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Home LEOKA 2015 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 deaths of four law enforcement officers who were killed in 2015 are not included in this publication, all available information is included where applicable in the data tables.

AR | CA | CO | FL | ID | ILKYLA | MN | MS | NE

NV NM | NY | OH | PA | PR | SC | TN | TX | WI 

Arkansas

A 42-year-old auxiliary deputy with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) was shot and fatally wounded on May 15 while investigating a burglary in progress. Shortly after 1 a.m., the veteran auxiliary deputy, who had 11 years of law enforcement experience, responded with a JCSO deputy to a residence where a break-in had been reported. A JCSO lieutenant detective in the area heard about the burglary over the radio and was also on his way to the scene. Just before the auxiliary deputy and the deputy arrived at the driveway to the residence, they discovered an unoccupied truck parked off the road behind a gate. They noticed the truck had a flat tire, the hood was warm, and the keys were still inside. The deputy and detective discussed the situation over the radio and requested that dispatch run the truck’s license plate number to identify the owner. They also requested assistance from two JCSO dog handlers and their tracking dog.

About this time, the deputies encountered the owner of the residence near the entrance to his driveway. The owner explained that someone had broken the glass in the back door of his residence, and he was concerned that the intruder may still be inside. The homeowner also informed the deputies that some of his possessions were in a ditch outside the residence. The detective arrived at the scene, and he and the deputies quickly developed a strategy. The detective positioned himself near the parked truck in order to apprehend the truck owner if he returned. The deputies cleared the residence.

As the deputies finished their search and determined the residence was unoccupied, the tracking team arrived. The tracking dog obtained the intruder’s scent from the items located in the ditch, and the tracking team set off with the auxiliary deputy to search for the subject. The deputy stayed behind to collect and log evidence from the scene of the break-in. At 2:20 a.m., the auxiliary deputy contacted the detective on the police radio and advised him that he and the tracking team had followed the suspect’s trail into a field, and they believed that the trail was leading back to the location of the truck. Around 2:30 a.m., the auxiliary deputy radioed the detective a second time and advised that the pace of the pursuit had increased and repeated that the suspect’s trail still appeared to be leading directly back to the truck. During the foot pursuit, the suspect fired five rounds from a .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle toward the auxiliary deputy, who returned fire, but did not hit the suspect. One of the rounds struck the auxiliary deputy above his body armor. The deputy who had processed the burglary scene heard the gunfire and drove to the area where the auxiliary deputy and the tracking team were located. The deputy found the suspect (who was later determined to be the owner of the abandoned truck) behind a tree on a hill. The deputy yelled for the suspect to come out, and the suspect began crawling down the hill. The deputy drew his service weapon and approached the suspect, ordered him to put his hands out, and handcuffed the suspect’s hands behind his back. He guided the suspect to a ditch and took cover in case there were additional suspects hiding in the woods. Around this time, the detective called for emergency medical services (EMS), reporting that an officer was down. After determining there were no other suspects hiding, the deputy left his cover and located the auxiliary deputy on the ground with a gunshot wound to the front upper torso/chest. He did not have a pulse; the deputy and a member of the tracking team started CPR and continued until EMS arrived. The auxiliary deputy was transported via ambulance and then helicopter to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries that same day. The 51-year-old suspect, who had no prior criminal record, was charged with Capital Murder, two counts of Attempted Capital Murder, and Residential Burglary.

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California

At approximately 3:15 a.m. on July 22, a sergeant with the Hayward Police Department was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop. The 48-year-old sergeant, a veteran of law enforcement with 17 years of experience, requested backup and initiated a traffic stop after observing a vehicle driving erratically. As the sergeant and his partner approached the stopped vehicle, the driver produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and discharged multiple rounds at the officers. The veteran sergeant was struck in the front of his head and also suffered injuries to his front legs/feet. The sergeant, who was wearing body armor, succumbed to the gunshot wound to the front of his head (specifically, his nose/lower forehead area). The backup officer immediately returned fire, striking the subject at least once. The man fled the scene in his vehicle. After receiving a citizen complaint concerning an abandoned vehicle with bullet holes approximately 1 hour following the incident, officers identified the suspect by tracing the tags on the vehicle. The officers inspected the vehicle and found a large amount of blood on the driver’s seat, prompting them to conduct a canvass of local hospitals. The suspect was found later that day at a nearby hospital with injuries consistent with a gunshot wound. The 21-year-old man, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder.

*****

A 38-year-old police officer with the San Jose Police Department was shot and killed just after 7 p.m. on March 24 while handling a person with a mental illness. The officer responded to a call from a woman who said that her father was threatening to kill himself with a firearm. The officer, a police veteran with 14 years of experience, along with two other officers, positioned themselves in the front of the man’s residence. A short time later, one of the officers gave verbal warning that the man in question was standing on a second-story balcony. The man on the balcony immediately fired two shots from a .30-30 lever-action rifle. One round hit the victim officer, who was wearing body armor, in the front of the head, fatally wounding him. Another officer returned fire, killing the 57-year-old suspect who had a history of a mental illness and a prior criminal record, including police assault and a violent crime.

