WPR Rebuttal Exclusive: Jason Pero in WPR Ad? Also, St. Croix District Attorney Letter Exonerates Deputy Mrdjenovich

The only media outlet to do so, WPR Rebuttal presents an actual scan of the letter exonerating Ashland Deputy Brock Mrdjenovich from wrongdoing in the death of Jason Pero. WPR Rebuttal has effectively scooped Wisconsin Public Radio by acquiring this January 19, 2018 letter!

Although I had updated the January 23 post to include a scan of this letter, I decided to make a stand-alone post to facilitate search-engine traffic. Truly and cynically, #YouthShooting = #PageViews. Without further delay:

Further analysis of the investigative-case file is available, courtesy of WPR Rebuttal.

Also, I was looking back-over the sidebar ads that I've been collecting from the WPR website. One child depicted in an October 2017 WPR programming advertisement bore an eerie resemblance to Jason Pero:

The stocky boy in the Green Bay Packers sweatshirt definitely resembles Jason Pero:

Consider the facial similarities and their mutual love of sweatshirts. And even if the ages and the faces of the boys are not identical, these discrepancies could be respectively explained-away by the photo having been taken years earlier and by the stretching of the photo in post-processing.

However, through some critical thinking, I can confirm the boy in the ad is -not- Jason Pero. (Although, it might be rightfully said that the youngster is a "Jason Pero doppleganger.") Two reasons make it highly-improbable the young boy is actually Jason:

1) Whereas Jason Pero was a member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Tribe, the children in the WPR Central Time ad are members of the Menomonie Tribe. (Although the "First Peoples" series -does- cover several bands of Chippewa, only one sidebar ad had been commissioned for the series in 2017 -- and that ad featured the Menomonie youth within the limited 300x250 pixels "real estate.")

2) Even if Mr. Pero were to have been Photoshopped into another tribe's gathering after-the-fact, WPR would-have removed the ad from circulation if, in fact, Jason had shown-up in the advertisement. (For the purpose of "respecting" the dead; as well as trying not to needlessly "trigger" survivors who were /are close to Jason.)

This more-or-less exhausts the publicly available information about Jason Pero's final days. However, you can count-on WPR Rebuttal to deliver more scintillating content on other current events as they arise!

Exegesis of the Investigative File Public Record of Jason Pero's Suicide-by-Cop

02-03-2018 Update: WPR Rebuttal scoops Wisconsin Public Radio!
Only here can you read the January 19, 2018 letter, sent by the St. Croix County District Attorney's Office, declaring Ashland Deputy Brock Mrjdenovich free from wrongdoing in the November 8, 2017 incident involving Jason Pero:

/Update

Exclusive to WPR Rebuttal: The following is an exhaustive analysis of the officially-released Department of Justice files pertaining to the investigation of the Ashland County Sheriff's Department's lethal response to an impromptu public disturbance staged and reported by Jason Pero, Jr.

Such synopsis takes an exegetical approach by referencing other parts of the report to answer questions raised by earlier portions. In addition, redactions to the Department of Justice accounts are predominantly explained by a letter from the Office of Open Government. (See the "Footnotes" section for this, and other, related information.)

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (WisDoJ) Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) "investigative file public record" of the November 8, 2017 incident between Brock Mrdjenovich and Jason Pero spans 248 pages.

By combing this official overview, WPR Rebuttal compares findings of independent witness interviews pertaining to the events immediately leading-up-to, as well as following, the fatal encounter between a normally-sanguine, 14-year-old 8th-grader who loved video games (Jason Pero) and a fairly-recent Criminal Justice graduate of Vitterbo University who apparently panicked too much to use a Taser or pepper spray (Brock Mrdjenovich).

In the wake of shots fired, some angry neighbors refused to be interviewed until a warrant had been served... Several Ashland Middle School teachers were interrogated about Jason's demeanor that dour morning... And Jason Pero's purple sweatshirt goes missing, alarmingly absent from the coroner's inventory and crime-lab evidence lockers!

As of 01-23-2018, WPR Rebuttal has taken notes on the first 55 pages of the 248-report. Bookmark and share this page for further updates!

