Honor, service and gratitude: The rituals of a fallen police officer's funeral
Milwaukee is mourning the loss of Officer Peter Jerving, who was shot and killed while trying to arrest a robbery suspect.
His is the fifth line-of-duty death in the Milwaukee Police Department since 2018.
His funeral will take place at 1:30 p.m. Monday at Elmbrook Church, 777 S. Barker Road in Brookfield, followed by a procession to Wisconsin Memorial Park, 13235 W. Capitol Drive, for burial.
Funerals for fallen officers include specific honors and rituals. These ceremonies bring together families, law enforcement and the wider public to celebrate an officer’s life and remember their sacrifice.
Mourning bands
After an officer dies in the line of duty, officers drape their badges with black bands as a sign of respect and mourning.
The bands remain in place for a period of time, usually either through the funeral service or 30 days.
This applies not only to physical badges worn on uniforms but also to department logos used online.
Honor Guard
Many police departments have honor guards, which perform certain duties during an officer's funeral depending on the agency's policies and family preference.
To honor an officer killed in the line of duty, the Milwaukee Police Department's Honor Guard performs the following ceremonies:
- Color Guard consisting of the U.S. flag, state flag, city flag, department flag and two rifle-persons
- Bugler(s)
- Police rifle squad
- Ceremonial detail staffing
- Pallbearers
- Casket guard
- Flag presentation
- Motorcade
Honor Guard members wear a dress uniform. It includes a cap, a city seal pin, black belt with a shoulder strap, pants with gold piping and white gloves.
The Wisconsin Honor Guard Association also assists with volunteers coming from across the state.
A fallen officer is never alone
A fallen officer is never alone. The Milwaukee Police Department Honor Guard keeps watch, and officers take turns staying with the fallen officer at all hours, starting at the hospital and continuing to the medical examiner's office, funeral home, church and cemetery.
Procession and escorting of the fallen officer
Hundreds of police squads and motorcycles escort a fallen officer from the funeral service to the cemetery for burial. Members of the public, often holding American flags, line the route to show their support.
End of Watch Call
The "End of Watch" call is the final radio call to the fallen officer from dispatch.
In Milwaukee, the final call usually occurs after an officer's funeral and before the procession to the cemetery. A dispatcher requests the fallen officer by name and squad number. After a period of silence, the dispatcher will repeat the call once or twice more.
Upon hearing no response, the dispatcher will offer a tribute to the fallen officer and conclude by saying: "We have the watch from here."
Thousands of law enforcement officers attend services
Law enforcement officers from across the country will travel hundreds and thousands of miles to honor a fallen officer.
Closer to home, officers from nearby communities help staff the fallen officer's department on the day of the funeral so more of their brothers and sisters in blue can attend the service.
Blue lights illuminated
Blue lights that symbolize support for law enforcement are illuminated on houses, businesses and local landmarks.
In Milwaukee, more than 20 venues and landmarks, such as the Hoan Bridge, American Family Field and Mitchell Park Domes, will remain illuminated in blue through Monday's funeral services.
Memorials at the local, state and national level
When an officer dies in the line of duty, his or her name is added to memorials to honor the fallen. Many memorial ceremonies take place during National Police Week in May.
Milwaukee has a memorial monument for officers who died serving the city at MacArthur Square. The Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial located outside the Capitol in Madison recognizes fallen officers from across the state and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. honors fallen officers from across the country.