Summaries of Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed
2002 to 2016

Summaries of Law Enforcement Officers Assaulted and Injured
with Firearms or Knives/Other Cutting Instruments
Selected Incidents, 2013 to 2016

Preface

The FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted Program is committed to providing data and training that help keep law enforcement officers safe as they protect our nation’s communities. This publication provides narratives of incidents in which law enforcement officers were feloniously killed or assaulted and injured in the line of duty. The summaries are intended to be used for informational and training purposes. Additional data about officers who were killed, feloniously or accidentally, and those officers who were assaulted while performing their duties are in the annual publication, Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, available online at www.fbi.gov.

U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Services Division

Summaries of Officers Feloniously Killed, 2002-2016

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2002

Alabama

A 35-year-old conservation enforcement officer with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources was fatally wounded during a drug investigation about 7:15 p.m. on March 8 in Winfield. The 16-year veteran of law enforcement was working on a local drug task force that was attempting to execute a search warrant at the residence of a suspected drug dealer. Once at the home, officers knocked on the front door and announced their intent to execute the warrant. With no reply from inside, the officers tried to forcibly enter the residence. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, officers finally knocked down the door. When the conservation officer entered the residence, the suspect fired one shot from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun that struck the officer below the waist, just beneath his body armor. The victim officer yelled to the other officers that he had been shot, and the officers took cover outside the residence. The victim officer was able to pull himself back onto the porch where fellow officers were able to retrieve him and take him from the scene by police vehicle to a local hospital. The alleged shooter retreated to the back of the house. Law enforcement officers convinced the 42-year-old man to surrender a short time later. The man, who was a known drug user and dealer, had prior arrests on charges of First-Degree Rape and Lewd Molestation. He was arrested and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Distribution of a Controlled Substance and Attempted Murder. On March 25, the conservation enforcement officer died of his injuries and the Attempted Murder charge against the offender was changed to Capital Murder.

*****

A veteran police officer, aged 31, with the Birmingham Police Department was slain in a robbery attempt of a fast-food restaurant at 8:40 p.m. on November 18. The officer, who was off duty and in plain clothes at the time, had entered the establishment, placed an order, and sat at a table. Just after an acquaintance of the officer entered the business and sat at the officer’s table, a man entered the restaurant brandishing a .25-caliber automatic handgun. He ordered patrons and employees to the floor. The officer’s friend was apparently too slow to follow the robber’s orders, and the robber shot the individual. Calling himself to duty, the officer, with nearly 10 years of law enforcement experience, drew his 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and engaged the robber in a gunfight in which several shots were exchanged. The suspect tried to leave the business through a back door, but it was locked. The individual then retraced his steps and ran out the front door of the business with the officer in pursuit. After a short foot chase, the officer collapsed at the corner of the restaurant. The victim officer, who had been shot five times in the right shoulder, the right hand, the right thigh, and fatally in the chest, was pronounced dead at the scene. The assailant remains at large at time of publication.

Arizona

On August 9, at 1:30 p.m., a 28-year- old park ranger with the National Park Service was killed in an ambush in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Pima County, Arizona, while assisting in the pursuit of Mexican nationals who had stolen a vehicle in Puerto Penasco, Mexico. The ranger, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, was one of several Mexican and American officers attempting to apprehend the suspects. After car-jacking the vehicle from an American who was vacationing in Puerto Penasco, the suspects drove to the border town of Sonoyta, Mexico, where municipal police confronted them. After an exchange of gunfire, two of the suspects fled in the stolen vehicle to an area near the port of entry at Lukeville, Arizona, followed by Mexican authorities. The suspects turned east along the Mexican border road for approximately 3 miles then drove north into the United States through an opening in the barbed wire fence that marks the international boundary. One Mexican police vehicle followed the suspects a short distance across the border. After another exchange of gunfire, the Mexican police returned to Mexico as the suspects continued north into the national park. At approximately 1 p.m., Mexican authorities notified the American port director that two armed men in a stolen silver sports utility vehicle had crossed into the United States. The port director notified both the U.S. Border Patrol and the National Park Service. A Border Patrol helicopter working in the area located the suspects and directed responding units to the site. The suspects tried to evade the pursuing Border Patrol units, but their vehicle eventually became stuck in a ravine. The two Mexican citizens fled from the vehicle in separate directions. One man ran northwest and was eventually captured with assistance from the Border Patrol helicopter. The second man ran south- west into a heavily vegetated area. The helicopter pilot eventually found this suspect hiding under a tree and directed officers on the ground to that location. The park ranger approached with his weapon drawn within approximately 50 feet of the tree. However, without warning, the suspect fired three shots from a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. One round struck the victim officer’s radio on his left hip, and the bullet entered his abdomen under his body armor. The suspect then ran southeast across open desert to within 50 yards of the border where at least 30 Mexican officers from numerous agencies opened fire on him. The 28-year-old assailant and the victim ranger both died from their wounds.

*****

A 59-year-old sergeant with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Department died on August 24 as a result of line-of-duty injuries sustained in Apache Junction on December 11, 1993. Just after 4 p.m. on the day of the incident, the officer, then a corporal with more than 6 years’ law enforcement experience, and other officers responded to a domestic/disturbance call at a residence. As the officers entered the structure, a man inside exchanged gunfire with them. During the exchange, the man reportedly shot the corporal, who was wearing body armor, in the front of the head with a .38-caliber revolver; another officer and the shooter were also injured. The 31-year-old male, who was known to law enforcement as a drug user and was under the influence of a controlled substance at the time, was taken into custody and charged with Attempted Murder and multiple counts of Aggravated Assault. The victim corporal required 24-hour care; he was promoted to sergeant and, subsequently, medically retired from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office on June 4, 1994. The department also granted the other injured officer a medical retirement. On August 24, 2002, the victim officer succumbed to cardiopulmonary complications stemming from the initial gunshot wound.

Arkansas

A patrol officer with the Little Rock Police Department was fatally shot at 1:30 p.m. on February 1 at an apartment complex office while handling a mentally deranged individual who was acting suspiciously and making bizarre statements. The 34-year-old officer, with nearly 12 years of law enforcement experience, and a backup officer talked with the man for more than 10 minutes before attempting to escort him from the office. A struggle ensued during which the man began to assault the victim officer. The backup officer used a wrestling hold in an attempt to separate the two, but the man obtained the victim officer’s firearm, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and fired a first shot into the left side of the officer’s head. The backup officer grabbed the barrel of the weapon and held it tightly as the man fired a second round, which struck the victim officer in the left arm. The backup officer fired one round from his weapon into the side of the suspect and, after clearing a malfunction, fired two more rounds into the suspect’s back. Both the victim officer and the suspect were transported to a nearby hospital. The 28-year-old male was pronounced dead on arrival. The victim officer remained in critical condition until the next morning when he died.

California

A 33-year-old deputy generalist with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop near Irwindale at 10:40 a.m. on April 29. The 7-year veteran to law enforcement, who initiated the stop for unknown reasons, entered the vehicle’s license plate number into his Mobile Digital Terminal. According to witnesses, the man, known to law enforcement as a drug dealer, exited his vehicle and began walking towards the patrol unit. The deputy exited his vehicle, stood behind his opened car door, and ordered the individual to stop. The suspect stopped near the back of his own vehicle. The deputy approached the suspect from behind and was patting him down when the suspect grabbed a 9 mm semi- automatic handgun from his waistband with his right hand, spun around, and fired a shot at the deputy. The deputy fell to the ground and the suspect fired four more shots at him before fleeing in his vehicle. The victim officer suffered two fatal injuries, a chest wound from a bullet that went through his left arm before entering through the armhole of his protective vest and a wound to the front of his head. The suspect, a male in his mid-twenties, who has an extensive criminal history including various drug and weapons charges, remains at large at time of publication.

*****

A 47-year-old deputy with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop about 11:45 p.m. on May 19. The deputy, who had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, had stopped a vehicle in Clovis. The driver of the vehicle was suspected of being involved in the shooting of a commercial street sweeper earlier that day. Before exiting the marked patrol car, the deputy, who was wearing body armor, provided dispatchers with the vehicle’s license plate number and location as well as a description of the vehicle and its occupant. As the deputy approached the car, the driver allegedly shot him once in the mouth area at close range with a .30-caliber lever-action rifle. The deputy died at the scene, and the suspected shooter fled in the deputy’s police car, which had a rifle inside. On May 25, the suspect, who had a history of mental instability, was found near Auberry in a camper on a rural residential lot. He exited the camper holding a rifle and pointed it at SWAT personnel, who then shot and killed the 21-year-old suspect. The officer’s weapon was recovered.

*****

A 31-year-old police officer with the Red Bluff Police Department was gunned down at 1:30 a.m. on November 19 in an ambush as he was fueling his marked police vehicle at a gasoline station. The officer, who had nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, was wearing body armor when he was shot three times with a .40-caliber semi- automatic handgun. He was shot twice in the back, but the rounds penetrated the vest because the ammunition was more powerful than the body armor’s capabilities. In addition, the victim officer was shot fatally once, execution-style, in the back of the head. There were no witnesses to the killing. The victim officer’s weapon was found approximately 10 feet from his body. It is unclear if the officer drew his weapon, if the suspect removed the officer’s weapon, or if the weapon ejected from the victim officer’s holster as he fell to the ground. On November 25, a 23-year-old male confessed over the telephone to his parents about the killing and told them he was at a hotel in Concord, New Hampshire. The suspect’s parents contacted law enforcement personnel with that information, and a felony warrant was issued in the early morning hours of November 26 for the suspect’s arrest. When authorities went to the hotel to arrest the suspect, he had barricaded himself in the hotel room. He demanded media access, which was provided and his confession was taped. Hostage negotiators then convinced him to surrender, and he was arrested around 9 a.m. that day and charged with Murder of a Peace Officer Engaged in Duties.

*****

On November 30 at 10:30 a.m., a 42-year-old deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was fatally wounded after responding to a disturbance call in Artesia. The nearly 19-year veteran to law enforcement was among patrol units and an air unit that responded to numerous calls of two street gang members in the area of a rival street gang. Gunshots were also reported being fired. Members of the air unit spotted the two suspects; one suspect hid in a backyard and the other forced his way into a nearby residence. The deputies learned that inside the house there were two women who were afraid to leave. Fearing a hostage situation, they went to the residence and ordered the suspect to come out, but he refused. With the house surrounded by law enforcement personnel, a group of deputies attempted to kick in the front door. The suspect fired four shots from a .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol. One shot entered through the armhole of the victim officer’s protective vest and struck him in the chest. The victim officer attempted to draw his weapon as another deputy fired one round from his shotgun through the front door. The round struck the suspect in the right side and back. The 21-year-old suspect, who was on probation and under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the incident, then shot himself in the head and died at the scene. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital where he died the same day. Officials later discovered that the occupants of the home had managed to escape before the deputies arrived.

