Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer Michael Wise died of wounds he received when he was accidentally shot by another officer who mistook him and two other undercover officers for suspects during a shootout in the 700 block of Schuylkill Avenue.
Officer Wise and the two undercover officers were conducting a search for a suspect involved in an earlier shooting when they observed a man exit a car in front of them holding a handgun. The man immediately opened fire on the officers when he saw them. Officer Wise and another one of the officers exited the patrol car and exchanged fire with the suspects.
At the same time, another officer came upon the scene and observed the shootout. Thinking the officer still in the car was one of the suspect, he ordered him to drop his weapon. As the undercover officer continued firing at the suspect the uniformed officer fired four rounds. One of the rounds deflected off of the undercover car and struck Officer Wise in the head.
The undercover officer in the vehicle drove Officer Wise to a nearby hospital and he was then airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital, where he later died from his wounds. The other undercover officer continued chasing the suspect and apprehended a short time later.
The suspect was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to only 13.5 to 27 years in prison.
Officer Wise had served with the Reading Police Department for two years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and one daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-2F4CD344- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Wise gave the Reading Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Reading community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Wise.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Michael Harry Wise, II is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In PA, 417 of 1,261 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.1% of this state's fallen. That is 2.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Reading Police Department, 1 of 9 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 11.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Harry Wise, II's cause is highlighted.
How Michael Harry Wise, II Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Harry Wise, II is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
8 officers from Reading Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
