Evers Slow to Order Flags Flown Half-Staff to Honor Slain MPD Officer

4 state legislators are criticizing @GovEvers for failing to order that flags be flown half staff in honor of slain #Milwaukee #police officer Peter Jerving. https://t.co/hQXf4M4Ts6 #breaking #breakingnews #policeshooting #policeofficer #wisconsin

— Wisconsin Right Now (@wisconsin_now) February 9, 2023

From Wisconsin Right Now:

Gov. Tony Evers has failed to immediately order flags of the United States and the State of Wisconsin to be flown at half-staff in honor of Milwaukee Police Department Officer Peter Jerving who died in the line of duty early Tuesday morning, Feb. 7, breaking with past precedent.

As of Thursday morning, the flags were fully raised at the state capitol. Flags were immediately lowered to half-staff for other fallen Milwaukee officers in the past. Evers is not doing that for Jerving.

Four state legislators wrote Evers on Feb. 8, criticizing his slow response to the officer’s death and failure to order flags lowered to half-staff. It was signed by Reps. Barbara Dittrich, Robert Donovan, and John Spiros and Sen. Jesse James.

About the time our story went live, and after word of the legislators’ letter began circulating, Evers hastily posted on Facebook that flags would be lowered Monday, but his website contains no signed proclamation, raising the question of whether he was just trying to get ahead of the legislators’ criticism and this story by posting quickly on social media.

This is really inexcusable. Why did Tony Evers break with past precedent and fail to order flags flown at half staff immediately?

Did Biden's visit to Wisconsin yesterday have anything to do with it?

The Milwaukee Police Department, all police departments over the state and the country, and above all the family of Peter Jerving deserve better than this.

Why wait until Monday to lower flags, nearly a week after Officer Jerving was shot and killed in the line of duty?

Flags across the state of Wisconsin will be lowered to half-staff on Monday as we mourn the tragic loss of Milwaukee Police Department officer Peter Jerving. https://t.co/QCA9gJmr0Z

— Governor Tony Evers (@GovEvers) February 9, 2023

Embarrassing.

Nice to know that @GovEvers and his staff are so closely monitoring WRN social media accounts. #wisconsin pic.twitter.com/CWgPbO7AbI

— Wisconsin Right Now (@wisconsin_now) February 9, 2023