Florida

On November 13, a sergeant, aged 47, with the Tallahassee Police Department was shot and killed at 8 p.m. while responding to a robbery in progress. Reportedly, after kicking in the back door of a residence, a man held two females at gunpoint in the living room while he searched for drugs. Eventually, the man put the females in the bathroom and continued to loot their home, placing jewelry and compact discs into a pillowcase that he took to his vehicle; he then returned to remove a computer. While in the bathroom, one of the females called 911 on a cellular telephone, and officers with the Tallahassee Police Department were dispatched to the residence. Upon arriving, the sergeant, who had nearly 14 years’ law enforcement experience, parked one block away and walked toward the residence, which was located at the end of a dead end road with no lighting. After observing an idling vehicle at the end of the driveway, the veteran sergeant radioed dispatch with the vehicle’s license plate number. A second officer arrived at the scene and went to the rear of the residence; the sergeant moved toward the side of the residence where the front door was located. When the sergeant approached the door with his weapon drawn, a man emerged with a .357-caliber revolver and shot the sergeant fatally in the back of his head from a distance of 5 feet or less, as well as in the stomach below his body armor, the back, below his waist in the back, and his arms and hands. A third officer entering the area then saw the individual get into his vehicle and flee the scene through a field. Within minutes, officers located the vehicle and a pursuit ensued. They hit the assailant’s vehicle with the police car, and both vehicles slid from the roadway. Officers then apprehended the man, who confessed to the robbery and to firing the handgun at the scene of the crime. The 32-year-old suspect, who had an extensive criminal history and had been released from prison 4 1⁄2 months earlier, was arrested and charged with Homicide of a Law Enforcement Officer, Robbery with a Firearm, Burglary of a Dwelling, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Fleeing Police, and Kidnapping.

Georgia

A 42-year-old lieutenant with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office was killed at 9:30 p.m. on September 3 while investigating a suspicious person. The lieutenant responded to a 911 call from a person who had reportedly witnessed a man setting fire to a residence in Carrollton. The witness also reported seeing the suspect fleeing with a can of gasoline from the burning dwelling, which was later discovered to be the suspect’s residence. The witness followed the man’s vehicle and continued to update the 911 center with information that was passed on to all patrol units. The veteran officer, with over 20 years of law enforcement experience, was the first officer to intercept the suspect’s vehicle. As the lieutenant attempted to pull over the suspect, a high-speed chase ensued. The alleged arsonist, who was reportedly distraught over his impending divorce, eventually stopped his vehicle and fled on foot, and the officer ran after him. The man entered a nearby residence where he allegedly fired 12 close-range rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, killing the 85-year-old owner. The suspect immediately exited the residence, firing additional rounds at the pursuing officer. One of the rounds fatally struck the victim officer in his chest. The suspect ran back into the house and then out again as he fired at officers who were arriving at the scene. The 31-year-old male, who had previous charges against him for Aggravated Assault with a Motor Vehicle, Fleeing and Attempting to Elude Officer for Felony, and Failure to Appear, was shot by the officers and died shortly after being transported to a local hospital. The victim officer died at the scene.

Illinois

A veteran police officer with the Chicago Police Department died March 19 of injuries sustained the previous day while trying to serve a bench warrant. Shortly after 10 p.m. on March 18, the 47-year- old officer, with more than 20 years of experience in law enforcement, and his partner arrived at a residence to serve a bench warrant requiring the officers to bring the individual to court and authorizing forced entry into the residence, if necessary. Identifying themselves as police officers, the officers knocked on the door several times, but the occupant refused to open the door. A neighbor of the occupant also tried in vain to get the individual to open the door. Subsequently, the officer obtained a sledgehammer, again identified himself as a police officer, and asked that the occupant open the door. When the occupant still refused to open the door, the officer hit it with the sledgehammer. His partner heard a gunshot and saw the victim officer fall across the door’s threshold. The victim officer had been shot in the front of the head at close range with a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The victim officer’s partner and the neighbor took cover while the suspect continued shooting. The partner called for help, and additional officers responded to the scene. While under fire, officers removed the victim officer from the scene and shot the 77-year-old suspect in return fire. More than 40 shots were fired during the incident. The victim officer and the suspect were taken to different hospitals. The suspect died at 11:30 p.m. on March 18, and the officer succumbed to his wounds shortly after midnight on March 19.

*****

About 8 p.m. on March 22 in Toulon, a deputy sheriff with the Stark County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while attempting to serve an arrest warrant to a man who had been arrested for assault by the department in the past and had been verbally, but not physically, abusive to officers. The 23-year-old deputy with 2 years of law enforcement experience knocked on the man’s door. Allegedly, the man came to the door and shot at the deputy, who was wearing body armor, from about 2 feet away with a sawed-off 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. The round hit the deputy’s badge, ricocheted up, and struck the officer in the neck, killing him instantly. Apparently, the man then took the deputy’s firearm and stole his police car. He drove approximately two blocks and rammed into a vehicle. Assumedly, he exited the police car, entered another residence, and killed a man and woman inside. The suspect returned to the police car and left the scene. About a block away, a responding officer rammed his patrol vehicle into the police car driven by the suspect. The man then engaged in a gunfight with what eventually included three police officers. One of the officers shot the suspect in the head. The man was taken into custody and transported to a hospital for treatment. The 60-year-old man, who had prior arrests for Assault, Aggravated Assault, and Disorderly Conduct, was charged with 12 counts of First-Degree Murder, four counts of Criminal Damage to Government Supported Property, three counts each of Aggravated Discharge of a Firearm and Attempted First-Degree Murder, two counts of Criminal Damage to Property, and one count each of Armed Robbery, Disarming a Peace Officer, Aggravated Vehicular Hijacking, Unlawful Use of Weapons, Home Invasion, and Aggravated Assault.

Kentucky

The 48-year-old sheriff of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in an ambush at 7:15 p.m. on April 13. The officer, with 28 years’ experience in law enforcement, was leaving a benefit dinner in the city of Somerset. The officer, in uniform and wearing body armor, was unlocking the door to his police car when a single shot from a .25-06-caliber bolt-action rifle apparently fired from a wooded area more than 250 feet away fatally struck him in the side of the head. The assailant was seen leaving the area on a motorcycle. Police apprehended and arrested a 30-year-old suspect, who was a known narcotics user, a short time later in a rural area of the county. He was charged with Murder of a Police Officer. Two days later, a 34-year-old male and a 54-year-old male were also arrested and charged with Complicity to Commit Murder of a Police Officer.

Louisiana

A 25-year-old officer with the Marion Police Department was shot and killed following a felony traffic pursuit at 9:15 a.m. on March 5. The officer, who had 1 year of law enforcement experience, was responding to a call from a teller at the drive-through window of an area bank. Three males, aged 16, 22, and 23, in a pickup truck had attempted to cash a forged check at the bank. As the officer approached the bank, the 16-year-old driver sped away, and the officer followed. After a chase that lasted several minutes and approached speeds of 100 miles per hour, the driver lost control of the truck, which was later determined to have been stolen, and crashed into a ditch. The trio exited the truck through the passenger-side door. The officer stopped, exited his vehicle, and chased the driver, who was the last to exit the vehicle, into a wooded area. As the officer neared the 16-year-old, the teenager apparently turned and fired shots at close range from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The first shot hit the officer in the chest and he dropped to his knees; a second and fatal shot hit him in his forehead. The driver was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder and Aggravated Flight from Officer. The 22-year-old and 23-year-old men, both with previous arrests and convictions, were each charged with Voluntary Manslaughter.

*****

Just before 3:30 a.m. on August 4, a police officer with the New Orleans Police Department was shot and killed while investigating a robbery in progress at a neighborhood bar. The 35-year-old officer had more than 4 years’ experience in law enforcement and was acting as Field Training Officer to his partner, a recent graduate of the police academy, when the call of a robbery in progress was dispatched. Responding to the dispatched call, the officers sat in their marked car across the intersection from the bar and observed that no activity was occurring outside the establishment. As the officers approached the bar in their cruiser, the robbers inside saw the police arrive and began a frantic search for an alternate exit. At some point, one of the suspects ordered the bartender to release the lock on the front door, and the suspect exited just as the officers drove past the door. Reportedly, he immediately fired 6 rounds from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun toward the passenger door of the police car as the victim officer attempted to exit the vehicle. Although the officer was wearing body armor, one of the bullets struck him fatally in the front of the head. The four men reported to be involved in the robbery—two aged 20, one aged 31, and one aged 35–were all arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder and 16 counts of Armed Robbery.

Maryland

Two deputy sheriffs with the Prince George’s County Sheriff’s Office were shot and killed on August 29 just after 9:30 in the evening while attempting to serve a Court Order Emergency Psychiatric Evaluation Order. The two deputies arrived at the home of the parents of the individual who had been ordered to be evaluated and the father directed them to the basement. The individual was with an associate when the deputies attempted to take him into custody. The man bolted from the basement and ran to an upstairs bedroom with the deputies in pursuit. The 53-year-old veteran Deputy Sheriff Sergeant, with 13 years of police experience, attempted to negotiate with him while the accompanying officer, with a little more than a year on the job, and the subject’s parents observed the conversation. After the man’s parents left the immediate scene, he became uncooperative. He apparently pulled a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol from behind the closet door by which he was partially concealed, and shot the sergeant in the throat and fatally in the chest. As the suspect fired his second shot, the 30-year-old Deputy Sheriff First Class, who was wearing a protective vest, stepped back and drew her weapon. Before the deputy could fire, the 23-year-old suspect shot six rounds at her, one of which mortally wounded her in the side of the head. The alleged shooter then stood over the sergeant and shot him 4 more times. The suspect and his 19-year-old male associate then fled the scene, and the suspect’s father called 911. The suspect, who was on probation at the time of the shooting, was arrested on August 31 and charged with Murder First Degree. His associate was arrested the same day and charged with Murder First Degree, Accessory After Fact.

*****

An off-duty detective with the Baltimore Police Department was fatally wounded in an ambush just before 2 a.m. on November 23. The 37-year-old detective along with four acquaintances had just left an establishment where he was working security. As the veteran detective with 12 years of law enforcement experience approached his car, two men walked across the parking lot, produced handguns, and shot multiple rounds at the detective from less than 5 feet away. The detective, who was attempting to draw his weapon, was hit in the arms and hands, back, stomach, and fatally in the chest, and fell to the ground with his gun next to him. One of the detective’s acquaintances, who also worked at the establishment, picked up the gun and chased the two men on foot. The detective’s acquaintances got into a car, called 911, and then proceeded to chase the suspects’ vehicle. After a short car chase, the suspects stopped the vehicle, exited, and fled on foot. The detective’s acquaintances also stopped, exited their vehicle, and exchanged gunfire with the suspects as they chased them on foot. When police officers arrived at the scene of the foot chase, they canvassed the area. A woman told the officers she saw someone go into a nearby building. The investigating officers heard a noise coming from inside the building and ordered the person to come out. The man complied, and officers took the 21-year-old male into custody. The officers located a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun in the building. A responding officer found the victim detective’s body and called a medical unit. The victim detective was transported to a local hospital and died less than an hour after the incident. Later that morning the two suspects, a 34-year-old male and a 22- year-old male, were arrested at the home of one of their friends. In interviews with investigators, the suspects revealed that they conspired to kill the detective because they believed the detective was responsible for arresting one of the men’s brothers. Through further investigation, authorities determined that the 9 mm pistol used in the murder of the detective was among items that had been stolen during a burglary of the home of a police officer earlier that month. A revolver was also recovered during the investigation, but laboratory technicians were unable to verify that it was used in this incident. The 21-year-old and 22-year-old suspects, both with prior drug possession arrests, were each charged with First- Degree Murder, Handgun on Person, Handgun Violation-Use/Felonious-Violent Crime, Conspiracy to Commit Murder First Degree, and Illegal Possession of a Firearm. The 34-year-old, who is a known drug dealer on probation, was charged with First-Degree Murder and Handgun Violations.

