Remembering a Fallen Officer and Marine

Marines held back tears as they remembered one of their own.  The auditorium echoed with the sounds of people weeping.  Community members, retired police officers and strangers embraced each other and came together as a family to honor Officer Matthew Rittner, remembering him as a husband and father, a partner in combat and a protector of the public.   

“We’re hurting.  It’s not easy,” said Shawn Lauda, President of the Milwaukee Police Association. “We’ve lost three in eight months.  I personally feel the compounding pain.  We went 22 years without a loss, and now we’ve gone eight months, and we’ve lost three.”

The vigil for Officer Rittner unfolded Friday at Zablocki Elementary to allow the public to grieve with the Milwaukee Police Department and share their condolences with his family.  Milwaukee city leaders spoke words of encouragement to the overflowing crowd, emphasizing the importance of community support.

“This is a good opportunity, a good time for us to get together,” said Chief of Police Alfonso Morales. “The purpose of this vigil is to show that the community is also part of the unity.  We are all a giant family.”

Rittner joined the Marine Corps in 2003 and served two tours in Iraq.

“He was in a Humvee and went over a bomb, and it blew up,” said Lauda.  “Matt’s seen things that none of us want or have to see.  He voluntarily placed himself there.  The man is a born protector.  Matt wasn’t going to let anything happen to anybody.  He was the guy who wanted to stand up against evil to protect us.”

Marines from Rittner’s platoon flew in from all over to attend the vigil. 

“He was one of the guys I was first underneath when I joined the unit.  He was my squad leader,” said Matt Zarling, 35. “I always heard he was a well-loved, well-liked officer.”

Zarling joined Rittner’s platoon of Fox Company in 2004 and served with him through 2008.

Retired police officer David Hoppe, 58, served for the Wauwatosa Police Department for 29 years.  He brought with him Dora, a Lutheran Church Charities K-9 comfort dog.  She also attended the previous two police vigils for Officers Michael Michalski and Charles Irvine Jr., both killed last year in the line of duty.  As part of a police ministry group, her job is to comfort people.

“She went to a police funeral up in Wausau when a police officer was killed up there, and she’ll go anywhere in this general area to help police officers or fire departments or any kind of thing with people in emotional distress,” said Hoppe. 

Mayor Tom Barrett narrated the scene from Feb. 6, when Rittner was shot and killed when implementing a search warrant.  Residents from nearby had rushed to provide coffee and bagels to the grieving officers.  At Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, Rittner was pronounced dead.  Immediately, 30 officers lined up to go into the hospital room and pay their respects.  During the procession to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, people stepped out of their cars to salute Rittner as he patrolled Milwaukee’s streets one last time.

“We need our community to support our police officers,” said Barrett. “We’re sitting in this auditorium tonight because God put us here to be supportive of each other.  We have sorrow and, in some instances, we have anger to those who cause their deaths, but I think it’s a reminder to be supportive of those around us.”

 Maria Cornejo, 65, who only speaks Spanish, came to the vigil to support the family and support MPD.  Cornejo went to the scene of the shooting and put candles down.  Isis Ramirez translated what the speakers said for her. 

Members of MPD stressed the importance of communities supporting their police departments.

“The support that you have given our officers is amazing,” said Captain Kristen Riestra. “Don’t let this horrible tragedy bring all of us together and let it die in a couple weeks.  It means so much to get a little wave or a little hug because we deal with so much tragedy.”

“Do not become complacent,” said Sgt. Pamela Holmes to the police officers. “By putting on that uniform, by getting up every morning, know that you have made a difference for somebody.  Never give up, and never give in.”

Sgt. Holmes retired in 2017 after serving for 26 years.  She was amazed by the community response.

Each speaker received a standing ovation, but it was standing room only anyway in the auditorium.

“Their families know, every single day, when they go out on the street, there’s a chance they may not come back,” said Alderman Tony Zielinski, “that’s the type of sacrifice these people and their families make for us, and I want to let all of these officers know we appreciate you, we honor you and are very fortunate that we have people like you here fighting for us.”

People came out to sing, tell stories and cry together.  Officer Rittner’s funeral will be held next week and will be closed to the public. 

