Milwaukee police give special thanks to family of Peter Jerving at award ceremony

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Wednesday was an emotional night as Milwaukee police gave a special thanks to the family of Officer Peter Jerving. It was the first time MPD issued an award to the Jerving family after he was killed in the line of duty. 

Jerving was presently posthumous with the Medal of Honor, Medal of Valor for Combat, and the Purple Valor Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 8. 

We were told this is one of Chief Jeffrey Norman's favorite nights of the year, but had to skip it, as he's home recovering from the accident he was in earlier this week. 

The assistant chief was there, and teared up, calling police officers our guardians. She said she wonders if a line of officers, like Officer Jerving, are there to guard us as we go to heaven.

The family of fallen Officer Jerving had tears in their eyes as a gymnasium full of supporters applauded loudly. Jerving's police family handed his personal family three medals nine months after Jerving lost his life in a gun battle with a carjacking suspect in February. 

"We're honoring all these heroes and all of this heroic work, but at the same time, we're honoring a fallen officer. So, it's this huge high and low roller coaster tonight, so it was really hard to prepare for it," said Assistant Chief Nicole Waldner. 

Jerving's mother Patty spoke with CBS 58 ahead of the ceremony. 

"I hope Peter's the last Milwaukee police officer to die in the line of duty for a long, long time. Do you feel Peter here tonight with you? Yes, I've had dreams about him," said Patty Jerving. 

Jerving says she is writing a book about the emotional journey she has been on since losing her son and hopes to find a publisher next year. 

"Peter loved Milwaukee. He loved the City of Milwaukee, and the City of Milwaukee has been so good supportive of his family," said Jerving. 

Officers were honored in all seven districts, plus the Criminal Investigations Bureau, Patrol Division, and the Violent Crimes Task Force, for going above and beyond. Such was the case on March 27, in District 3, when officers stopped a car speeding at over 100 mph on Clark Street, with shots fired out the windows. 

"We know what we can face every night in the line of duty. It comes with it, it's just constant this is what I want to do, this is what I love to do is we got to protect the city," said Milwaukee Police Officer Zachary Szalacinski, District 3. 

MPD has two award ceremonies every year, one in May, and in November.