Interesting findings include:

• The "scene walk-through" was not completed until 5:20 p.m. (p. 4). When did it begin, and why was it so-long delayed after the noon shooting?
- The "walk-through" included only two witness interviews as part of the "neighborhood canvass." These took under an hour, combined (pp. 46-50).
- The earlier of the recorded "canvass" interviews began at 3:30 p.m. (p. 46); and the latter began at 4:00 p.m. (p. 49).
- The only other witness interview took place a few hours after the "scene walk-through" had finished (p. 43).
- This allowed plenty of unaccounted-for time, during which evidence might have been contaminated, planted, or hidden.

• Every law-enforcement officer who is involved in a fatal incident is body-photographed to document what s/he was wearing during the episode (p. 6).

• Among Deputy Mrdjenovich's equipment on-his-person was a "Kydex Taser holster with X-26 Taser" (p. 6). Why was this not utilized prior to the firearm?
-A possible justification: "Deputy Mrdjenovich believed that a safe distance to have between himself and a suspect with a knife was at least 20 feet[,] based on his training" (p. 58).
-Compare this "20-foot safe distance" to the normal maximum operative distance of an X-26 Taser, which is 15 feet;[1] and the wires of a Taser probe might break during a struggle, thereby rendering the Taser ineffective.[2]

 

• There were 6 documented witnesses to the November 8, 2017 incident (pp. 13-14).
- However, only three of these witnesses were formally interviewed as part of the investigation: two during the afternoon "neighborhood canvass" (pp. 46-50), and one during the evening under a search warrant (p. 43).

• The DCI sent a "preservation request" to Facebook and another to Snapchat so that Jason's account credentials, as well as any possibly-uploaded video of the incident, will be preserved for at least 90 days from the date of receipt (pp. 19-22).

• When calling 911, Jason pretended to be a bystander indoors who was reporting a knife-wielding stranger outside dressed in what turned-out to be the same clothes (light-grey pants and a purple sweatshirt) Jason would be wearing when seen by law enforcement (p. 24).

• Every 911 phone call produces a comma-delimited text file of meta information about the call (p. 25).
- However, the values in these data fields (caller's phone number, etc.) were redacted by the Office of Open Government.

• Jason's purple sweatshirt was -not- among the items inventoried by the coroner during the autopsy (pp. 28-29). Who has it?

• The interactions among FWS officer Jim Stone and the 3 EMTs are redacted (p. 33). Why are their conversations around the dying Jason deemed sensitive?
- Legal justification for this redaction is mentioned in the January 19, 2018 letter from the Office of Open Government to the State Attorney General's Office, namely that certain medical interventions are redacted to "protect the privacy and confidentiality" of the patient's medical records.[3]

• What first-responder Darrell Burns did after seeing "a big butcher knife laying on the ground approximately two feet from Pero's hand" is redacted (p. 35). What sensitive actions might have been taken between Burns seeing the weapon and the arrival of the other EMTs?

• "Coroner [Barbara] Beeksma made arrangements for a post-mortem examination... When examining Jason Jr.'s body, she noted and wanted [Special Agent Jay] Smith to see that [Jason] had approximately 14 light cuts on his left forearm...and approximately 19 light cuts on his right forearm...consistent with self-administered 'hesitation' cuts" (p. 38).

• "Members of the fmaily asked to view Jason Jr.'s body. [Special Agent Jay] Smith explained to them that because they were conducting a criminal investigation, they needed to conduct an autopsy... Therefore, only immediate family would be allowed to see him, and they would not be allowed to touch him... [Accordingly,] they could not remove the intubation" (p. 38).
- Although intubation is most-commonly used to assist patients who are otherwise-alive but unable to breathe normally, such breathing tubes are also utilized to siphon liquid from the lungs of deceased individuals, via static capillary action, to measure how much fluid was present when the individual passed-on. Comparable intubation is inserted to the bladder for the purpose of measuring fluid therein.

