Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen Urges the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund to Include Fallen Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer Sebena

“I strongly disagree that Officer Sebena’s death was not in the line of duty.  I strongly disagree with any suggestion that a line of duty death cannot result from an incident of domestic violence,” Attorney General Van Hollen writes.

MADISON — Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has issued a letter to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, Mr. Craig W. Floyd, urging him and the Memorial Fund to include Officer Jennifer Sebena on the Memorial in Washington, DC.

“I strongly disagree that Officer Sebena’s death was not in the line of duty.  I strongly disagree with any suggestion that a line of duty death cannot result from an incident of domestic violence.  For these reasons, I also disagree with the decision not to include Officer Sebena on the Memorial,” Attorney General Van Hollen writes.  A link to Attorney General Van Hollen’s letter is available here.

Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber, who employed the young officer, said, “I concur with the Attorney General and feel the decision should be re-evaluated and corrected to reflect Jennifer’s sacrifice.”

As Wisconsin’s chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Van Hollen, and others in Wisconsin’s law enforcement community, strongly encourage Mr. Floyd and other leaders of the Memorial Fund, at their scheduled meeting tomorrow, to reconsider their initial decision to deny Officer Sebena this honor.