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Colorado

At 8 a.m. on May 23, a trooper with the Colorado State Patrol, Golden, was killed and a second trooper was injured near Longmont. The 21-year-old trooper and a 40-year-old trooper were assisting with the investigation of a three-vehicle accident when state patrol communications broadcast the nearby pursuit of a vehicle traveling at speeds up to 90 mph. The 21-year-old trooper, who had 2 months of law enforcement experience, assisted a tow truck driver with cleaning up the accident site and loading damaged cars onto the tow truck on the south side of the road. Meanwhile, the 40-year-old trooper, who had nearly 15 years of law enforcement experience, put down a tire-deflation device on the north side of the road in an attempt to stop the speeding vehicle. When the driver of the fleeing vehicle reached the accident scene, he swerved the car and struck the 40-year-old trooper, which threw the trooper into the air; he landed on the highway. The driver then swerved southbound, striking the 21-year-old trooper, who was also thrown into the air and landed in a nearby field. After colliding with the second trooper, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop, and additional officers at the scene arrested the suspect immediately. The 40-year-old veteran trooper sustained several fractures to both his legs and lower extremities, as well as injuries to his eyes, scalp, and upper torso; he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The 21-year-old trooper sustained a torn aorta, in addition to other injuries, and died at the scene. The 27-year-old suspect was treated by medics at the scene then transported to jail on charges of First-Degree Murder with Extreme Indifference, First-Degree Assault with Extreme Indifference, Vehicular Homicide, Vehicular Assault, Reckless Driving, Vehicular Eluding, Driving a Motor Vehicle While Under Restraint, Illegal Use of Red and Blue Lights, Reckless Endangerment, and Criminal Attempt to Commit First-Degree Murder. He had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, a drug law violation, and a weapons violation. Subsequently, the injured 40-year-old trooper returned to light duty.

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Florida

A 64-year-old deputy sheriff with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) was shot and killed while handling a person with a mental illness in Shalimar on September 22. Just after 8 a.m., the deputy, a veteran of more than 25 years of law enforcement service, was serving an injunction for protection on an individual at an attorney’s office. After serving the protective order, the deputy informed the man that he would have to surrender his firearms. The subject replied that his weapons were in his truck in the parking lot. The deputy and the subject were walking to the parking lot when the subject produced a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot the deputy, who was wearing body armor, in the rear lower torso/back and, fatally, in the rear of the head. The suspect fled the scene, and the victim deputy was taken to a nearby medical facility where he died later that afternoon. The suspect was located later in Niceville, barricaded in a motel room where he had been staying. An OCSO Special Reaction Team was deployed and shot several canisters of gas into the room. The suspect exited the hotel room with his weapon in hand, and, ignoring officers’ directions, raised his arm in what appeared to be an attempt to fire his weapon. The 33-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and had previously experienced a mental illness, was justifiably killed by the officers.

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Idaho

On May 5 after 1:30 a.m., a sergeant with the Coeur d’Alene Police Department was fatally shot while investigating a suspicious person. The 43-year-old sergeant, a veteran of law enforcement with 17 years’ experience, stopped his police vehicle at 1:25 a.m. to talk with a man walking in a residential neighborhood. Once the sergeant obtained the subject’s identification and ran a warrant check through dispatch, he questioned the man about whether he had any weapons on him. When the sergeant asked the subject to step to the side, the subject produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and fired a single shot into the sergeant’s face at close range. The victim sergeant, who was wearing body armor, immediately fell to the ground and succumbed to the gunshot wound to the front of his head. The man stole the victim sergeant’s service weapon and fled the scene in the victim sergeant’s police vehicle. Police located the suspect in a neighboring city driving the stolen police vehicle at high rates of speed. Eventually, the suspect abandoned the police vehicle and fled on foot. Later, a K-9 unit apprehended the suspect without incident as he hid beneath a tractor trailer near some businesses. The 26-year-old suspect was charged with First-Degree Murder, two counts of Grand Theft, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Removing a Firearm from a Law Enforcement Officer. The suspect later admitted he shot the officer because he did not want the officer to find the weapon he was carrying. The suspect had a prior criminal record that included police assault, a violent crime, a drug law violation, and a weapons violation. He was on parole and under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

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Illinois 

A 47-year-old deputy sheriff with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) died on September 14 from wounds he suffered in an ambush 11 months earlier. Around 1:15 a.m. on October 16, 2014, a man called the MCSO and requested a well-being check on a husband and wife in Holiday Hills. The wife had called the man indicating her husband was behaving irrationally, and she was afraid he might kill her. Subsequently, the veteran deputy, who had more than 7 years of law enforcement experience, was one of the three deputies who responded to conduct the well-being check at the couple’s residence. The veteran deputy and another deputy approached the front door of the residence and noticed a surveillance camera that appeared to be tracking their movements. The deputies knocked on the front door, and a male voice from inside the home asked who was there, but he did not open the door. The deputies responded, “Sheriff’s police.” The man asked the deputies what they wanted, and they told him they were there to check on his wife’s well-being. The man indicated that there was no problem. The deputies told the man that they could not leave without talking to the woman who was inside the house to make sure she was all right. He told the deputies that they were not coming in. The deputies advised the man that they would find a way to speak to her. After a long pause, the man said, “Come on in.” Deputies asked the man to open the door. He replied, “Come on in.” The deputies asked him again to open the door, but he gave the same reply, “Come on in.” The man then fired approximately 15 rounds from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle through the door. Both deputies were wearing body armor, and both were struck as they sought cover. The veteran deputy was struck in his rear lower torso/back. The other deputy, who was 39 years old and a 13-year veteran of law enforcement at the time of this incident, was struck in the rear below her waist (leg). In the meantime, a third deputy, who was situated at the side of the house, heard the gunfire and ran to the front of the house. This deputy took cover behind a vehicle parked in the driveway and ordered the man to drop his weapon. The man, who had stepped out of the house and was behind bushes at the front of the residence, failed to comply. The deputy behind the parked vehicle fired a round at the subject, but the man maintained his position. The deputy fired approximately seven more rounds at the subject. The veteran deputy who had been struck in the rear lower torso/back tried to get up and get to his vehicle to retrieve his rifle, but the subject shot him in the rear leg, severely damaging his left femur. The subject yelled, “You are messing with an Army paratrooper. I hope you are ready to die. I am.” The subject retreated from the scene as officers from other agencies arrived. The officers on scene gained control of the situation and arrested the man later that day. The two injured deputies were taken to local hospitals. The 52-year-old offender, who was under the influence of alcohol and narcotics at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with six counts of Attempted Murder, two counts of Aggravated Battery, and five counts of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm. He had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, police assault, a drug law violation, and a weapons violation. The deputy who was shot in the front of her leg recovered from her injuries and returned to service. The other injured deputy died from the wound to his leg nearly 11 months after the incident.

