in the Department of Anthropology.
UW-Madison Police Officer John Deering, who made the arrest, declined to comment, stating that it is still an ongoing investigation. However, Sgt. Jerome VanNatta noted they often use student schedules as a way to locate students.
\If that's what it takes to make an arrest then yes, that's information we sometimes utilize,"" he said.
The reason for the arrest was unconfirmed, but the police presence was readily noticeable, including the use of a horse-mounted officer.
The arrest was a highly public event, with many onlookers making their own assessments of the situation.
As part of public record, police have access to student schedules as well as other personal information. In addition, any methods used by Madison city police are the same as used by UW Campus Police.
""All the same rights, policies and procedures that we use on and off campus are the same,"" VanNatta said.
Some students expressed concern over the methodology used by the police in making the arrest.
""On one hand, it makes sense to meet the student at a classroom because that's a specific time and location, which removes a lot of leg work on the part of the officer. But on the other hand, there is a message being sent by the police by a uniformed officer coming and handcuffing someone in a hallway-it's a message of control,"" Haanstad said.
VanNatta said this was not a new event. ""We make arrests on campus all the time. It just depends on the circumstances of the case,"" he said.
