Milwaukee Police Officer Kendall Corder: Remembering a Fallen Hero
Officer Kendall Corder, a six-year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department, died on June 29, 2025, after sustaining gunshot wounds in the line of duty. He was 32 years old. The incident occurred on June 26, 2025, when Officer Corder and his partner, Officer Christopher McCray, responded to reports of a man firing a weapon near North 25th Street and West Garfield Avenue on the city’s west side. Both officers were shot during the encounter and transported to Froedtert Hospital. Even as Officer McCray received non-fatal injuries and was listed in stable condition, Officer Corder suffered life-threatening injuries and remained in critical condition until his passing three days later.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman announced Officer Corder’s death during a press conference just after 6 p.m. On June 29, 2025. He described Officer Corder as someone who “loved his career” and looked forward to contributing to public safety in the community. Chief Norman urged the public to send prayers to Officer Corder’s immediate family and to his “brothers and sisters” in the Milwaukee Police Department.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrest of a 22-year-old suspect on June 27, 2025, at 2:15 a.m., without incident. Two individuals were later charged in connection with the case: Tremaine Jones, who was convicted of shooting both officers and Bryshawn Tyler, who pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon and was sentenced to three years in prison followed by three years of extended supervision on April 23, 2026. Jermela Kittler, who was accused of harboring a felon and lying to police, pleaded guilty to harboring/aiding a felon and was sentenced to time served on April 14, 2026.
Officer Corder’s death was mourned by law enforcement agencies across the region. In July 2025, officers from the Minneapolis Police Department traveled to Wisconsin to attend his funeral and honor his service.
His passing serves as a solemn reminder of the risks faced by law enforcement officers every day and the profound impact of their service on the communities they protect.