Massachusetts

A 34-year-old patrol officer with the Westminster Police Department died on November 30 as a result of line-of-duty injuries sustained on May 10, 1999. Around 12:15 a.m. on the night of the incident, an officer on patrol duty stopped a car on the highway and, at the same time, observed a male walking along side of the road. Just then, an assisting patrol officer, who had nearly 12 years’ law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene; the two officers identified the pedestrian and attempted to investigate this suspicious person. However, the man ran into the woods, so the officers ran after him. From a distance of 11-20 feet, the suspect allegedly fired at the assisting officer six times with a .357-caliber revolver, striking him in the face, the hand, and the leg. The victim officer returned fire and hit the suspect once. Responding emergency personnel administered medical aid to the victim officer and transported him to a medical center in Worcester where he was treated for his wounds. The 26-year-old suspect, who was on probation and had a previous criminal history, was taken into custody and charged with Assault with Intent to Murder, Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, and Larceny of a Firearm. As a result of the injuries he sustained to his head, the victim officer remained unconscious for 3 1⁄2 years until his death on November 30, 2002. Following the officer’s death, a grand jury charged his assailant with Murder.

Michigan

Just after 9:30 p.m. on February 12, an officer with the Detroit Police Department was fatally stabbed after initiating a traffic stop. The 35-year-old police officer with 6 years of law enforcement experience parked his patrol car behind the suspect’s vehicle after the suspect had turned into the driveway of a local residence. The officer exited his patrol car and approached the driver. As he was attempting to question the driver, the driver fled on foot with the officer in pursuit. When the officer caught up with the man, a struggle ensued. The man allegedly stabbed the veteran officer, who was wearing body armor, in the back, arms/hands, and fatally in the neck. During the altercation the victim officer fired a shot inflicting a wound to the suspect’s stomach. The suspect fled in the officer’s patrol car and drove to a nearby hospital where he was treated and taken into police custody. Responding officers found the victim officer on the porch where the altercation occurred; he was taken to a local hospital where he died in the emergency room. The 22-year-old male was charged with First-Degree Murder and Murder First Degree Felony.

*****

A 26-year-old patrol officer with the Hazel Park Police Department was shot and killed about 9:15 p.m. on July 28 while answering a disturbance call concerning an unleashed dog. As the officer, with 2 years of law enforcement experience, approached the residence, she encountered a man armed with a pump shotgun and immediately radioed for assistance. When responding officers arrived, they found the victim officer lying in the yard with a fatal wound to the throat, well above her protective armor. The officer was pronounced dead at 9:47 p.m. The 42-year-old suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol, was also lying in the yard with a gunshot wound to the abdomen from a single shot fired by the officer. The suspect was arrested and charged with Murder of Police Officer, Premeditated Murder, and Felony Firearm.

*****

A Detroit police officer with 5 years of law enforcement experience was fatally shot in the head at 2:40 a.m. on August 11 while investigating suspicious persons. The plain clothed officer was investigating individuals who were allegedly gambling in front of a residence. He was wearing body armor and was bent over trying to handcuff an individual for illegally carrying a pistol when another person shot the officer at close range in the back of the head with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The 31-year-old officer was taken to a local hospital where he died at 12:30 p.m. that day. The alleged shooter turned himself in to police the same day and was charged with Second-Degree Murder and Felony Firearms. The 27-year-old male had been arrested previously on charges of Felony Homicide-Man-slaughter-Involuntary and Felony Weapons Felony Firearms.

Minnesota

A 35-year-old officer with the Minneapolis Police Department was shot and killed on August 1 while responding to a domestic disturbance call. The incident began shortly before 6 p.m. when police received a complaint that a woman was threatening a relative with a gun. Officers who responded to the residence learned that the suspect had fled the scene in her aunt’s vehicle. Investigators broadcasted the vehicle’s description and the suspect’s address to officers on the street. The victim officer, a 7-year veteran, and a back-up officer went to the address and found a female sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle in question. The two officers searched the woman but found no weapon. The woman then asked permission to use a public restroom in her apartment building. The officers accompanied the suspect into the bathroom. While in the bathroom stall, the suspect apparently retrieved a small .38-caliber revolver from between her buttocks and emerged from the stall firing the gun. One round hit the victim officer in the front lower torso, below her protective vest. The wounded officer was able to fire three shots, all of which hit the 60-year-old shooter, killing her. The police officer was transported to an area hospital, but she died on the operating table.

Mississippi

A 42-year-old patrol officer with the Moss Point Police Department died about 11:45 p.m. on October 17 when the vehicle of a fleeing subject struck his patrol car. The patrol officer, who had over 21 years’ law enforcement experience, had answered a radio request for assistance from an officer in pursuit of a suspect traveling the wrong way on a divided highway. After establishing a road block in the suspect’s path with his patrol car, the veteran officer attempted to exit the vehicle; however, the suspect allegedly rammed into the patrol car with his vehicle. Upon impact, the victim officer was ejected from the patrol unit and was thrown over the median divider into the opposite lane of the highway. He suffered fatal injuries to the front of the head, as well as to his neck and upper torso. Responding emergency medical technicians pronounced the victim officer dead at the scene. Though the suspect attempted to flee on foot, the first responding officer apprehended and arrested the man a short distance from the scene of the incident. The 26-year- old male, who was on probation for a previous arrest of Aggravated Assault, was charged with Capital Murder.

Missouri

On December 9 at 12:05 p.m., a 48-year-old detective with the Dent County Sheriff’s Department was shot to death while attempting an arrest. Responding to a report of a double homicide at a residence in a rural area of the county, the veteran detective, with 10 years of law enforcement experience, and the sheriff arrived at the suspected killer’s residence. A witness to the murders had identified the man but had provided incorrect information concerning his vehicle. Although the officers did not see the described vehicle at the residence, they approached the home. A woman, later identified as the suspect’s girlfriend, opened the door and spoke to the officers. As the officers continued walking toward the residence, the suspect allegedly stepped to the door with a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun hid- den behind his back. When the detective was within 10 feet of the door, the assailant fired at least three shots, striking the victim officer in her abdomen and fatally on the left rear side of her head. The sheriff received a superficial wound to the abdomen, but he was able to draw his service weapon and return fire, striking the suspect in the left side of his face and his left leg. The suspect’s girlfriend was shot twice as she and the suspect retreated into the residence. The man exchanged gunfire with other officers who arrived to assist, but he surrendered a short time later. The victim detective was airlifted to a local hospital where she died about 4 a.m. the next day. Both the 53-year-old male and his girlfriend recovered from their injuries. The man previously had been arrested for Possession/Sales of Dangerous Drugs, DWI/Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Carrying a Concealed Weapon. He had a prior law enforcement relationship with the victim officer and was also known to be a user of a controlled substance and was under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the incident. He was charged with three counts of First-Degree Murder, four counts of Armed Criminal Action, Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer, and Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance.

New York

On February 11 at 9:25 a.m., a trooper with the New York State Police was killed while investigating a complaint from a woman in Crown Point reporting she had been threatened with a knife by her former boyfriend. While the 28-year-old trooper with just over 1 year of law enforcement experience was obtaining a deposition from the woman in her residence, the ex-boyfriend returned and exited his vehicle armed with a .30-caliber lever-action rifle. Apparently, he fired three shots into the residence, one of which struck the victim trooper in the lower back, penetrating his body armor and mortally wounding him. The 36-year-old suspect then entered the residence in pursuit of the complainant and fired one more round at the trooper, striking the collar of his jacket. The man located the woman and shot her twice at close range before killing himself with a single gunshot to the chest.

*****

A 36-year-old deputy with the Broome County Sheriff’s Office was killed with his own weapon in an unprovoked attack at 3:30 a.m. on July 4 in Kirkwood, New York. Prior to the incident, three males, aged 22, 22, and 23, had apparently stolen a pickup truck from a dealership in Pennsylvania and had driven it to a small park in Kirkwood, where they had left a second vehicle. The three then returned to Pennsylvania in the pickup truck where they drove it through the front door of a fireworks store that apparently sold firearms as well. They took approximately 12 firearms before returning to the park in New York. The three were transferring the stolen weapons from the pickup truck to the second vehicle when the veteran officer, with 13 years of law enforcement experience, arrived. Apparently, as the officer exited his vehicle, the 23-year-old suspect and one of the 22-year-old men hid in weeds behind the truck. The other 22-year-old man dove under the truck and began firing at the deputy with a .40-caliber weapon, striking the officer in the knee, the abdomen, and the body armor he was wearing. The alleged shooter then entered the truck and ran over the victim officer, who struggled to obtain his weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The other 22-year-old suspect then ran out of the weeds and tried to shoot the officer with a 9 mm weapon, but the magazine ejected. Apparently, the suspect then took the officer’s weapon and fatally shot him in the head several times. A passerby found the victim officer on the ground near his patrol vehicle 1-2 hours after the incident. All three men were arrested on July 6. The 22-year-old men, both of whom had previous arrest records, were charged with First-Degree Murder. The 23-year-old suspect was charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon.

Ohio

A deputy sheriff with the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed during a traffic stop on January 8 in Zanesville. The 39-year-old deputy sheriff, with more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, radioed a registration request on a license plate at 6 p.m. and also indicated that same car was parked at a residence where someone was flagging him down. A short time later, a male caller placed a 911 cell phone call to report that a deputy was down. Arriving at the scene, the investigators found the veteran deputy, who was wearing body armor, fatally shot in the left side of the head. They recovered a .45-caliber shell casing as well as the victim deputy’s pocket notebook, opened to a page that had a Social Security number written on it. Investigators soon learned that the number was assigned to the boyfriend of the suspect vehicle’s owner. Moreover, he had been seen driving the car earlier in the day, and he had picked up his girlfriend at her place of employment shortly after the shooting. Officers spotted the vehicle later that evening, however, and the driver pulled away when deputies tried to stop the car. The occupants later abandoned the car and fled on foot to a wooded area where they were apprehended. The suspect had a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun in his possession and admitted to deputies that he had shot an officer. The 27-year-old male, who was on probation at the time of the shooting, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Murder.

*****

A Dayton police officer with nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience was critically wounded after responding to a domestic disturbance call at 3:30 p.m. on May 15, 2000. The 40-year-old officer and her partner were in their patrol vehicle en route to the residence where a man was reported to have shot at his girlfriend and her 4-year-old son. The suspect was leaving the residence as officers arrived, and a short car chase ensued. He stopped his vehicle, exited with a .30-caliber semi-automatic rifle and aimed it at the victim officer’s partner. Both officers exited the patrol vehicle and took cover, the partner behind the vehicle and the officer behind the vehicle’s right front fender as four other officers arrived at the scene. The first officers at the scene ordered the man to put down his weapon, but he replied that if they didn’t drop their weapons he would shoot them. A little more than a minute later, the suspect reportedly approached the officer who had taken cover behind the right front fender of the police car and told her to drop her gun or he would “blow her head off.” The officer, who was wearing body armor, placed her gun on the ground and raised her hands. The suspect then shot the victim officer in the neck from less than 5 feet away. Her partner returned fire and shot the man six times. The 21-year-old offender, who was on conditional release pending criminal prosecution, was known to law enforcement as a drug dealer. He was treated for his wounds, then charged with three counts of Felony Assault, two counts of Aggravated Robbery, one count each of Child Endangerment, Failure to Comply, Carrying Concealed Weapon, Having Weapons Under Disability, and Unlawful Possession of Dangerous Weapons. The victim officer was left quadriplegic as a result of the shooting and died of her injuries on August 25, 2002, at the age of 43.