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Kentucky

Just before 11 p.m. on September 13, a 31-year-old trooper with the Kentucky State Police, Mayfield Post, in Hickory was shot and killed in an ambush (entrapment and premeditation) near Kuttawa. The trooper, with nearly a year of law enforcement experience, had initiated a traffic stop for speeding. In the course of the stop, the trooper determined that the vehicle was uninsured, the driver had a suspended license, and he was wanted in Missouri for Resisting an Officer. The trooper arranged to have the vehicle towed and was waiting for backup to transport the passengers from the vehicle when the driver sped from the scene. The trooper pursued the fleeing vehicle until the suspect came to an abrupt stop, and the cruiser made contact with the rear of the car. Before the trooper could exit the cruiser, the driver produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and shot the trooper in the arms/hands and fatally in the front upper torso/chest (specifically, in the right shoulder) when a round entered the armhole of the victim’s body armor. The suspect then fled the scene a second time, but did not get far before his vehicle was disabled by a faulty tire. The suspect and a passenger attempted to change the tire. As law enforcement converged on the area, the suspect fled on foot. A massive manhunt involving several agencies ensued. The offender was located hours later and justifiably killed when he raised his weapon toward arresting officers. The victim trooper was transported to a nearby medical facility, where he was pronounced dead. The 25-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, police assault, a drug law violation, and a weapons violation.

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Louisiana 

A 27-year-old deputy marshal with the U.S. Marshals Service of Baton Rouge was shot and killed during a tactical situation at 11:15 a.m. on March 10. The deputy marshal, who had more than 3 years of law enforcement experience, was on special assignment as a member of the Middle Louisiana Fugitive Task Force. A fugitive wanted for a double homicide had been tracked to a motel, and the task force planned to arrest him. Officers knocked on the door of the subject’s motel room and announced themselves before entering. As they entered, the subject, who was behind the door, fired a shot from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The round hit the deputy marshal above his body armor in the neck/throat. The deputy marshal had been the third officer to enter the room but was the first to cross the opening exposed to the fugitive. Other task force officers returned fire and shot the fugitive. When the deputy marshal fell after being struck, his rifle magazine was damaged so he used his sidearm to cover the officers as they handcuffed the suspect. The deputy marshal then collapsed and was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries later that day. The 31-year-old suspect was on probation at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, a previous murder, a drug law violation, police assault, and a weapons violation. The suspect was also taken to a local hospital where he died the next day.

*****

A 44-year-old senior trooper with the Louisiana State Police in Lake Charles was shot around 3 p.m. on August 23 in Bell City while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances. At 2:35 p.m. the veteran trooper, who had more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a 911 call advising there was a truck in the ditch at an intersection. When the trooper arrived, he made contact with the vehicle’s passenger who claimed the driver had left on foot an hour prior to the trooper’s arrival. The trooper, who was wearing body armor, requested a tow truck to recover the vehicle from the ditch. During the interaction, the alleged passenger produced a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and fired at the trooper, striking him in the front of the head. Passing motorists who saw the situation stopped to assist. Just as 911 dispatch was advising officers that a trooper was down, a civilian used the trooper’s radio to report that a trooper was down with head trauma, and the suspected gunman had tried to take the trooper’s weapon. A minute later the civilian advised that “they had the suspected shooter in custody.” Another trooper responded to the scene and requested air transport for the victim trooper. The trooper died the next day from the gunshot wound he sustained. The 53-year-old suspected offender, who was under the influence of narcotics and alcohol, was taken into custody and charged with First-Degree Murder. He had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and police assault.

*****

A 45-year-old police officer with the Housing Authority of New Orleans Police Department was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack at 3:30 a.m. on May 24 as he sat in his patrol vehicle. The veteran officer, who had 20 years of law enforcement experience, was working a security assignment at a construction site. An unknown assailant fired a single round from an unknown type of firearm at close range through the driver’s side window. The round struck the side of the officer’s head (left temple), killing him instantly. The victim officer’s service weapon was apparently taken by the assailant. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the unknown assailant remained at large.

*****

On June 20, a police officer with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) was killed while transporting a prisoner. At 8:20 a.m., the 45-year-old veteran officer, who had more than 22 years of law enforcement experience, was transporting an individual to jail. The man had been arrested earlier that morning for aggravated assault following a domestic dispute with his wife. Seated in the rear of the patrol vehicle, the man managed to maneuver his hands, which were handcuffed, from behind his back to the front of his body. He then retrieved a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun that he had hidden on his person and pointed the gun at the officer through the sliding window that separated the front and rear seats. The individual fired a single round from the handgun at close range, striking the veteran officer in the right front upper torso/chest. The police vehicle then crashed into a light pole. Once it stopped, the suspect squeezed through the small sliding window and exited the vehicle through the front passenger door, leaving the weapon on the vehicle’s floor. The incident took approximately 12 seconds and was captured by the interior camera of the patrol vehicle. The victim officer was taken to a hospital where he died 30 minutes later. A massive manhunt for the suspect ensued. Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies searched for the suspect throughout the day. At approximately 9 a.m. on June 21, a patrol unit spotted the suspect boarding a city bus. When the patrol officers stopped the bus, the suspect tried to flee, but the NOPD captured him. He was still wearing handcuffs, but the chain had been cut. The 33-year-old suspect, who was on parole at the time of the incident, was charged with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Aggravated Escape, and Weapons Law Violations. He was known to deal drugs and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. He had a criminal history that included police assault, a violent crime, and a drug law violation.

