Reading Police Department, Pennsylvania
End of Watch: Saturday, June 5, 2004
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: 626
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: June 4, 2004
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 27 years
Police Officer Michael Wise died of wounds he received when he was accidentally shot by another officer who mistook him and two other undercover officers for suspects during a shootout in the 700 block of Schuylkill Avenue.
Officer Wise and the two undercover officers were conducting a search for a suspect involved in an earlier shooting when they observed a man exit a car in front of them holding a handgun. The man immediately opened fire on the officers when he saw them. Officer Wise and another one of the officers exited the patrol car and exchanged fire with the suspects.
At the same time, another officer came upon the scene and observed the shootout. Thinking the officer still in the car was one of the suspect, he ordered him to drop his weapon. As the undercover officer continued firing at the suspect the uniformed officer fired four rounds. One of the rounds deflected off of the undercover car and struck Officer Wise in the head.
The undercover officer in the vehicle drove Officer Wise to a nearby hospital and he was then airlifted to Lehigh Valley Hospital, where he later died from his wounds. The other undercover officer continued chasing the suspect and apprehended a short time later.
The suspect was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to only 13.5 to 27 years in prison.
Officer Wise had served with the Reading Police Department for two years. He is survived by his wife and one daughter.