Milwaukee Police Officers Charles Irvine, Michael Michalski, Matthew Rittner, Mark Lentz, Peter Jerving and Kendall Corder
MILWAUKEE - For the first time in more than two years, a Milwaukee police officer has died in the line of duty.
Officer Kendall Corder and his partner were shot near 25th and Garfield, in what the police union president has described as "an ambush," on June 26. Corder died of his wounds on Sunday, June 29.
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Milwaukee had gone more than 20 years without an officer being killed on the job when, in June 2018, Officer Charles Irvine was killed in a crash that happened during a pursuit. Since then, the police department has lost several officers in the line of duty.
Kendall Corder | June 29, 2025
A report of a suspect with a weapon was upgraded to shots fired near 25th and Garfield on June 26. When Officer Kendall Corder and his partner arrived at the scene and got out of their squad, they were unexpectedly shot in an alley and unable to return fire.
Kendall Corder (Credit: Red Rozay)
Corder was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and died on Sunday, June 29. He was 32 years old.
Fellow officer Christopher McCray, 29, survived. Police identified the suspect who shot the officer as 22-year-old Tremaine Jones.
Peter Jerving | Feb. 7, 2023
The backstory:
Officer Peter Jerving was killed in an exchange of gunfire with a robbery suspect, who was on probation. He was 37 years old.
Milwaukee Police Officer Peter Jerving
The shooting happened near 14th and Cleveland. Milwaukee's police chief said officers found and ran after suspect Terrell Thompson. During a struggle, Thompson shot Jerving, and the officer returned fire.
Jerving died at the hospital. Thompson died at the scene.
Mark Lentz | Sept. 18, 2019
The backstory:
A beloved Milwaukee police officer was remembered for his 18 years of service to the community in September 2019.
Officer Mark Lentz
Mark Lentz, a motorcycle police officer, was hurt in the line of duty in 2017 while making a traffic stop for a speeding driver. When Lentz tried to stop that driver, Milwaukee police said Lentz was intentionally hit by a second vehicle.
MPD said Lentz suffered a traumatic brain injury as a result of that crash. He died from complications in September 2019.
Matthew Rittner | Feb. 6, 2019
The backstory:
Officer Matthew Rittner was killed in the line of duty while serving a search warrant at a home on Milwaukee's south side in February 2019. He was 35 years old.
Officer Matthew Rittner
Rittner was a decorated member of the force and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He was also a husband and father. The man convicted in Rittner's shooting, Jordan Fricke, was sentenced to life in prison.
Michael Michalski | July 25, 2018
The backstory:
In July 2018, Officer Michael Michalski was fatally shot while taking part in a check on a wanted suspect. He was 52 years old.
Officer Michael Michalski
Jonathan Copeland was wanted on drug and gun violations. Court documents said as Michalski and other officers attempted to arrest Copeland near 28th and Wright, Michalski went up a staircase and encountered "slight movement in a pile of clothing." The report said the suspect "hid silently for over 10 minutes on the landing, and ambushed and shot Officer Michalski as the officer began to close in."
Copeland was later sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Charles Irvine Jr. | June 7, 2018
The backstory:
Officer Charles Irvine Jr. died in a crash during a police chase near 76th and Silver Spring in June 2018. He was 23 years old.
Officer Charles Irvine Jr.
The man convicted in connection with Irvine's death, Ladell Harrison, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the crime.
Line-of-duty deaths
Dig deeper:
The Milwaukee Police Department maintains an online memorial page that honors fallen officers going all the way back to the 1800s. To learn more about the dozens of officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, visit the city's website.
How you can help
What you can do:
If you are looking for a way to help the families of the officers, you can donate to MPA Fallen Heroes, Inc. According to the website, every dollar offers immediate emergency aid for injured officers and supports long-term recovery for officers and their families.
MPa Fallen Heroes Fund
The Source: FOX6 News referenced prior coverage of Milwaukee police officer deaths, as well as information from the Milwaukee Police Department, for this story.