Marines held back tears as they remembered one of their own.  The auditorium echoed with the sounds of people weeping.  Community members, retired police officers and strangers embraced each other and came together as a family to honor Officer Matthew Rittner, remembering him as a husband and father, a partner in combat and a protector of the public.   

“We’re hurting.  It’s not easy,” said Shawn Lauda, President of the Milwaukee Police Association. “We’ve lost three in eight months.  I personally feel the compounding pain.  We went 22 years without a loss, and now we’ve gone eight months, and we’ve lost three.”

The vigil for Officer Rittner unfolded Friday at Zablocki Elementary to allow the public to grieve with the Milwaukee Police Department and share their condolences with his family.  Milwaukee city leaders spoke words of encouragement to the overflowing crowd, emphasizing the importance of community support.

“This is a good opportunity, a good time for us to get together,” said Chief of Police Alfonso Morales. “The purpose of this vigil is to show that the community is also part of the unity.  We are all a giant family.”

Rittner joined the Marine Corps in 2003 and served two tours in Iraq.

“He was in a Humvee and went over a bomb, and it blew up,” said Lauda.  “Matt’s seen things that none of us want or have to see.  He voluntarily placed himself there.  The man is a born protector.  Matt wasn’t going to let anything happen to anybody.  He was the guy who wanted to stand up against evil to protect us.”

Marines from Rittner’s platoon flew in from all over to attend the vigil. 

“He was one of the guys I was first underneath when I joined the unit.  He was my squad leader,” said Matt Zarling, 35. “I always heard he was a well-loved, well-liked officer.”

Zarling joined Rittner’s platoon of Fox Company in 2004 and served with him through 2008.

Retired police officer David Hoppe, 58, served for the Wauwatosa Police Department for 29 years.  He brought with him Dora, a Lutheran Church Charities K-9 comfort dog.  She also attended the previous two police vigils for Officers Michael Michalski and Charles Irvine Jr., both killed last year in the line of duty.  As part of a police ministry group, her job is to comfort people.

“She went to a police funeral up in Wausau when a police officer was killed up there, and she’ll go anywhere in this general area to help police officers or fire departments or any kind of thing with people in emotional distress,” said Hoppe. 

Mayor Tom Barrett narrated the scene from Feb. 6, when Rittner was shot and killed when implementing a search warrant.  Residents from nearby had rushed to provide coffee and bagels to the grieving officers.  At Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa, Rittner was pronounced dead.  Immediately, 30 officers lined up to go into the hospital room and pay their respects.  During the procession to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, people stepped out of their cars to salute Rittner as he patrolled Milwaukee’s streets one last time.

“We need our community to support our police officers,” said Barrett. “We’re sitting in this auditorium tonight because God put us here to be supportive of each other.  We have sorrow and, in some instances, we have anger to those who cause their deaths, but I think it’s a reminder to be supportive of those around us.”

 Maria Cornejo, 65, who only speaks Spanish, came to the vigil to support the family and support MPD.  Cornejo went to the scene of the shooting and put candles down.  Isis Ramirez translated what the speakers said for her. 

Members of MPD stressed the importance of communities supporting their police departments.

“The support that you have given our officers is amazing,” said Captain Kristen Riestra. “Don’t let this horrible tragedy bring all of us together and let it die in a couple weeks.  It means so much to get a little wave or a little hug because we deal with so much tragedy.”

“Do not become complacent,” said Sgt. Pamela Holmes to the police officers. “By putting on that uniform, by getting up every morning, know that you have made a difference for somebody.  Never give up, and never give in.”

Sgt. Holmes retired in 2017 after serving for 26 years.  She was amazed by the community response.

“Their families know, every single day, when they go out on the street, there’s a chance they may not come back,” said Alderman Tony Zielinski, “that’s the type of sacrifice these people and their families make for us, and I want to let all of these officers know we appreciate you, we honor you and are very fortunate that we have people like you here fighting for us.”

Each speaker received a standing ovation, but it was standing room only anyway in the auditorium.

People came out to sing, tell stories and cry together.  Officer Rittner’s funeral will be held next week and will be closed to the public.