Gov. Tony Evers has failed to order flags of the United States and the State of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff in honor of Milwaukee Police Department Officer Peter Jerving who died in the line of duty early Tuesday morning, Feb. 7, breaking with past precedent.
As of Thursday morning, the flags were fully raised at the state capitol. Flags were immediately lowered to half-staff for other fallen Milwaukee officers in the past.
Four state legislators wrote Evers on Feb. 8, criticizing his slow response to the officer’s death and failure to order flags lowered to half-staff. It was signed by Reps. Barbara Dittrich, Robert Donovan, and John Spiros and Sen. Jesse James.
“Governor, it took you until 11 a.m. to even acknowledge this traffic loss of this officer and then it was merely a brief tweet on social media before you moved on to other topics,” they wrote. “To date and time, you still have not issued a full statement on this terror happening on Milwaukee’s streets. Neither have you ordered the flags be flown at half-staff in honor of this fallen hero.”
Recent history shows that both Evers himself and Gov. Scott Walker signed flags at half-staff proclamations by the day after the officers’ death and ordered the flags lowered until sunset on the day of their funerals.
Peter Jerving, 37, with four years on the force, was fatally shot Tuesday on the city’s south side during a foot chase involving a robbery suspect. Jerving’s funeral is scheduled for Monday.
Meanwhile, a flag was flown at half-staff in front of a squad memorial for Jerving at police district 4.
We found that these Milwaukee officers’ deaths were handled differently:
Milwaukee Police Officer Matthew Rittner
When Milwaukee Police Officer Matthew Rittner was killed on Feb. 6, 2019, Evers signed the proclamation on Feb. 7th for the flag to be lowered immediately until sunset of the day of the funeral.
Milwaukee Police Officer Michael Michalski
Milwaukee Police Officer Michael Michalski was killed on July 25, 2018. Gov. Scott Walker ordered flags to be flown at half-staff the next day and stay lowered until sunset of the day of Michalski’s funeral.
It should be noted that, according to a CBS58 article, a date for the funeral had not yet been set at the time of the proclamation.
Milwaukee Police Officer Charles Irvine
Milwaukee Police Officer Charles Irvine Jr., 23, was killed in a crash near 76th and Silver Spring on June 7th, 2018.
On the morning of June 8th, Gov. Scott Walker ordered flags to be lowered through sunset of the day of the funeral.
