Wisconsin

Man who is accused of bringing guns to the Wisconsin Capitol grounds is facing a misdemeanor firearm charge | CNN

Published

1 year ago

October 18, 2023

Man who is accused of bringing guns to the Wisconsin Capitol grounds is facing a misdemeanor firearm charge | CNN

CNN
—

A man who is accused of bringing guns to the Wisconsin Capitol grounds twice in one day earlier this month has been charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a firearm in a public building, records show.

Joshua Pleasnick, 43, was arrested the afternoon of October 4 after he entered the state Capitol building openly carrying a handgun and requesting to speak with Gov. Tony Evers, according to a charging document filed Monday. After posting bail, he returned that night with an AK-47-style rifle and was detained, the Wisconsin Department of Administration said at the time.

Pleasnick is facing the misdemeanor charge in connection with his first arrest, the charging document states. He is expected to appear in court on Thursday, jail records show.

CNN has sought comment from the Wisconsin Department of Administration and the Dane County District Attorney’s Office.

When he first entered the Capitol building around 2 p.m., Pleasnick was shirtless and had a small dog on a leash as he walked past the check point gate and attempted to go to the governor’s office and speak with Evers, the document says. A State Capitol Police officer stopped Pleasnick and asked him to step behind the gate and fill out a form to meet the governor, the document says.

Pleasnick was openly carrying a holstered handgun, the complaint says. “At no time did he attempt to brandish the firearm,” it notes.

When officers informed Pleasnick he was not allowed to open carry inside the Capitol, Pleasnick replied “he would not comply with that rule,” the complaint says. Pleasnick was then arrested.

In an interview with police, Pleasnick said he was not aware that open carry is banned in the Capitol, according to the complaint.

“I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to take a firearm into the Capitol, for that I am guilty,” Pleasnick told the officer, according to the document.

Pleasnick told the officer he wanted to speak to the governor about his concern that men who have been abused by women are not taken seriously by police or the justice system – something he had personally experienced, the document says. Pleasnick said he carried the gun for self-protection because he feared his ex-girlfriend may try to harm him, it says.

The complaint does not detail the second incident during which Pleasnick was taken into custody.

After he posted bail, Pleasnick returned to Capitol grounds around 9 p.m. – after the building had closed to the public – armed with a loaded AK-47-style rifle and repeating his request to see the governor, the state administration department said. Police also found a collapsible police-style baton in his backpack, which is illegal to carry concealed without a permit, the department said.

Officers then took Pleasnick into “protective custody” for a psychiatric evaluation after he made a “concerning statement,” the administration department said.

CNN has sought further comment from Pleasnick, who said he has not yet obtained an attorney.

Speaking to reporters earlier this month, Evers said he was OK, adding that while he doesn’t comment on his security detail, incidents like this always prompt reevaluations of security policies.

“The Capitol police took control of the situation and so it’s over, but it’s always something that … you don’t want to see happen, but that’s why we have good people in the police departments and the Capitol Police and the state patrol, they’re doing their great work,” the governor said.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin's Kamari McGee Becoming One of the Nation's Top Reserves

Published

5 hours ago

January 21, 2025

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Wisconsin's Kamari McGee Becoming One of the Nation's Top Reserves

LOS ANGELES – Max Klesmit couldn’t wait to add one more steal to his afternoon’s work

Standing courtside at the Galen Center following No.24 Wisconsin’s 84-69 victory over USC, not far from the basket where he hit a three-pointer that crippled the Trojans’ comeback hopes, senior Kamari McGee spoke passionately and honestly about the work he put in during the offseason, overhauling a mindset change that has made him one of the Badgers’ integral pieces.

McGee barely finished answering the question when Klesmit interjected, unprompted, slung his arm around McGee’s shoulder and preached.

“We came in together, transferred in together, and the growth that this dude has shown makes me happy,” Klesmit said. “He’s really grown as a leader for this team. It makes me really happy that this young man has become a grown man, it’s awesome. It’s what you dream of as a teammate and as a friend.”

