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Home LEOKA 2014 Officers Feloniously Killed Summaries of Officers Feloniously Killed

Summaries of Officers Feloniously Killed

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Note:  Occasionally, the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted Program is unable to publish summaries concerning some officers who are feloniously killed in the line of duty. These situations may stem from insufficient information, gag orders issued by the courts, or other unusual circumstances. Although a written summary of the death of one law enforcement officer who was killed in 2014 is not included in this publication, all available information is included where applicable in the data tables.

AK | AR | AZ | CA | FL | GA | IN | KS| LA | MN | MO | MT

NV | NH | NJ | NY | NC | OH | PA | PR | SC | TX | UT | VA | WI

Alaska

At 3:08 p.m. on May 1, a 45-year-old sergeant and a 26-year-old trooper with the Fairbanks Detachment of the Alaska State Troopers were fatally wounded while attempting an arrest in Tanana. The sergeant, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 22½ years of experience, and the trooper, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 5 years of experience, arrived at a residence to serve an arrest warrant for a man charged with assault and driving on a revoked license. When the pair contacted the man outside his residence, he refused to cooperate and attempted to access the front door to go inside. As they tried to take him into custody, a struggle ensued causing the front door to open and all three men to fall onto the living room floor of the residence. The trooper removed his electronic control device and warned the suspect that he would use it unless the suspect complied. However, the suspect did not surrender, and the three continued to struggle until another man emerged from a room in the residence and fired seven rounds from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle. The sergeant was hit in the neck/throat above his body armor, and a second round struck him fatally in the side of his head. The trooper’s body armor was penetrated by a round exceeding the vest’s specifications, striking the trooper in the rear upper torso/back and mortally wounding him. Both victim officers died at the scene. A civilian pilot with Tanana Village Public Safety responded and arrested the 20-year-old subject, who was a known user of controlled substances with a prior criminal record including drug violations. He was charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder and one count each of Second-Degree Murder, Third-Degree Assault, and Tampering with Physical Evidence. In the meantime, the man the officers originally sought fled to a different residence and barricaded himself inside. The Alaska State Troopers Special Emergency Reaction Team arrested him several hours later without incident.

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Arkansas

A chief deputy of the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office was fatally injured at 2:45 p.m. on March 17 near Lewisville while handling a person with a mental illness. More than an hour prior to the incident, the city of Stamps’ police chief had been dispatched to a suspicious person call. He found an individual who was uncertain about where he had been or where he was headed. While the police chief was talking with the individual, the 50-year-old chief deputy, a veteran of law enforcement with 18 years of experience, arrived at the scene. The police chief and chief deputy discussed the individual, and the chief deputy stated he could drive the man to a shelter in Texarkana. (The chief deputy was already planning to travel to Texarkana regarding a case.) At 1:57 p.m., the chief deputy informed dispatchers he had the man with him and was on his way from Stamps to the sheriff’s office. After spending a short time in the office, the chief deputy left with the man to drive him to the shelter. While traveling west on a local highway, the individual suddenly grabbed the steering wheel from the chief deputy, which caused the vehicle to cross the center line and collide with the left side of an oncoming vehicle. The chief deputy’s vehicle continued to travel west in the eastbound lane for 80 feet before colliding with the front left side of a tractor trailer. The chief deputy’s vehicle traveled an additional 65 feet before coming to rest with severe damage to the front left side of the vehicle. Emergency personnel from five departments responded. The victim chief deputy was fatally wounded in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene at 3 p.m. The 27-year-old offender, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and drug violations and who had been previously convicted, was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. He was charged with Second-Degree Murder and three counts of Aggravated Assault.

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Arizona

On December 27 at 1:30 p.m., a police officer with the Flagstaff Police Department was killed while investigating a domestic call. The 24-year-old officer, who had 1 year of law enforcement experience, responded to an apartment where the resident reported her boyfriend had damaged property inside. The couple had been arguing earlier in the day, and the woman left the subject in her apartment and walked to get her car so she could take him home. About 10 minutes later, the subject got in the car, and she drove him to his residence. When the woman returned to her apartment, she found the damage and contacted the police. She reported that the subject had a key to her apartment and to her car, and she was afraid he would return. The officer, who was wearing body armor and a body camera, arrived at the apartment around 11:15 a.m. The woman did not know the subject’s address, so she rode with the officer and pointed out his residence. Upon returning to her apartment, the officer went inside and saw the damaged curtains, carpet, and refrigerator, as well as some of the woman’s belongings scattered on the floor. The officer left and returned to the subject’s residence, but was unable to make contact because the subject had exited out the back door and fled on a moped. When the officer returned to the woman’s apartment, she told the officer that the subject had been texting her and asking her why she contacted the police. The officer then, with the woman’s permission, searched her apartment to make sure the subject had not returned. He was not there, and the officer closed the event and made himself available for service around 12:20 p.m. At 12:40 p.m., the woman’s boyfriend called dispatchers and left a message for the officer. The officer returned the subject’s call about 30 minutes later. While speaking with the subject on the phone, the officer drove his patrol vehicle to the subject’s residence and parked half a block away. While approaching the back door of the residence, the officer used his hand-held radio to advise dispatchers of his location. The officer knocked on the back door, and the subject came outside to talk to the officer. The body camera showed the subject speaking with the officer for a moment before returning inside the residence. The officer waited outside for a few minutes before stepping inside. After a couple of minutes, the subject exited a bedroom with his hands inside his jacket pockets. The officer and subject walked back outside onto the back driveway, and the officer obtained the subject’s statement regarding the domestic incident. The officer advised the subject that he was going to check him for weapons and reached forward to do so when the subject pulled a .22-caliber revolver from his jacket pocket and fired six rounds at the officer at close range. The officer was struck in the rear below his waist (buttocks area) and, fatally, in the head. After the 28-year-old suspect fired all the rounds from the revolver, he took the officer’s weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. Around 1:30 p.m., 911 calls were made (one of which was made by the suspect’s roommate) reporting shots fired. Another officer arrived within minutes and reported an officer down. The suspect had a prior criminal record, including weapons violations, and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

*****

At 3:15 p.m. on March 3, a 43-year-old detective with the Phoenix Police Department (Phoenix PD) was killed, and a 37-year-old Phoenix PD detective was injured while conducting investigative activity. Both detectives were veterans with more than 21 years and more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, respectively. The detectives, who were dressed in plain clothes, were searching for the subject of a felony warrant. The suspect was wanted for a probation violation and a probable cause charge for Aggravated Assault related to a shooting the prior week. The two detectives, and a third detective in a separate vehicle, were checking locations the suspect was known to frequent. At the suspect’s mother’s residence, the detectives observed a vehicle matching the description of a vehicle the suspect was known to use. The suspect was inside the vehicle and appeared to notice the presence of the detectives. He began driving in an evasive manner and exited the housing complex. Upon leaving the complex, the suspect accelerated rapidly and collided with another vehicle at an intersection about a mile away. The suspect left his vehicle and fled on foot, and witnesses reported seeing the suspect hide behind bushes nearby. The two detectives arrived, and just as the 43-year-old detective was exiting the passenger side of the vehicle, the suspect emerged from the bushes and fired numerous rounds from a .357-magnum revolver. The detective was fatally shot in his front upper torso/chest but managed to return fire, striking the suspect. The detective who was driving the vehicle removed his firearm from its holster but could not safely return fire. He was also hit and wounded in his front lower torso/stomach. The third detective, who was in a separate car, was approaching the area on foot when he heard gunshots and saw the suspect pointing his handgun at the other two detectives. He fired numerous rounds at the suspect, effectively incapacitating him. The detective then ran to provide medical aid to the other two detectives. Both detectives were transported to a hospital where emergency surgeries were performed, but the 43-year-old detective succumbed to his wounds later that evening. The 28-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, drug violations, and police assault, had been previously convicted. He was pronounced dead at the scene, justifiably killed by the third detective. The injured 37-year-old detective has since recovered and returned to duty.