*****

A 31-year-old patrol officer with the Massillon Police Department was shot and killed August 9 just after 8:30 p.m. The 7-year veteran was assisting state troopers in the pursuit of an armed suspect who had fled a traffic stop. During the initial stop by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the driver refused to give the trooper his license and fled the scene entering Massillon city limits. The suspect stopped a second time, pointed a 7.62x25 mm semiautomatic pistol at the pursuing trooper, and then fled to a nearby construction site. The trooper retreated to his cruiser and notified his dispatcher that the suspect was armed. However, the victim officer, who arrived at the construction site to assist the troopers, did not receive the dispatch that the suspect was armed due to a delay in transmitting information because of different radio frequencies. The suspect allegedly shot at the patrol officer once, hitting his driver side mirror. As the officer exited his vehicle, the suspect shot a second time striking the officer fatally in the left lower back below his protective vest. The trooper who had been in pursuit of the suspect and three other Massillon police officers arrived at the scene. The suspect drove his vehicle at the officers firing his handgun at them. Officers returned fire as the suspect circled past them. When the 61-year-old male stopped and exited his vehicle, officers shot and killed him at the scene.

Oregon

On September 14, at 8 a.m., a 38-year-old deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while investigating a disturbance call that included a report of public indecency at a motel located in a rural area of the county. The officer interviewed the suspect, obtained his identification, and returned to the patrol vehicle to provide the information to the dispatch office. The deputy, who had nearly 9 years of law enforcement experience, indicated to the dispatcher that the man seemed irritated and had lied about not having a vehicle and identification. The dispatch office sent a back-up officer to the scene. Soon after the corporal arrived, the dispatch office received a call from another motel resident who reported hearing the suspect loading a firearm. The assisting officer joined the deputy at the suspect’s vehicle parked near the motel room. At first, the suspect seemed cooperative, but after the deputy completed the citation, he asked the suspect for permission to search the vehicle’s trunk for firearms. The trunk lid was already open, and the man reached up toward the lid in what appeared to be a movement to close it. Instead, he suddenly reached inside the trunk and pulled out a .44-caliber lever-action rifle that had been concealed under a blanket. Both officers immediately drew their firearms and began to fire. The deputy, who was wearing body armor at the time of the attack, fired four shots before he was fatally struck in the face by a round fired by the suspect. The corporal fired seven rounds, striking the suspect with at least one of the shots. Both the deputy and the suspect died at the scene. The suspect, a 36-year-old male, was on probation and had a history of resisting arrest, drug possession, and other battery charges. He also was a known user of narcotics and was under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the incident.

Pennsylvania

About 9:30 p.m. on January 30, a patrol officer with the Upper Darby Township Police Department was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious vehicle. The 43-year-old officer, with nearly 9 years of law enforcement experience, radioed police dispatchers that he would be out of his vehicle checking two subjects. Within minutes a back-up officer arrived to find the victim officer fatally shot once in the side of his head. A witness to the shooting reported that when the victim officer started to transmit on police radio via his shoulder microphone, a man pulled a .32-caliber semiautomatic handgun from his pocket, fired a shot, and fled the area by vehicle. Information regarding the individual was broadcast to all surrounding jurisdictions, and in the early hours of January 31, the suspect’s vehicle was observed by the Pennsylvania State Police. A pursuit ensued and ended when the suspect’s vehicle crashed. The 52-year-old male, who had an extensive arrest record, was a known drug dealer, and was on probation at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault, Firearms, and related offenses.

*****

At 3:30 p.m. on November 10, a 34-year-old trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police died as the result of a gunshot wound inflicted around 2:30 a.m. on November 9 by an armed DUI suspect in Ebensburg during a traffic pursuit and stop. In an initial traffic stop effected by a municipal officer, the suspected DUI violator was unsteady and belligerent, prompting the officer to call for backup. When the responding officer arrived, the suspect brandished a weapon, then fled the scene. A chase ensued during which the suspect apparently stopped his vehicle twice for periods of 10–20 minutes, but he did not respond to officers’ attempts to negotiate his surrender. Officers from two other municipal departments assisted in the pursuit, and a fourth municipal department deployed tire deflation devices that flattened three of the tires on the suspect’s vehicle. However, the suspect drove off again, and the veteran trooper, who had nearly 11 years’ law enforcement experience, and his partner joined the chase. They followed two of the municipal police vehicles on a route parallel to the pursuit route in an apparent attempt to head off the suspect. As the two municipal vehicles and the state police vehicle turned right onto a connecting street, the suspect reportedly turned left onto the same street, heading directly at oncoming police cars. Though the first municipal car avoided impact with the suspect, the second collided with him. The suspect swerved across the street and struck a utility pole near the state police car that was stopped with no room to continue forward. He then allegedly exited his vehicle with a gun in each hand and fired at the state police vehicle from a distance of approximately 7 yards. Wearing body armor and using his car for cover, the trooper, his partner, and municipal officers all returned fire. The suspect allegedly fired at least eight rounds; one bullet from a .41 magnum handgun struck the victim trooper in the forehead over his left eye. Officers hit the suspect in the torso and extremities with approximately 12 rounds before he collapsed. Both the victim trooper and the suspect were treated by emergency medical technicians at the scene and flown to a nearby hospital where they both underwent surgery. However, the victim trooper died of massive brain injuries the following day. The 45-year-old suspect, who had a previous arrest for DUI and was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, recovered from his wounds and was charged with First-Degree Murder, one count of Criminal Homicide, two counts of Criminal Attempt/Criminal Homicide, six counts of Aggravated Assault, eight counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and one count of Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Police Officers.

Puerto Rico

A 28-year-old agent with the Police of Puerto Rico, Toa Baja, was shot outside her apartment in Guaynabo at 3:30 a.m. on January 9 in a suspected ambush. Apparently, the agent, who had 7 years of law enforcement experience, encountered a man near her vehicle as she was leaving her residence to go to work. The agent and the man began talking, but the conversation turned into an argument. He then allegedly drew a 9 mm handgun and shot the agent six times in the chest. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where she died at 4 p.m. on January 21. The unidentified male remains at large at time of publication.

*****

Shortly before 11:30 p.m. on January 11, an agent with the Police of Puerto Rico in Puerto Nuevo was killed during a robbery. The 37-year-old agent, who had 16 years of experience in law enforcement, was off duty and at a bar in Puerto Nuevo when two men entered and said they were robbing the establishment. One of the men approached the agent and demanded money. In an attempt to subdue the individual, the agent was shot twice at close range with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun during an ensuing struggle. The victim agent was shot in the front of the head and in the rear upper right side of his back. The suspects then fled the bar with about $200 and the victim agent’s service weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic hand- gun. Both men remain at large at time of publication.

*****

A 36-year-old police officer with the Police of Puerto Rico was ambushed at 9 a.m. January 15 in Guayama while at the courthouse securing indictments related to a car theft ring apparently involving a Guayama police officer. The officer, with more than 13 years of law enforcement experience, had gone to the Guayama courthouse to discuss the case at the State Attorney General’s office. After the meeting, the officer was standing in front of that office and talking to a victim of the car theft ring when the officer suspected of involvement in the theft ring approached them. The officer suspected of involvement in the ring told the other officer that a mechanic assisting in the case was approaching from the opposite direction. When the officer turned to look for the mechanic, the suspect officer allegedly drew a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from his fanny pack and fired one shot, hitting the victim officer in the back of the head and killing him instantly. A court deputy and a Puerto Rico police officer who were on the scene drew their weapons and told the 39-year-old suspect to drop his gun. The suspect instead fired another round at the pair, wounding the deputy. Both law enforcement officers returned fire, critically injuring the suspect. He was taken to a hospital and died there 10 days later.

*****

On April 24, at 7:50 p.m., an officer with the Department of Veterans Affairs in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was shot to death in an ambush while he attended his post at the back gate of the Veteran’s Hospital in Rio Piedras. A video from the hospital’s security system showed that the 53-year-old officer, who had 23 years of law enforcement experience, was approached by two individuals while he was performing his duties in the guard station. When the officer noticed the individuals, they were already very close to the guard house. A struggle ensued, and one of the assailants shot the victim officer with a .38-caliber handgun at point blank range. One bullet struck the officer in his chest and a second shot wounded him fatally in the side of his head. Investigating officers believe that the suspects were attempting to steal the victim officer’s service revolver, but they were unsuccessful. The unidentified assailants, who remain at large at time of publication, were also seen fleeing from the scene after the murder of the officer.

*****

A 29-year-old agent with the Police of Puerto Rico, San Juan, was fatally shot during an undercover drug operation in Rio Piedras at 4:30 a.m. on September 26. Shortly after arriving in civilian clothes at a housing project and exiting their un- marked vehicles, the veteran agent with 7 years’ law enforcement experience and a dozen other agents overheard shouts throughout the housing project warning of the presence of law enforcement. Moments later, a series of shots rang out from the upper levels of two high- rise buildings, striking the parking lot below. Police agents took cover behind their vehicles and requested assistance. For approximately 7 minutes, snipers fired about 50 rounds from high-powered rifles. At some point in the attack, one round struck the victim agent in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Remaining agents and responding tactical units raided the upper floors of the buildings and recovered three rifles, a pistol, and large quantities of heroin and cocaine. Although seven individuals were detained immediately following the incident, all were subsequently released. The investigation is ongoing.

South Carolina

Two officers with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office were shot and killed on January 8 in an apparent ambush in Burton. At 4:30 p.m., the 35-year-old corporal, with nearly 12 years’ law enforcement experience, and 43-year-old lance corporal, with nearly 11 years’ law enforcement experience, were responding to a domestic disturbance call and radioed dispatch that they were ready to enter the mobile home for which the disturbance call was reported. Moments later, several neighbors called the dispatcher and reported shots fired. Investigators determined that the gunman, who was hiding in the closet, jumped out and fired 20 shots from his 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle in a half-circle around the room, ambush-style. Responding officers found the corporal, who was wearing body armor, near the bedroom door with massive head injuries, as well as shots to his upper back, arms, and hands. The lance corporal, who was also wearing protective body armor, had been shot in the upper torso, the rear below his waist, arms, hands, and fatally to the front of his head. Police apprehended a 39-year-old suspect after a motorist observed him hiding nearby under a small bridge and notified the authorities. The man, who had a prior arrest record, was arrested without incident and charged with two counts of Murder.

*****

Just before 8:30 p.m. on January 19, a 36-year-old private with the Charleston Police Department, who had more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, was shot and killed in an unprovoked at- tack by an individual leaving a shooting at a fast-food restaurant. Before the incident, the suspect had been involved in a traffic accident near a restaurant where emergency medical personnel were eating. The personnel were tending to the individual when he became enraged and began firing a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun at them. As the suspect fled, he killed one paramedic and severely injured another. The fleeing suspect came upon the officer, who was wearing body armor and working an off-duty assignment at a local college dormitory. The suspect recognized him as a law enforcement officer and fired at the victim officer from a distance of 6-10 feet, striking him in the torso and arm and fatally in the head. The 19-year-old suspect escaped from that scene and fired at another officer also working off duty at another location. Following a footchase with several officers in pursuit, the suspect was apprehended. He was charged with two counts of Murder, Assault and Battery with Intent to Kill, and Possession of a Firearm during Violent Crime.

*****

Shortly before 2:30 in the morning on July 7, a 38-year-old corporal with the South Carolina Highway Patrol was shot and killed during a traffic stop. While supervising a safety checkpoint in Goose Creek, the officer, who had more than 12 years of law enforcement experience, approached the passenger’s side of a vehicle that had been stopped at the checkpoint. The passenger reportedly exited the car and fired twice at the corporal with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, mortally wounding him in the front lower torso/stomach area below his protective vest. The victim officer fired several rounds at the suspect who, it was later learned, was a prison escapee. The other officers also returned fire, wounding the suspect, whose weapon malfunctioned during the gun battle. The 22-year-old alleged killer fled the scene but was later arrested and charged with Murder and two counts of Attempted Murder. The driver of the vehicle, a 20-year-old female, was arrested and charged with Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Accessory After the Fact of Murder, and several drug offenses.

