Manitowoc County police officers recognized National Police Week with an annual ceremony yesterday.
The Clipper City Chordsmen kicked off the annual Peace Officer Memorial Service at the county’s law enforcement memorial between the Manitowoc County Courthouse and Jail.
Manitowoc Police Chief John Musial reminded attendees that all seven fallen officers in the county left behind more than a uniform. They left behind families who still carry their memory every day.
While it’s been 28 years since a Manitowoc County peace officer has had to be memorized, police across the state aren’t always as lucky.
Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre, who served as this year’s keynote speaker, remembered Milwaukee Police Officer Kendall Porter, who was shot and killed in an ambush.
“That is a stark reminder that officers are human beings who do a very dangerous job, and this impacts every state in the nation,” she noted. “No one is safe from this, no matter the size of their department.”
Police officers then remembered the seven fallen officers in the county by discussing their last day on duty.
Edmund Hanske, Leo Rocque, Thomas Dodge, Lawrence Metsker, David Hibbard, Fred Mueller, and Dale TenHaken have been memorialized for their service.
Officer TenHaken was the last officer in Manitowoc County to pass away in the line of duty in 1998 when he was shot during a traffic stop.
