Whitefish Bay police officer punched; man sentenced to 2 years probation
Thomas Hartman, Whitefish Bay arrest
WHITEFISH BAY, Wis. - A 73-year-old Whitefish Bay man who was accused of pointing a gun at and punching a Whitefish Bay police officer was sentenced on Thursday, Sept. 26 to two years probation.
Before his sentencing, Thomas Hartman pleaded guilty to four of six charges against him – including battery to a law enforcement officer and operating a firearm while intoxicated. The judge sentenced Hartman to one year in prison and one year of extended supervision. He then stayed that sentence and placed the defendant on probation for two years.
Case details
According to a criminal complaint, Whitefish Bay police were called to a home on Bay Ridge Avenue in February 2024 for a 911 open line. Dispatch indicated to officers that it sounded like an argument between a man and woman; the man was heard saying he was going to kill someone, and the woman said "put the gun down."
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Hartman went back inside the home, and the complaint states the woman came out and walked toward officers. When Hartman came back outside, he grabbed an officer by her ponytail and "attempted to put her in a headlock," according to court filings – punching her in the head in the process. He then pulled the officer to the ground by the ponytail.
It was not until the officer was harmed that Hartman was taken into custody, according to the complaint. Bodycam video showed officers take Hartman to the ground and put him in handcuffs.
In an interview with police, the complaint states Hartman admitted to drinking alcohol daily and said he drank two martinis before dinner that night, but did not believe he was under the influence. A preliminary breath test returned a measurement of .114.
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The gun was recovered inside the home. Prosecutors said it was fully loaded with 15 bullets in the magazine but none in the chamber.