*****

A patrol officer with the Myrtle Beach Police Department was fatally shot at 12:30 a.m. on December 29 while investigating a suspicious person. The 28-year-old patrol officer and another on-duty officer, each in a marked patrol vehicle, had stopped at the same time at an all-night restaurant for coffee. They observed a man who one of the officers recognized as a suspect in a recent shooting/homicide. The two officers approached the man in the parking lot, and knowing that the suspect was a potentially violent and armed offender, the officers attempted to search him for weapons. The officers turned the suspect around to do the search, and the man, who for only a few seconds had his back to the officers, suddenly turned around and fired two shots with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Both rounds hit the patrol officer, who was wearing body armor, fatally in the front of the head. The other officer and the suspect exchanged gunfire. The suspect was hit in the leg but managed to get away in a car allegedly driven by his girlfriend. The 25-year-old man was apprehended a short time later and charged with Murder, Assault and Battery with Intent to Kill, Grand Larceny (value $5,000 or more), and Resisting Arrest with a Deadly Weapon.

Tennessee

A Chattanooga police officer with nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience was shot and killed with her service weapon, a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, after struggling with a college student who had fled an area hospital while awaiting a mental evaluation. The 26-year-old officer was wearing body armor when she was shot seven times at close range in the front of the head, the front upper torso, arms, and fatally in the rear of the head. The incident occurred shortly before 1:30 p.m. on May 6. Earlier that day, another Chattanooga police officer had transported the male student to the hospital for a mental evaluation after school officials reported that the student was a danger to himself or others. While awaiting evaluation, the student escaped from the examination room, and the officer who had trans- ported him to the hospital began chasing him. The officer requested assistance. Responding to the request, the victim officer notified the police dispatcher that she had the suspect in sight and that he was running. A few seconds later, the victim officer radioed the dispatcher that she was struggling with the suspect, and about 20 seconds after that, the officer said the suspect was trying to get her gun. Additional responding officers arrived at the scene to find the suspect was standing over the victim officer, who was lying on the ground. The 20-year- old male attempted to elude the responding officers but was taken into custody less than a block from the scene. After the shooting, the suspect had apparently thrown the victim officer’s weapon into a drainage culvert, but other officers later recovered it during the crime scene investigation. The man, who was apparently under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder.

*****

On December 4 about 6:05 p.m., a 33- year-old detective with the Narcotics Unit of the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office was shot while assisting in the delivery of a search warrant for cocaine and marijuana violations at a home in Memphis. The detective, who had nearly 9 years of law enforcement experience, was assigned to guard the door-breaching team and to enter the residence first with his weapon. As the warrant team approached the residence, the detective positioned himself to the right of the front door. Entry officers knocked on the door, stated their official identity, and announced their intentions. When the occupant of the dwelling did not respond after a reasonable amount of time, the officers rammed the outer security door and began to breach the inner door. Someone inside the dwelling began shooting at the officers through the door and walls. The detective, who was wearing body armor at the time of the attack, was wounded in the chest when a bullet from a .357-caliber revolver entered through the right armhole of the vest. He was carried by officers to safety where he received initial medical aid and then was transported to a local medical center. While some of the officers exchanged gunfire with the alleged assailant, deputies entered the residence with a K-9 police dog and arrested two men. One suspect, a 45-year-old male who was a known narcotics dealer and who had an extensive history of arrests for drug- and alcohol-related offenses, was charged with First-Degree Murder and Convicted Felon in Possession of a Handgun. The officers subsequently determined that the second man was not an offender but was only a witness who was present in the residence at the time of the incident. The victim detective underwent two emergency surgeries but died at the hospital about 8 p.m.

Texas

A 37-year-old captain with the White Settlement Police Department was fatally shot at 1:15 p.m. on April 24. He and an investigator were backing up other officers responding to a domestic disturbance call involving an armed suspect. When the captain, a 16-year veteran to law enforcement, and the investigator arrived at the residence, the investigator remained in front of the suspect’s house, and the captain went around the house and positioned himself in the backyard. As the suspect exited the house with a semiautomatic handgun, the captain entered the house through the backdoor. Officers in front of the house ordered the man to drop his gun and get on the ground. The man refused and returned to his house. A short time later, officers heard several shots from inside the house. Moments later, the captain came through the front door and collapsed. Officers rushed to the captain’s aid, removed him from the scene, and attempted to treat his wounds. The captain suffered four gunshot wounds to the chest and one each in the shoulder and left arm from the suspect’s .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol. He was taken to a local hospital where he died of the chest wounds during surgery. Officers attempted to contact the suspect, but received no response. A SWAT team took over the scene and attempted to establish contact with the suspect, also to no avail. After obtaining a search warrant, the SWAT team entered the house and found the 68-year-old male dead from seven gunshot wounds received in the ex- change of gunfire with the victim officer.

*****

A sergeant with the Limestone County Sheriff’s Office serving on an auto theft task force was killed about 3:40 p.m. on May 2 in an ambush as he and other officers were preparing to investigate sto- len farm equipment on a property near Shive. The 34-year-old officer, with 12 years of law enforcement experience, was among other officers getting permission for the search from a woman at the house when he was fatally shot in the chest. A shot from a .25-06-caliber bolt- action rifle came from the direction of a barn behind the house. Gunfire trapped two officers in the house until a male ran into the woods behind the house. Officers began to set up a search area to look for the individual whom they suspected fired the shots. Two officers—one with the Department of Public Safety and one with the Lampasas County Sheriff’s Office—were shot and wounded at about 5:45 p.m. as they were setting up a perimeter around the search area. The victim sergeant and the injured officers were taken from the scene in an armored car. More than 75 officers from several law enforcement agencies searched for the man using tracking dogs and helicopters. Just before 9 a.m. on May 3, officers found the body of the 34-year-old man lying within the perimeter. On parole for felony theft, he had apparently shot him- self near some trees on the property.

*****

A sergeant with the City of Andrews Department of Public Safety’s drug task force died of injuries sustained at 9:30 a.m. on May 16 while confronting an individual aboard a long-distance commercial bus in Pecos. The 38-year- old sergeant, with more than 9 years of experience in law enforcement, boarded the bus with two other officers to con- duct a routine drug interdiction operation. The sergeant walked to the back of the bus and began questioning a man who, unknown to officials at the time, was a wanted felon. The man drew a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun and fired twice at the victim officer at close range, striking him in the back and fatally in the chest. The other officers fired three shots at the suspect, striking and killing him. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital and then to a Lubbock hospital where he died of his injuries about 8 hours later. The 19-year-old suspect, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, had several prior arrests, including Evading Arrest-Detention and Aggravated Assault Causing Serious Bodily Injury.

*****

A 34-year-old police officer with the Beaumont Police Department died of head injuries after he was intentionally struck by a vehicle while responding to a domestic dispute call on September 6 just after 11 p.m. The officer, who had nearly 12 years of law enforcement experience, responded to the call with another officer. Apparently, a man had sexually assaulted his girlfriend and attacked the girl’s father with a baseball bat, causing a severe head wound. When emergency medical service (EMS) personnel arrived at the scene, the suspect assaulted them by punching through a window in the ambulance and using the bat to smash the ambulance’s windshield. Upon arrival, the initial responding officer exited his vehicle and walked along the road toward the ambulance and the EMS workers. As the officer approached them, the suspect, who had gotten into his car, struck the victim officer with the vehicle in spite of the officer’s efforts to elude the speeding vehicle. The officer sustained fatal fractures to the back of the head. Then, the suspect drove the car into the ambulance, injuring the girlfriend’s father and the EMS personnel who were treating him. The suspect, aged 23, was immediately taken into custody by other responding officers, arrested, and charged with Capital Murder, Sexual Assault, and Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

*****

A patrol officer with the Ferris Police Department was gunned down just be- fore 3 p.m. on October 6 after responding to a disturbance call regarding a person with a firearm at a local grocery store and gasoline station. The 28-year- old officer, who had more than 2 years of law enforcement experience, was dispatched to the scene where a clerk re- ported a male who was wielding a shot- gun in the parking lot had shot a man. After securing the safety of several people at the scene, the officer saw the body of the victim on the ground between a gasoline pump and a pick-up truck. Reportedly, the suspect then opened fire with a 12-gauge shotgun, striking the victim officer from a distance of 21-50 feet under the left arm, in the front be- low the waist, and fatally in the front up- per torso, where a shot entered his body armor through the side panels. Before collapsing to the ground, the victim officer returned fire striking the suspect, who had taken cover inside a car, at least three times. The suspect, injured and still carrying the shotgun, exited the car and ran to evade police; however, he was apprehended by a police officer respond- ing to the scene. Law enforcement personnel later found that the 30-year-old suspect had been picked up on a mental warrant a few weeks before the incident. The victim officer was flown to a Dallas hospital, but he died during surgery. The suspect was arrested and charged with two counts of Capital Murder.

Utah

About 7:40 a.m. on November 18, a 39-year-old police officer with the West Jordan Police Department was shot and killed in an ambush. The officer, an 8-year veteran of law enforcement, responded to a call from a man who said his son had pulled a gun on him while they were at the home of his son’s friend. The son had left the residence of the subdivision where the alleged incident occurred. When the officer arrived, the father pointed the officer in the direction he believed his son had left on foot. As the officer, who was wearing body armor, entered a park within the subdivision, the suspect, who was concealed by a fence, fired three shots from a 9 mm semiautomatic hand- gun. One fatal shot struck the victim officer in the head. The suspect fled on foot, carjacked a van, and drove to another subdivision several miles away. After he was confronted by a detective, the 16-year-old suspect, with a criminal history that included Possession of Burglary Tools, Carrying a Loaded Fire- arm-Vehicle, and Assault-Risk of Bodily Injury, shot and killed himself with his own gun.

Virginia

Shortly before 2:45 p.m. on May 17, a 43-year-old deputy with the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office was killed along a highway near Danville during a traffic stop. Attempting to intervene in a domestic dispute, the deputy, who had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, had stopped two drivers along a highway. One driver was a woman; the other was her boyfriend, who was following her. The officer, who knew the man through a non-law enforcement relationship, was aware the pair were having domestic problems. The deputy spoke to the woman to assure she was unharmed. She asked the officer to serve a “Trespassing Notice” on her boyfriend, and the officer allowed her to leave. The officer apparently did not have a notice available, so he called for another unit to bring him the paperwork. It took an investigator about 3 minutes to arrive. At the scene, the investigator found the victim officer fatally wounded. The victim officer was wearing body armor; however, he was fatally shot once at close range in the side of the head. Investigators later determined the victim officer had been shot with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The suspect had left the scene. Subsequent investigation led officers to the 23-year-old suspect’s home where he was taken into custody later that day and charged with Capital Murder.

Washington

A deputy, aged 46, with the King County Sheriff’s Office was killed during an investigation of a suspicious incident shortly after 5 p.m. on June 22 in Newcastle. The deputy, who had 7 years of experience in law enforcement, responded to a call about a naked man who was pounding on vehicles in traffic. Seeing the individual trying to forcibly board a bus, the deputy tried to calm the man, but he charged the officer. The deputy then sprayed the individual with Mace, but it had no effect on him. The two men struggled, and a passerby tried to assist the officer. The deputy and the naked man fell to the ground. As the deputy fell, his .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun came out of its holster. The man with whom the deputy was struggling picked up the gun and began shooting. The deputy started to run but was struck once in the hip area below his protective vest and fell to the ground. The 44-year-old suspect approached the officer and fatally shot him three times at close range in the back of the head. He fired an additional 13 rounds in the area and fled to his wife’s nearby apartment. The suspect called King County dispatchers and surrendered almost immediately. Officials recovered the victim deputy’s weapon in the apartment. The suspect, who was on probation and under the influence of a controlled sub- stance at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Murder First Degree.

