A Green Bay man was sentenced Friday to two and a half years in prison for stabbing another man at the Mifflin Street Block Party in 2011.

According to Wisconsin Circuit Court files, Colin Rosenow, 23, was found guilty due to a no contest plea of first degree recklessly endangering safety after stabbing 21-year-old University of Wisconsin student Mathew Warnert five times on the 500 block of West Mifflin Street. The file reported Rosenow was additionally charged with three years of extended supervision and was ordered to participate in mental health treatment.

Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said he was pleased with the decision to sentence Rosenow to prison and added he deserved the sentence due to the serious nature of the crime.

“This could have been a murder case,” Verveer said. “The victim could have easily died with each of the five stabbings had the knife wounds gone in a different direction.”

Verveer said he personally witnessed the paramedics tending to Warnert’s wounds the night of the attack and was horrified when police told him Warnert could die due to the injuries.

Ald. Scott Resnick, Disctrict 8, said he was also glad to hear Rosenow was sentenced to prison.

“It’s always great to see someone brought to justice in a crime like this,” said Resnick. “I’m happy for the victim.” 

Verveer said the crime Rosenow committed highlights the dangers and
potential consequence of the block party to students. He said an
encounter between two people on Mifflin Street could become a hands-on
fight and someone may be armed with a weapon, such as Rosenow.

The crime will have a lasting impact on the future of
the block party, leaving many city officials determined to put an end to
the event, Verveer said. He said if the block party were to take place in 2013, the
Madison Police Department would implement similar, if not stricter,
rules than the 2012 block party, during which over 400 arrests were made.

Resnick said the City of Madison has and will continue to take a serious approach to the structure and safety of the block party. He said action must be taken any time there is a serious incident on campus where a student is victimized.

“We never want a block party where something bad is going to happen,” Resnick said. “It’s because of incidents like this that have caused the number of police officers assigned to patrol Mifflin to go up.”

Verveer said one of the recommendations he made to police is moving the event to a city park or another place on campus. He added he knows the block party has been a campus tradition for many years, but moving the event to another location may be more appropriate for a Saturday afternoon.

Verveer said the Madison Police Department and Mayor Paul Soglin have recently had their first sit-down meeting regarding the event, but have not committed to any formal plans for the 2013 block party.