Lieutenant Paul Brantman
Hales Corner Police Department
Hales Corner, WI
Date of Death: July 7, 2019
Age: 51
Years of Service: 30
Duty Status: Active
Military Veteran: No
Lieutenant Brantman died by suicide on July 7, 2019 after 30 years of service. Paul was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was an amazing basketball and football athlete in high school, and had several scholarship offers to play football at college. However, Paul always knew he wanted to be a police officer and enrolled in the Criminal Justice Program at the Milwaukee Area Technical College. With the ability and drive to be a leader, he later went on to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Mount Senario College.
Paul served for 30 years as a police officer in Wisconsin. His first two years he served the Town of Pewaukee Police Department. Eventually, he moved on to the Village of Hales Corners Police Department where he served for 28 years. Paul moved through the ranks and had many roles and responsibilities. He was loved and respected by all of those he worked with throughout his career. Paul was a leader, teacher, and friend. Paul’s tasks over the years consisted of the following: Field Training Officer and Supervisor, SWAT Team Member, Assessment and Planning for Specialized Traffic Control, Emergency Management Commander, Special Event Incident Commander, Community Outreach Coordinator, Overall Planner and Director of the National Night Out, Student Intern Coordinator, Explorer Advisor, Citizen Academy Instructor, Shop With a Cop Volunteer, COPS Kids’ Camp Volunteer, Milwaukee County Traffic Safety Committee, Regional OWI Task Force Steering Committee, and Department Grant Writer.
To know Paul was to love him. He had the best laugh. He was kind, caring, compassionate, fair, loyal, honest, and humble. He was dedicated to the community he served and always gave 100% in all aspects of his life. His greatest loves were his wife, Jill, and his daughter, Caylee. Paul’s face would light up when he talked about them. He had a heart of gold and he was someone you could never stay mad at. He was the kind of person that touched your heart and made you a better person by just having him in your life. Paul had the ability to listen without judgement and genuinely cared about each person he came in contact with professionally and personally. Paul loved sports, fishing, camping, food, music, and movies.
Paul will be forever missed, but will remain in the hearts of his family and friends.