• Part of the "remarks" field of Jason's body-bag tag is blotted-out with black squares that were clearly super-imposed onto the photo, as the squares overlap parts of the picture beyond the tag itself (p. 39).
- As a coroner's note, this blacked-out scribble falls within the classification of "patient medical information" that is protected by Wis. Stat. 256.15(12) and 146.82(5)(c), the laws under which the EMTs' attempted care for Jason Pero was redacted from the public investigative file.

• "Holly Hagstrom, the guidance counselor, reported that Jason Jr. was a good kid who...had a lot of friends and made people laugh" (p. 41).
- Hagstrom's assertion that Jason had "many friends" would be contradicted by one of Jason's unidentified uncles, who would assert Jason had only "a few friends." Perhaps Hagstrom confused acquaintances with friends; it is a common error.

• [Health aide Kathy Pingel] "called (Jason's) grandmother, Cheryl, at her place of employment... Cheryl made arrangements for his uncle, [name redacted], to come pick (Jason) up. At approximately 9:37 a.m., Jason Jr. left her office and waited in the cafeteria to get picked[-]up" (p. 41).

• "Deb Meierotto was Jason Jr.'s 8th-grade homeroom teacher and had him in class every morning... However...he was withdrawn and quiet by the afternoon. [Redacted passage.] The teaching team thought this was unusual, because Jason Jr. did not really display those kinds of troubles; he was a typical 14 yoa (sic; 'y.o.') boy" (p. 41). What incident had been described in the redacted passage?
-It might possibly reveal clues as to the rapid onset of Jason's depression and why he would act-out this internal conflict by calling the police on himself. A violent horror movie involving cell phones as a plot device, such as the Scream film, might have "triggered" underlying impulses.

• "[Homeroom teacher Deb] Meierotto felt bad because she now realized that (Jason) was lying about being sick [on Wednesday, November 8;] and she didn't recognize it [until Jason had left school]" (p. 42).
-Even worse is that health aide Kathy Pingel did not seem to recognize the deception. It would therefore seem Jason had successfully feigned illness so that he could go-home early.

• "Bev Dahl was Jason Jr.'s afternoon math teacher... About a month ago, she learned that he was being treated for depression... During the past several weeks, Jason Jr. missed several days of school and made no attempt to make[-]up his work, which Dahl thought was a change... He was now withdrawn and quiet" (p. 42). What might have possibly caused this deterioration in Jason's affect and motivation?
-A possible answer: "On Tuesday, [November 7,] Meierotto had told Dahl that she had [redacted] learned that Jason Jr. had been on medication for three weeks" (p. 42).
-While not ouright-stated, it is implied the "medication" was anti-depressants: "On Monday, [November 6,] Dahl told Meierotto to relay to the [unnamed] doctor that Jason Jr. said he didn't want to be in school and was not socializing with friends" (p. 42).
-Further complicating discussion of the meds (e.g, the extent to which chemical imbalances may have arisen therefrom) is the fact that the Office of Open Government (-not- the St. Croix D.A.'s Office) redacted "prescription information for Jason Pero from photos and reports."[4]

• "[Jason Pero's uncle's name, redacted in the report] said Pero has several friends[,] but usually doesn't have friends over to his house; he will usually go to their house. [The uncle] didn't know the name of any of Pero's friends" (p. 45).

• "Deputy Mrdjenovich attended Viterbo University, [in] La Crosse, WI in 2011 and graduated [in] 2015 with a Bachelor['s] of Science degree. [He] majored in Criminal Justice[,] with a minor in Legal Studies[,] and also completed the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)" (p. 52).

• "Deputy Mrdjenovich stated [that] the deputy assigned to the south area for the county had called[-in and] had the day off[; and a result,] the north squad car was reassigned to the south" (p. 55).
- While not outright-stated, the implication is that Mrdjenovich would have been patrolling the other part of the beat if the other, unnamed deputy had not called-in absent.
-The outcome of the encounter could have nonetheless been the same, with a different deputy pulling the trigger.

• "Deputy Mrdjenovich said he noticed the suspect did not have any shoes on[;] and that scared him even more[,] as it was cold" (p. 55).