*****

A 37-year-old police officer with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Police Department (Salt River PD) assigned to a Driving Under the Influence Enforcement Unit was shot and fatally wounded on May 24 while conducting a traffic stop in Scottsdale. Shortly after 3 a.m., the veteran officer, with more than 7 years of law enforcement experience, was driving a marked Salt River PD patrol unit with its emergency lights activated. The vehicle he was following pulled into the parking lot of a gas station/convenience store, but did not immediately stop. The vehicle passed the store and the gas pumps and finally came to a stop after turning more than 90 degrees to the left. The officer stopped his patrol unit, facing the driver’s side of the vehicle. A man holding a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle stepped out of the passenger side of the vehicle. He faced the officer and positioned the rifle over the roof of the vehicle. As the officer, still seated in his patrol unit, attempted to turn the spotlight at the vehicle, the individual fired two rounds. The first round hit the right-side mirror of the officer’s patrol unit, and the second round struck the officer, who was wearing body armor, in the front of the head. The 33-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, police assault, weapons violations, and drug violations, fled on foot to an adjacent parking lot along with the other two occupants of the vehicle. Other Salt River PD officers, on an unrelated traffic stop nearby, heard the gunfire and responded to the victim officer’s location. The severely wounded victim officer was still seated in his patrol unit when officers arrived. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries within the hour. The suspect and the driver of the vehicle were captured as they fled on foot and were taken into custody. The other passenger was captured approximately 7 hours later and was taken into custody without incident. The suspect was charged with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

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California

Around 3:40 a.m. on May 4, a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department was fatally wounded during a traffic pursuit. The 32-year-old officer, a 6-year veteran of law enforcement, and his partner observed a speeding vehicle and pursued it in their patrol unit. In an attempt to evade officers, the driver of the speeding vehicle navigated a U-turn. As the officer made the U-turn to continue the pursuit, a sport utility vehicle (SUV) crashed into the driver side door of the patrol unit. The officer was instantly incapacitated. The radio in the patrol unit was damaged, so the victim officer’s partner, who was also injured, called for assistance on his cell phone. Both the driver of the SUV and the passenger fled the scene. The driver was picked up by a relative and was transported to his residence. The passenger was located and arrested shortly after the incident, as a relative was attempting to drive him away from the area. The victim officer and his injured partner were transported to a nearby hospital where the victim officer was pronounced dead. The victim officer’s partner was treated for a broken jaw and released from the hospital the following day. Later in the day of the crash, the driver of the SUV turned himself in to authorities, who arrested him. An investigation revealed that the 20-year-old SUV driver, who had a prior criminal record, was an associate of the driver of the speeding vehicle; his actions were intentional. He was charged with Murder and Manslaughter-Leaving Scene of Accident.

*****

On March 19, just before noon, a 48-year-old deputy sheriff with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (Mendocino County SO) was shot and killed while pursuing a vehicle related to a disturbance call. Earlier that morning, a suspect had been involved in an altercation with a local business owner, and shots were exchanged. The suspect fled the scene in a vehicle and was observed by Mendocino County SO deputies on a nearby highway. After a chase in which the suspect eluded officers, the deputy, a 25-year veteran of law enforcement, spotted the suspect’s vehicle on a road near Cleone and pulled up to park in front of the vehicle. Before the deputy could exit his patrol vehicle, the suspect fatally shot him with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. The rounds struck the deputy in the side of his head, front upper torso/chest (through the armhole or shoulder area of his body armor), and in the rear below his waist (buttocks area). A Fort Bragg Police Department (Fort Bragg PD) officer heard the gunshots and arrived on the scene to see the suspect outside the passenger side of the deputy’s patrol vehicle, removing the deputy’s service weapon. The Fort Bragg PD officer and the suspect exchanged gunfire, and the suspect ran into the bushes. After a subsequent search, the 32-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including drug violations and weapons violations, was found in the bushes, dead from an apparent suicide. Investigators later learned that the day before this incident, the suspect had robbed and killed a victim in Oregon, burned his house, and carjacked a vehicle (the vehicle he was driving at the time of this incident), briefly kidnapping the owners of the carjacked vehicle.

*****

At 4 a.m. on October 28, a 45-year-old police officer with the Pomona Police Department was wounded during a tactical situation in San Gabriel. The officer was part of a SWAT team tasked with serving a warrant for an investigation involving a motorcycle gang. As the SWAT team prepared to breach the front entrance of a residence, the officer, a veteran of law enforcement with 16 years’ experience, pierced the screen door and pulled it open. At the same time, a man inside the residence opened the interior wooden door, which swung back into the living area. Another man stationed himself behind the man who opened the door and fired a single shot from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun toward the officer. The shot passed through the arm of the man who opened the door and hit the officer in the neck/throat above his body armor. The victim officer immediately fell to the ground. SWAT team members entered the residence. As SWAT personnel detained subjects inside and secured visible weapons, a SWAT medic at the scene gave the victim officer medical aid. He was transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment. Meanwhile, officers arrested a 36-year-old man, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations, and who had been convicted previously. The next day, the victim officer died as a result of the gunshot wound, and the suspect was charged with Murder.

*****

On October 24, a 47-year-old deputy sheriff with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department (Sacramento County SD) was killed while investigating suspicious persons. A few hours later that same day, a 42-year-old detective with the Placer County Sheriff’s Office (Placer County SO) was killed, and a Placer County SO deputy sheriff was injured as a result of a traffic pursuit involving the same offender. About 10:30 a.m., the Sacramento County SD deputy and his partner were investigating a suspicious vehicle parked behind a hotel in Sacramento. As they walked up to the car, a woman exited, went behind the car, and shut the trunk. The deputy, a 15-year veteran of law enforcement, walked to the driver’s side of the car to make contact with a man sitting in the driver’s seat, and his partner walked toward the woman. The deputy was less than 10 feet from the car when the driver produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and fired at him. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, was fatally struck in the front of the head. The male suspect also fired at the deputy’s partner as he and his accomplice fled in the car. They later abandoned the car, and the male suspect attempted to carjack a vehicle. When the driver of that vehicle refused to exit, the male suspect shot the driver in the face multiple times. He then went to another vehicle, confronted its driver, and took her car at gunpoint. The two suspects drove to another area of the county, where they abandoned the woman’s car. The male suspect then confronted another motorist and took his truck at gunpoint. The pair left the area in the truck and drove to Auburn in Placer County. Multiple Placer County SO patrol units responded to the area. Around 12:30 p.m., the male suspect fired at deputies, abandoned the truck and his female accomplice, and stole a Placer County SO patrol unit. As the suspect drove away, three Placer County SO detectives (one in a lead vehicle and two in a vehicle following behind) approached the scene. The detectives were unaware that the male suspect had stolen the Placer County SO patrol unit, so when they passed the stolen patrol unit heading the opposite direction, they turned their vehicles around and followed it. When the detectives arrived at the end of the road, they saw the patrol unit they had followed parked in a driveway. The detective in the lead vehicle parked about 40 feet from the driveway. The detective driving the second vehicle parked to the right of the lead detective’s vehicle. A Placer County SO deputy joined the detectives at the scene in his marked patrol unit and parked about 40 feet behind the detectives’ vehicles. As they exited their vehicles, the male suspect, who was hiding near the stolen patrol unit, immediately opened fire from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle. Because they did not yet realize the patrol unit in the driveway had been stolen by the male suspect, the detectives and the deputy were not certain from which direction the shots were coming. The detective from the lead car, a 15-year veteran of law enforcement, dropped to the ground and retreated to the rear of his vehicle as the male suspect fired on him. The veteran detective, who was wearing body armor, was struck in the rear upper torso/back where the round entered above his vest. The suspect continued firing at the detectives and the deputy, and a fragment from one round struck the deputy in his arms/hands (right arm), incapacitating him. The other detectives exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who fled the area. The wounded detective and deputy were taken to a local hospital, where the victim detective died a short time later. The deputy survived the injury to his arm and has since returned to duty. The private citizen who refused to exit his vehicle and was shot by the male subject was also taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and released. Both suspects, a 38-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman, were taken into custody later that day. The male suspect, who had a prior criminal record including drug violations and weapons violations, had been convicted previously. He was charged with two counts of Murder, two counts of Attempted Murder, and Carjacking. The female suspect, who also had a prior criminal record, was charged with Attempted Murder and two counts of Carjacking.

