Michael John Michalski
Agency patch
Police Officer

Michael John Michalski

Milwaukee Police Department — Milwaukee, WI
Felonious
End of Watch July 25, 2018
Age 52
Tour of Duty 17 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Michael Michalski was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a wanted subject in the area of 28th Street and Wright Street. The subject was wanted for weapons violations, narcotics violations, and violation of parole.

Officer Michalski and other members of the Special Investigations Division located the man in the area and attempted to take him into custody. The man fled on foot and the officers pursued him into a nearby home. The man ran up a set of stairs and encountered a locked door, at which time he hid in a large pile of clothing on a landing for approximately 10 minutes.

As officers searched the house, Officer Michalski walked up the stairs to check the second floor. The man suddenly emerged from the pile of clothes and shot Officer Michalski without warning with a .45 caliber handgun. He then shot and wounded two other officers before running out of ammunition and surrendering.

He was charged with Officer Michalski's murder and two counts of attempted murder in addition to other charges stemming from the incident and original warrants. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life without parole.

Officer Michalski had served with the Milwaukee Police Department for 17 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and three sons.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Michalski gave the Milwaukee Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Milwaukee community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Michalski.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI
Platform Identity mpd.milwaukee.wi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 25, 2018
Tour of Duty 17 yrs
Age 52
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun; .45 caliber

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Michael 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.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 2018, 66 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 109th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Michael was 52. 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. Michael had served 17 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun; .45 caliber, in 0.6% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Milwaukee Police Department has 69 officers remembered here, Michael among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Michael John Michalski

Milwaukee Police Department · End of Watch July 25, 2018

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 13-E

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