-That's all for now. If you enjoyed, appreciated, or were interested by this synopsis of the first 55 pages of that 248-page report, then "like" this post and I might summarize more!-

[Footnotes:] [1] "The TASER X26C uses...insulated conductive wires[,] with a maximum length of 15 feet." Taser X-26 Operating Manual, p. 5.

[2] "If a wire breaks (e.g. during a struggle), [then] the current will not flow to the probes." Taser X-26 Operating Manual, p. 18.

[3] Paul Ferguson, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Open Government: "Specific information regarding [the EMTs'] assessment and treatment of Jason Pero...has been redacted from the records[,] in accordance with Wis. Stat. 256.15(12) and 146.82(5)(c)." Jan. 19, 2018 Letter to Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel. p. 5.

[4] Paul Ferguson, Assistant Attorney General, Office of Open Government: "I applied the Wis. Stat. 19.35(10(a) public records balancing test and determined that the public interest in treating surviving loved ones of the deceased with respect for the privacy and dignity outweighed any public interest in disclosure of the following records... [including] prescription information for Jason Pero from photos and reports." Jan. 19, 2018 Letter to Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel. pp. 1-2. [/Footnotes]

How to Find Legislation on the Wisconsin Legislative Website (Even When It's Hidden)

Originally posted as an aside to WPR's reporters, SenatorJPO shares his bill-finding walkthrough with WPR Rebuttal. Now equipped with this knowledge, go-out and find those bills!

How does one find Senate and Assembly bills on the Wisconsin legislative website?

- Finding proposed Wisconsin laws involves more trial-and-error searching than does finding enacted Wisconsin laws. It should not be this difficult to locate legislation online -- but, alas! - Whereas "acts" are turned into statutes that can be readily searched; legislative proposals are -not- displayed in any online-indexed directory. They're what I call "legislation lacking hyperlinks!" - These bills are instead hidden-away, without any inbound hyperlinks, until the "second reading" of the bill. (At which point, the bill -might- be displayed via hyperlink in the lefthand column of the Senate or Assembly "session" homepage, depending on the presenting chamber.) - For this example, I will show you how to find "2017 Senate Bill 700" on the legislative website. - Although you could attempt to Google a bill, it is difficult to search-for a legislative proposal when you don't even have the bill number. How do you that you've found the right one? - Furthermore, navigation within the legislative website itself can be tricky. The process I follow is: 1) Go to the main page of Wisconsin's legislative website -- you'll see a top menu-bar with "Home," "Senate," etc. 2) From the top menu-bar, click "Senate." 3) From the drop-down bar, click "Session." 4) A page with a large right-hand side and a small left-hand column will load. Click any of the "SB" hyperlinks in that column. 5) The page will load for whichever Senate Bill you had clicked. Go to the browser's web-address bar and type "sb700" instead of whatever number follows the "proposal" part of the URL. For example, "proposals/sb650" would become "proposals/sb700." 6) Press "enter." The page for Senate Bill 2017 is now displayed! To find an Assembly bill, repeat the preceding process, except: - Click "Assembly" instead of "Senate;" and - Type "ab" instead of "sb" in the web address. P.S. I sent the link for this walkthrough to Wisconsin Public Radio via their contact form. They will (hopefully) utilize this bill-finding process to ensure -every- news article about a proposed bill also lists the bill number and a hyperlink to the bill text.

Filed under: Finding the Complete Text and Sponsors of Proposed Laws (Bills) for the State of Wisconsin, Walkthrough

3 True Reasons for Slavery (Economic or Otherwise)

Wisconsin Public Radio recently ran a story about how one Social Justice Warrior's complaint about a legitimate homework assignment coerced the school into retracting the assignment (after the due date) and, presumably, assigning an even-more time-consuming homework lesson instead.

I'll do the 4th-graders' assignment for them, seeing how -one- whiny pianist ruined the learning experience for everyone.

The critical thinkers among us are capable of appreciating the perspective-taking exercise; whereas, those afraid of discomforting knowledge will perhaps venture a protest comment before navigating away without thinking-through these arguments.