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Florida

At 10:15 a.m. on November 22, a 47-year-old deputy sheriff was killed and a 33-year-old deputy sheriff was injured in an ambush in Tallahassee. Both deputies, who were with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, arrived at the scene of a house fire about the same time. The 47-year-old deputy, a law enforcement veteran with more than 18 years’ experience, exited his vehicle, began walking toward the fire, and was immediately ambushed by gunfire. The man who lived at the burning residence shot the veteran deputy with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, fatally striking the front and side of the deputy’s head. The veteran deputy, who was wearing body armor, died at the scene of the incident. The assailant also fired on the 33-year-old deputy, who had more than 2 years of law enforcement experience. Firefighters began arriving on scene and took cover while the surviving deputy exchanged gunfire with the assailant. In the meantime, an off-duty police officer with the Tallahassee Police Department (Tallahassee PD) was in his home when he heard the gunfire. The officer secured his family in place and left to investigate. By the time the officer arrived at the fire, the surviving deputy had taken cover after being shot in the rear upper torso/back (the round struck the deputy’s protective vest). The officer and the deputy looked for the assailant as they moved to another position of cover. About that time, another Tallahassee PD officer who arrived attempted to render aid to the fallen veteran deputy, but he advised over the radio that the deputy was deceased. The assailant fired on that officer, and the officer used his patrol unit as cover. The first Tallahassee PD officer, the one who arrived on the scene from his home, was then able to locate, shoot, and justifiably kill the 53-year-old assailant. The assailant, who had a prior criminal record and was under the influence of narcotics, fired 28 rounds during the incident. The wounded deputy has since recovered from his injury and returned to duty.

*****

A 34-year-old deputy sheriff with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed on February 11 while investigating a suspicious person in Orlando. Just after midnight, the deputy, who had more than 2 years of law enforcement experience, located a person matching the description of a burglary suspect from an earlier call. After a brief conversation, the suspect fled on foot, and the deputy lost sight of him. The deputy radioed that he was on foot pursuing the fleeing suspect. As the deputy rounded a corner, the suspect was waiting and fired five shots at close range from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The deputy’s body armor stopped the rounds that struck him in the rear upper torso/back area; however, he was fatally wounded in the front upper torso/chest when a round entered through the armhole or shoulder area of his body armor. The victim deputy was rushed to a trauma center where he succumbed to his injuries. The 28-year-old suspect, who had an extensive prior criminal record involving a violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations, was found dead a short distance from the scene with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

*****

Just after 2 a.m. on December 21, a 45-year-old police officer with the Tarpon Springs Police Department (Tarpon Springs PD) was shot and killed while answering a disturbance call. The officer, a veteran of 22 years of law enforcement service, was responding to the call at an apartment complex where two individuals in a car were reported to be playing loud music. When the officer arrived, he encountered the driver walking toward him. The man produced a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot the officer in the front upper torso/chest above his body armor. The victim officer discharged his weapon twice before falling to the ground, but both rounds missed the offender. The suspect then ordered his female companion from the car and drove away from the scene, running over the victim officer and injuring him further in the front lower torso/stomach. An arriving Tarpon Springs PD officer saw the suspect escaping from the scene and began pursuing him. During the pursuit, the suspect crashed his vehicle into a pole and fled on foot. The officer pursued the suspect, who was apprehended a short time later. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he died as a result of the wound to his front upper torso/chest. The 23-year-old suspect, who was on probation at the time of the incident and had a criminal history including police assault, weapons violations, and drug violations, was subsequently charged with First-Degree Murder.

*****

At 4 a.m. on March 22, an officer with the Windermere Police Department was shot and killed while investigating suspicious persons. The 31-year-old veteran officer, who had more than 5 years of law enforcement experience, was on patrol when he noticed two individuals sitting on a curb outside of a closed business. He pulled his patrol unit close to the curb and talked with them while he was seated in his vehicle. After approximately 2 minutes, he exited his patrol unit, leaving the driver’s door open. As soon as he exited his vehicle, the veteran officer, who was wearing body armor, was struck in the side of the head with a single round from a .357-caliber revolver. The individuals fled the scene to a nearby business where they hid in an area concealed by large foliage. Both suspects were found dead from self-inflicted gunshot wounds. One of the suspects was an 18-year-old male who had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations. The other suspect was a 17-year-old female who had a criminal history including drug violations and had a prior juvenile conviction. Subsequent investigation revealed that the male was wanted in another county for a traffic-related crime he had committed the previous day.

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Georgia

A police officer with the Griffin Police Department was fatally wounded while responding to a disturbance call at 2:21 a.m. on May 31. The 43-year-old officer, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, was off-duty and working as a security guard at a restaurant when staff members asked him to remove disorderly subjects from the establishment. The officer, who was wearing body armor, escorted three disorderly subjects from the restaurant; however, one person began to refuse the officer’s commands. The officer attempted to arrest the subject for disorderly conduct, but she physically resisted his efforts. As the officer tried to handcuff her, another person in the party walked behind the officer, pulled a firearm out of a concealed holster, and fired five rounds at close range from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. All five rounds struck the officer in the rear upper torso/back, and at least one round entered through the armhole or shoulder area of his body armor. The officer was pronounced dead at the scene. The 30-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record and previous convictions, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. He was arrested on July 8 and charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault Against a Law Enforcement Officer, Willful Resist Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer, and Possessing a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony—Malicious Murder.

*****

A 24-year-old deputy sheriff with 2 years of law enforcement experience and a 43-year old deputy sheriff with 5 years of law enforcement experience were injured at 5:45 p.m. on September 13 while handling a person with a mental illness in Juliette. The two deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office responded to the residence where a man was threatening to commit suicide with a firearm. The 43-year-old veteran deputy met with the uncle of the subject in front of the residence. The uncle said his nephew was inside and was threatening to kill himself. As the two deputies walked to the open front door, the subject was sitting in a chair with his back to the front door. The man stood up, turned, and fired 15 times from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The 24-year-old deputy, who was wearing body armor, was struck in the rear lower torso/back, front below the waist (legs/feet area), and the side of his head. The 43-year-old veteran deputy, who was also wearing a protective vest, was hit by rounds in the rear below the waist (buttocks and legs area), front below the waist (legs/feet area), and the front lower torso/stomach. The veteran deputy was able to return fire; one round struck the offender in the leg. The offender then surrendered to the veteran deputy. Both deputies were transported to a local hospital where the younger deputy died from his head wounds the following day. The 46-year-old offender, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, was charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, five counts of Aggravated Assault, and two counts of Possession of Firearm in the Commission of a Crime. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the veteran deputy had not returned to service.

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Indiana

Early in the morning on July 6, a Gary Police Department patrol officer with 19 years of law enforcement experience was shot and killed while performing an investigative activity in response to a domestic dispute. At 3:57 a.m., the 47-year-old officer, along with other officers, reported to the scene where a weapon had allegedly been discharged during a domestic incident. Reportedly, a man and a woman were involved in an argument when the man displayed a handgun. During the altercation, the man sustained a gunshot wound to his leg before fleeing the scene. The other responding officers left the location because the suspect was not at the residence. The veteran officer remained in the area in his patrol unit to search for the suspect. At 4:26 a.m., using his radio, the officer requested a description of the suspect. At 5:49 a.m., an unidentified caller contacted the police department and reported a patrol unit parked in the street with an unresponsive driver. Arriving officers found the victim officer slumped over in his vehicle with two gunshot wounds to the side of his head, one in the neck/throat area, and one in the front upper torso/chest above his body armor. The victim officer was pronounced dead at the scene from the wounds to the side of his head. Four spent .40-caliber handgun casings were found outside the driver’s side of the victim officer’s vehicle. Further investigation identified the man from the domestic incident as a suspect in the shooting of the officer. Later that day, the 25-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with Murder. He was on probation at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, police assault, and drug violations.

*****

On July 5, a 51-year-old patrol officer with the Indianapolis Police Department was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call around 9:20 p.m. The veteran officer, who had nearly 21 years of law enforcement experience, was the second officer to respond to a report of a person with a firearm/shots fired. Moments earlier, the first responding officer, who had a civilian passenger in the front seat of the patrol vehicle, arrived in the area where a man appeared to be flagging him down. The officer pulled into a poorly lit alley behind a residence and exited his vehicle. As the man walked toward him with his right hand behind his back, the officer ordered the subject to show his hands, but the subject refused and began to walk backward. One of two women standing with the subject attempted to back him away from the officer’s direction, and the other woman advised the officer that everything was fine and he could leave. At this time, the veteran officer arrived, exited his patrol unit, and walked on the opposite side of the alley to position himself on the other side of the suspect, who was now by a vehicle parked in the alley. The subject pointed a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle in the direction of the veteran officer and began firing. Almost immediately, the veteran officer returned fire. The first responding officer also began firing shots at the subject as he moved toward cover behind a nearby vehicle. When the officer peered out from behind the vehicle, he saw the veteran officer and the subject both lying motionless on the ground. The officer ran to aid the victim officer as additional units arrived. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 9:58 p.m. He was struck by three rounds:  one penetrated his protective vest and entered his front lower torso/stomach, one struck him in the front below his waist (legs/feet area), and the fatal round entered through the armhole or shoulder area of the vest, piercing his front upper torso/chest. The 25-year-old suspect, who was struck multiple times, was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for his wounds. The suspect, a known drug dealer with a prior criminal record including drug violations, weapons violations and a previous conviction, was charged with Murder.