Wisconsin

Two patrol officers with the Hobart/ Lawrence Police Department were killed about 4:20 p.m. on July 22 in an ambush. Their shift had just begun, and they were sitting in their patrol vehicle parked along a highway in Hobart going over paperwork. A full-size pick-up truck veered to the left and accelerated to 70 mph, came across the center line, and hit the patrol car broadside. A 56-year-old officer with more than 32 years of law enforcement experience, and a 32-year-old officer with just over 3 years’ law enforcement experience were killed instantly in the incident. Both were wearing body armor. The 27-year-old male driver, who was slightly injured, admitted to investigating officers that he intentionally rammed the officers’ car deliberately killing the two officers. He was arrested the same day and charged with two counts of First- Degree Intentional Homicide.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2003

Alabama

Two officers from the Fayette Police Department were shot and killed at 5 a.m. on the morning of June 7while processing a suspect arrested for possession of stolen property. Earlier that morning, a 55-year-old veteran patrol officer, with 26 years of law enforcement experience, had made a traffic stop. He requested a check of the vehicle’s tags and was informed that the vehicle was possibly stolen. The officer was joined by a Fayette Police Department corporal, also a veteran with nearly 10 years of experience, and the two officers took the suspect into custody. While being processed at the station, the suspect began a struggle with the patrol officer and seized the officer’s .40-caliber semiautomatic service weapon. The suspect shot the officer twice, once in the lower front torso below his protective vest and once, fatally, in the side of the head. The 40-year-old corporal who had assisted the officer was also shot three times. He was wounded in the upper back above his body armor, in the neck, and mortally in the front of the head. The station dispatcher was also shot and killed during the struggle. The suspect fled the station in the patrol officer’spolice cruiser with the weapon. He was apprehended 3 hours later in Lauderdale County, Mississippi, by officers of the Fayette Police Department and Lauderdale County sheriff’s deputies. The 18-year-old suspect was charged with six counts of Capital Murder.

*****

The chief of the Grant Police Department was shot and killed at 10:08 a.m. on August 15 while attempting an arrest. The chief was assisting other officers who were picking up from a residence a juvenile who had failed to appear in court. At the residence, the 48-year-old chief and three other officers spoke to the homeowner and proceeded to a back bedroom, calling out to the wanted juvenile. As the chief entered the center of the bedroom, the wanted youth opened fire from his hiding place in a closet with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, fatally striking the 29-year veteran of law enforcement in the front of the head. The wanted juvenile and a second juvenile, who also shot from the closet with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, fired three or four rounds. As a second officer entered the room, he returned fire, striking the juvenile who shot the chief. A third officer returned fire from the doorway, helping to suppress additional shots from the subjects. Both juveniles, who were known drug users and dealers, were under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. The wanted suspect, a 17-year-old on conditional release and pending criminal prosecution at the time of the incident, was hospitalized for two injuries. He was arrested after being released from the hospital on September 5. The other 17-year-old, who was found hiding in the closet and uninjured, was arrested at the scene. Both youths were charged with Capital Murder-Murder of a Police Officer.

Alaska

About 8:18 p.m. on December 25, a 43-year-old senior patrol officer with the Kenai Police Department was shot and killed after stopping a vehicle to investigate a suspicious situation. Alaska State Troopers had requested the Kenai Police Department to be on the lookout for a vehicle being driven in an erratic manner. The troopers expressed concern for the safety of the female passenger in the vehicle, who had appeared to be frightened. In response to the request, the patrol officer, who had more than 18 years of experience, drove past the Kenai residence of the vehicle’s driver and reported that the vehicle was not there. However, he spotted the vehicle a few minutes later and followed it back to the house, reporting to his dispatcher that he was stopping behind the vehicle, which was in the driveway. A few minutes later, he radioed for assistance. Then he approached the driver and his female passenger. The driver’s 21-year-old girlfriend asked to be allowed to remove two dogs from the back seat of the vehicle and take them into the house, and the officer agreed. After the woman left, the man became agitated and verbally abusive. The patrol officer put the driver up against the house and attempted to handcuff him, but the man began to fight violently. Somehow, during a fight in knee-deep snow, he obtained the patrol officer’s .45-caliber semiautomatic duty weapon and shot the officer twice. The officer’s protective jacket deflected the first shot; however, the second bullet entered the back of his head, killing him instantly. Responding officers found the victim’s body lying in the snow and the alleged shooter locked in the house with his girlfriend. Police were able to make an opportunity for the woman to exit the premises, and then they entered into a 5-hour standoff with the suspect, who ultimately surrendered peacefully to police. The 33-year-old man was charged with First-Degree Murder and four counts of Assault.

Arizona

Shortly before 4 p.m. on May 26, a Tucson police officer began investigating a hit-and-run incident. The evidence trail led him to a nearby apartment residence. Another officer arrived at that location approximately the same time, just as the suspect ran from the apartment. The first officer, a 40-year-old veteran with nearly 13 years of experience, took up a foot pursuit. The second officer drove ahead of the suspect’s flight path and stopped his vehicle in a position to intercept him. When he saw a man with a handgun in the front yard of a residence a short distance down the block, the second officer gave chase, caught the man, and placed him under arrest. Meanwhile, a local resident had called emergency services to report an officer down. Responding officers discovered the victim’s body lying in a yard near the point where the second officer intercepted the suspect. The victim officer had suffered two gunshot wounds from a .38-caliber revolver, one to his head and a fatal shot to his torso below his protective vest. The 33-year-old suspect, who was on conditional release pending criminal prosecution, was charged with First-Degree Murder.

California

A 46-year-old inspector with the Pittsburg Police Department was shot and killed on April 15 shortly after 11 a.m. while investigating a homicide. The 23-year law enforcement veteran was investigating a murder that had taken place the previous week. He had made arrangements with the owner of the house where the murder occurred to collect additional evidence from the scene. The owner did not live at the residence, so the inspector believed that the house was vacant. When the inspector entered the house, a man fired eight shots from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun at him. The bullets struck the inspector in the chest, neck, and fatally in the front of the head. The man fled the scene. Investigators in the victim officer’s death identified a 40-year-old suspect, a man who had an extensive criminal record including Assault With a Deadly Weapon on a Police Officer. Law enforcement officers tracked the suspect to another county through interviews and surveillance of his relatives. On April 17, when officers attempted to arrest him, he shot at them. In an exchange of gunfire, an officer shot and killed the suspect. Investigators later determined that the offender was also responsible for the murder from the previous week.

*****

A 45-year-old Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy was beaten to death when he responded to a domestic disturbance call at 9:45 a.m. on May 13. The veteran officer, who had nearly 23 years of law enforcement service, had been assigned back-up duty but arrived at the scene in La Quinta just ahead of the deputy who had been dispatched as the primary officer. The call for service had been initiated by the parents of a mentally disturbed man who was creating a problem in the home. When the deputy arrived, he immediately became involved in a verbal and physical altercation with the son, and removed his police side-handle baton in an effort to gain control of the situation. However, the subject, who was considerably larger than the deputy, struggled with the officer, knocking him to the ground and rendering him unconscious. The individual then picked up the baton and struck the deputy, who was wearing body armor, several times in the back of his head. At that point, the primary deputy arrived on the scene, and the son immediately attempted to attack him. The attacker refused verbal commands to drop the baton and charged the officer, who fired two shots at the 24-year-old man and mortally wounded him. The victim deputy died later that day.

*****

An officer with the Oceanside Police Department was shot and killed while making a traffic stop about 5 p.m. on June 13. The 27-year-old officer, with a little over a year of experience, approached a vehicle he had stopped in a parking lot and asked the driver for his license. The man replied that he did not have one, and he then apparently produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and fired three rounds at the victim officer, wounding him. The officer returned fire and shot the suspect in the leg. The man, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, exited his car and continued to fire at the now prostrate officer. The suspect then pistol-whipped the officer and, taking the officer’s 9 mm semiautomatic service weapon, shot the officer with his own firearm. The victim officer was wounded in the front upper chest, rear lower back, and fatally in the neck above his protective vest. The suspect then fled in the officer’s patrol vehicle, which he later abandoned. Officers found the 28-year-old male at a relative’s residence. After a standoff of several hours, SWAT officers arrested the alleged shooter without further incident. He was charged with Murder.

*****

On June 26 approximately 12:20 p.m., a 38-year-old police officer with the San Diego Police Department was killed while attempting to make a traffic stop. The officer saw the driver of a construction truck cross over a divider and exit the freeway going against traffic. The officer, who was pursuing the suspect on a police motorcycle, followed the suspect northbound onto downtown streets where the suspect’s truck struck another vehicle. During the pursuit, the dispatcher advised the officer that the truck was stolen. According to witnesses, the driver of the truck abruptly turned the vehicle around in the middle of an intersection and accelerated southbound. The officer pulled his motorcycle over to the curb, out of the path of the oncoming truck. However, the suspect crossed to the officer’s side of the street, jumped the sidewalk, straddled the curb, and drove directly at the officer. The veteran officer, who had nearly 13 years of law enforcement experience, attempted to dismount the motorcycle and move to safety, but the truck struck the victim officer and the motorcycle head-on. The driver then fled the scene in the truck. The victim officer suffered several severe injuries from the impact. He was transported to a local hospital, and a short time later he was pronounced dead from severe head trauma. The suspect drove approximately twelve blocks from the scene of the murder and abandoned the truck after he had struck at least five vehicles in three separate hit-and-run incidents that severely damaged the stolen truck. He walked away on foot. However, area residents flagged down responding officers and identified the driver. The officers arrested the man after an intense struggle. The 37-year-old male, who was a recently discharged parolee and had a history of violent crimes including Battery, Robbery, Burglary, Theft, and Exhibiting a Firearm, was transported to a local hospital where he was evaluated and released. The man was charged with Murder, Taking a Vehicle without Owner’s Consent, and Hit and Run Resulting in Death or Injury. He had a history of mental illness, and family members later told investigators that recently he had been living on the street.

