Local state trooper nabs wanted hate crime suspect in Plover

Metro Wire Staff

A man accused of a hate crime for allegedly throwing rocks at students during a pro-Israel rally in Madison last year was apprehended by a state trooper in Portage Co.

Ethan Hanson, 21, was seen parked on the shoulder of I-39 near Plover on March 27, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Trooper Carey Cisewski approached Hanson to offer assistance and, following a routine records check, found a warrant for Hanson’s arrest from Dane Co. Hanson was taken into custody on March 27.

The misdemeanor hate crime charge against Hanson stems from an incident on Nov. 7, 2023. According to the criminal complaint, Hanson was on a State St. rooftop during a rally organized by Madison students to support hostages and denounce a Hamas attack in Israel at Library Mall. The complaint alleges that Hanson threw rocks at students carrying Israeli flags, hitting one in the chest, and directed derogatory language at them.

Hanson was charged in December but missed a scheduled court appearance.

Video footage of Hanson’s arrest in Portage Co., provided to WKOW in Madison, shows Hanson apparently taunting the arresting officer from the back seat of the squad car, saying, “Hey, oh, pork chop, the speed limit’s 70.”

State officials declined to release video of the initial encounter between Hanson and the trooper or their interaction during the arrest, citing the presence of a social security number in the audio. They stated that the State Patrol’s technology lacks the capability to redact portions of squad car or body-worn camera video.

Cisewski did not have a body camera on during Hanson’s arrest.

According to court records, a man from Dane Co. posted $190 bail for Hanson, leading to his release from the Portage Co. Jail. Hanson was later booked into the Dane Co. Jail on April 4 and released on a signature bond.

Hanson previously lived in Marshall, Wis., but his current address is not known.