*****

At 10:45 p.m. on September 5, a patrol officer with the Merrillville Police Department was shot while investigating a suspicious person. The 24-year-old officer, who had more than a year of law enforcement experience, had been dispatched with three other officers to an apartment to investigate the presence of an evicted tenant who was trespassing. The officers obtained permission to make a forced entry from a homeowner’s association official who was present. The officer, who was wearing body armor, entered the residence and moved through the living room. The electricity had been turned off, and the apartment was dark. As the officer passed a narrow hallway that led to bedrooms at the rear of the residence, an assailant fired two shots from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, one of which struck the victim officer in the front of the head. A second officer by the doorway could not determine where the shots came from, but when he heard a third shot, he observed smoke coming from the hallway area and returned two shots, which struck the wall. The second officer, along with the other two officers on the call, secured the scene and called for backup. Just after 11:15 p.m., the Northwest Regional SWAT Team arrived in response to the report of an officer down and a barricaded suspect. The team leaders, after speaking with the officers originally on the scene, devised a rescue plan, and the team entered the apartment with shields. They located the fallen officer and also observed a man lying on the floor at the back end of the hallway. Part of the team provided cover from the hallway as other team members rescued the victim officer and removed him from the scene. The SWAT team again entered the residence, moved to the back of the hallway, and secured the suspect. The 33-year-old suspect, who was wearing body armor, had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. The team secured the rest of the apartment and looked for other suspects. During this search, one team member found a suspicious object in a back bedroom, and the Porter County Bomb Squad was called. Subsequently, the bomb squad cleared the area and secured the evidence, which also included explosives paraphernalia inside the residence’s garage. The victim officer was taken to a nearby medical center; he succumbed to his wounds 2 days later on September 7.

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Kansas

Just after 4:40 p.m. on September 7, a corporal with the Topeka Police Department was shot and killed while performing a traffic stop. The 40-year-old veteran corporal, who had more than 15 years of law enforcement experience, was approaching the driver’s side of a vehicle he had pulled over for speeding when the driver pointed a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun from the open window and shot four times. He struck the victim corporal once in the front lower torso/stomach below his body armor, and twice, fatally, in the neck/throat. (Another round struck his protective vest, which was not penetrated.) The suspect, who had a passenger in his vehicle, immediately drove away from the scene of the shooting. He called and arranged to meet with another friend at a nearby location. The friend arrived with a stolen motorcycle, which the suspect and the friend drove toward Lawrence, but abandoned it when they ran out of gas just outside of the city. The suspect discarded his handgun and entered the city alone and on foot. Shortly after, he called a local television station and told them he wanted to turn himself in. The station contacted the police, but the suspect could not immediately be located. However, a police negotiator called the suspect’s cell phone multiple times and eventually convinced the suspect, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, to reveal his location. The 30-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and police assault, was subsequently taken into custody without further incident. He was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Criminal Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Possession of Stolen Property, and Firearm Used in Commission of a Crime.

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Louisiana

A 51-year-old deputy sheriff with the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office (Vermilion Parish SO) was shot and killed shortly after 4 p.m. on June 23 in Abbeville as he investigated suspicious persons. The veteran deputy, who had more than 12 years of law enforcement experience, was off duty and on his way to mow grass at a residence near Abbeville when he spotted a suspicious vehicle occupied by two men. He contacted the Vermilion Parish SO and requested that a deputy be sent to the area. About 4 minutes later, the deputy again contacted the Vermilion Parish SO to determine the location of the responding unit, and he also indicated that he was going to attempt to intercept the suspicious persons as they were leaving the area. A few minutes later, a private citizen in the same vicinity contacted the Vermilion Parish SO and reported that he heard what sounded like three gunshots. Responding deputies arrived at the scene to find the off-duty deputy lying in the street with three wounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun to his rear upper torso/back and front lower torso/stomach. The responding officers reported that the deputy’s truck, trailer, and mower were missing from the scene and that a vehicle was apparently stuck in a ditch nearby. The victim deputy was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries to the front lower torso/stomach. The same day, a 20-year-old suspect was arrested in Kaplan and was charged with First-Degree Murder, Simple Burglary, Unauthorized Use of a Movable, and Violation of Probation/Parole. He was on parole at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record that included arrests for police assault and drug violations. On June 24, a 19-year-old man appeared at the Abbeville Police Department to provide a statement regarding why his car was found in the ditch. Officers arrested the man and charged him with First-Degree Murder, Unauthorized Use of a Movable, Simple Burglary, Armed Robbery, and Obstruction of Justice. Also on that day, the Louisiana State Police arrested a 24-year-old woman, the sister of the first suspect arrested, and a 28-year-old man and charged each with First-Degree Murder-Accessory After the Fact. Both had prior arrests for drug violations, and the 28-year-old suspect was a known drug dealer and on parole at the time of the incident.

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Minnesota

A 47-year-old police officer with the Mendota Heights Police Department was shot and killed while making a traffic stop at 12:20 p.m. on July 30. The 22-year veteran officer pulled over a vehicle, called in the stop, and exited his patrol unit to approach the car. The driver suddenly thrust a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from the window and shot the victim officer three times. The officer was hit in the front below the waist (legs/feet area), in the front lower torso/stomach area, and fatally in the front of the head. After shooting the officer, the suspect sped away. Witnesses to the attack rendered first aid until other officers arrived on the scene. The victim officer was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 39-year-old suspect was located a few hours later and was taken into custody after a gun battle in which the suspect fired on several officers. The suspect was a known drug dealer and user who had a criminal history including a violent crime, police assault, drug violations, and weapons violations. He was charged with First-Degree Murder, five counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He is now serving a life sentence in prison.

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Missouri

Just before 12:30 a.m. on November 2, a 25-year-old deputy sheriff with the Cedar County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while attempting a traffic stop that turned into a pursuit in El Dorado Springs. The deputy, who had nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, was attempting to pull over a car with a burned-out headlight, but the driver refused to stop and instead attempted to flee. After a short chase, the vehicle stopped briefly, and the passenger leapt from the car and fled on foot; the driver of the car sped away. The deputy pursued the passenger on foot into the yard of a nearby residence, and a scuffle ensued. A witness said he observed the struggle, and because he thought the deputy had subdued the suspect, he returned to his house to call 911. A few moments later, the witness heard several gunshots. He directed his wife to call 911, and he went back to the yard where he saw the deputy motionless on the ground and the suspect also on the ground with gunshot wounds. The victim deputy had been shot once in the neck/throat area above his body armor with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He was pronounced dead at a nearby medical center later that morning. The 28-year-old suspect, who was on probation and under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, died at the scene. He had a prior criminal record including police assault and drug violations. Recovered from the scene were a cell phone (later determined to belong to the owner of the vehicle) and an eyeglasses case containing a syringe with methamphetamine. Subsequent investigation revealed the identity of the driver of the vehicle that the deputy had initially tried to stop. The 28-year-old driver was taken into custody and charged with Second-Degree Murder, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Resisting Arrest.

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Montana

On August 14 at 3:25 p.m., a 33-year-old deputy sheriff with the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office was fatally wounded while assisting in a traffic pursuit near Great Falls. The deputy, who had nearly 2½ years of law enforcement experience, was responding to a call for assistance regarding a vehicle that had failed to stop for another unit and was fleeing at high speeds. En route to the pursuit, dispatch advised that the driver had turned around and was heading toward the deputy’s location. After communicating with his supervisor, the deputy stopped and began deploying a tire-deflation device in an effort to end the pursuit. The deputy was subsequently struck by the fleeing vehicle and sustained fatal injuries. The assailant continued to flee and attempted to run over a second officer who had deployed another tire-deflation device. The assailant missed the second officer but struck the device, which disabled his vehicle. When the assailant’s car came to a stop, he exited it and attempted to escape on foot. Officers apprehended him and, after some resistance, took him into custody. Immediate efforts were made to render aid to the victim deputy; however, he succumbed to his injuries. Further investigation revealed that the assailant intentionally struck the deputy with his vehicle while fleeing. The 40-year-old assailant was a known drug dealer and had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, police assault, drug violations, and weapons violations, and had been convicted previously. The assailant was under conditional release at the time of the incident. He was charged with Deliberate Homicide.

