Burlington police officer dies suddenly at 27
BURLINGTON WI June 12 2017 — The Burlington community on Friday experienced its second unexpected and untimely loss of life in less than a month, this time a young Burlington police officer who died from medical issues.
In a news release issued Friday afternoon, Burlington Police Chief Mark Anderson announced the unexpected death of Officer Tanner Kitelinger that morning. He was 27.
Kitelinger’s cause of death was likely related to issues as a result of diabetes, with which he was diagnosed at age 12, according to the department.
“Officer Kitelinger will be greatly missed,” Anderson said in the release.
Kitelinger had just started patrolling with a K-9 partner, Zander, on May 7, according to Anderson.
Kitelinger was a 2012 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. From there, he attended Blackhawk Technical College Police Academy in Janesville and graduated in 2014 before being hired at the Burlington Police Department in March 2015.
Kitelinger was born in Beloit and went to Beloit High School, Anderson said.
Mayor Jeannie Hefty said she was “heartbroken and devastated” by the news. The mayor said she had developed a friendship with Kitelinger as the city’s K-9 program was being reinstated and said he was dedicated to bringing the program back to the city.
Hefty said that Kitelinger kept her up to date on Zander’s training at a facility in Campbellsport, including texting her photos of the dog at work.
The mayor said she was contacted Friday by several city officials during the course of the day to share condolences and grieve the loss of Kitelinger.
She said she was working with City Administrator Carina Waters to learn the protocol for having U.S. flags in the city lowered to half-staff.
