In Wisconsin, when must officers make a mandatory arrest in a domestic abuse situation?

• A. Only after court order
• B. If the victim requests an arrest
• C. If the officer has probable cause a crime occurred and it meets domestic abuse criteria
• D. In all domestic incidents, arrest is mandatory regardless of probable cause

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is that mandatory arrest in Wisconsin domestic abuse cases is triggered by on-scene facts: if the officer has probable cause that a domestic abuse crime occurred and the incident fits the domestic abuse criteria, an arrest must be made. It isn’t about a court order, and it isn’t optional based on the victim’s request. It also isn’t required in every domestic call—only when the facts give probable cause that a qualifying offense occurred and the relationship and circumstances align with domestic abuse criteria. That’s why the correct choice is that arrest is mandatory when there is probable cause the crime occurred and it meets domestic abuse criteria.