*****

On August 5, a Shreveport Police Department officer was shot and killed with his service weapon while investigating a suspicious person. Around 9:15 p.m., the 29-year-old police officer, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, was dispatched to address a call from a woman reporting a man in her neighbor’s house was threatening the residents there. The caller said the man may be armed and possibly had outstanding warrants for his arrest. The officer arrived at the scene and made contact with the man inside the residence. The man produced a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot the officer, who was wearing body armor, multiple times in the upper body. The officer fired 11 rounds from his .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, none of which struck the suspect, before the suspect disarmed him. The suspect then shot the officer with the officer’s weapon, inflicting a fatal wound to his head. In all, the officer sustained injuries to his front and side of his head, front upper torso/chest, and his arms/hands. The suspect fled the scene. Responding officers found the injured officer and requested medical assistance. The officer was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 27-year-old suspect was arrested the next day and charged with First-Degree Murder and Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm. He had a prior criminal record including charges for a violent crime, a drug law violation, police assault, and a weapons violation.

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Minnesota

Shortly after 5:15 a.m. on October 18, a 60-year-old investigator with the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while handling, transporting, or maintaining custody of a prisoner at a hospital in St. Cloud. The investigator, a 24-year veteran of law enforcement, was working the overnight shift guarding a suspect who was under investigation for domestic abuse and kidnapping. The man had attempted to overdose on prescription medications the week before. Around 4:30 a.m., the man became agitated, removed the medical equipment he was hooked to, and said he was going home. About 45 minutes later, the suspect charged the investigator, stole his 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and fatally shot him in the front upper torso/chest. Another officer used a conductive energy device to immobilize the 50-year-old suspect and then handcuffed him. The offender, who had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, suffered an apparent heart attack and died a short time later.

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Mississippi

Two patrol officers with the Hattiesburg Police Department were shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop at 7:38 p.m. on May 9. According to an eyewitness who noticed the traffic stop through the window of his home, one officer pulled his patrol unit in behind the stopped vehicle, and shortly after, another officer pulled his patrol unit in behind the first officer’s vehicle. The witness reported he walked out of his house to observe the situation. A 34-year-old officer, a veteran of law enforcement with nearly 6 years’ experience, exited the patrol unit closest to the stopped vehicle, which contained at least two individuals. A 25-year-old officer, who had nearly 1 year of law enforcement experience, also exited his patrol unit, which was parked farthest from the traffic stop. Meanwhile, a man exited the subject’s vehicle from the passenger side with his hands in the air. As the 25-year-old officer walked toward the first patrol unit, the man lowered his hands and produced a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and began shooting at the officers. He first shot the 34-year-old officer, who was wearing body armor, in the front of his head at close range. The man proceeded to shoot the 25-year-old officer, who was trying to take cover near some trees, striking the officer in the rear lower torso/back below his body armor. A female inside the subjects’ vehicle told the offender to get in, then the vehicle left the scene. About this time, the eyewitness went inside his house and looked out a window. Minutes later, a woman came to the witness’ door and called 911. Both victim officers died as a result of their gunshot wounds. Around 1 a.m. the next morning, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation—with the assistance of other law enforcement agencies—arrested the offender at a nearby hotel. The 29-year-old offender, who had a prior criminal record that included a drug law violation and a weapons violation, was on conditional release and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. He was charged with two counts of Capital Murder, Grand Larceny Auto, and Possession of a Weapon After a Felony Conviction.

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Nebraska

At 1 p.m. on May 20, a 29-year-old police officer with the Omaha Police Department (OPD) was fatally wounded during a tactical situation. The situation began when an officer assigned to the OPD’s Fugitive Unit approached a subject near the subject’s residence and attempted to take him into custody for an outstanding felony warrant. The subject fired a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun at the officer. No rounds hit the officer, and the suspect fled on foot. After this initial incident, the 29-year-old officer, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 7 years of experience, reported to the scene with other officers to assist the Fugitive Unit officer. When the responding officers encountered the suspect in a driveway, the suspect fired his weapon at them. One of the assisting officers returned fire as the suspect jumped over a fence and entered a neighbor’s backyard. From the backyard, the suspect again fired his handgun, and one round struck the 29-year-old officer, who was wearing body armor, in the right lower neck/throat. Assisting officers returned fire and struck the suspect as he attempted to flee on foot. Officers pursued the suspect and located him on the ground a short distance away. He had been justifiably killed. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. The 26-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record including police assault, a violent crime, a drug law violation, and a weapons violation. He was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

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Nevada

A 35-year-old deputy sheriff with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while answering a domestic call around 2:20 a.m. on August 15. Two deputies were dispatched to a residence where a neighbor had reported an altercation. Upon arriving, the deputies found an intoxicated female in the street in front of the residence. The female presented her injuries and appeared to be the victim of the reported domestic incident. One of the deputies, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 9 years of experience, left the female victim with the backup deputy and approached the residence. The backup deputy moved to a better position near the driveway where he observed the first deputy moving hastily backward from the residence and shouting, “Don’t!” Shots were fired, and the suspect then exited the house, naked and armed with a .357-caliber revolver. The victim deputy, who was wearing body armor, returned fire and shot the suspect in the center of his body, grazing the suspect’s hand and the gun in his hand. The offender again fired on the deputy and struck him in the front of his head and in his front legs, fatally hitting the femoral artery. Officers who arrived on the scene were able to reach the victim deputy, place him in a patrol car, and transport him to a safe area where paramedics were stationed. As the officers tended to the victim deputy, the offender’s whereabouts were unknown. The victim deputy was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Shortly after, officers located the deceased offender lying under a tree in the yard; he had been justifiably killed by the victim deputy. The 30-year-old offender, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record that included a weapons violation; a subsequent search of the residence produced approximately 50 weapons.