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Nevada

Two police officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were killed in an ambush at 11:22 a.m. as they ate lunch at a restaurant on June 8. A man armed with a .38-caliber revolver and a woman with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun entered the restaurant and began firing from close range at the two police officers. A 41-year-old police officer, with nearly 13 years of law enforcement experience, was struck in the arms/hands, front upper torso/chest, neck/throat, and fatally in the front and side of his head. A 31-year-old police officer, with 8 years of law enforcement experience, was fatally struck in the side and rear of his head. Both officers were wearing body armor. The male assailant then stole the victim officers’ weapons, and the man and woman exited the restaurant and headed to a large retail store nearby. They entered the retail store holding up their weapons, and the man exclaimed, “The revolution has started; the cops are coming. Get out!” A private citizen, who had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, followed behind the male assailant and attempted to engage him in the store. However, the female shot and killed the private citizen. The offenders met at the ammunition counter, where the man smashed the glass and loaded ammunition into the woman’s duffle bag. The woman then walked to the northwest corner of the store with the man several steps behind. Several police units arrived at the restaurant in response to the officer shootings. Witnesses told one of the officers that the assailants headed toward the retail store, and the officer ran to the rear of the store. Witnesses outside the store told him there was a man inside firing a weapon. The officer entered through a rear door of the store and moved toward the northwest corner of the building. He spotted the man carrying a duffle bag and a firearm. The officer went down the aisle parallel to that of the male offender with the intent of engaging him at the furthest west aisle of the store. Meanwhile, the female offender headed toward the officer’s location. When the officer turned a corner, he encountered the female. She raised her weapon, pointed it in the direction of the officer, and fired several shots. The officer returned fire, striking the woman once in the upper right shoulder, as he retreated down an aisle and exited the store. Outside, the officer provided the suspects’ locations to additional officers. The male offender, who now was carrying a 12-gauge shotgun in addition to the .38-caliber revolver, put on a load-bearing vest and a belt with 12-gauge cartridges. A sergeant and four officers entered the store from the back door. Two officers established positions to the east of the suspects, and they were met with gunfire. They returned fire as the other two officers moved south then west of the suspects, which established the officers in the tactical “L” position. The suspects fired several times at these two officers, who were unable to return fire. The sergeant maintained a central location between the two teams of officers and tried to make contact with the offenders. However, the man yelled to the officers, “Stand down, I am in charge now.” The 31-year-old male appeared briefly in an open position, and two of the officers fired at him. The man fell to the ground. It appeared that he tried to talk to his 22-year-old female counterpart, and she pointed her handgun at him several times. Then, she pointed the weapon at herself and shot herself in the head. The man, who had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime and drug violations, died at the scene. The woman, who had no known criminal history, was taken to a local hospital where she died a short time later.

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New Hampshire

A 48-year-old patrol officer with the Brentwood Police Department (Brentwood PD) was killed on May 12 in an ambush while investigating a domestic abuse call involving a son mistreating his elderly father. The patrol officer, a law enforcement veteran with more than 17 years of experience, was the first officer to respond to the call just after 4 p.m. A short time later, a shots-fired call was received. An officer from the neighboring Freemont Police Department responded and found the father on the front porch making an indiscernible statement. The father was detained, and the responding officer then entered the front door of the residence and found the Brentwood PD officer lying on the kitchen floor, apparently deceased from gunshot wounds. Further investigation determined that the veteran officer had been shot with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle fatally in the rear upper torso/back when the round penetrated his body armor. The victim officer also had a wound to the rear of his head. The son involved in the domestic dispute appeared from inside the residence and fired on the responding officer, who exited through the rear entrance and took cover. Additional law enforcement agencies arrived on the scene and established a perimeter around the residence. Officers heard gunfire coming from inside the residence and soon saw flames. At 5:45 p.m., an explosion occurred, further damaging the residence and spreading the fire. Forensic analysis at the scene determined that shots fired by the 47-year-old suspect had ruptured a gas line, which caused the fire and the explosion. The bodies of the victim officer and the suspect were recovered later that evening from the burned residence.

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New Jersey

Just after 4 a.m. on July 13, a 23-year-old police officer with the Jersey City Police Department was fatally wounded while responding to a disturbance call at a local pharmacy. Dispatchers advised that a man with a weapon was in the pharmacy and had assaulted a security guard. The officer, with more than 6 months of law enforcement experience, and his partner were the first to arrive at the scene. As the officers pulled up to the pharmacy in their patrol vehicle, the suspect fired four rounds from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun into the passenger side of the vehicle where the victim officer sat. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor, was fatally struck in the front and rear of his head at close range. Additional officers arrived on the scene and returned fire, justifiably killing the suspect. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Officers cleared the pharmacy and found customers and employees hiding inside, including the security guard who reported the suspect had stolen his weapon. The 27-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, police assault, drug violations, and weapons violations. The suspect was determined to have been under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

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New York

On March 31, a 43-year-old patrol officer with the Johnson City Police Department was shot and killed with his service weapon while handling a person with a mental illness. Shortly after 7 a.m., a man called the emergency number and requested that officers come to a health services building. He explained to dispatchers he was concerned that terrorists may have attached a bomb to magnets in medical equipment housed in the facility. The man affirmatively stated to dispatchers that he believed people were going to die. Other people called dispatch after the man’s initial call and indicated there was a man “out of control,” with mental health issues at the health services location. The veteran officer, who had 18½ years of law enforcement experience, and another officer were dispatched to the health services business where the man who had called was preventing others from entering or leaving. The officers arrived in separate marked patrol vehicles. As the veteran officer, who was wearing body armor, attempted to exit his patrol vehicle, the man attacked him, punching the officer in the head. The individual was able to remove the officer’s service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, from its holster. The officer yelled, “He’s got my gun.” The man then fired one round at close range, striking the officer in the side of the head, killing him instantly. The man then fired a second round at the victim officer in the rear of his head. The other officer, who had taken cover behind a vehicle, ordered the man to drop the firearm, but instead he walked toward the officer and fired rounds. The officer fired ten rounds at the man, striking him six times. The assailant fell to the ground, and the officer approached with his weapon ready. Despite his injuries, the assailant rose to his knees and grabbed the officer’s leg and pulled the officer to the pavement. As the officer and the assailant struggled on the ground, the officer fired two more rounds, striking the assailant. He continued to fight and managed to get his finger on the trigger of the officer’s weapon, discharging a round and causing the firearm to malfunction. A security guard from a nearby hospital and another person assisted the officer in subduing the assailant, who later died of his wounds at the hospital. The 43-year-old assailant did not have a history of mental illness. He was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal conviction.

*****

Two police officers with the New York Police Department (NYPD) were shot and killed on December 20 in a premeditated ambush. Around 2:45 p.m., the officers, both wearing body armor, were sitting in their parked police vehicle. A man approached the passenger side window and, without warning, fired a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun into the vehicle at close range. The veteran officer in the passenger seat, a 32-year-old with more than 7 years of law enforcement experience, was hit once in the side of the head. The 40-year-old officer in the driver’s seat, with nearly 3 years of experience, was struck twice in the front upper torso/chest and once fatally in the side of the head. The suspect fled the scene on foot and ran into a nearby subway station. Two other police officers, who were parked on a neighboring street, heard about the incident over the police radio. The officers responded to the scene where witnesses provided a description of the suspect and directed them into the subway station. After a brief search, the officers encountered the suspect hiding behind a subway pillar. Upon being discovered, the 28-year-old suspect committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with the same 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The deceased suspect had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, weapons violations, and drug violations. The two wounded officers were transported to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead. Earlier in the day, the suspect had shot his girlfriend in Baltimore and fled to New York. Shortly before shooting the NYPD officers, the Baltimore Police Department alerted the NYPD that the suspect was likely en route to New York and that he had posted on social media that he was going to shoot two law enforcement officers.