*****

On August 2 about 11:45 a.m., a 46-year-old deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was shot to death in an ambush in a remote area of the county. The veteran officer, who had just over 12 years of law enforcement experience, was patrolling a sparsely populated region near Llano. At 11:40 a.m. he radioed a request for a license plate check on a vehicle belonging to a local resident. Minutes later, dispatchers heard gunshots over the deputy’s radio and immediately sent assisting units to the scene. Apparently, as the officer approached the man’s dwelling, the man opened fire on him with a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle, striking the officer in his head and neck and also in his chest and stomach area. Several rounds from the powerful rifle penetrated the deputy’s body armor; however, the officer managed to fire three rounds before succumbing to his injuries. The assailant tied the deputy’s body to the rear of his vehicle and dragged him approximately one half mile away from the scene. The man then returned to his residence where he was observed packing his vehicle with some of his personal items. Before leaving, the suspect took several items from the victim deputy’s patrol car, including the radio, a 9 mm service weapon, and a revolver. When the responding officers arrived at the scene, their investigation led them to the suspect’s abandoned vehicle approximately 2 1⁄2 miles from the dwelling where the deputy had been shot. The investigators found evidence in the vehicle linking the man to the deputy’s murder. Six days later, officers located the alleged assailant in a deserted residence 4 miles west of the shooting scene. A SWAT Team set up a perimeter around the location, and after a 10-hour standoff, the man began shooting at the deputies. During the shootout, the structure caught fire, and the suspect died in the blaze. Investigators found the 52-year-old man’s body at the scene as well as the gun used in the victim officer’s murder. The alleged assailant, who was on probation at the time of the incident, was known to be hostile toward law enforcement personnel and had been arrested previously for Battery on a Peace Officer and Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

*****

A 26-year-old police officer with the Burbank Police Department was shot and killed around 6:30 p.m. on November 15 as he responded to a call for back up from another officer who had initiated a traffic stop. This initial officer was investigating persons in a vehicle parked behind a local hotel known for frequent drug activity. Because of the dark conditions and the suspect vehicle’s tinted windows, the investigating officer turned on both of his vehicle’s spotlights before approaching the vehicle. The officer obtained the driver’s information and then requested backup. When the backup officer arrived, the driver of the vehicle exited and shot at the initial officer. Two bullets struck him; one hit the right side of his head, and the other hit his protective vest in the stomach area. The officer was able to fire two rounds at the driver. The backup officer, who had 10 months of law enforcement experience, exited his vehicle and also shot at the driver from the rear of the suspect’s vehicle. Bullets from both officers’ guns struck and fatally wounded the driver, a 25- year-old male whose only known prior arrest was for Taking Vehicle Without Owner’s Consent/Vehicle Theft. The passenger exited the vehicle and fired approximately 25 rounds from two handguns at the officer who had taken cover behind the vehicle. The investigating officer was incapacitated from his injuries, but he fired at the passenger. During the exchange of gunfire, the passenger shot the backup officer, who was wearing protective armor, in the arms, in the rear below the waist, in the stomach, and fatally in the front below the waist, with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The 19-year-old passenger, who had a prior arrest for Grand Theft: Firearm/Animal/ etc., fled the scene but was arrested on November 27 and charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, and Bench Warrant- Taking Vehicle Without Owner’s Consent/Vehicle Theft.

Florida

As he worked a nighttime uniformed security assignment at a car dealership in Pompano Beach, a 25-year-old deputy with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office was killed at 12:40 a.m. on April 6 while attempting to thwart a larceny in progress at the establishment. Two individuals entered the car lot about 12:30 a.m. and broke into two sport utility vehicles by smashing the driver’s side windows. The noise apparently alerted the deputy, who was in the showroom. As the deputy, who had nearly 2 years’ experience in law enforcement, exited the building, he saw one of the individuals. One of the men shot at the deputy three times in rapid succession with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Two of the bullets struck the deputy— his body armor stopped one round in the lower back, but he was fatally hit in the rear of the head. He was taken to a local hospital where he died. The suspects, a 25-year-old male and a 24-year-old male, fled the scene. After searching for the men, law enforcement authorities located them on April 10 sitting in a sport utility vehicle. Apparently instead of being arrested, the 25-year-old shot the 24-year-old in the face, killing him, then turned the gun on himself. Both men had prior arrests, and both were known narcotics users.

*****

At 2 a.m. on June 1 a lieutenant with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while conducting surveillance. The 57-year-old veteran officer, with over 31 years of law enforcement experience, was in uniform sitting in his patrol car keeping watch on a night club in Lacoochee. Apparently, an assailant shot a .30-caliber rifle from an estimated 50 feet away through the lieutenant’s car, striking him fatally in the back. Two days later a 19-year-old male was arrested after having been identified to law enforcement by a family member. The alleged shooter was charged with First-Degree Homicide.

Georgia

A 26-year-old officer with the Fulton County Police Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop at10 p.m. on April 22 in College Park. The officer, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience, was still in his vehicle when the suspect shot at the officer with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. At some point, the man apparently exited his vehicle and continued firing as he walked toward the officer’s vehicle. The officer, who was wearing body armor, ducked down to the passenger side of the vehicle to avoid the first several shots, but was struck by a bullet in the back left shoulder and another in the back of his head. The offender then walked up to the car, placed the gun to the back of the officer’s head and fired a final and fatal shot. The man dropped the gun and fled the scene. Investigators established a suspect through the gun’s registration. The 26-year-old male, who had no prior criminal record, was arrested on April 27 in Florida and charged with Murder.

Hawaii

A 40-year-old police officer with the Honolulu Police Department was shot and killed at 1 p.m. on March 4 while working undercover at a shopping center to locate a fugitive who was wanted for attempted murder. Acting on a tip that the wanted person was going to meet his girlfriend at a food establishment in Kapolei, two officers, including the 12-year-veteran police officer, surprised the suspect at the meeting place. They approached the man and grabbed his hands to arrest him. He pulled away from the officers as a third officer entered. The three officers tackled the man from behind and were attempting to take him to the ground when he pulled a .22-caliber handgun from the front of his waistband. As the suspect was falling, he reached around and fired at the victim officer. The officer was hit twice, once in the front lower torso and fatally in the front upper chest; he died at the scene. The other officers gained control of the 28-year-old alleged shooter, who was on probation at the time and had an extensive arrest record, and arrested him. He was taken to a medical facility where he was treated for a narcotics overdose. He was charged with First-Degree Murder, Attempted First-Degree Murder, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Felon in Possession of Ammunition.

Indiana

Two members of the Mishawaka Police Department were shot and killed just before 1 a.m. on December 13 while responding to a call involving shots fired. Arriving at the scene, they found that an armed robbery had also taken place. The 43-year-old corporal with over 14 years of law enforcement experience and the 27-year-old patrol officer with over 6 years of law enforcement experience approached the house where they thought the suspect had gone. After the robbery victim positively identified the subject, the officers, both wearing body armor, approached the residence to make an arrest. The suspect shot the veteran corporal in the front of his head with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, killing him at the scene. The shooter then fired on the patrol officer, striking him in the throat area. The victim officer died from the wound later that evening. As the 30-year-old suspect was retreating into the house, he was shot four times by a third officer at the scene. Despite his wounds, the suspect was able to make it back inside the house; a short time later he committed suicide.

*****

A trooper with the Indiana State Police, Lowell detachment, was shot and killed on December 22 at 4:30 a.m. while responding to a call of a disabled vehicle. The 27-year-old trooper, with 3 years’ law enforcement experience, had been dispatched to check on a stopped vehicle near an interstate in Lake County. The trooper spoke to the driver of the vehicle as the man was walking away from his car. The driver allegedly produced a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, shot the trooper in the front upper chest above his protective vest, and fled the area. A truck driver who had stopped to render assistance observed the fleeing suspect and directed an arriving trooper in the direction that the suspect had fled. The arriving trooper called to the suspect, who ignored commands to surrender. The man entered the cab of a second truck whose driver had stopped to give aid, not realizing that a shooting had just occurred. When the suspect failed to comply with verbal commands from the trooper and, instead, allegedly made threatening movements, the trooper shot the suspect. Both the victim trooper and the suspect were transported to the hospital where the officer died of his injuries. The 19-year-old suspect subsequently recovered and was charged with Murder.

Kentucky

A 19-year veteran officer with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources was killed in Fort Mitchell at 1:30 p.m. on May 19 while in pursuit of a fleeing vehicle. The 62-year-old officer was attempting to stop a vehicle when it collided with the officer’s patrol vehicle and caused it to strike a retaining wall and roll over. The victim officer, who sustained head wounds, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. The 56-year-old suspect was charged with Manslaughter Second Degree and with Fleeing or Evading the Police First Degree.

Louisiana

Two police officers, members of the Alexandria Police Department’s Special Response Team (SRT), were shot and killed on February 20 during a tactical situation involving a high-risk entry. The SRT was activated to execute a search warrant on two houses on the same street. An investigation prior to the search revealed that the suspect was located in one of two houses. Further, he was in possession of a rifle and would likely engage the police in a gun battle. The SRT was split into two teams. Around 12:30 a.m. the team members began executing the search warrant. One team entered and cleared the first house. The second team, which included the victim officers, removed a piece of plywood from the front door frame of the second residence and began using a ram in an attempt to gain entry. When the team finally gained a slight opening in the door, the members were fired on by the 25-year-old suspect, who was inside the house with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. Two officers, who were wearing body armor, were shot and immediately fell. The first officer, 29 years old with nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, was mortally shot in the side of his head. The second officer, 26 years old with nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, was shot in the neck/throat area. Both were transported to a nearby hospital. The first officer was pronounced dead on arrival, and the second officer died later during surgery. The suspect shot and wounded two other officers in the confrontation. The suspect, who was on probation and was a known drug dealer, user, and possessor, was justifiably killed.

*****

A 32-year-old deputy with the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office was gunned down at 4:25 p.m. on April 16 in Mamou in an attempt to arrest an escapee from a local penal institution. Officers had received information regarding the escapee’s location, and three officers went to the residence to arrest him. When they entered the home, one officer went to the left into a bedroom and bath area, and one remained in the living room. The third officer, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience, went to the right toward a room used for storage. The officer opened the door to the room and looked inside. After seeing no one, the officer stepped through the doorway. An individual jumped from behind a piece of furniture and fired a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking the officer fatally in the front upper chest. All of the officers, including the victim officer, exited the house where the victim collapsed in the front yard. The other officers attempted to reach him, but the 21-year- old suspect continued to fire at them, 11 times in all. The victim deputy died at the scene. After an hour long standoff, the suspect—a known drug dealer with prior arrests for Resisting by Flight, Aggravated Battery, and drug-related offenses—exited the residence with the weapon in his hand. Officers ordered him several times to drop the weapon and raise his hands. However, the suspect began backing into the residence, and officers shot and killed him.

Michigan

On July 6, officers from the Michigan State Police (MSP) and the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Department attempted to serve an arrest warrant on a man who was accused of accosting children for immoral purposes. Officers from both agencies approached the suspect at the front door of his residence, but the man retreated inside the house, warning the officers that he was armed. The suspect, who was known to be a member of a local militia, barricaded himself inside the residence. The officers established a perimeter and called for assistance from the MSP’s Emergency Support Team. When the team arrived, they attempted to convince the suspect to surrender. The man refused, and the negotiations continued into the next day. Approximately 12 hours after negotiations began, one of the officers attempted to provide the man with a telephone; however, he began firing at the officers from inside the residence. The officers stopped negotiations at this point, and the MSP’s Emergency Support Team introduced chemical agents (tear gas) into the residence through windows on all four sides of the house. On July 7 about 3 p.m. and approximately 15 minutes after introducing the tear gas into the house, an eight-man MSP entry team, armed with ballistic shields, handguns, and other weapons, introduced a diversionary device into the residence and attempted to enter the house from the back door. As soon as the first four officers, who were wearing ballistic vests, helmets, and gas masks, entered through the door, they encountered a barrage of gunfire from the suspect, but they were unable to establish the shooter’s exact location. The remaining four members of the team were unable to enter because of the gunfire. When the four officers entered the dwelling, a 33-year-old trooper, who had more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, was struck in his right forearm. The victim officer dropped his weapon and the ballistic shield he was carrying and turned toward the direction of the gunfire. He was then shot in the rear lower and rear upper torso. One of the bullets passed through his protective vest and the other one struck him below the vest. The veteran trooper was also shot in the rear portion of the upper left leg, sustaining a total of four gunshot wounds. One of the officers fired a round at the shooter, but his gun jammed. During the gunfire, the officer with the malfunctioning firearm recovered the victim trooper and moved him toward safety while the remaining two team members covered them. The third officer, who was also carrying a shield, fired 13 rounds at the assailant, and the fourth officer fired 6 rounds as the first officer pulled the victim to safety through the back door. The exchange of gunfire lasted approximately 15 to 20 seconds. It was unknown at the time whether the shooter was injured during the exchange. After the four officers were outside and under cover, the victim officer was taken by an ambulance to a local hospital where he died a short time later from the wound in his upper back. One of the other three officers sustained a superficial gunshot wound to his shoulder for which he was treated; he returned to duty that same day. After examining the crime scene later, the officers believed that the shooter had been hiding between a wood burning stove and a large steel tool box approximately 6 to10 feet from the door. After the shooting incident, the MSP maintained a perimeter around the residence. Over the next 24 hours, they attempted to reestablish contact with the assailant but were unsuccessful. On July 8, at 4 p.m., the officers introduced several satchel charges that started a fire inside the dwelling. The structure burned to the ground, and after the fire was under control, the officers searched for the subject. The officers found several weapons, including the victim trooper’s handgun, but the suspect had managed to flee from the scene. The MSP and local law enforcement investigated many leads over the next several days in an attempt to locate the assailant. On July 13, officers found the suspect sleeping in a parked car at a residence near his house. The officers approached the man and ordered him to remain inside the vehicle and show his hands. However, the suspect, who had no prior history beyond traffic citations, exited the vehicle with a rifle pointed at the arresting officers. The officers shot and killed the 40-year-old man. The officers recovered at the scene the .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle believed to have been the one used to kill the victim trooper. An autopsy of the assailant revealed that all of his wounds were fresh. The investigators concluded that the suspect had not been injured during the exchange of gunfire with the MSP’s Emergency Support Team on July 7.

