Officer shot, wounded on Milwaukee's south side awarded MPD's Purple Valor Award
MILWAUKEE -- Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn visited Officer Brandon Baranowski at the hospital on Tuesday, July 19th -- and presented him with MPD's Purple Valor Award.
Baranowski was seated in a squad car near 17th and Morgan on the city's south side early Sunday when a suspect approached on foot and fired a gun several times into the squad, striking the officer several times.
MPD officer shot, wounded near 17th and Morgan
"I do believe this was an ambush. Again, it was not an ambush in the sense of Baton Rouge, but the officer was sitting in his squad and was shot. That, to me, is an ambush. He was ambushed," Mayor Tom Barrett said in a news conference on Sunday.
As officers were on scene investigating regarding the injured officer, they heard a single gun shot around 2:30 a.m. nearby. They then found a man who had suffered an apparent self-inflicted fatal gunshot wound to the head. That man was later identified as 20-year-old Tomas Uriegas.
Since this incident, the Milwaukee Police Department is sending out officers in two-person squad units. It's not clear how long this policy will remain. But some are calling for it to be permanent.
MPD officer shot, wounded near 17th and Morgan
Below is a joint statement from the Milwaukee Common Council related to this incident:
"We stand together in our mutual support for the men and women of the Milwaukee Police Department – our dedicated officers who have taken a sworn oath to protect and serve each and every citizen in our community. In that spirit, we are united in our outrage at the shooting of Police Officer Brandon Baranowski at S. 17th St. and W. Morgan Ave. early this past Sunday.
Officer Baranowski of District Six, was ambushed by a subject while sitting in his patrol vehicle during a domestic violence investigation. He was shot several times and his injuries are significant, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family as he begins his recuperation. We pray that he will make a rapid and healthy recovery, and we ask our fellow citizens to join us in wishing Officer Baranowski the same.
It is with heavy hearts that we must also remember the officers killed and wounded in Baton Rouge and Dallas, as well as the deaths of Philando Castile (near St. Paul, MN) and Alton Sterling (Baton Rouge) in tragic police-involved shootings earlier this month. Our prayers extend to those officers, to their loved ones and colleagues, as well as to the families and friends of the two men.
Every day our men and women of the Milwaukee Police Department risk their lives in the line of duty. The next person our officers save could be any one of us—or a loved one or neighbor. For that reason alone, we must come together as a community, as the City of Milwaukee, to support our officers as they strive to make our city a safer place.
This year, we have called for an “all hands” effort to reduce violence and improve public safety in the city, and that same approach is needed here. In these difficult times for police and community relations, together we must never allow harm to come to those we rely on to keep us safe. Our officers are risking their lives so that we can live safely, and we are proud and humbled by their service and sacrifice.
Please join us in supporting a safe Milwaukee for every citizen."