Officer Jennifer Sebena
The attorney general is hoping a fallen Wisconsin police officer’s name will eventually be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
The board that oversees the memorial in Washington D.C. ruled against adding Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer Sebena’s name because her death was the result of a suspected case of domestic violence. Sebena was shot and killed on Christmas Eve while on duty. Police have charged her husband, 30-year-old Benjamin Sebena, with first degree intentional homicide.
Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen says how Sebena died should not have been a factor in the decision, since she was clearly working at the time of her death. Van Hollen says there’s nothing in the memorial’s criteria that would exclude Sebena because she was allegedly killed by her husband. In fact, he says her name would have likely been added had the killer not been identified.
AUDIO: Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen (:38)
Van Hollen believes the decision to leave her name off of the memorial was an “oversight.” The attorney general and several other law enforcement officials are urging the Memorial Fund to reconsider the decision.
Officials with the memorial have a meeting scheduled for Thursday to reconsider their initial decision to keep Sebena’s name off of the memorial.