WAUKESHA, Wis. — This Sunday, April 28th will mark 30 years since Ted and James Oswald went on a crime spree in Waukesha County, ultimately killing Waukesha Police Capt. James Lutz. The Oswald’s, of Watertown, robbed a bank in Wales before being chased by law enforcement.
“It was chaos,” said Paul Bucher, former Waukesha County District Attorney. Bucher prosecuted both men following the shootings. Both Ted and James Oswald are serving life in prison.
The spree ended with the duo taking a Waukesha woman hostage and firing hundreds of rounds at police before crashing a stolen van.
The incident was caught on video by Ch. 12 photographer Bobby Vermiglio.
“I often think about how different that story would’ve been had (the incident) taken place after the advent of social media,” said Renee Riddle, a former Ch. 12 reporter who was on the scene with Vermiglio. “(What) if we could’ve gone live (on the air) immediately with a cellphone? The story could’ve played out differently.”
Riddle admits she may not have realized the significance as it was happening.
“I was young,” she told WTMJ Radio. “I was a 26-year-old reporter and newly married. I think I was too green and naive to realize how serious a situation it was. After having three kids, and knowing the preciousness of life, I believe I’d think differently now. I’m 57-years-old now and 57 was the age of Capt. James Lutz when he was shot in cold blood. That puts a lot into perspective 30 years later.”
Former Waukesha County Sheiff’s Detective Steve Pederson was on surveillance in Milwaukee when he noticed a lot of radio traffic on the scanner
“I had my (audio) turned down because I didn’t want to be running surveillance with a police radio on in the background,” Pederson explained. “I’m looked at the squad radio and I notice the talk indicator light flashing like a strobe light. I turn up the volume and as I do that, I could hear radio traffic that was clearly indicating something serious was taking place. I didn’t know what it was but I could tell by the voice inflections of the officers, that clearly additional help was needed.”
Pederson would ultimately be part of the SWAT team that pulled the Oswald’s from the van.
I will never forget that day,” said former Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher.
Bucher recalled arriving at the scene of the deadly shooting.
“I remember looking into Lutz’s squad car,” he told WTMJ. “It was riddled with bullet holes. The vehicle was still running, the lights were flashing. I remember the officers on scene. I remember the tears. It was just terrible.”
Bucher remembers officer Tom Fletcher, who chased the Oswalds after exchanging gunfire with the suspects. Fletcher had emptied his .357 revolver during the shootout but continued the pursuit in his squad. He would eventually lose sight of them.
Bucher spoke with Fletcher afterward:
“I said: ‘Tom, what the heck were you dong?'” Bucher recalled. “‘You were chasing guys who had just executed a captain and attempted to murder you. You were chasing those guys, and your gun was empty.’ It wasn’t like it is today, police have massive rounds of guns, etc.”
“Tom said ‘I was not going to stop my pursuit. I was going to catch those guys. That’s what I do.'”
“Tom’s a hero.”
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