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Milwaukee man in custody in officer's death

Posted at 11:15 AM, Jun 28, 2019
and last updated 2019-06-28 12:15:45-04

RACINE, Wis. — Sheriff's officials have identified the man suspected of fatally shooting a Racine police officer who tried to stop an armed robbery.

The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office has identified the suspect in Officer John Hetland’s killing as 26-year-old Dalquavis T. Ward of Milwaukee.

Ward was convicted in 2015 in a domestic dispute that involved suffocation and strangulation, according to a previous criminal complaint. He also was arrested for felony armed robbery as a 15-year-old, according to the complaint.

Authorities say the suspect was arrested in Milwaukee with Hetland's handcuffs. He has not yet been charged. Officials say the arrest was made with the cooperation of more than 17 law enforcement agencies and thousands of hours of work by investigators.

Hetland was a 24-year veteran of the Racine Police Department and was killed the night of June 17 at Teezers Bar & Grill while intervening in an armed robbery. Authorities say Hetland jumped over the bar and confronted a masked man when he was shot.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.