Madison Police Department Officer David Retlick was justified in using deadly force against an armed robbery suspect Oct. 7, Dane County District Attorney Brian Blanchard said in a press conference Friday morning.
After an investigation by the police, Dane County Coroner’s Office, and DA’s office, Retlick has been cleared of any criminal liability, Blanchard said.
“This was a face-to-face presentation with a gun,” Blanchard said. “It is hard to imagine a more dangerous situation for a human being.”
Additionally, two eyewitnesses provided their descriptions of the incident, both of which corroborated Retlick’s account, Blanchard said.
MPD identified the suspect as 26-year-old Sun Prairie resident Gregory Bickford and released additional findings from their ongoing investigation at the meeting.
According to Police Chief Noble Wray, Retlick was met with resistance while struggling to detain the armed suspect, resulting in a physical confrontation between the two men near Whitter and Lakeside streets. The suspect then displayed a gun, holding it inches away from Retlick’s face. Retlick managed to block the gun, walked four to six feet backward and shot the suspect, firing five times.
Backup arrived on the scene, but, despite attempts at cardiocerebral resuscitation, the suspect died from multiple gunshot wounds. The autopsy found four bullets in the suspect’s body.
Retlick was taken to the hospital but suffered no serious injuries.
Retlick, a South District patrol officer, joined MPD in 2007. This is the first time he has had to fire his gun as a Madison police officer, according to Wray.
The suspect has been linked to the robbery at Cousins Subs on Park Street, Retlick was responding to the robbery, in which the suspect pointed a gun at an employee, took the money and fled.
According to Wray, police found an amount of cash similar to that stolen from Cousins in Bickford’s pocket and a handwritten note in commission of the crime. Police also recovered Bickford’s .22 caliber, fully loaded revolver at the scene.
According to MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain, the police are still investigating Bickford’s connection to other recent robberies, including one at the University Avenue Subway less than two hours prior to the Cousins robbery. Although the police have not made any definitive connection between robberies, they have identified drug abuse — heroin, in particular — as a driving force behind the recent string of robberies.
Retlick is currently on administrative leave and is “doing as well as can be expected,” according to Wray. The officer may return to work whenever he is ready.
Wray defended Retlick for not waiting for additional officers to assist him before resorting to deadly force, explaining the officer had no choice.
“Officers are charged with protecting the safety of the citizens in the community we serve,” Wray said. “Because of this, at times we are compelled to contact or confront potentially dangerous individuals before backup arrives.”
Wray praised the courage Retlick displayed throughout the incident.
“He was a brave a man to keep his cool to a point where he is able to protect himself, protect the community and respond to a very difficult situation,” Wray said.