*****

A 42-year-old trooper with the New York State Police in Sidney was struck by a vehicle and killed during an unprovoked attack shortly after noon on May 29. The veteran trooper, who had more than 13½ years of law enforcement service, had pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation along an interstate near Chenango. He parked his patrol unit behind the stopped car and walked to the driver’s side window to talk to the driver. Suddenly, a truck headed in the same direction on the interstate, traveling at approximately 90 miles per hour, swerved to the right, sideswiped the vehicle, and struck the trooper. The trooper was killed instantly. His body became lodged in the truck’s framework, and the driver continued off the roadway. When the truck hit a culvert, the trooper’s body was dislodged, and the driver ran over him. The truck continued up a grassy hill, where it came to rest. The man jumped out of his vehicle and fled. However, he was captured a short time later in a nearby field. The 60-year-old suspect later admitted he intentionally swerved to hit the trooper. The suspect had a prior criminal record and was charged with First-Degree Murder.

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North Carolina

A police officer with the New Bern Police Department was killed and an officer from the same department was injured during a foot pursuit that ensued after a traffic stop regarding a bicycle light violation. On March 28 around 11:50 p.m., the 22-year-old officer, who had 8 months of law enforcement experience, activated the lights on his patrol vehicle to stop a man who was riding a bicycle without lights. When the officer approached the bicycle’s rider, he noticed a strong odor of marijuana. The officer radioed for an additional officer to assist him. Three officers responded and arrived on the scene. The officer advised the assisting officers that he had stopped the man for not having a light, but he was concerned about drug violations because of the marijuana scent, which the other officers also detected. The officer informed the subject he intended to conduct a search. The subject objected to the search and became agitated but voluntarily gave his backpack to one of the assisting officers. After handing over the backpack, the subject quickly turned and ran from the officers. The officer and two of the responding officers pursued the subject. After running approximately a quarter of a mile, the subject turned and fired rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking the officer, who was wearing body armor, in the side of his head. The victim officer had not drawn his weapon, and it was still in the holster as the other officers arrived and began CPR. A 23-year-old responding officer, who had more than a year of law enforcement experience and was also wearing body armor, continued to chase the suspect and commanded him to stop and drop his weapon. The suspect turned and fired two shots at the responding officer, striking the officer in the front below the waist (thigh area). The responding officer returned fire, justifiably killing the 35-year-old suspect. Both injured officers were transported to a local hospital where the 22-year-old officer succumbed to his injury on March 31. The deceased offender was later found to have marijuana and cocaine in a bag tied to his belt and concealed in his clothes. Friends of the suspect reported he had told them he did not want to go back to prison and would “do what he had to do to stay out.” The suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, police assault, weapons violations, and drug violations, had been convicted previously. The suspect was also a registered sex offender.

*****

Just before 3 p.m. on March 12 near Morganton, a 38-year-old officer with the U.S. Forest Service, Asheville, was shot and killed during a tactical situation in a wooded area. Before 9 a.m., the Burke County Sheriff’s Office dispatched officers to a residence to check on a woman whose coworkers were concerned because she had not reported to work. At the residence, officers found blood and apparent drag marks outside. After entering the residence, officers found the deceased bodies of the woman and her husband. Further investigation revealed the couple’s truck had been stolen and also pointed to the couple’s son as a suspect. The son, with whom the couple had recently broken off communication, was a suspect in an earlier motor vehicle theft of a wrecker. The wrecker had been involved in a hit and run and was found near the residence. An attempt to track the suspect from the wrecker with a K-9 was unsuccessful. However, several break-ins were reported in the area, and around 2:30 p.m., a citizen reported seeing a man flee from a shed on his property. Officers from multiple jurisdictions reported to the scene, and the U.S. Forest Service officer and his K-9 were called in to track the suspect from that location. Shortly after they began following the trail, officers heard gunfire. The 17-year veteran officer and his K-9 were both shot with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. Other officers could not return fire from their cover because they could not discern the location of the shooter in the wooded area. Subsequently, a rescue team located the victim officer’s body and the K-9. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor, had been fatally shot in the front and side of his head. The officer’s service weapon and two magazines were missing. Around 4:30 p.m., during an attempt to remove the victim officer’s body, officers encountered the armed 38-year-old suspect, who they shot and killed at the scene. The man, a known drug user on probation with a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, police assault, and murder, was found with several weapons in his possession and was also under the influence of narcotics at the time of his death.

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Ohio

Just before 2 a.m. on November 16, a police officer with the Akron Police Department was shot and killed during a disturbance at a restaurant/bar. The 32-year-old officer, a 7-year veteran of law enforcement, was off duty and at the restaurant when a man created a disturbance. The man was removed from the restaurant, and management asked him not to return for the evening. The officer was aware of the incident but did not act in an official capacity. A short time later, the man returned to the restaurant with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He brandished the weapon and stated he was armed. Patrons alerted the officer to the situation. Now acting in an official capacity, the officer immediately approached the man and attempted to defuse the situation. During the encounter, the man began discharging his weapon as the officer was forcing him out the door. The offender shot the officer at close range in the front upper torso/chest, and fatally in the front lower torso/stomach area. Four restaurant patrons were also struck and injured by rounds fired by the offender. Upon being pushed out of the restaurant, the offender threw his handgun on the ground and fled the scene. Within minutes, responding officers found the weapon and located the offender hiding in a field not far from the restaurant. One of the officers, assisted by his K-9 partner, arrested the offender. The 35-year-old offender was charged with Aggravated Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and five counts of Felonious Assault. The offender was a known drug dealer and was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. The offender was aware that the officer he killed was a member of law enforcement. The offender, who had a prior criminal record including drug violations and weapons violations, had been convicted previously.

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Pennsylvania

Around 10:50 p.m. on September 12, a 38-year-old corporal with the Pennsylvania State Police (Pennsylvania SP) stationed in Blooming Grove Township was shot and killed in an ambush. The corporal, a veteran of more than 6½ years of law enforcement service, was leaving the police station at the end of his shift when an assailant concealed in woods across the street from the station fired a .308-caliber semiautomatic rifle at the corporal, fatally striking him in the front upper torso/chest and penetrating both the front and back panels of his body armor. The victim corporal fell to the sidewalk. The shooter fired again striking a tree, and then shot a third time hitting the victim in the arms/hands (shoulder area). The round traveled across the victim corporal’s body, through his other shoulder, and lodged in the bulletproof glass inside the station. The assailant shot a fourth time, assaulting a 31-year-old Pennsylvania SP trooper and striking him in the rear below the waist (buttocks area), below his body armor. The trooper, who had nearly 9½ years of law enforcement experience, was approaching the scene from a nearby parking lot in an attempt to aid the fallen officer. The suspect then fled the area in a vehicle he had left on a nearby road. Driving through the woods near an adjacent housing development without headlights, the suspect veered his vehicle into a retention pond and had to continue his flight on foot. A multiagency manhunt and subsequent investigation ended in the capture of the suspect 6 weeks later on October 30, by a team of U.S. Marshals. The suspect was taken into custody at an abandoned airfield located 25 miles from the shooting; he surrendered without incident. The suspect had been taking shelter in a hangar at the airfield. Several weapons, including a .308-caliber semiautomatic rifle, were recovered from the hangar. The 31-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was charged with First-Degree Murder, Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Attempt to Commit Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, and Attempt to Commit First-Degree Murder. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the injured trooper had not returned to duty.

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Puerto Rico

An agent with the Police of Puerto Rico, Humacao, was killed and a sergeant with the same agency was wounded while performing an investigative activity shortly before 8 p.m. on March 10. The 35-year-old agent and 51-year-old sergeant were dressed in civilian clothing and conducting surveillance of farm land reportedly being used for the illegal sale of vehicles and animals. Their initial drive-by prompted the officers to request backup officers. As the agent and the sergeant arrived at the farm in their unmarked vehicle, a sport utility vehicle (SUV) passed them and pulled alongside the road. A man exited the SUV and began to smoke a cigarette. When the agent exited his vehicle and walked toward him, the man started to run away. The officers advised him to stop, but the subject fled at full speed. Four additional subjects with weapons exited the SUV and fired at both officers; the sergeant returned fire. The agent, a veteran with 15 years of law enforcement experience, was struck by 15 rounds from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He was wounded in his arms/hands and, fatally, in his rear upper torso/back. The agent died at the scene. The sergeant was struck in the side of his head and in his arms/hands. Backup officers responded to the scene and discovered the fatally wounded agent and wounded sergeant. The sergeant was transported to a local hospital. One of the offenders, who was 31 years old, was justifiably killed during the exchange of gunfire; the other three offenders fled. Two offenders, both of whom had prior criminal records for drug violations and weapons violations, were arrested the following day. A 25-year-old suspect was charged with Possession of a Weapon, Resisting a Law Enforcement Officer, and Aiding Prisoner Escape. A 23-year-old suspect was charged with Homicide, Possession of a Weapon, and Weapon Offense. The last suspect, a 27-year-old with a prior criminal record including drug violations and weapons violations, was arrested on May 22 and charged with Possession of a Firearm and Dangerous Drugs. All four suspects were known drug dealers. The wounded sergeant has since returned to duty.