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New Mexico

On October 21 at 7:40 p.m., a patrol officer with the Albuquerque Police Department was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop. The 47-year-old officer, who was a veteran of law enforcement with 8 years’ experience, initiated a traffic stop for a stolen license plate on a motorcycle. The officer, who was wearing body armor, approached the motorcycle and confronted the driver and passenger. After questioning the driver, the officer attempted to take him into custody, and an altercation ensued. While the subject was still on the motorcycle, the officer placed a handcuff on the subject’s left wrist. As the officer was attempting to cuff the subject’s right wrist, the subject pulled a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun from his waistband and shot the officer six times at point-blank range. Rounds struck the officer in his front lower torso/stomach, rear lower torso/back (below the officer’s vest), and, fatally, in his neck/throat. The subject got off the motorcycle and fled northbound on foot while continuing to shoot at the officer. The victim officer was unable to return fire. Assisting officers set up a perimeter in the area where the subject fled. An air unit using heat-seeking technology located the subject in the backyard of a residence inside the perimeter. Tactical units were directed to the residence and used a police service dog to apprehend the subject, who was under the influence of narcotics and still wearing the handcuff on his left wrist. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds on October 29. The 34-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record including murder and a weapons violation. He was charged with Homicide, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Tampering with Evidence, and Shooting at/from a Motor Vehicle.

*****

A 42-year-old police officer with the Navajo Division of Public Safety, Shiprock, was killed, and two other police officers from the department were injured in a tactical situation at 9:30 p.m. on March 19 in Red Valley, Arizona. Around 2 p.m. earlier that day, officers were dispatched to investigate a domestic assault in Little Water, New Mexico. Upon their arrival at the scene, they were immediately met with gunfire from a male suspect. No officers were hurt, and the suspect fled the area. A command post was established, and units from many other law enforcement agencies were called in. Approximately 3 hours later, the suspect drove past the command post. All units were notified and headed out in pursuit. When approached by a responding officer, the suspect stopped, exited his vehicle, and then began firing at the officer’s vehicle, disabling it. The man got back into his vehicle, and other officers pursued him. The chase continued and crossed the border into mountains in Arizona where officers eventually found the suspect’s vehicle on a dirt road, appearing to have become stuck in snow. The suspect, who was hiding nearby, fired on the first police vehicle to approach his abandoned car, and the officer backed down the mountain. Because the suspect’s exact location was unknown at the time, the officers used a police vehicle as a rolling barricade to proceed up the hill toward the abandoned vehicle. The suspect had apparently crossed the road, and as the pursuing officers became exposed to him, he fired several shots toward them with a .223-caliber rifle. A 48-year-old police officer was shot in the front below the waist and later had to have his leg amputated. A 41-year-old officer was shot in the rear below the waist. A 42-year-old police officer, who was wearing body armor, was shot once in the back of the head and was found several feet from the barricade vehicle; he died at the scene. A number of officers returned fire, justifiably killing the 25-year-old suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. He had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime. The suspect was wearing a bulletproof vest and a hunting vest with 12-gauge shotgun shells. A 12-gauge shotgun was also found in his vehicle.

*****

A police officer with the Rio Rancho Police Department was fatally wounded while conducting a traffic stop at 8:04 p.m. on May 25. The 49-year-old officer, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, stopped a vehicle and prepared to contact the vehicle’s driver. The vehicle drove away from the initial scene, and the officer followed. The vehicle stopped a second time, and the officer contacted the driver and the passenger. The passenger provided a false name and, during the subsequent interaction, fired four shots from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Two of the rounds struck the officer—once in the rear legs and once fatally in the rear upper torso/back above his body armor. The passenger also inadvertently shot the driver of the vehicle in the foot. The driver exited the vehicle; the suspect entered the driver’s side of the vehicle and fled the scene, leaving the injured former driver behind. Witnesses rendered medical aid to the victim officer and called for assistance using the officer’s portable radio. Additional officers arrived on the scene shortly afterward. Paramedics arrived and transported the victim officer to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The suspect’s acquaintance was also transported to a local hospital where her wound was treated. The 28-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, was on supervised conditional release and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. He was apprehended the next day in a neighboring county and was arrested and charged with Murder, Tampering with Evidence, Shooting at/from a Motor Vehicle Causing Great Bodily Harm, Aggravated Fleeing a Law Enforcement Officer, Aggravated Battery Causing Great Bodily Harm, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Attempting to Commit a Felony, Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery, Possession of a Destructive Device by a Felon, Concealing Identity, and False Evidence of Title/Registration.

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New York

Around 6:15 p.m. on May 2, a police officer with the New York Police Department (NYPD) was shot while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances. Two police officers were performing an anticrime patrol and were wearing plainclothes in an unmarked police vehicle. As they pulled alongside a man on the sidewalk on the driver’s side of the vehicle, the man produced a .380-caliber revolver and discharged three rounds at the officers. The driver of the patrol vehicle, a 25-year-old officer who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor, was struck in the side of his head. He also suffered injuries to the front and rear of his head. The suspect fled the scene on foot. The officer in the passenger seat immediately rendered first aid to the victim officer and called for assistance. Responding officers transported the victim officer to a nearby hospital where he underwent several hours of surgery. After an extensive search, the suspect was found on May 3 at a nearby location; the revolver he used to shoot the victim officer was subsequently found in a yard. The 35-year-old man was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and two counts of Second-Degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon. He had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, police assault, and a weapons violation. The victim officer did not recover from his injuries and died from the gunshot wound to the side of his head on May 4.

