MADISON — Governor Tony Evers has ordered flags at half-staff for a Racine Police officer who was killed while off-duty Monday night.
Officer John Hetland was at a bar when someone tried to rob the place at gunpoint. He wrestled the man to the ground, but was shot in the struggle and later died.
Hetland was only six to eight months away from retiring and spending more time with his two children, according to Jim Palmer, the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association.
Hetland served the Racine Police Department for 24 years. He also served as a field training officer and a member of the Greater Racine FBI Gang Task Force.
The investigation and the search for the suspect both remain active.
I have ordered flags to fly at half-staff to mourn the loss of Officer John Hetland, a 24-year veteran of the Racine Police Department who tragically died in the line of duty on June 17, 2019. His honorable legacy of service will never be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/qQE5HxntAN
— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) June 19, 2019