*****

Around 2:50 p.m. on August 19, two agents with the Police of Puerto Rico, Humacao, were shot during an investigative activity in Las Piedras. As several officers conducted an undercover operation at a public housing complex, a man shot a 35-year-old agent and a 33-year-old agent with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The 35-year-old agent, a veteran of law enforcement with nearly 16 years’ experience, suffered injuries to his front upper torso/chest and neck/throat. The 33-year-old agent, also a veteran of law enforcement with 10 years’ experience, received injuries to his front upper torso/chest. Other officers on the scene took the man into custody, and both victim agents were transported to a medical facility for treatment. The 35-year-old victim agent succumbed to the wounds to his neck/throat on August 25. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the 33-year-old agent remained hospitalized. The 27-year-old assailant was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, and Weapons Law Violations.

*****

A 37-year-old agent with the Police of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, was fatally wounded on January 14 while conducting undercover drug-related surveillance. Just after 4 p.m., the veteran agent, with more than 14 years of law enforcement experience, and other officers on the assignment observed a suspicious individual walking in an area near Mayaguez. When they told the subject to stop, he instead began to run and fell twice. The second time he fell, the 33-year-old man pulled a .357-caliber revolver and shot at the officers. One round struck the victim agent in the front lower torso/stomach. While still on the ground, the suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and drug violations, fatally shot himself in the head with the same handgun he used to shoot at the officers. The victim agent was transported to a nearby hospital and then transferred to another hospital where he died of complications on January 21.

*****

An off-duty police officer with the San Juan Municipal Police Department was killed while attempting an arrest shortly after 9 p.m. on November 25. The 36-year-old veteran officer, who had 13 years of law enforcement experience, was at a pharmacy in Trujillo Alto when a vehicle arrived. Three men were in the vehicle; two got out, approached the officer, and announced a hold-up. The officer drew his service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and fired four rounds, striking one of the assailants in the hand. As the officer struggled with the assailants, they took his service weapon. The assailants fired five rounds from a .45-caliber handgun at the officer, striking him in the arms/hands and fatally in the neck/throat. The officer was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The assailants fled the scene; one ran out through the back of the pharmacy. The other assailant got in the vehicle with the driver and traveled to the local hospital where the 22-year-old suspect was treated for a gunshot wound. Several police officers came to the hospital and kept the injured suspect under surveillance with plans for law enforcement to interview the suspect when he was able. The next day, the suspect was released from the hospital, arrested, and charged with Possession of a Firearm, Theft of a Firearm, and Robbery. A 21-year-old suspect was arrested on November 28 and charged with Use of a Firearm and Robbery; on December 1, a 17-year-old third suspect was arrested and charged with Use of a Firearm and Robbery. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the investigation was still active.

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South Carolina

A deputy sheriff with the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office was killed and another deputy was injured while answering a disturbance call in Charleston shortly after 8 p.m. on September 8. The pair—a 43-year-old deputy with more than 17 years of law enforcement experience and a 45-year-old deputy with more than 10 years of law enforcement experience—responded to a report of an individual creating a disturbance inside an apartment. As the veteran deputies, both of whom were wearing body armor, made contact with the individual and identified themselves as law enforcement, the subject fired multiple rounds from a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle through the door. The 43-year-old deputy was wounded in the front below the waist (legs/feet area), the front lower torso/stomach (where the rounds exceeded his protective vest’s specifications and penetrated the vest), and fatally in the side of his head. The 45-year-old deputy sustained injuries to the front below the waist (legs/feet area). The 38-year-old offender, who had a prior criminal record that included weapons violations, barricaded himself in the apartment. Other responding deputies returned fire, killing him. Both victim deputies were taken to the hospital; the 43-year-old deputy succumbed to his injuries at 8:37 p.m.

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Texas

On November 1 at 12:30 a.m., a 45-year-old off-duty constable with the El Paso County Constable’s Office was killed while handling a disturbance call in El Paso. The constable was working part-time at a haunted trail and was advised that several individuals were creating a disruption inside the attraction. The veteran constable, who had nearly 18 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing a uniform and body armor, attempted to escort the individuals out. A physical confrontation developed between the constable and one of the individuals. The man punched the constable in the face with his fist, causing him to fall to the ground, unresponsive and bleeding profusely. The suspect fled the scene but was located hiding in a nearby alley and apprehended by members of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. The victim constable was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to the injury to the front of his head. The 19-year-old suspect was charged with Capital Murder.

*****

The 64-year-old chief of the Elmendorf Police Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop just after 11:30 a.m. on August 23. The chief, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 42 years of experience, stopped a driver who was wanted for a graffiti charge. The chief requested backup, but when the first responding officer arrived, he found the chief injured on the ground. The suspect was standing near the chief, and a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun was on the ground beside the suspect. The chief told the responding officer that the suspect shot him, and the officer handcuffed the suspect and placed him in his patrol unit. The chief sustained injuries to his front lower torso/stomach and to his arms/hands. He was transported by helicopter to a local hospital where he died from the wound to his front lower torso/stomach. The 24-year-old offender was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Graffiti Under $500. The offender had a previous relationship with city police and had reportedly made threats toward the police department. The suspect was also known to suffer from a mental illness.

*****

At 5:45 a.m. on May 9, a 47-year-old detective and a 38-year-old police officer with the Killeen Police Department (Killeen PD) were shot during a tactical situation. The detective and the police officer were members of the Killeen PD SWAT team that was executing a no-knock search warrant for potential narcotics at an apartment. As the team began entry attempts, they announced, “Police, search warrant.” While part of the team covered an officer using a one-man battering ram at the front door, another part of the team stationed themselves at a bedroom window of the apartment, near the front door. After three failed attempts to breach the front door, which was barricaded with furniture inside, the team decided to move to the back door. As they began to reposition themselves, a man inside the bedroom fired nine shots toward the officers at the front door through the window with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. One of the rounds struck the detective, who was wearing body armor, in the front of his head/neck. The detective, an 18-year veteran of law enforcement, was immediately incapacitated. Another round struck the officer, an 8-year veteran of law enforcement who was also wearing body armor, in the front below the waist (groin area and legs/feet area) and in the rear below the waist (legs area). A second detective did not sustain any penetrating injuries when he was struck with three rounds, two of which hit his helmet and one of which went through the webbing of his thigh holster. SWAT members returned fire as the offender abandoned his empty firearm and attempted to exit the apartment via the back door. There, SWAT officers confronted him and ordered him to surrender. The 49-year-old offender, who was a known dealer of controlled substances, was arrested. He had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations, and had been previously convicted. The victim detective was transported to a hospital for treatment. Two days later, the victim detective succumbed to the gunshot wound to the front of his head/neck. The offender was charged with Capital Murder and Attempted Capital Murder.