*****

On October 20, a 33-year-old police officer with the New York Police Department (NYPD) was fatally wounded while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances. Shortly after 8:30 p.m., the police officer, a 5-year veteran of law enforcement, and his partner were in plainclothes and sitting in an unmarked vehicle when they responded to a report of a man firing a gun. Allegedly, the same suspect had also stolen a man’s bicycle at gunpoint. The two officers walked across a footbridge in the direction the suspect was last seen. The officers turned onto a split-level pedestrian ramp approaching the paved walkway when, suddenly, a man on a bicycle quickly turned onto the ramp and came face-to-face with the officers. The man jumped off of the bicycle and fired a single shot from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking the one officer, who was wearing body armor, in the front of his head (specifically to the left side of his forehead). The man then advanced with his weapon pointed toward the second officer. The second officer drew and fired his weapon while tactically retreating from his position on the ramp. The offender then turned and fled. The officer fired three more rounds before returning to the victim officer, who was lying on the ground. The officer radioed for assistance, and nearby detectives and officers quickly arrived on the scene. Because of the victim officer’s life-threatening condition, they transported him to a local hospital in one of the NYPD’s emergency service units. About the same time, two other officers apprehended the suspect as he attempted to cross the median of the adjacent road. They arrested the 30-year-old man, who was a known drug dealer with a prior criminal record that included police assault, and charged him with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and First-Degree Robbery. The victim officer died later that night.

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Ohio

A 48-year-old police officer with the Cincinnati Police Department was killed during an ambush (entrapment and premeditation) shortly before 9:30 a.m. on June 19. The officer, a veteran of law enforcement with 27 ½ years of experience, responded to a call reporting a man with a firearm. The officer arrived on the scene at 9:24 a.m. and observed an armed individual arguing with a woman (who was later identified as the individual’s mother). The officer was familiar with the individual and his mother from patrolling the neighborhood. The officer drew his conductive energy device and ordered the individual to show his hands. The individual moved toward the officer and drew a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun from his waistband. The officer then removed his weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, from its holster. The individual fired four rounds at the officer, three of which struck the officer in the arms/hands and in the front lower torso/stomach between the side panels of the body armor he was wearing. The officer fell into the street; he and the suspect wrestled briefly before the suspect gained control of the victim officer’s weapon and used it to fire at a probation officer who had arrived on the scene. The suspect then demanded that the probation officer kill him. Another officer arrived, and the suspect and that officer engaged in a gun battle around the officer’s car. The responding officer shot the suspect, killing him. The victim officer was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased; the fatal wound was to his front lower torso/stomach. The 21-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record and was under the influence of alcohol and narcotics at the time of the incident.

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Pennsylvania

On March 5, a 31-year-old police officer with the Philadelphia Police Department was shot and killed during a robbery in progress at a retail location around 4:40 p.m. The officer, who was a veteran of law enforcement with 9 years of experience, was in the store shopping when two men wearing masks entered with guns and announced a robbery. When the suspects realized a uniformed officer was in the store, they started shooting, and the officer returned fire. The officer, who was wearing body armor, was struck with rounds from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He suffered wounds in the front upper torso/chest, the rear upper torso/back (by rounds that entered the armhole/shoulder area of the vest), the rear below the waist, the arms/hands, and the front of his head. The suspects attempted to escape out the back door of the store, but it was locked. The 29-year-old suspect, who was on probation at the time and had a criminal history that included a violent crime and a weapons violation, fled the store through the front door. Upon exiting the building, he engaged in gunfire with responding officers until he was shot in the leg and apprehended. The 24-year-old suspect, who also had a criminal history, had thrown his weapon behind the register and was attempting to blend in with the employees and customers before being arrested. Both suspects were charged with Murder, Possessing an Instrument of Crime, Criminal Conspiracy, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Robbery, Violation of the Uniform Firearms Act–Former Convict, and No License on the Street. The victim officer was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died hours later from the gunshot wound to the front of his head.

*****

A 54-year-old patrol officer with the St. Clair Township Police Department was shot and fatally wounded while responding to a domestic disturbance call on November 28. At 9:17 p.m., the officer, a 25-year veteran of law enforcement, was dispatched to a residence where a man and woman had been arguing. The woman told dispatchers that the man was intoxicated. She also reported he was armed with a rifle, had assaulted her, and had threatened to kill both her and himself. As she was on the phone with dispatchers, the man did something to cause the house to fill with smoke. According to the woman’s subsequent statement, when the officer responded to the scene, the officer ordered the man several times to, “Drop the gun.” The man refused and began screaming at the officer before lunging at him. The man fired three shots from a .270-caliber bolt-action rifle at the officer (who was wearing body armor); one round struck the officer in his front upper torso/chest by entering through the armhole or shoulder area of the bulletproof vest. The officer returned fire, and one round hit the offender in his shoulder. The injured offender fled the scene. The victim officer was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead from the gunshot wound to his chest. Approximately 6 hours later, the 31-year-old suspect was arrested while attempting to gain access to a nearby power plant. At the scene of the arrest, officers located the rifle used to kill the victim officer, ammunition, and the suspect’s bloody sweatshirt. The suspect, who was charged with Criminal Homicide, had a prior criminal record including a violent crime. He was on probation at the time of the incident and was a known drug user who was under the influence of alcohol when the shooting occurred.

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Puerto Rico

On September 7 at 4 a.m., an agent with the Police of Puerto Rico, Caimito Precinct, was killed in an ambush at a gas station in San Juan. The 32-year-old agent, who was a veteran of law enforcement with nearly 10 years’ experience, was off-duty and in plainclothes when four people arrived and began shooting at him. The individuals fired 47 shots at the agent with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Rounds struck the victim agent in the front of his head, in his rear lower torso/back, and, fatally, in his front lower torso/stomach. The unknown suspects immediately fled the scene and were still at large at the time this incident was reported to the FBI.

