/Off-duty officer shot dead while trying to stop armed robbery
uncategorised18th June 2019

Off-duty officer shot dead while trying to stop armed robbery

An off-duty Wisconsin police officer was shot dead while trying to stop an armed robbery at a bar Monday night, according to the police chief.

Officer John Hetland, a 24-year veteran of the Racine Police Department, had worked the day-shift on Monday, Chief Arthel Howell said.

At 9:40 p.m., the veteran officer was off-duty when he saw an armed robbery unfolding at Teezers Tavern in Racine, about 25 miles south of Milwaukee.

PHOTO: An off-duty police officer died after shots were fired inside a Racine, Wis. bar during an armed robbery, June 17, 2019.WISN

An off-duty police officer died after shots were fired inside a Racine, Wis. bar during an armed robbery, June 17, 2019.

“Hetland took immediate action,” Howell said, and “during his effort to intervene,” he was shot.

No arrests have been made, Howell said.

PHOTO: An off-duty police officer died after shots were fired inside a Racine, Wis. bar during an armed robbery, June 17, 2019.WISN

An off-duty police officer died after shots were fired inside a Racine, Wis. bar during an armed robbery, June 17, 2019.

“Officer Hetland was a trusted and highly respected member of the department, serving in various positions over the years, including an assignment as a field training officer, as well as a member of the Greater Racine FBI Gang Task Force,” the chief said in a statement on Tuesday.

ABC News’ Ahmad Hemingway contributed to this report.

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