MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said that the pain is still very raw for the men and women in his department following Officer Kendall Corder's in the line of duty death.
In an exclusive interview with TMJ4's Susan Kim, Chief Norman also emphasized that what's most important is following the wishes of Officer Corder's family.
READ ALSO: Funeral set for fallen MPD Officer Kendall Corder
The funeral is driven by his family and the department is there to support them any way they can, Norman said.
When asked how the men and women of the department are doing, Norman was candid about their emotional state.
"Pain is first word that comes to mind," Norman said.
These emotions are felt throughout the department and in many corners of the community. But the chief says their pain takes a back seat to the needs of the Corder family.
Watch Susan Kim's full interview with MPD Chief Jeffrey Norman:
"I don't want to compare my sorry or pain or what family is going through, making sure how we can support them while we process our own emotions," Norman said.
The process started when the chief learned of the shootings Thursday night. He was in Texas at a work conference when he got the difficult news.
"I received a call at around 11 o'clock that night. And getting myself to the airport at around 3 a.m. that morning, no sleep to get there for support," Norman said.
That support included being with the Corder family at his hospital bedside.
"It's more important that the family has their space and be there as a resource and able to go to the bedside and accompaniment of the family," Norman said.
The chief said he also visited with new recruits on Wednesday knowing they must have questions.
"I went out to the academy class this morning to talk with the recruits, to reassure them that we see them but also to thank them, to encourage, but also to thank them," Norman said.
"In this challenging time, there are people still willing to step up and say put me in coach, I want to serve."
Norman was in their same shoes in 1996.
"I was in class at that time, it was announced," Norman said.
That announcement was that Officer Wendolyn Tanner had been killed in the line of duty.
"As a new officer, I had a lot emotions, and there was a responsibility to uphold the values to what it means to be a police officer," Norman said.
In these difficult times for recruiting new officers, the chief says questions about staffing and why two officers from District Two were helping in District Three the night of the shooting do not make that effort any easier.
"There are multiple districts but the patch says city of Milwaukee, I started my career in District Two. There were many times when I had to respond to many parts of the community," Norman said.
While funeral plans for Officer Corder are being finalized for next Friday, Chief Norman keeps this thought from the Corder family in mind: Do him honor and celebrate his life.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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