Man sent to prison for life for killing Milwaukee officer

MILWAUKEE – A judge has sentenced a man who killed a Milwaukee police officer to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Wagner had the option of granting parole eligibility for Jordan Fricke but declined. The 27-year-old defendant tearfully told the judge during the sentencing hearing Thursday that people who know him know he’s a “nice guy” who’s never been in trouble.

Officer Matthew Rittner was using a battering ram to serve a search warrant for suspected illegal guns and drugs when Fricke shot him in February. Fricke testified during his trial that he thought he heard gunshots at his door and fired an assault-style weapon in self-defence. Prosecutors say police had loudly announced their presence.

A jury in July convicted Fricke of first-degree intentional homicide.