Klesmit’s sentiment rings true throughout the program, as No.18 Wisconsin (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten) has seen McGee develop into one of the best reserves in the conference.

Entering tonight’s game against UCLA (12-6, 3-4) at Pawley Pavilion, McGee is doing everything for the Badgers. He has elevated his scoring from last season (2.1 to 7.3) and has the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the roster (3.27, 36 assists to 11 turnovers). More eye-popping is his shooting numbers.

The Badgers are 18 games into the season and McGee is still shooting at 54.0 percent from the field, including 56.4 percent from 3-point range (22-39). That latter number ranks third nationally. Those shots aren’t throwaway makes either.

After USC cut Wisconsin’s 15-point lead down to three in the second half, McGee delivered a fast-break layup. After Wesley Yates’s jumper tried to stall the momentum, McGee answered with a corner three-pointer, pushing the run to 13-5 and effectively ending the Trojans’ comeback changes.

“I feel like every time I shoot the ball it’s going on,” said McGee, who finished with 10 points against USC, improving UW’s record to 6-0 when he reaches double figures. “Even when it looks a little off, it still finds its way in there. I just keep trusting that. Honestly, I just hold my follow-through each game. That’s what I tell myself going into each game … It feels good every time it comes off my hand.”

It’s a mindset that wasn’t routinely present in past years. McGee believed his offseason workouts put him on par with every point guard in the country, but his mental work was off. He couldn’t put his finger on as to why, only that his eligibility clock was running out.

“I was putting all the work in as any other point guard in the league, in the conference, in college basketball,” McGee said. “It was just a mindset thing. The strong-minded guys make it far.”

“In all my workouts, at the end of each workout, I made sure I was shooting a lot of jump shots until my arms were hurting, until I made sure I built that confidence in me. These guys, my teammates, and my coaches, they keep instilling that confidence, and I feel like a good shooter because of the reps and all the stuff I’ve been getting done.”

Not only has the perimeter shooting been there, McGee is doing things he hasn’t done since he was a freshman at Green Bay, scoring off the dribble and shooting step-back jumpers. It’s always been in his arsenal, but the only difference is that he hasn’t felt the need to do it with Wisconsin since he’s surrounded by more scorers than he was three years ago.

The shooters are still there for the badgers, only now he knows he’s one of them.

“He’s continued to work on his game, work on his craft,” head coach Greg Gard said. “You never are too old to get better and he’s continued to get better as a senior. He’s taken really good shots, too. I think he understands the speed of the game, how he needs to play, all those things, and we’re the benefit of his upper trajectory.”

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Wisconsin

Preview: No.18 Wisconsin Looks for LA Sweep When It Takes On UCLA

Published

12 hours ago

January 21, 2025

Press Room

Preview: No.18 Wisconsin Looks for LA Sweep When It Takes On UCLA

No.18 Wisconsin (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten) vs. UCLA (12-6, 3-4 Big Ten)

Date/Time – Tuesday, January 21, 8:30 p.m.

Arena – Pawley Pavilion (13,800)

Watch – Peacock (Ted Robinson and Darren Collison)

Radio – Badgers Radio Network (Matt Lepay and Brian Butch), Sirius 106 or 195, stream online on iHeartRadio.

Series – UCLA leads 5-2 (UCLA leads 2-1 in Los Angeles)

Last Meeting – UCLA won, 72-70, on November 21, 2017, in Kansas City, Mo.

Follow Online: The Badgers’ Den

Twitter: @Badger_Blitz

Betting line: UCLA -3.5

Projected Starting Five (Wisconsin)

Player to Watch: During UW’s seven-game win streak, Crowl is averaging 15.2 ppg & 6.0 rpg while shooting 71.4 percent (7-15 3FGs).

Projected Starting Five (UCLA)

Player to watch: Bilodeau has scored in double figures in 13 of 18 games, having reached the 20-point plateau in three contests. Last month in New York City, he totaled a career-high-tying 26 points in a loss to North Carolina. He is shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from 3-point distance.

