MADISON, Wis. — The 33rd annual Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony on Friday paid respects to Wisconsin officers killed in the line of duty.
There are 289 names on the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial right outside the Wisconsin Capitol.
Harold Weinke is a retired Sauk County Sheriff’s Office deputy. The memorial in Madison holds a special reverence for him.
“Each one of these names has a story behind it,” Weinke said. “They have families and also it’s a reminder of what they did and how they lived.”
One of those names on the memorial is his son, Richard.
Weinke said they were the first father-son duo to serve on the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office. His son was killed in a crash on April 5, 1998 while assisting with a domestic dispute call.
“He was a coworker, and he was my son. He was my best friend. I was his best man at his wedding,” Weinke said. “We did a lot of stuff together and I was getting ready to go to work when the famous knock on the door notified me of his death.”
Harold said Richard was a great officer whose death is still felt years later.
“Everybody misses him. It’s been 25 years,” he said. “I just met with some of the coworkers, my fellow coworkers. They were here today again to remember Rich after 25 years.”
During this year’s annual Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony, two more officers were recognized to be added to the memorial. Both were found with historical research.
They are Marinette County Sheriff’s Deputy Joseph Gaber whose end of watch was May, 10, 1929 and Florence County Sheriff’s Deputy T. Lincoln Edwards, who drowned on Feb. 1, 1957.
Fond du Lac Police Chief Aaron Goldstein said while the four officers killed in the line of duty in 2023 will not be added to the memorial this year, they have already been added to their hearts.
“We know what you stood for and why,” he said. “Peter [Jerving], Emily [Breidenbach], Hunter [Scheel] and Katie [Leising], you represented the best in all of us. Our law enforcement families will always be with you. We will never forget.”
Weinke also spoke at the ceremony. He hopes the community keeps the families of these officers in mind.
“They didn’t know if you were coming back at the end of your shift or not and officers need that support so we can’t forget the families of these officers that are serving today,” said Weinke.
Weinke served as a deputy for 20 more after his son’s death. He said it was often hard to do, but wanted to keep serving his community.
As this week is National Police Week, he believes it is important to honor the sacrifices officers and their families make.