Incident
Officer Gauer was electrocuted to death while attempting to remove a live wire from a sidewalk. A milkman found his body later in the morning. Officer Gauer had been with the agency for two years.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
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- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Gauer gave the Milwaukee Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Milwaukee community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Gauer.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
The Sacrifice · Accident
Milwaukee Police Department has lost 69 officers; 23 of them lost to accidents.
Peter is one of 125 officers lost to accidents in WI, 39.3% of the 318 remembered there.
Peter is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.
Peter is one of 10,100 officers lost to accidents worldwide, 29.8% of the 33,917 remembered here.
33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.
Time
In 1909, 1 officer at Milwaukee Police Department was lost to accidents, the 4th heaviest of 20 years on record. The heaviest was 1948, with 2.
In 1909, 1 officer in WI was lost to accidents, the 35th heaviest of 72 years on record. The heaviest was 1987, with 5.
In 1909, 24 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 119th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.
In 1909, 32 officers worldwide were lost to accidents, the 119th heaviest of 200 years on record. The heaviest was 1930, with 131.
Who
Peter had served 2 years; the middle length of service was 5 years.
Peter had served 2 years; the middle length of service was 8 years.
Peter had served 2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
Peter had served 2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.
When
July holds 8.7% of these deaths at Milwaukee Police Department; August holds the most, 21.7%. Saturdays: 30.4%.
July holds 16.8% of these deaths in WI, more than any other month. Saturdays: 14.4%.
July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Saturdays: 14.9%.
July holds 8.9% of these deaths worldwide; August holds the most, 9.3%. Saturdays: 14.7%.
How
Accident deaths account for 33.3% of all 69 deaths at Milwaukee Police Department, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 39.3% of all 318 deaths in WI, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.
Accident deaths account for 29.8% of all 33,917 deaths worldwide, the 2nd most common cause.
His people
Milwaukee Police Department has 69 officers remembered here, Peter among them.
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Frank Piszczek
Jun 22, 1884
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John Kossow
Sep 30, 1899
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Ernest Johnson
Sep 15, 1904
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Otto H. Flieth
Dec 17, 1908
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Peter Gauer
Jul 3, 1909
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Charles William Gudgell
Aug 22, 1916
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Frank Caswin
Nov 24, 1917
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Henry Deckert
Nov 24, 1917
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Frederick Kaiser
Nov 24, 1917
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David O'Brien
Nov 24, 1917
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Charles Seehawer
Nov 24, 1917
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Edward Spindler
Nov 24, 1917
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Stephen Stecker
Nov 24, 1917
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Albert Templin
Nov 24, 1917
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Paul Weiler
Nov 24, 1917
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William F. Kaemmerling
Jan 28, 1922
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Joseph Kubacki
May 24, 1924
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Walter Luedtke
Dec 18, 1924
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Harry W. Schmidt
Apr 4, 1925
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Hilbert F. Thurow
Aug 22, 1930
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Robert E. Bahlke, Jr.
Feb 23, 1932
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Richard R. Zingler
Feb 8, 1933
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Harry Pieske
Jun 27, 1935
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Charles George
Jun 8, 1936
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Nels Goodman
Aug 10, 1937
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George H. Raabe
Nov 2, 1937
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Albert Charles Grosskopf
Feb 13, 1943
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Joseph A. Lecher
Mar 21, 1943
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Arnold O. Werner
Jul 10, 1943
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Valentine Adam, Jr.
Mar 6, 1948
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Elmer A. Bates
Aug 23, 1948
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Vernon V. White
Nov 10, 1951
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Raymond A. Nencki
Oct 5, 1959
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Robert Elroy Kraemer
Feb 7, 1963
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James J. Rivers
Mar 21, 1966
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Ronald T. Hogan
May 2, 1967
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Bryan J. Moschea
Jul 31, 1967
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George Fish
Sep 22, 1970
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Alan Sroczynski
Nov 8, 1970
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Paul G. DuPlanty
Nov 9, 1971
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Gerald William Hempe
Jan 31, 1973
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Charles T. Smith
Jan 31, 1973
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Ronald Patrick Reagan
Dec 13, 1973
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Thomas George Matulis
Jul 10, 1974
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Robert D. Riley
Jul 10, 1974
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Michael L. Draeger
Dec 28, 1974
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Dennis Lee OBradovich
Aug 17, 1975
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Albert C. Kohn
Oct 29, 1975
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Thomas Randy Kiefer
Nov 25, 1977
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John A. Machajewski
Dec 23, 1981
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Charles S. Mehlberg
Dec 23, 1981
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Sydney Carter Snow, Jr.
Jan 30, 1982
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Rosario Joseph Collura
Mar 19, 1985
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Leonard Raymond Lesnieski
Mar 19, 1985
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Dennis J. Gorlewski
Mar 25, 1987
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Roger A. Sterling
May 11, 1987
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Steven John Hasenstab
Aug 19, 1989
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Richard E. Wagner
Oct 25, 1990
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Michael R. Tourmo
Nov 18, 1990
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William Arthur Robertson
Sep 7, 1994
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Michael Andrew Niehoff
Nov 30, 1994
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Wendolyn Odell Tanner
Sep 7, 1996
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Jason Vetter
Oct 2, 2017
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Charles G. Irvine, Jr.
Jun 7, 2018
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Michael John Michalski
Jul 25, 2018
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Matthew John Rittner
Feb 6, 2019
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Mark Shawn Lentz
Sep 18, 2019
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Peter E. C. Jerving
Feb 7, 2023
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Kendall Isaiah Corder
Jun 29, 2025
Where
Where the Name Is Cut
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 37-W
What is kept
Photographs, film, sound and papers — what survived a life.
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