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Police Officer

Dennis Lee OBradovich

Milwaukee Police Department — Milwaukee, WI

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 17, 1975

Age 30

Tour of Duty 6 yrs 3 mo

The Vigil Panel 254 · Column 1 · Line 5 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 68

Incident

Police Officer Dennis OBradovich was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend four armed suspects who were robbing a lounge. He was off-duty when the four men entered and announced a holdup. When he identified himself and attempted to take action, he was shot. As the suspects fled, they shot him several more times as he lay on the floor. All four suspects, 18, 19, 21, and 22, were convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery and sentenced to life plus 60 years on February 11, 1976. On May 6, 1977, the 18 and 21-year-olds escaped from Green Bay Prison. The youngest was apprehended in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1978. He attempted to escape again on August 16, 2000, but was caught before he could escape. The other was apprehended in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1980. The 18 and 19-year-old suspects were paroled in May of 2006. The other two suspects were still in prison on October 16, 2022, with no chance of parole. Officer Obradovich was a United States Air Force Vietnam War veteran and had served with the Milwaukee Police Department for over six years.

Survivors

He is survived by his parents.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer OBradovich gave the Milwaukee Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Milwaukee community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Milwaukee Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI

Platform Identity mpd.milwaukee.wi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 17, 1975

Tour of Duty 6 yrs 3 mo

Age 30

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Dennis Lee OBradovich served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Dennis is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1975, 163 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 21st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Dennis was 30. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Dennis had served 6.2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded