Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson is calling Froedtert Hospital’s treatment of Milwaukee police officers “very clearly inappropriate.”
We reached out last Friday to Johnson through his spokesman, Jeff Fleming, and asked what his reaction was to our exclusive report that two Froedtert clinics told a Milwaukee police officer that they could not provide him with medical treatment because he had a department-issued gun. The ill officer was on duty and in uniform when turned away by the first Froedtert FastCare clinic, an incident both MPD and Froedtert have now confirmed.
“The Mayor is glad Froedtert has clarified its policy on this matter. The imposition of these restrictions on Milwaukee police was very clearly inappropriate,” Fleming said in an email to WRN on Monday.
Froedtert has apologized to the Milwaukee police officer, whose account we further detailed by obtaining his memo to higher-ups, via a public records request. The hospital’s south region president also reiterated support for law enforcement and claimed officers are not banned from entering the hospital if they have firearms.
However, multiple Milwaukee and suburban police officers told us that the officer’s mistreatment was just the tip of the iceberg. They say that Froedtert routinely stands in the way of attempts to interview victims, suspects, and witnesses at the hospital’s trauma center and requires a security guard escort.
Other officers also accused Froedtert of refusing to treat them if they are armed, even on duty. One officer told us her partner was blocked from rushing to her aid when she was being attacked at the hospital because he was told to wait for an escort.
The Milwaukee Police Association has been sharply critical of Froedtert for its polices.
“It should go without saying that police officers deserve to be treated with dignity, just like everyone else who seeks medical treatment. But clearly we need to say it,” the union’s leaders said.
Police Chief Jeffrey Norman has yet to publicly weigh in, but officers told us that the issue has been simmering behind the scenes for some time.