*****

At 9:35 a.m. on December 28, a 49-year-old lieutenant, a 49-year-old commander, and a 42-year-old agent with the Police of Puerto Rico in Ponce were ambushed in their police station by an officer from their department. The lieutenant, commander, and the agent were all law enforcement veterans, with 23, 28, and 15 years’ experience, respectively. The officer arrived at the police department and asked to speak to a colonel, but was referred to the lieutenant because his request involved administrative issues. The officer entered the lieutenant’s office. When all four were in the office, the officer disarmed the lieutenant and the commander (the agent was not armed). The suspect then threatened the lieutenant with one of the weapons he had taken, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. About this time, two calls were made. The lieutenant called the colonel to explain the suspect was threatening to kill her and the agent with his weapon. A second call came from an agent who worked closely with the colonel, who indicated the commander was also in the office and in danger. After the calls, tactical officers and other agents in the building responded to the situation. During their response, they heard gunshots. The suspect fired 15 rounds at close range at the three law enforcement officers. The victim lieutenant was shot in the rear of her head, front upper torso/chest, and arms/hands. The victim commander was shot in the rear of his head, front lower torso/stomach, front below waist, arms/hands, and front legs/feet. The victim agent was shot in the front and rear of her head, neck/throat, rear lower torso/back, front legs/feet, and rear legs. A lieutenant, who was the husband of the victim lieutenant, shot the offender four times, wounding him. The 50-year-old officer-turned-offender was arrested and charged with three counts of First-Degree Murder. His actions may have been the result of his dissatisfaction with disciplinary action taken against him.

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South Carolina

A 32-year-old patrol officer with the Forest Acres Police Department (FAPD) was shot and killed while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances shortly after 8 a.m. on September 30. The patrol officer, who was a veteran officer with nearly 7 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a report of a suspicious person at a local mall. There, the patrol officer attempted to speak to the man, but the man ran into the mall. The patrol officer, who was wearing body armor, caught up to him. However, the man fought with the officer, and at some point during the struggle, the man pulled out a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and fired two rounds, fatally striking the patrol officer in the rear of his head. Officers from the FAPD subdued the 34-year-old suspect and placed him under arrest. He was charged with Murder, Possession of a Weapon During a Violent Crime, Possession of a Stolen Weapon, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Resisting Arrest with a Deadly Weapon, Receiving Stolen Goods, and Possession of a Stolen License Plate. The suspect, who was under supervision on conditional release at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record that included a weapons violation.

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Tennessee

A patrol officer with the Memphis Police Department was fatally injured at 9:18 p.m. on August 1, while investigating suspicious persons. The 33-year-old officer, who had 4 years of experience, observed two men acting suspiciously while sitting together in a vehicle. When the officer approached, the driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot. The second subject and the officer became involved in a physical altercation. The subject shot the officer multiple times with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and left the scene. When responding officers arrived, they found the victim officer, who had been wounded in the front of his head, front lower torso/stomach, arms/hands, the rear legs, and fatally in the front upper torso/chest. Although the officer was wearing body armor, the rounds entered above and below his protective vest. The victim officer was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The suspect later surrendered to federal and local authorities on August 3. The 29-year-old male was charged with First-Degree Murder. He was on probation at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and a weapons violation.

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Texas

On August 28, just before 8:30 p.m., a 47-year-old deputy sheriff with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack. The veteran deputy, with nearly 9 years of law enforcement experience, had just finished a call at the scene of an accident when he stopped at a convenience store, parked near a gas pump, and went inside. As he left the convenience store and walked to his police car, surveillance video showed a man exit a truck, walk up behind the victim deputy, and shoot him in the rear of the head. The victim deputy, who was wearing body armor, fell to the ground, and the subject continued to fire at him until he emptied the .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun of 15 rounds. The assailant then returned to his truck and left. The victim deputy, who not only suffered a fatal wound to the rear of his head, but also suffered wounds to his neck/throat and the rear upper torso/back, died at the scene of the shooting. Later that evening, a 30-year-old suspect, with a criminal history including a violent crime, a weapons violation, and police assault, was arrested at a residence near the convenience store. Also at that location, officers found the truck observed in the surveillance video and a .40-caliber handgun, subsequently identified as a match to the weapon used to kill the deputy. The suspect was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

*****

A 47-year-old police officer with the Houston Police Department (HPD) was killed on May 18 while assisting in a traffic pursuit. Shortly before 3 a.m., officers responded to an attempted burglary of an automated teller machine (ATM). On their way to the scene, officers witnessed a commercial moving van speeding, making an illegal U-turn, and running a red light. As officers pursued the van, the driver fired a weapon multiple times toward them. The suspect eventually left the highway, drove to an adjacent road, stopped the van, and got out. He approached the driver of another vehicle, stole her vehicle at gunpoint, and continued to flee. One of the responding officers, who had 4 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor, was positioned near the expected path of the suspect. While the officer was deploying a tire-deflation device across the roadway, he was struck by the fleeing vehicle causing fatal injuries. The suspect stopped the vehicle a few miles later, and officers on the scene heard a gunshot from within the vehicle. Responding officers set up a perimeter around the vehicle and waited for the HPD SWAT team to arrive. When the SWAT officers arrived, they approached the vehicle and found the 33-year-old suspect inside with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Officers recovered a shotgun and a handgun from the scene. Investigation later revealed that the hit-and-run suspect was probably not involved with the attempted burglary of the ATM but was driving erratically because the moving van was stolen. The suspect had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, a drug law violation, and a weapons violation.

