30 years since Oswald shootout; fallen police captain honored
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Sunday marks 30 years since Waukesha Police Captain James Lutz was shot and killed in the line of duty.
It happened during the infamous Oswald father-and-son crime spree.
At the Waukesha Public Safety Memorial, Gary Bach remembers his friend killed in the line of duty.
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"Well liked, well respected," Bach said. "That entire day, I could almost repeat to a pinpoint as to what went on, what I heard."
Waukesha Public Safety Memorial
The day was April 28, 1994. Bach was a Pewaukee police sergeant at the time and jumped in his squad when he heard about a series of robberies involving James and Ted Oswald.
"The amount of bullets, in terms of the sound and pinging off the pavement from the Oswalds and other officers was just something I’ll never forget," Bach said.
During a shootout with police near Rolling Ridge and Meadowbrook in Waukesha, the Oswalds shot and killed the police captain.
His memory never faded.
The police department also named its training complex in honor of Lutz.
Waukesha Police Captain Dan Baumann says Lutz’s killing changed policing practices forever.
"When I got promoted to captain, one of my first positions was in the administrative division – which was the same chair Jim Lutz sat in."
Baumann’s father was Pewaukee's police chief at the time and was involved in the shootout.
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"Now you’re seeing officers – mandatory vest policies; mandatory having rifles in the squad car. Ballistic helmets," he said. "It wasn't until later when I was in the service when he truly sat down with my friends and I and showed us the training video and how many rounds were being fired."
File footage
It’s a constant reminder of the dangers faced by police, and the sacrifices made to keep people safe.
"I look back at a lot of things that happened and there was a lot of courage and heroism that day," Bach said.
Both Oswalds were convicted and are serving life sentences.