Ronald Patrick Reagan
Agency patch
Police Officer

Ronald Patrick Reagan

Milwaukee Police Department — Milwaukee, WI
Felonious
End of Watch December 13, 1973
Age 27
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Ronald Reagan was shot and killed while attempting to stop a robbery at a local bar while off-duty. He was inside the bar when three men entered and announced a holdup. Officer Reagan drew his off-duty weapon and identified himself, at which point the third suspect, whom Officer Reagan had not seen, shot him. As he lay on the ground, all three suspects shot him several more times. One suspect, 18, surrendered to police five days later. Two days later, the other two, 19 and 20, were apprehended in Chicago. All three suspects were convicted of Officer Reagan's murder and armed robbery and sentenced to life plus 15 years in prison. One was convicted of injuring a guard in 2004 and got an additional sentence. As of May 2008, he was in prison. As of October 16, 2022, another was still in prison. He has a parole hearing on May 15, 2023. Officer Reagan had been with the Milwaukee Police Department for five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

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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 Reagan gave the Milwaukee Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Milwaukee community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Reagan.

— 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 December 13, 1973
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Ronald is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1973, 171 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 17th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Ronald was 27. 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. Ronald had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Ronald Patrick Reagan

Milwaukee Police Department · End of Watch December 13, 1973

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 53-W

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