3 True Reasons for Slavery (Economic or Otherwise)

-Also titled, "3 Positive Effects of Slavery," for search-engine optimization purposes-
-Formerly titled "3 Good Reasons for Slavery," to play-off the controversial school assignment-
-While these reasons might share a common theme of economically justifying slavery, each addresses a different facet of economy.

1) Slavery produces market efficiencies that lower the cost of production, thereby allowing -everyone- (including the slaves) to procure goods at lower prices.

2) Slavery solidifies social stratification, thereby producing a more-stable, predictable, and consistently-ordered society.

3) Slavery ensures those not-emancipated dedicate themselves fully to their work (due to the lack of opportunities elsewhere), thereby producing the highest-quality work humanly possible. #NoJobHoppers

Those are just the benefits for -everyone-.
One bonus benefit, specifically for the non-slaves:

4) Slavery reduces competition for better-paying jobs, with better conditions of work, thereby mitigating the downward-pressure onto wages that occurs as more non-slaves are born and grow into working-age.

Of course, the corollary is a personally-bad reason for the slaves:

-1) Slavery keeps better-paying jobs, with better conditions of work, available to only those with a particular birthright, and thereby ensures a minimum baseline of inequality. This discourages slaves from competing for emancipation, as they will not be considered for white-collar or professional roles, no matter how many college degrees they might earn.

WPR Rebuttal Enters Second Year, Educates About New Topics

Many of you remember when WPR Rebuttal first launched on April 26, 2016. That pre-recorded "press announcement" podcast was followed by WPR Rebuttal's first live podcast on April 29, 2016.

Although the two-part, two-hours-long podcasts of the early days have given-way to briefer podcasts of between 10 and 25 minutes, WPR Rebuttal continues timely discussion of the sides of the story and unconventional perspectives left unexplored by other outlets.

Our focus continues to be regional news. This is reflected by the fact that this season's lineup will include episodes on Wisconsin farmers' reactions to Canadian dairy tariffs; the trade-off between restricting opioids and allowing adequate pain therapy; and an examination of not one, but several "economic impact" analyses that have been assumed "true," for lack of critical-thinking skills by those parroting those fabricated numbers.

Last but not least, WPR Rebuttal remains committed to sharing useful information that helps our audience avoid the school-to-work scams perpetuated by private and nonprofit universities alike. Don't trust a school just because it's financed -- and thereby tacitly endorsed -- by your state's Board of Regents.

They're no trustworthier than are the CEOs of big corporations; and the paucity of reliable jobs-placement data reflects their duplicity over what counts to the bottom-line-oriented student. This is why WPR Rebuttal exists: To push-back against the hegemonic narratives of those who own the media and the educational institutions!

Let's share another year together: Hear you soon on WPR Rebuttal! Call-in at (920) 477-3965 during our live shows.

Know Any Good Podcasting Platforms? Finding WPR Rebuttal a New Home...Or Not! (Staying at BTR)

[03-31-2017 Update:]

After trying to use Podbean, I learned it accepts only pre-recorded audio in each of its tiers. I created a test account; tried to launch a live episode; and found it wouldn't let me!

Furthermore, I ascertained that upgrading would -not- have resolved the issue, due to Podbean being an upload-only podcasting platform. "Upload-only?"

Yes, Podbean does -not- allow live podcasting... Not even with its "premium" service, which someone accustomed to BTR might have presumed -- well, hoped for -- to be a "standard feature" on other podcasting platforms.

To see it unavailable on the highest tier of (non-)service is a true sign of a non-starter platform! Non-existence of this feature, e.g. to -not- allow live broadcasting with the ability to receive live callers, is a non-negotiable issue.

Live versus pre-recorded content is a no-contest bout: Listener engagement is heightened during live shows! There's no substitute for the thrill of knowing you can participate in, and actively shape, the zeitgeist of a public broadcast.

By contrast, BlogTalkRadio allows this in -all- its tiers, even at the "freemium" level: BTR service differs from Podbean by recording a conference-line conversation (or monologue, if there are no callers other than the host) to create the podcast episode.

