Brewers game commemorates fallen officer Jennifer Sebena

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The crowd at Miller Park was happy to cheer for something besides the team on the evening of Friday, May 24th.

The first pitch of Friday's Brewers game was thrown out by Officer Katie Gierach in honor of her friend Jennifer Sebena, the Wauwatosa Police Officer who was fatally shot while on duty in the early hours of Christmas Eve. Her husband, Benjamin Sebena was charged with her death.

"It was probably the hardest week of my life, for sure," Gierach said about the death of her friend. "I lost a good officer - we all lost a good officer."

Along with honoring the fallen police officer, Friday's game also served as a fundraiser for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Initially, the NLEOMF said it would not put Jennifer Sebena's name on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial citing the fact she was killed in an incident of domestic violence.

"We wish it had been a little smoother process," said chairman and CEO of NLEOMF Craig Floy, who attended Friday's game. "We realized it put people here in the Milwaukee area through a lot of stress and strain. I regret that personally because I think in the end, we did the right thing."

After much public outcry, the decision was reversed and Jennifer Sebenas' name was added to the list on May 13, 2013.

"She`ll always be remembered and honored in Washington DC and certainly here in the Milwaukee area," Floy said.

Gierach wholeheartedly agreed her friend merited a spot on the memorial.

"She deserved the honor because when she put the badge on and went out there on the front lines defending the citizens keeping us safe serving," Gierach said. "She deserved the honor - just as anyone else would."