Parents of slain Racine cop appear in ad attacking Evers | Local News

Now, Hetland’s parents are ripping the governor in a political advertisement that invokes their son’s memory on behalf of Republicans trying to defeat Evers.

Clutching a framed picture of their son in a TV commercial airing in the Milwaukee area, Ron and Rachelle Hetland connect their family’s tragedy directly to the current gubernatorial race between Evers and Republican challenger Tim Michels.

“Tony Evers has failed to keep us safe,” Ron Hetland says in the advertisement.

The spot is paid for by State Solutions Inc., an affiliate of the Republican Governors Association, a private group working to defeat Evers and other Democratic governors throughout the country.

Maddie Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Republican Governors Association, declined to comment except to say that the commercial is titled “Ron’s Story,” and that her group is spending $487,000 to get it on TV. The Hetland family received no compensation for their appearance, Maddie Anderson said.

The 30-second TV spot depicts Wisconsin’s first-term governor as someone who has let violent criminals out of prison and who has pushed to defund local police departments.

Evers spokeswoman Kayla Anderson said the criticisms included in the advertisement are false. Kayla Anderson declined to comment on the Hetland family’s involvement, but she said the governor has boosted spending by $100 million for public safety and violence prevention.

“Governor Evers,” she said, “will continue doing the right thing for public safety and ensuring our local communities have the resources they need to keep people safe.”

Michels, the Republican nominee aiming to defeat Evers in November, could not be reached for comment. Ron and Rachelle Hetland also could not be reached for comment.

Those close to the Hetlands are supporting the family’s decision to get involved in politics, although some were surprised to see Racine’s fallen police hero at the center of a partisan campaign for the state’s highest office.

Ricky Smetana, a longtime Hetland family friend, described his reaction as, “Oh my God, that’s amazing.”

Smetana, the owner of Richards Bar & BBQ, 3458 Rapids Drive, helps to organize an annual golf tournament to fund student scholarships named for John Hetland.

“It was very emotional when I first saw it,” Smetana said of the commercial. Referring to Hetland’s parents, he said, “I know the pain and suffering they’re going through, even to this day.”

John Hetland, 49, a veteran member of the Racine Police Department, was shot to death the night of June 17, 2019, when he tried to stop a robbery inside Teezers Bar & Grill, 1936 Lathrop Ave. Although he was off-duty at the time, the shooting was classified as a line-of-duty incident because John Hetland was acting consistently with his official duties. He became the first Racine police officer in more than 40 years to die in the line of duty.

At the time, Evers ordered flags lowered statewide in honor of his service to Racine. The governor said of the fallen officer, “His heroism and bravery will never be forgotten.”

In the new Republican TV commercial, Ron and Rachelle Hetland are shown holding their son’s picture and recounting the moments that led up to his death.

The commercial then pivots to a Republican bill that Evers vetoed nearly a year later. The bill called for revoking parole or probation for anyone accused of a new crime, which the governor said would lead to mass incarceration requiring construction of more state prisons. The measure was opposed by the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Ron Hetland tells viewers the governor failed to “keep violent criminals in jail,” and he adds, “It made me think there are going to be a lot more families like mine who are suffering.”

Ron Hetland then criticizes the governor for vetoing a Republican measure that sought to penalize cities if they reduce spending on their police departments by cutting state aid to those cities. Ron Hetland said he was “outraged” because the governor’s action “made it easier to defund the police.”

At the Hiawatha Bar & Grill, 9809 Durand Ave., Sturtevant, which is closely associated with the Hetland family, bar owner Tammy Graceffa said Hetland’s parents had mentioned doing a TV spot, but she was unaware of the details until seeing it on TV.

Graceffa said she tries to stay out of politics, and she did not pay much attention to the commercial’s content. But she said the Hetlands looked and sounded good. “Whatever makes them feel better,” she said.

Hiawatha manager Parrish Williams said the parents have a right to speak their minds in any forum of their choosing.

“They can say whatever they want to,” Williams said. “They feel comfortable with it, and that’s fine.”

Racine Mayor Cory Mason, a Democrat, defended Evers’ record on law enforcement, saying that the governor has allocated funds to help Racine police and has tried to get more funding to cities.

“The Hetlands get to grieve and say anything they want about the loss of their heroic son,” Mason said. “It doesn’t make their political claims true.”

The annual John Hetland Memorial Golf Outing was held last weekend to fund student scholarships. More than 120 golfers turned out for the event at Johnson Park Golf Course in Caledonia.

Smetana said some participants were talking about the TV commercial.

One critic, Joseph Hickey, posted on the golf tournament’s Facebook page that Ron Hetland was “making a quick political buck” and that he “sold the memory of his son for money.”

Smetana said nobody at the tournament seemed to have any problem with the Hetlands stepping into politics. But, he added: “I don’t like to speak politically. There’s no winning that argument.”