Boise police arrest suspect in February vandalism of Abraham Lincoln statue
A Boise man has been arrested in connection with the February vandalism of a statue of Abraham Lincoln.
Boise police arrested Terry Wilson, 37, late Tuesday night, according to a Boise Police Department press release. A warrant was issued for his arrest late last week after physical and electronic evidence was used to identify suspects, according to the press release.
An Associated Press story identified Wilson as a Boise Black Lives Matter organizer and a former university professor.
In February, police responding to reports of vandalism discovered the bronze statue of Lincoln in Julia Davis Park — known as “Seated Lincoln” — vandalized with feces, paint and signs. Parks and recreation staff were able to clean the statue, which was not permanently damaged.
Boise police say Wilson fled from officers who tried to arrest him on the warrant Tuesday afternoon.
“Officers chased after Wilson and were able to stop him and take him into custody, at which time Wilson was found to be in possession of a firearm, marijuana and drug paraphernalia,” the police press release said. “Wilson was taken to the hospital and was medically cleared before being booked into the Ada County Jail.”
Wilson was charged with several misdemeanor counts, including injuring monuments, ornaments and public improvements, resisting and obstructing officers, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was in the Ada County Jail as of 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.
City leaders condemned the defacement of the statue in February.
“Vandalism is a crime, never appropriate, and those committing these crimes will be held accountable,” Mayor Lauren McLean said at the time. “At a time when our democracy is fragile, this is particularly disturbing as President Lincoln sought to keep our fractured nation together and to address the scourge of slavery — losing his life for it.”
The investigation is ongoing, according to Boise police, and additional arrests are expected.
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 10:43 PM.