Series Notes

Tuesday will mark the eighth meeting between Wisconsin and UCLA in a series that dates back to 1948, but this will be the first meeting since the Bruins joined the Big Ten.

The Bruins have won the last 5 meetings including neutral wins in the 1995 Maui Invitational and the 2017 Hall of Fame Classic most recently.

UW and UCLA haven’t played at either school’s home site since a 94-53 UCLA win in Los Angeles in 1972.

UW has won 6 straight in Los Angeles, including Saturday’s 84-69 win at USC.

Wisconsin Notes

The Badgers have matched their best 18-game start under Greg Gard, also doing so in the Sweet 16 2016-17 season and UW’s 2021-22 Big Ten championship season.

A win at UCLA would be Wisconsin’s sixth-consecutive Big Ten win, the longest conference win streak since ending the 2019-20 season with eight straight Big Ten wins.

The Badgers are 8-3 against the top 2 quadrants of the NET rankings, including 3 Quad 1 wins and zero losses outside of Quad 1.

Wisconsin is 5-2 away from home.

Including a Kohl-Center record 116 points vs. Iowa (1/3) and the 84 points Saturday at USC, Wisconsin had hit at least 80 points in 11 of 18 games, the team’s most since the 2014-15 season (11 times).

UCLA Notes

The Bruins have gone 8-1 in Pauley Pavilion this season, now in their 59th campaign playing in the longtime UCLA basketball venue.

UCLA has gone 1-4 in January after compiling a 5-1 record through December.

UCLA ranks No. 6 in the nation in turnovers forced per game (17.0) and eighth in turnover margin (+5.1).

The Bruins rank No. 19 in the nation in scoring defense (63.7 ppg), limiting the opposition to 65 points or fewer in eight of 18 games this season.

A Pac-12 All-Defensive team honoree the last two seasons at USC, Johnson has totaled 190 steals in 109 career games (1.74 spg) since traveling this season. The Milwaukee native enters tonight with a team-best 34 steals (Skyy Clark has totaled 23), having registered 1.9 steals per game in 18 contests as a senior

Prediction

USC coach Eric Musselman is new to the Big Ten and new to playing Wisconsin, but he perfectly encapsulated why this version of the Badgers is giving teams headaches.

“It’s really hard to rotate when you have all red shooters out there,” Musselman lamented. “When they go in the first 7 of 15 (from three), you have to stay attached to the shooters … It’s the first team we’ve played, including Iowa, that we felt had five guys who can all make a three whether they had their starters in or their subs. So you give and take something. You can’t take away the three and the dribble drive unless you are a great defensive team in the NBA. You got to decide what you’re going to do.”

“When you come into a game, you do have to game plan for their leading scorer. Well, he has zero points. I can’t plug 99 holes in a 40-minute game. I’d love to, but I’m not that smart.”

Tonje was held scoreless for the first time in his Wisconsin career, but the Badgers were leading by 15 points at halftime and calmly rebuilt that lead after the Trojans made things interesting in cutting the deficit to three. Blackwell had 28, Klesmit had 18, UW’s starting frontcourt combined for 22 on 9-for-11 shooting, and the bench contributed 17 points and seven assists. Without Tonje’s 18.2 ppg, the Badgers averaged 1.254 points per possession.

“It shows leadership,” Blackwell said. “When Tonje is not scoring, the next man up steps up.”

The Bruins are offensively comparable to the Trojans. Both are separated by 1.23 points in scoring average and 0.4 points in adjusted offensive efficiency, but the Bruins are far superior defensively. UCLA has the top-scoring defense in the conference at 63.72 points per game and is ranked 12th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. Despite ranking ninth in the league in field goal defense and 12th in three-point defense, the Bruins play a slower tempo (260th nationally) to limit possessions. The Bruins held Iowa on Friday to 70 points (the second-fewest of the season for the league’s top-scoring team), only 1.148 points per possession, and 38.1 shooting percentage in the first half, leading to a 33-point halftime edge.

