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Sheriff

Edward Thomas Coopman

Oconto County Sheriff's Department — Oconto, WI

Cardiac

End of Watch July 26, 1964

Age 59

Tour of Duty 5 yrs 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 99 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Sheriff Edward Coopman suffered a fatal heart attack while attempting to arrest a suspect who was creating a disturbance at Kunzer's Beach Resort in Oak Orchard. When Sheriff Coopman asked the subjects to quiet down, a scuffle ensued. Sheriff Coopman collapsed and could not be revived. He died at the scene at 2:30 a.m. The subject was arrested and charged with resisting an officer and disorderly conduct. He pleaded guilty in conjunction with charges of homicide by negligent operation of a car from a previous incident and was sentenced to two years. He received additional time for escaping from a work farm. Sheriff Coopman had served as sheriff with the Oconto County Sheriff's Department for over five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-WI-0F1E6AD7
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.
Sheriff Coopman gave the Oconto County Sheriff's Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Oconto community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Coopman.

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

Agency

Department Oconto County Sheriff's Department

Location Oconto, WI

Platform Identity ocso.oconto.wi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 26, 1964

Tour of Duty 5 yrs 6 mo

Age 59

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Sheriff Edward Thomas Coopman is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In WI, 23 of 317 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 7.3% of this state's fallen. That is 3.3 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.

Oconto County Sheriff's Department

of 1 officers

100% Cardiac

WI — Statewide

of 317 officers

7.3% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac

National Cause Distribution

How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Edward Thomas Coopman's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Edward Thomas Coopman Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Cardiac: 48.6 years

Years of Service

5.5