This makes it -much- easier to make a show, because there's no need to manually record one's audio offline; splice-in separate, pre-recorded "caller" conversations (that aren't live); compiling that audio into a single file; and then uploading that composite audio file to the Podbean servers!

Therefore, I'll continue using BTR as WPR Rebuttal's headquarters. Our call-in number remains (929) 477-3965! (Lines are open during the show.)

Be sure to read the previous article, in which WPR Rebuttal had announced a scheduling change; one that had motivated a search for a new platform, but remains in effect during the foreseeable future.

[/03-31-2017 Update]

BlogTalkRadio (BTR) began with two-hour shows, back when I was emulating the more famous podcasts. (One paragon of podcasting is Talk is Jericho, due to the rapport he has with guests from the realms of hard-rock and sports entertainment. Plus, he has sponsors!)

However, listener tastes -- and my own limited time -- mean WPR Rebuttal has been half-an-hour-or-under since the "free premium trial" expired, limiting the "freemium" tier of BTR to fewer than 30 minutes a show, and one show a day. This effectively cut the daily broadcast time from 2 hours to 30 minutes. And being available only once per week for a show, the braodcast-period reduction also meant I could be live only 30 minutes per week, tops!

Also, to upgrade into BlogTalkRadio's premium tier -- the price of which used to be $30 per month, but is presently undisclosed* due to a glitch in BTR's website (see below) -- would entail an investment into a service with which I'm not entirely satisfied.

Why reward mediocrity? Because the competitors aren't any better! (As we'll see.)

I therefore investigated other podcasting platforms, to determine whether any other podcasting platform would be a worthy successor to BlogTalkRadio. Unfortunately, that answer is a resounding "no."

A simple overview of sites I found by searching (Googling; Binging; etc.) the term "podcasting platform" uncovered no clear contenders, feature-wise.

I did find an heir-apparent in Podbean -- what with its monthly price of $9 buying "unlimited" audio streaming -- but found such time is -not- live, and therefore unsuitable for WPR Rebuttal. (I want to accept callers, not have a weekly monologue where no one can participate.)

Anyway, my ultimate decision has been to remain with BlogTalkRadio. (Don't consider this a "glowing endorsement," because I'm merely settling for the "least mediocre" of the bunch.)

Whenever a worthy contender arises, i.e. a "live" platform that allows 120 minutes of contiguous broadcasting minutes per show for under $10 a month, then let me know!

*Any who wonder about BTR's pricing tiers, need only get a gander at this screen-grab of the glitched-out BlogTalkRadio "premium offer" page -- which doesn't even show a price list! Or anything else, other than a repeated menu bar:

WPR Rebuttal Announces Micro-Podcast Format to Please Listeners

I'm always analyzing listener data to identify trends. While BlogTalkRadio is rather limited in what data it divulges, I've noticed WPR Rebuttal's listeners are most plentiful for its podcasts that are briefer than 20 minutes. Therefore, to appease -- no, placate -- nay, thrill and astound our listeners, I'm making the executive decision to shorten WPR Rebuttal podcasts from half-an-hour to under-20-minutes.

(It also happens to be more convenient for me, of course, in that such data-driven decision justifies my choice to remain on the "freemium" tier of BlogTalkRadio, as to lengthen my podcasts would require a paid producer's subscription.) In rare circumstances, such as a deluge of callers, a WPR Rebuttal podcast might potentially meet the half-hour mark. But going forward, my goal is to wrap-up before 20 minutes have elapsed.

This is the way of the future: To accommodate shorter attention spans (as one might have during a lunch break); and to facilitate a finer granulization of coverage per podcast (by there being less information to summarize in each podcast, which makes finding that information easier).

Finally, changes in my domestic and professional lives mean I can no longer have a guaranteed broadcast spot available. I'll still aim for a weekly podcast of around 20 minutes; but this might not always be within my established window of between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

I simply do not have the predictable schedule that would allow me to podcast without interruption, especially now that my dad has been laid-off and is therefore around the house quite a lot. (I don't want to annoy him with my podcasting, if that part weren't clear.)