MILWAUKEE — Police Chief Jeffrey Norman announced that the Milwaukee police officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty overnight on Tuesday was 37-year-old Peter E. Jerving — a lifelong Milwaukee resident who dreamed of becoming a police officer since he was 13 years old.
Joined by MPD officials and Mayor Cavalier Johnson, Chief Norman confirmed that a robbery suspect, 19-year-old Terrell Thompson, was allegedly involved in a struggle with another Milwaukee police officer at the scene when he fired a weapon, striking Officer Jerving.
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That’s when Officer Jerving allegedly fired his weapon at Thompson, who was declared dead at the scene. The Milwaukee police officer was transported to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Chief Norman described Officer Jerving as a beloved member of the Milwaukee Police Department who showed courage in the line of duty repeatedly. Last year, he received a Milwaukee Police Lifesaving Award for saving a shooting victim under dangerous conditions.
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The Chief asked that Milwaukee police officers and community members alike remember his positive attitude and smile as they grieve. A statement from the family’s chaplain thanked the community for rallying around Officer Jerving, and expressed their support for his fellow officers.
Mayor Johnson, who joined WTMJ’s Steve Scaffidi earlier in the day with his immediate reaction to the Milwaukee police officer being killed, provided his own statement alongside the Police Chief.
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