Tampa Police Mourn the Loss of Officer Jesse Madsen

By DAVID BURNS, Senior Correspondent | March 09, 2021 | FLORIDA

Story No. 030921117

Photo by TPDMaster Patrol Officer Jesse Madsen

Tampa, FL - Tampa Police Dept. Master Patrol Officer Jesse Madsen was killed early Tuesday morning, March 9th, when his police vehicle was struck by a driver traveling the wrong way on Interstate 275.

Just before 1:00 A.M., Tampa Police began receiving calls about a white vehicle driving southbound in the northbound lanes of I275 at a high rate of speed and swerving through the lanes. Within one minute of the original call, the white sedan crashed into Officer Madsen's police vehicle between the Hillsborough and Sligh Avenue exits. The impact killed both Jesse and the driver of the white sedan, who has been identified as 25-year-old Joshua Daniel Montague of Golden, Colorado.

It is early in the investigation and currently unknown as to why and where the driver entered the interstate in the wrong direction of travel.

Jesse Madsen, 45, has a wife and three children: a 16-year-old son, a 12-year-old son, and a 10-year-old daughter. He dedicated his life to the safety and service of others, first as a United States Marine combat veteran, then as a Police Officer in Lyndhorst, Ohio for two-and-a-half years, and an additional two-and-a-half years as a Police Officer in Shaker Heights, Ohio. For the past 16-and-a-half years, Jesse has served proudly as a Tampa Police Officer. Jesse was a seven-time recipient of the Tampa Police Department's Life-Saving Award.

Jesse's badge, number 507, will be retired and his name will be etched for eternity into the Tampa Police Fallen Officers Memorial. He is the 32nd Tampa Police Officer to make the ultimate sacrifice.

The Tampa Police Department will go into a seven-day period of mourning.