UCLA coach Mick Cronin has made headlines recently with his comments railing against the conference’s scheduling and the challenges his team is having with traveling to road games and unbalanced days off. But Cronin was blunt with his team entering the Iowa game, saying that they haven’t adequately adjusted to the play in the league compared to the old Pac-12.

“We have struggled in Big Ten basketball,” Cronin said. “Our two wins were against teams we were familiar playing against (Oregon and Washington). The truth of it is, Big Ten basketball is different. It’s a much more physical game.”

UCLA has struggled to defend without fouling (295th nationally in fouls per game (18.5)), isn’t great at rebounding, (averaging a league-worst 22.11 per game), and has struggled guarding pick-and-roll actions

This game sets up well for Wisconsin defensively and should allow the Badgers to expose some things offensively. And considering Tonje is too good of a player to get shutout in consecutive games, the Badgers have a great chance to complete the LA sweep.

Worgull’s Prediction: Wisconsin by seven

Record: 15-3 (13-5 ATS)

Points off Prediction: 149 (8.3 per game)

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Wisconsin

Nebraska Women’s Basketball Hammers Wisconsin, Wins Fifth Straight

Published

20 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Nebraska Women’s Basketball Hammers Wisconsin, Wins Fifth Straight

Nebraska women’s basketball left no doubt Monday night.

Despite the frigid temperatures outside, the Huskers were red-hot inside Pinnacle Bank Arena in a 91-60 shellacking of Wisconsin. NU improved to 15-4 on the year and 6-2 in the Big Ten Conference while UW fell to 10-9 overall and 1-7 in the league.

Nebraska started the game iffy on the offensive end, needing to scrap in the back-and-forth affair. But a 6-0 run put the Big Red up late in the first quarter.

Wisconsin started the second quarter with back-to-back buckets, tying the game at 18. That’s when Nebraska unleashed hell on the visitors.

The Huskers rattled off an 18-1 and held the Badgers scores for a five-minute stretch. The game was never in doubt the rest of the way as the Big Red cruised to the 31-point victory.

The biggest difference in the game came from beyond the arc, as Nebraska fired off a barrage from deep. NU made 16-of-32 3s while the Badgers managed just 3-of-17 from deep.

Eight different Huskers made a triple in the contest, with Jessica Petrie, Britt Prince, and Kendall Moriarty all making a trio of shots from deep.

Nebraska shot 54.2% for the game, adding 11-of-12 free throws. Wisconsin made 37.9% of their shots, chipping in 7-of-11 from the line.

Moriarty scored a team-high 17 points off the bend. Also coming off the bench, Petrie added 15 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.

In total, Nebraska scored 35 bench points. The Huskers also had assists on 27 of their 32 made shots.

Big Ten Freshman of the Week Prince scored 14 points, adding seven rebounds, three teals, two assists, and no turnovers in 25 minutes of work.

Alexis Markowski grabbed seven rebounds, passing All-American and Husker Hall of Famer Jodan Hooper (2011-14) for No. 3 on Nebraska’s career rebound list. Markowski is up to 1,112, just two shy of Emily Cady (2012-25) for No. 2 on the list. The record holder is Janet Smith (1979-82) with 1,280 rebounds.

Nebraska stays home Sunday to host No. 12 Ohio State. Tip from Pinnacle Bank Arena is slated for 2 p.m. CST on B1G+.

Box score | Photos

MORE: Nebraska Women’s Basketball Just Outside of Associated Press Top 25 Rankings

MORE: Associated Press Top 25 Features Six Big Ten Men’s Programs

MORE: Michigan State, Purdue Flex the Big Ten’s Muscles

MORE: Nebraska’s Britt Prince Earns Big Ten Freshman of the Week

MORE: 2027 4-Star Athlete Ty Keys Calls Nebraska Football Offer a ‘Confidence Booster’

Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI, subscribing to HuskerMax on YouTube, and visiting HuskerMax.com daily.

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