Milwaukee police officer killed by driver with 4 prior DUI convictions

Officer Kou Her of the Milwaukee Police Department is dead after being involved in a fatal crash Tuesday morning, according to WITI-TV. The suspect is a Milwaukee-area resident with four prior DUI convictions, the station reported.

What are the details of the accident?

The fatal accident took place around 1:30 a.m. local time, the station said. The officer had just gotten off work when he was struck by the suspect, who has yet to be named.

The suspect — who witnesses say was traveling at a high rate of speed — struck officer Her's vehicle after crossing an intersection at a red light. Officers were able to take the suspect into custody. Her was taken to nearby Froedtert Hospital where he died from his injuries, WITI reported.

Her, a two-year veteran of the force, is survived by his wife, two sisters, six brothers, and his mother and father. Both Her's mother and father served in Vietnam, according to WITI.

What else?

In a news conference, Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales revealed the suspect is a 34-year-old resident with four DUI convictions. The most recent conviction occurred in May 2017, and the suspect was still on probation at the time of Her's death.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett expressed his sadness over the incident in a statement.

“This is a difficult time, as we've had before in the last year, to lose a police officer," Barrett said. "I want the residents of this city to know and to appreciate the work that's done by our police officers."

Milwaukee Alderman Cavalier Johnson added, "This is a sad day for this city, a sad day for the state."

The Wisconsin State Patrol is investigating the fatal crash.