The Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Association of Homicide Investigators has awarded Little Chute native Sergeant Christopher Hammen with the Michael Vendola Death Investigator of the Year award.
Sgt Hammen has been a Law Enforcement Officer with the Outagamie County Sheriff's Department since May of 1991. He has served in the Investigative Division since 1999.
Hammen credits his success to his team and his core values.
"It's actually in my blood. My father was a police officer for 32 years. My brother is an Appleton police officer. I have two cousins that are police officers. My uncle is a retired FBI agent. Public service is in our blood." said Sgt. Hammen.
Hammen was nominated by Lieutenant Christopher Proietti for his investigative work into the double homicide deaths of Harry and Lorraine Brown Bear of Oneida in September of 2016.
Sergeant Christopher Hammen arrested Vance D. Reed on two counts of 1st degree intentional homicide. Reed's trial is scheduled for May 2017.
"Unfortunately as a police officer after all these years, I mean, it's a cruel world out there, and someone has to do our job. We as police officers just do our best and we appreciate the support and awards like this, not only myself, but the department and community. We have the support from the top to the bottom from Sheriff Gehring, to the supervisors, to the patrol officers, the investigators. I get support and congratulations from the community, the media, friends, family, neighbors so we really as police officers we really appreciate all the support." said Sgt. Hammen.
Sgt. Hammen will be honored in April during the Association's annual training seminar dinner at the American Club in Kohler.
