TAMPA, Fla. — Police departments in multiple states are mourning the death of Officer Jesse Madsen of the Tampa Police Department.
The 45-year-old native of Shaker Heights was killed in a wrong-way crash on I-275 in Tampa early Tuesday morning. Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan believes Madsen died trying to protect others, citing witnesses who told investigators that the officer veered his cruiser into the path of a car that was driving the wrong way.
Jesse Madsen served in the United States Marine Corps before becoming a police officer in Northeast Ohio, first in Lyndhurst from 1999-2002, then in Shaker Heights until 2006 before departing for Tampa, where he worked for 15 years.
Dugan said he was a decorated police officer and a seven-time recipient of police life-saving awards. He leaves behind a wife and three children.
"When you look at someone who's earned seven life-saving awards, it's no surprise that he would take such swift action and do this," Dugan said.
Dugan said the other driver was 25-year-old Joshua Montague of Colorado. Montague was also killed in the crash, which remains under investigation.
"It is with great sadness that we share news that Tampa Police Officer Jesse Madsen was tragically killed this morning while serving the residents of Tampa, Florida," Shaker Heights Police wrote on its Facebook page. "Jesse was raised in Shaker Heights, sereved honorably in the United States Marines, and honorably served our community as a Shaker Heights Police Officer from 2002 through 2006. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and fellow officers."
The Lyndhurst Police foundation also paid tribute to Madsen, writing, "We are proud to call him our brother."
Lyndhurst Chief Patrick Rhode, Madsen's training officer in the late '90s, also spoke with 3News sister station 10News in Tampa. When told of the possibility that Madsen veered his own car into the path of danger, Rhode said he wasn't surprised.
"That's a classic example of how Jesse operated, not only as a former Marine, but as a police officer anywhere he went," Rhode said. "Selfless in service. Jesse was selfless."
A donation fund has been created to help the family of Officer Jesse Madsen.
The Tampa Police Department says Rise Tampa has set up a few options for those who want to donate. 100% of the proceeds will be given to Madsen's family, according to a press release.
Those who want to donate electronically, the police department says you can do so by going online here or sending funds to Venmo at @risetampa or PayPal at paypal.me/risetampa.
Anyone looking to mail in a donation by check or money order will need to send it to the following address:
RISE Tampa
i/c/o MPO Madsen
PO Box 172816
Tampa, FL 33672
You can see Chief Dugan's press conference from Tuesday morning in the player below:
More headlines: