Arreola fires officer who fired gun in his home

The Journal Sentinel staff

A Milwaukee police officer charged with firing a handgun inside his home during a fit of anger has been fired by Police Chief Philip Arreola.

Officer Jeffrey Lelinski has appealed the March 29 firing, which means he will continue to receive his salary while the matter goes before the Fire and Police Commission.

Lelinski, 31, is awaiting a jury trial on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct while armed.

On Dec. 8, 1993, police responded to a report of a burglar alarm at Lelinski's south side home. Detectives found that bullets had been fired through a kitchen window and a bedroom window.

Leg 1 ends here Leg 2 ends here Lelinski was carrying a loaded handgun when he surrendered. He "appeared to be highly agitated and intoxicated," according to the criminal complaint.

Lelinski's attorney, Gerald Boyle, has disputed the charges.

In court documents, Boyle stated that Lelinski's actions happened in the privacy of his home and that he was lawfully in possession of a firearm. Officers only responded to the home to investigate the burglar alarm, not a disturbance, Boyle said.

Department records show Lelinski has been on medical leave or limited duty several times since he became an officer in 1985.

One of those medical leaves followed the highly publicized death of his wife, Pamela Lelinski. She was killed in Caledonia by a three-time drunken driver who plowed into a hay wagon she was riding. Her husband and 10 other people were injured.

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