*****

The chief of police with the Little River-Academy Police Department was shot and killed when he responded to a disturbance call just after 5 p.m. on June 19. The 53-year-old veteran chief, who had 17 years of law enforcement experience, went to the residence of a man who reportedly pointed a firearm at a neighbor. The chief exited his vehicle and walked to the front door of the residence, where he was shot with a 20-gauge pump-action shotgun at close range, resulting in a fatal wound to the front of his head. Bell County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call for officer assistance and found the victim chief lying on the front porch. They also noticed a large hole in the screen door. Deputies placed a man at the residence under arrest and secured the house. Inside, they located a shotgun shell behind the front door and a 20-gauge shotgun behind a mirror in a back bedroom. The 57-year-old suspect, who knew the chief through a law enforcement relationship, had a criminal record that included a violent crime, police assault, and weapons violations. He was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

*****

A 46-year-old sergeant with the Midland County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed around 2 p.m. on October 9 while participating in a tactical situation in Midland. The veteran sergeant, with 13½ years of law enforcement experience, was part of the U.S. Marshals’ Lone Star Fugitive Task Force. The sergeant and other task force members planned to serve a felony arrest warrant on an individual who was wanted for Continuous Sexual Assault of a Child. At approximately 1 p.m., the officers arrived at the individual’s residence, identified themselves as law enforcement, and ordered him to open the front door. He refused to comply, so one of the officers broke a window next to the door. Officers yelled to the individual through the broken window and advised him that they had a felony warrant for his arrest. While remaining concealed, the individual spoke with the sergeant through the broken window. The sergeant was on the porch, adjacent to the front door as he communicated with the individual. During the conversation, the individual fired a single shot from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and struck the sergeant, who was wearing body armor, in the front of the head. The sergeant immediately fell to the ground as the other officers on scene returned fire. The victim sergeant was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. At the scene, a standoff between the suspect and the remaining officers ensued. After several hours of negotiations, the individual exited the residence and surrendered without further incident. While in the patrol unit waiting to be transported to jail, the 37-year-old offender apologized to one of the officers for “hurting one of your own.” The offender was on probation at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations. He was charged with Sexual Assault of a Child–Continuous and Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer. In an interview later at the jail, the offender admitted to possessing the .45-caliber handgun, which previously had been reported as stolen, and he acknowledged he had been aware that authorities were going to come for him.

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Utah

A 44-year-old sergeant with the Utah County Sheriff’s Office (Utah County SO) was killed, and a 38-year-old deputy sheriff with the same agency was injured while investigating a suspicious vehicle on January 30. Just after 1 p.m., the sergeant, a veteran of law enforcement with 19 years of experience, observed a truck with its emergency lights flashing along the side of the road in Eagle Mountain. The sergeant turned on his overhead lights and pulled behind the stopped truck. He exited his patrol unit and communicated with the driver and a passenger. The driver provided the sergeant with her license, and the passenger gave a name. The sergeant used the computer in his patrol unit and verified the driver and the vehicle information, but the passenger had provided a false name. The sergeant returned to the truck, gave the driver her license and attempted to clarify the passenger’s true identity. The sergeant returned to his patrol unit. Still unable to determine the man’s true name, the sergeant approached the truck a third time, and once again inquired about the man’s name and date of birth. The sergeant returned to the computer in his patrol unit to attempt to search the passenger’s identity. The video from the sergeant’s dashboard camera showed the brake lights glowing as the driver placed the truck in drive. Approximately 4 minutes later, when there was no observable traffic, the passenger quickly opened the back sliding window of the truck, pointed a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun toward the sergeant’s patrol unit, and fired seven rounds. One round struck the victim sergeant, who was wearing body armor, in the neck/throat; and one round struck him fatally in the front of his head. The female suspect quickly accelerated and drove the truck from the scene. Because the sergeant had entered the driver and vehicle information into the agency’s system, dispatchers were able to put out an “attempt to locate” call on the suspects’ truck.

*****

Just before 3 p.m., the 38-year-old deputy with the Utah County SO located the truck and attempted to stop the driver as she prepared to exit onto the interstate in Santaquin. The driver did not exit and began accelerating. Video from the dashboard camera shows that approximately 45 seconds into the pursuit, the driver applied her brakes to close the distance between the two vehicles. The passenger opened the rear window of the truck and fired two rounds at the deputy. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, was hit in the side of the head with one round, but he survived. The suspects then exited onto the interstate, and an extensive chase ensued, which included assistance from the Utah Highway Patrol (Utah HP) and the Juab County Sheriff’s Office (Juab County SO). During the pursuit, the passenger fired on a Utah HP trooper, and officers used tire-deflation devices in an attempt to stop the suspects. The suspects drove over the device but kept going. The passenger fired on a semi-tractor trailer and struck three tires. The suspect’s truck then collided with another vehicle, causing damage to both vehicles. Their truck broke down at the bottom of an exit ramp, and the suspects fled while exchanging gunfire with officers. The suspects carjacked a vehicle belonging to a woman who had a child with her. The male suspect forced them out at gunpoint and drove the woman’s vehicle south on the highway. Officers also used a tire-deflation device on this vehicle, and when the vehicle became disabled, the suspect drove into oncoming traffic and caused an accident. Both suspects fled the vehicle and attempted another carjacking, but the driver of that vehicle sped away and caused the suspected shooter to fall to the ground. When four deputies from the Juab County SO caught up to the two suspects, they ordered the man to drop his weapon. The 27-year-old suspect, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, pointed the firearm toward them. The deputies fired rounds and shot the suspect, who had a prior criminal record and had been convicted previously. He succumbed to his injuries the next morning. The 17-year-old driver of the vehicle was arrested and taken into custody. She was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record and had been convicted previously. She was charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, two counts each of Attempted Criminal Homicide, Obstructing Justice, Discharging Firearm, Discharge of Firearm Causing Serious Injury, and one count each of Criminal Homicide, Robbery, Possession/Use of Controlled Substance, Failure to Stop, Criminal Mischief, and Accident Causing Property Damage. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the injured Utah County SO deputy had not returned to duty.

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Virginia

On May 30 at 10:48 p.m., a 34-year-old police officer and a 28-year-old police officer with the Norfolk Police Department (Norfolk PD) were injured while investigating a disturbance call. At 10:40 p.m., witnesses began calling 911 to report gunfire coming from an individual in a sport utility vehicle (SUV) as it pulled out of a parking lot. Additional reports indicated the gunfire from the SUV struck a 17-year-old male driving a minivan, resulting in the minivan leaving the roadway and hitting a tree in the median. (Fire and rescue teams pronounced the young driver dead at the scene.) Within minutes of the initial reports, dispatchers received calls stating that an SUV matching the description of the suspect’s SUV had hit another vehicle, this one occupied by a woman and children. The next round of calls reported that the SUV had crashed into a residence and the driver was firing random shots from inside the vehicle. About this time, the 34-year-old veteran officer, who had more than 5½ years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene and parked his patrol unit slightly south of the residence. The 28-year-old off-duty officer, who lived nearby, heard the gunshots and also went to investigate. He drove to the scene and observed the SUV parked haphazardly in the front yard. He parked his personal vehicle next to the on-duty officer’s patrol unit. The officers, both of whom were wearing body armor, conferred near their vehicles. When the individual came to the door of the residence, the 34-year-old officer used the spotlight from his patrol unit to illuminate the scene. The individual briefly retreated into the residence and then reappeared on the porch, firing at the officers with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. The gunfire struck the 34-year-old officer in the front upper torso/chest, piercing his body armor. The 28-year-old veteran officer, who had 8 years of law enforcement experience, fired seven rounds from his 9 mm semiautomatic handgun but was hit in the front below the waist (groin area). The suspect again retreated back into the residence. He reappeared, jumped in the SUV, and fled at a high rate of speed. While he was fleeing the area, the suspect’s SUV collided with another vehicle and overturned. A third officer approached the suspect as he was climbing out of the SUV. The suspect attacked the officer and attempted to take his service weapon. The officer shot and killed the 29-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included police assault, weapons violations, and drug violations. The 34-year-old victim officer was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight. The 28-year-old victim officer was also taken to a nearby hospital where he was treated and released. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, he had not returned to duty.

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Wisconsin

A former deputy sheriff with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office died April 14 as the result of injuries sustained during an investigative activity on April 19, 1991, in Webster. At the time of the incident, the deputy was a 27-year-old veteran with 7 years of law enforcement experience. He was assisting in the search for a suspect who was allegedly involved in a nonfatal shooting incident on April 18, 1991, in Chisago County, Minnesota. The armed suspect returned to Wisconsin and was pursued by law enforcement officers near Webster. He eluded officers by abandoning his vehicle and fleeing on foot into a wooded area. At 12:15 p.m. the next day, a private citizen reported seeing the suspect. Law enforcement officers from around the area responded, including the deputy from Polk County. The suspect was located in a residential area near an elementary school where several officers surrounded him. The suspect was carrying a handgun at his side, and he ignored orders to drop his weapon as he walked down the street toward the deputy. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, repeatedly told the suspect to halt while pointing his service weapon at him. As other officers were moving in, the suspect raised his .32-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot the deputy in the neck/throat and in the front of his head at close range. The suspect then shot another deputy who died the same day from his wounds. Five of the remaining officers returned fire, justifiably killing the suspect. The victim deputy was transported to a local hospital. He survived his wounds but, as a result of his injuries, suffered from quadriplegia. According to the medical examiner, the deputy’s death nearly 23 years later, at age 50, was a result of complications resulting from his paralysis.

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