Trial for man accused of killing police officer in Milwaukee set for July 8.
Fricke pleads not guilty to murdering Rittner
The man charged with killing Milwaukee Police Officer Matthew Rittner last week will face trial July 8, a judge ordered Thursday.
Jordan Fricke, 26, appeared in court twice Thursday morning — at the Criminal Justice Facility, where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing, and later for arraignment in the Safety Building, where he pleaded not guilty to three counts.
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Wagner set the July 8 trial date, with July 15 as a backup.
Fricke, who wore a suicide-prevention gown at his initial court appearance Sunday, was dressed in burgundy jail clothing Thursday. He was shackled in a wheelchair and rolled into and out of the courtroom, packed with more than 50 police officers.
After the brief hearing, Fricke’s attorney, Michael Chernin, spoke with about a half-dozen of Fricke’s family members and supporters who also attended the hearing.
Fricke is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless endangerment and maintaining a drug trafficking place.
Police were serving a search warrant Feb. 6 at Fricke’s residence on South
12th Street when prosecutors say he fired four rounds from a high-powered short rifle through a hole in his door that Rittner had made with a battering ram.
Police had loudly announced their presence and that they had a search warrant before breaking the door. Fricke later told authorities he was awakened by the loud noise and didn’t think it was actually police trying to enter his flat, according to the criminal complaint. The raid was part of an investigation into illegal gun and drug sales by Fricke and his across-the-street neighbor, Marlon Tirado, 23.
Police raided Tirado’s home and arrested him without incident the same morning as the raid on Fricke’s home.
According to criminal complaints, confidential informants made controlled buys of marijuana from each defendant. Investigators also believed Fricke and others he recruited bought weapons as so-called “straw buyers” for resale to others who are prohibited from legally buying firearms.