Sunday, February 10, 2019

Jordan Paul Fricke Charged With 1st-degree Intentional Homicide For The Death Of TEU Milwaukee Police Officer Matthew Rittner


Fricke confessed to being a small scale marijuana dealer and using an AK-7 pistol to shoot multiple times through an opening of his kitchen door, despite hearing someone yell "Police".

By H. Nelson Goodson
Hispanic News Network U.S.A.

February 10, 2019

Milwaukee, WI - On Sunday, Jordan Paul Fricke, 26, was charged with three felony counts in connection with Wednesday's homicide of Tactical Enforcement Unit (TEU) Milwaukee Police Officer Matthew Rittner, 35. Fricke was charged with one felony count for 1st-degree intentional homicide while using a dangerous weapon (if convicted, Fricke is facing life in prison, without the possibility of parole and an additional 5 years for using a dangerous weapon), one felony count for 1st-degree recklessly endangering safety with use of a dangerous weapon (if convicted, Fricke is facing up to 12 years and 6 months in prison and a $25,000 fine), one felony count for maintaining a drug trafficking drug house (if convicted, Fricke is facing up to 3 years and 6 months in prison and a $10,000 fine). A cash bond of $1 million was set for Fricke.
According to the criminal complaint, Fricke confessed to being a small scale marijuana dealer and using an AK-7 pistol to shoot multiple times through an opening of his upper flat unit kitchen door, despite hearing someone yell "Police". The TEU officers were executing a "No Knock" search warrant at Fricke's duplex when Officer Rittner was shot once in the left side of the chest with an AK-47 pistol while attempting to breach a kitchen door with a ram. Fricke fired four shots through an opening at the door missing two other officers and striking Rittner once in the chest. Fricke immediately surrendered to police. 
Police investigators recovered an AK-47 semi-automatic pistol, four spent cartridges and one unspent cartridge on the kitchen floor including 8 additional weapons and multiple parts to assemble assault rifles at the scene.
Fricke's girlfriend told police that she and Fricke were sleeping when they heard loud banging noises and when they got up, Fricke went to kitchen and grabbed his AK-47 pistol and she could hear someone yell "Police, Search Warrant" multiple times before Fricke shot through the door. Fricke told police that he only heard someone yell "Police", but he didn't think it was police and fired multuple shots though an opening at the door caused by a ramming police tool, until an officer came through the door pointing a rifle at him. He had his hands up and was arrested by police.
Fricke is also accused of buying and having associates engage in strawbuying weapons at gunshows and later selling the weapons for a profit.
The criminal complaint states that $3,000 in cash was recovered from a safe, but it didn't mention, if any drugs were also recovered at the scene.
Also charged in the case was Marlon Tirado, 23, who was taken into custody along with Fricke. Tirado and Fricke allegedly asked other associates to buy guns (straw purchasers) at gun shows and then sold them to others, a police informant told police, according to the criminal complaint. Tirado was charged on Sunday with two felony counts, one count for possession with intent to sell THC (marijuana) and one count for maintaining a drug trafficking place with count including a second and subsequent offense. If convicted on both counts, Tirado is facing up to 3 years and 6 months in prison and $10,000 fine for each count. Tirado has a cash bond set at $7,500, according to court records.


Fricke became a target of an investigation for selling drugs and guns after police arrested a felon on December 27, 2018 for having a 9mm Ruger, cocaine and ecstasy on him at the 2400 block of S. 5th Place. Police did a background check on the seized weapon and discovered the Ruger had been purchased by an associate of Fricke just 13 days before it was recovered from a felon. Police learned from informants that at least 13 to 15 weapons were bought by a "straw purchaser" within 4 to 5 months. Straw purchasing is when someone else with no criminal record buys guns or weapons for another person.
Last Wednesday, Fricke was taken into custody in connection with the homicide of Milwaukee Police Officer Rittner at the 2900 block of S. 12th Street. Officer Rittner, a 17 year police department veteran was shot and fatally wounded around 9:17 a.m. when his TEU unit was executing a "No Knock" search warrant at Fricke's residence and was taken to Froedtert Hospital where he later passed away.
Officer Rittner is the third officer killed in the line of duty within the last 8 months.

Criminal complaint:











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