*****

Shortly after 10 a.m. on June 24, a 38-year-old sergeant with the Hutto Police Department (HPD) was killed while attempting to make an arrest. Earlier that morning, another HPD officer observed a speeding vehicle and pursued the vehicle into a residential neighborhood but slowed the chase due to safety concerns. The officer caught up to the vehicle after it had wrecked into a fire hydrant. The driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot. The HPD sergeant, an 8-year veteran of law enforcement, was on patrol that morning wearing his uniform and body armor. The sergeant radioed that he would go to the area where the suspect was likely headed and look for him. When the sergeant radioed that he believed he had the suspect, additional HPD officers left the scene of the vehicle crash and went to assist the sergeant. As they arrived, the officers witnessed the suspect in the driver’s seat of the unmarked patrol unit and the sergeant standing at the driver’s door struggling with the suspect. The suspect put the patrol unit in reverse, with the wheels turned to the right, and then accelerated quickly, knocking the sergeant backward onto the ground and then backing over him. The suspect then put the patrol unit in drive and headed south. One of the responding officers exited his patrol vehicle to aid the sergeant, and the other officer pursued the stolen patrol vehicle. The suspect abandoned the unmarked patrol unit at an intersection and then fled on foot. The pursuing officer located the suspect and noticed that he had a hand restraint on his right wrist. The suspect jumped over a fence and began running through yards in an attempt to elude the officer. The officer continued his pursuit on the opposite side of the fence until an assisting HPD officer intercepted the subject. The assisting officer drew his duty weapon and yelled at the suspect to get on the ground. The man complied, and the officer finished placing the hand restraints on the suspect. The officer who stayed with the victim sergeant radioed that he had started CPR and requested emergency personnel; however, the victim sergeant died from severe head trauma. The 26-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a drug law violation, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Public Servant.

*****

The 43-year-old chief of police for the Marlin Police Department was shot and subsequently died from his wounds after investigating a suspicious person at 1:22 a.m. on November 1. The chief, who was a veteran of law enforcement with more than 20 years of experience, was working in his police uniform with a fellow officer as off-duty door security at a local club located beside the police station. Witnesses say he and an individual in a gray hooded-type sweatshirt got into a verbal altercation. The subject pulled a .38-caliber revolver out of his waistband, shot the chief at close range in the front of his head (left cheek), and then fled. The other off-duty officer called 911 and noted the direction in which the suspect fled. The officer had witnessed the man’s arrival at the club and saw that he had come with another man. After the shooting, she saw the other man standing beside the car they had arrived in. The officer read the license plate number to the dispatcher. The officer then returned to the injured chief, who was still conscious and answering questions; she and other witnesses administered first aid to him while they waited for paramedics. Assisting officers quickly arrived from the police station, and they started taping off the crime scene, locating witnesses, and performing crowd control. When paramedics arrived, they took the injured chief to a local hospital. The officer who witnessed the shooting suddenly saw the suspect standing by the car she had described to dispatchers and alerted assisting officers, who then detained the suspect and the man who was with him. The officers searched both men but did not find a weapon. Officers then took the men to the police station to be interviewed. Other witnesses at the scene told officers they saw the suspect walk around the building after the shooting. When he came back around to his car, he was wearing a different shirt. Assisting officers searched for the shirt and weapon and located a gray hooded-type sweatshirt and a .38-caliber revolver under a tree to the south of the building. Officers bagged the evidence and, upon later inspection, found that the revolver’s magazine, which was designed to hold 15 rounds, had only 14 in it. Officers interviewed the 24-year-old suspect separately from the other man, who they later learned was the suspect’s cousin. The suspect denied any involvement in the shooting; however, his cousin admitted that the suspect had been involved in an altercation with the officer right before the shooting. Based on this and other witnesses’ statements, the suspect was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault. The suspect had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime and a drug law violation. When the victim officer succumbed to his wounds on November 10, the suspect was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

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Wisconsin

Around 5:30 p.m. on March 24, a 21-year-old trooper with the Wisconsin State Patrol (WSP), Fond du Lac Post, was fatally shot while pursuing a suspect in an armed bank robbery and related homicide. In response to a broadcast that described the suspect and the vehicle he was driving, law enforcement positioned themselves at various locations in the region. At 5:33 p.m., the trooper radioed that he had seen the suspect’s vehicle and was following it from a distance without any emergency lights or siren activated. When the suspect drove his vehicle into a plaza with shops and restaurants, the trooper, who had more than 2 months of law enforcement experience, slowly followed in his squad car. As the vehicles neared the east side of the store, the suspect made a U-turn and shot the pursuing trooper through the driver’s side window of the squad car. The suspect exited his vehicle while it was still in drive and continued firing at the trooper, who exited his squad car—also still in drive—and returned fire. The two continued to exchange gunfire as they ran around the slowly moving squad car, and then the suspect ran toward an apartment building. During the exchange of gunfire, the suspect fired nine rounds from a 5.7x28 mm semiautomatic handgun, hitting the trooper at least once; the victim trooper returned fire, striking the offender with one round. The trooper’s squad car eventually stopped just northeast of the apartment building, and the suspect’s vehicle stopped near the corner of the store. The first assisting trooper to arrive witnessed the exchange and radioed “Shots fired!” to call for backup. She observed the victim trooper fall to the ground as he continued to shoot at the fleeing suspect. Moments later, another trooper arrived, called for additional backup from other local law enforcement, exited his patrol vehicle, and pulled the victim trooper behind the first responding trooper’s vehicle. The two administered first aid to the victim trooper. Although he was wearing body armor, the victim trooper sustained injuries to the front upper torso/chest, the rear upper torso/back (from a round that exceeded the vest’s specifications), the neck/throat, and his arms/hands. A captain with the WSP arrived and helped lift the trooper into a vehicle to transport him to a trauma center, but the victim trooper succumbed to his wound in the rear upper torso/back while en route to be airlifted. Meanwhile, law enforcement officers from the Fond du Lac Police Department and the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department came to assist. These agencies provided armored response and rescue vehicles to cover officers on the scene and to approach the suspect, who was found lying south of the store near the apartment complex. Witnesses said they saw the suspect crawling from the area. Using the armored vehicle as cover, officers verified that the suspect was no longer a threat, removed the handguns near his body and in his possession, and then permitted paramedics to approach him. The 38-year-old male, who had a criminal record that included a violent crime, had been justifiably killed by rounds fired by the victim trooper.

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