Hundreds gather at funeral for Milwaukee police officer killed in line of duty

Kendall Corder loved being a cop.

The six-year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department had high hopes for his career. His captain said he wanted to eventually be a member of the Tactical Enforcement Unit, which responds to critical incidents in the city.

But those dreams ended when the 32-year-old was killed in the line of duty last month.

“He would have not only been successful in his dreams, but he would have far surpassed what even he knew what he was capable of because that’s who Kendall (Corder) was,” Milwaukee Police District 2 Captain Erin Mejia said during Corder’s funeral service Friday.

Hundreds of police officers from across the state packed into Elmbrook Church in Brookfield to pay their respects to Corder during the funeral. Mejia said Corder loved being a member of District 2 and would often brag to his family and friends about the job.

“He would never, ever want to work in another district,” Mejia said. “His coworkers became his friends, and he wanted nothing more than to protect all of you, no matter what the cost was. He was the epitome of what everyone would want on their team.”

While wearing Corder’s badge number over his own badge during the service, Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said he had the chance to meet Corder at a community event just a few weeks ago.

During the interaction, Norman said he was able to see the officer’s “genuine character” and “loving soul.”

“I would like to say that when you see Kendall in person, you have to appreciate his presence, for he is as tall as he is wide,” Norman joked. “And with his larger than life presence, there was a quiet humility about him that made him truly special.”

Milwaukee police detective Keith Miller was Corder’s field training officer when he joined the department in 2019.

“My first impression of Kendall was: this is a big dude,” Miller joked while speaking at the funeral.

During training, Miller said he quickly saw how kind and protective Corder was when he was interacting with children on the job or helping other officers.

“Kendall’s heart and compassion were always on display through his determination, protective nature and his big smile,” Miller said.

Corder was shot after he and his partner, Christopher McCray, responded to a call for a person with a weapon on June 26. He died three days later. McCray was also shot but was released from the hospital on June 28. 

Corder was the first Milwaukee police officer to die in the line of duty since early 2023 when officer Peter Jerving was shot and killed. He is the sixth Milwaukee police officer to die on the job in the last seven years.

Tremaine Jones, the 22-year-old man accused of shooting the officers, was arrested on June 27.  Jones, of Milwaukee, is charged with one count of first degree intentional homicide, one count of attempted first degree intentional homicide and one count of first degree recklessly endangering safety.

Gov. Tony Evers ordered flags across the state to be flown at half-staff Friday in honor of Corder.

“Our hearts break for Officer Corder, his family, loved ones, colleagues at the Milwaukee Police Department, and the greater Milwaukee community, and we join Milwaukeeans and Wisconsinites in honoring the life of this dedicated public servant,” Evers wrote in a statement. 

Corder’s name will be engraved into the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall in Washington D.C., according to a GoFundMe page. The fundraiser had raised over $11,000 as of Friday morning to help send Corder’s family and other officers to Washington D.C.