GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The Green Bay Police Department is grieving the loss of an officer in Wisconsin and others around the country this week.
Last weekend Rusk County Sheriff’s Deputy Dan Glaze was gunned down and Wednesday two cops were murdered in Iowa, Urbandale Police Officer Justin Martin and Des Moines Sergeant Anthony Beminio.
Chief Andrew Smith says there’s a low-key feeling around the station.
“All of us are wearing our mourning badges now, and to have this double tragedy on top of the tragedy we already had here in our state, is just really devastating for us.”
The mourning band is a cloth band that wraps over the badge and is worn when they lose an officer in Wisconsin. They wear it from the time the incident occurs, until nightfall on the day the officer is buried.
Smith explains these kind of ambush attacks are the hardest to plan for and are the one’s officers fear the most.
“To have someone jump out from around a corner or somebody walk in front of your police car and suddenly pull out a gun and shoot you, I think it’s the thing the hardest to plan for.”
The chief says he spoke with his officers Wednesday morning about the surge of violence against law enforcement.
“You know we’ve seen a huge increase in officers attacked and killed with firearms, in fact it’s up 52% so far this year. Last year we lost, by this time, 33 officers to firearms attacks, this year it’s up to 50.”
Smith says officers are always vigilant, and during times like this, they have the option to have two officers to a car.
