(MADISON, Wis.) In response to conflicting public accounts regarding the December 2025 arrest involving Maia Pearson by Madison’s Independent Police Monitor and Chief of Police, WPPA Executive Director Jim Palmer released the following statement:
The December 2025 incident involving the arrest of Maia Pearson by Madison police officers has generated significant public attention and sharply conflicting narratives about what occurred.
At present, members of the public are being asked to draw conclusions based largely upon competing characterizations of the incident rather than a complete review of the underlying evidence. That is not healthy for public confidence, nor is it fair to anyone involved — including the officers, the individuals arrested, or the broader Madison community.
As our state’s largest law enforcement group, the Wisconsin Professional Police Association believes that transparency and context are essential in matters of substantial public controversy. For that reason, we respectfully call upon the Madison Police Department and appropriate city officials to release all available audio and video evidence related to this incident.
Public trust is best served when facts — not rhetoric, assumptions, or selective summaries — guide the conversation. The release of the available evidence would allow the public to evaluate the incident in its entirety and would help ensure that any conclusions reached are informed by the complete context of the encounter.
Law enforcement officers, like all members of the public, deserve fairness, accuracy, and due process. At the same time, accountability and transparency remain critical to maintaining confidence in policing and public institutions.
In recent days, highly definitive public conclusions have been issued regarding the legality of the officers’ actions and the motivations underlying their conduct. Those are serious assertions. Before the public is asked to accept or reject those conclusions, the underlying evidence should be made available for review.
The WPPA supports a fair, objective, and evidence-driven evaluation of this incident and believes that releasing the available audio and video evidence is the most effective means of fostering an informed and constructive public discourse.
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