Montana

A 28-year-old deputy with the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed on May 29 at 10:15 p.m. while responding to a domestic disturbance call. When dispatch received the call for service, the deputy who was working the shift was about 20 miles from the scene. The deputy requested that the dispatcher ask an off-duty deputy to respond to the call in the town of Harlem. The responding deputy, who had 6 years of law enforcement service, went to the residence and approached the subject of the disturbance call, who left the premises on foot and ran across a nearby highway. The officer followed the man and had several encounters with him but was unable to handcuff him. At that point, the regular on-duty officer arrived to assist. First, he sprayed the suspect with pepper spray in an effort to subdue him. When this proved ineffective, he struck the man several times with an asp and forced him to the ground. Both deputies then seized him, but the man was able to grab the initial responding deputy’s service weapon. He fired two rounds, hitting both deputies. The deputy who had first responded to the call was shot in the chest with his own .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and died at the scene. His fellow officer was hit in the left forearm; the bullet exited his arm and ricocheted off his body armor. The alleged shooter, a 25- year-old male with a history of violent criminal offenses, was arrested at the scene and charged with Deliberate Homicide and Attempted Deliberate Homicide. The injured deputy returned to work 2 weeks after the incident.

Nebraska

A 30-year-old sergeant of the Omaha Police Department died on September 19 as a result of a bullet wound he received on September 11 at 9:55 p.m. during a foot pursuit of an individual who had run from a traffic stop. On the evening of the incident, two officers conducted a traffic stop, during which the lone occupant of the vehicle fled on foot. The officers initiated a foot pursuit and called for additional help. Responding to the officers’ call for assistance, the veteran sergeant, who had nearly 7 years’ law enforcement experience, and his patrol partner exited their cruiser within a block of the vacant vehicle and proceeded on foot toward it. Upon observing a man hiding in some bushes, the sergeant, who was wearing protective body armor, and his partner ordered the man to come out. However, the man fired a single shot from a .45- caliber semiautomatic handgun, hitting the sergeant in the front of the head. The alleged shooter, a known drug dealer with an extensive criminal record, then left the cover of the shrubbery. In an exchange of gunfire, the sergeant’s partner, who remained unharmed, wounded the suspect. Both the victim sergeant and the 21-year-old suspect were transported to an area medical center. The suspect died the next day, and the sergeant died 8 days after the incident.

New Jersey

A 43-year-old police officer with the Fair Lawn Police Department was shot and killed following a traffic pursuit on April 17 at 10 p.m. The 18-year- veteran of law enforcement responded to a request for assistance from a Clifton police officer, who was pursuing two individuals in a speeding vehicle. The chase ended in Fair Lawn, when the driver lost control of his vehicle, and it came to a stop on the front lawn of a church. The passenger raised his hands and remained in the vehicle, but the driver fled on foot. He headed around the church, and the Clifton officer exited his vehicle and ran after him. The Fair Lawn officer arrived on the scene and drove behind the church, stopping her vehicle in the suspect’s path. This maneuver enabled the Clifton officer to catch the man, tackle him, and hold him face down on the ground. However, the suspect immediately placed his hands underneath his body near his waist. Despite several commands from the officer, the suspect refused to place his hands behind his back to be handcuffed. The Fairlawn officer approached the suspect and managed to pull his left arm out from under him. The Clifton officer started to spray the suspect with pepper spray, so the Fairlawn officer released the suspect’s left hand to back away. The suspect then used his left hand to push himself up; he fired two shots from a .357 revolver that he was holding in his right hand. Both shots struck the Fair Lawn officer; one entered her stomach, and the fatal shot entered her neck above her protective vest. The suspect jumped to his feet and fired two shots at the Clifton officer, hitting him in the left leg and right arm. The injured officer returned fire as the suspect got into the Fair Lawn police car. As he raced from the scene, the suspect made a sharp turn and intentionally ran over the Fair Lawn officer as she tried to crawl to safety. The two officers were transported to a local hospital, where the Fair Lawn officer died that night. Investigation quickly identified a 23- year-old suspect, a known drug dealer with prior arrests on assault and weapon charges, who was on probation at the time of the incident. Sheriff’s deputies in Sumter County, Florida, located the man on April 20. They shot and killed the suspect when he resisted arrest.

New York

Two detectives with the New York City Police Department were murdered in Staten Island at 8 p.m. on March 10 in an unprovoked attack. The detectives were working undercover and conducting an illegal firearm purchase from the inside of an unmarked vehicle. The incident began with the first detective, 36 years old with nearly 6 years’ experience, driving the vehicle, his partner, 34 years old with nearly 7 years’ service, in the front passenger seat, and two individuals in the back seat. The detectives were carrying money to purchase a gun from their passengers. When the detective who was driving parked the vehicle to conclude the purchase, one of the men in the rear seat allegedly produced a .44-caliber revolver and shot the detective’s partner, killing him with a single bullet to the side of the head. Apparently, the individual then put the gun to the rear of the driver’s head, demanded the “gun buy” money, and shot him once in the back of the head, killing him. The suspects then pulled the officers’ bodies from the car, took the 9 mm semiautomatic handgun belonging to the detective who was the driver, and stole the vehicle. After losing contact with the detectives, backup officers following the operation began to search for them. They discovered the victim officers lying in the middle of the street. Police located a 17-year-old, who was allegedly a passenger in the car, the detective’s service weapon, and the stolen money several blocks from the scene of the incident. The individual was arrested the next day. On March 12, the police arrested the 20-year-old alleged shooter. Four other individuals, ranging in age from 18 to 21, were arrested for their alleged involvement with the murders; they were believed to have planned the killings, provided the weapon used, or witnessed the disposal of the murder weapon. All six were charged with Felony Murder.

North Carolina

On February 20, a 53-year-old lieutenant with the Avery County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call at a residence in Elk Park. Around 3 p.m. two lieutenants arrived at the residence where someone began firing at them. The victim lieutenant, who had over 4 years of law enforcement experience, was shot in the side of the head with a 12-gauge pump shotgun and died at the scene. The other lieutenant who responded also sustained gunshot wounds; he was transported to a local hospital for treatment. After a standoff at the scene, a 51-year-old male was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder and Attempted First-Degree Murder.

*****

A deputy with the Randolph County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed during an attempted arrest shortly before 2 p.m. on April 27. The 41- year-old deputy with almost 4 years of law enforcement experience went to a residence with a deputy trainee to serve a domestic violence warrant. Wanting to obtain clothes and other items from the house, the wife of the man being served papers also accompanied the deputy. When they arrived at the house, the deputy and the wife went to the front door and the deputy trainee went to the back of the residence. The deputy knocked on the door. When no one answered, the deputy obtained the key from the wife and opened the door. The woman’s husband confronted the deputy, and the two struggled for control of the deputy’s .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Responding to a shout for assistance from the deputy, the deputy trainee ran to the front of the house and saw the two men struggling. Not realizing that they were fighting for control of the deputy’s gun, the deputy trainee tried to grab one of the man’s arms, but the man was able to gain control of the gun and pull away. He then fired three shots at the deputy, who was struck in the stomach, the neck, and fatally in the chest. The man then turned the gun toward the deputy trainee and pulled the trigger, but the gun misfired. The deputy trainee ran to the patrol car and took cover behind it. The man ran to a car parked in front of the patrol car and took a position behind it. In an exchange of gunfire, the man shot the deputy trainee in the left arm and then returned to the residence. The deputy trainee entered his patrol car and called for assistance. When officers arrived at the scene, the suspect surrendered. The 36-year-old man, who had prior arrests on charges of Aggravated Sodomy/Kidnapping/Battery, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Vehicle Theft, and Fugitive From Justice, was charged with First Degree Murder, Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill/Inflict Serious Injury, and Attempted Murder. The victim deputy was pronounced dead at the scene. The deputy trainee returned to duty the following month.

Ohio

A 26-year-old patrol officer with the Youngstown Police Department was shot and killed in an attack about 2:30 a.m. on April 29. Approximately 12:40 a.m., two men were arguing outside a local bar when one of the men pulled out a gun and shot the other man. The shooter then borrowed a friend’s car and fled the scene. The officer, with nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, responded to the shooting, took a report, and obtained a description of the borrowed getaway car. The officer was on patrol around 2:30 a.m. when apparently he came upon what he thought was the vehicle driven by the alleged shooter. The officer stopped his car behind the vehicle at an intersection. He ran a license plate check on the vehicle, but before he received a response, the suspect exited his vehicle and walked back to the police car. The officer opened his door, but before he could react, the suspect shot the officer three times at close range with a .38- caliber revolver. Though the officer’s protective vest stopped one bullet, shots to the front and side of his head proved fatal. The suspect reentered the getaway vehicle and drove off, but abandoned it a short time later. Sources provided Youngstown Police Department with information that the man borrowed another car and drove to Florida. Local law enforcement officers in Clearwater, Florida, FBI Special Agents, and Deputy U.S. Marshals arrested the 30-year-old male at a hotel on April 30. The man, who was on parole and had prior arrests for Arson, Aggravated Menacing, Felonious Assault, and Escape, was charged with Aggravated Murder with Death Penalty Specifications.

Oklahoma

A veteran trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol was shot and killed with his service weapon shortly before 7 a.m. on December 26 while investigating a suspicious person in Devol. A newspaper delivery person notified the 35-year-old officer at his residence of an unconscious individual in a vehicle on a rural road. The officer, with nearly 7 years of law enforcement experience, was not scheduled to go on duty until later in the day, but he donned his uniform and went to investigate the matter. At 6:42 a.m., the trooper radioed dispatchers that he was investigating a vehicle with a male inside and that he could not see the vehicle’s registration tag. As the trooper approached the vehicle, he saw chemicals commonly used to produce drugs. When he attempted to take the male into custody, they became involved in a violent physical struggle during which both men apparently lost their weapons. Though the officer was able to handcuff one of the suspect’s arms, the suspect took the officer’s weapon, a .357-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and shot him twice at close range fatally in the back of the head. The victim officer died at the scene before backup officers found the trooper. The suspect fled the scene with the officer’s weapon and was arrested following a 2-day manhunt by state and federal authorities. The 29-year-old suspect—who was known to possess, use, and deal drugs—was charged with Murder First Degree and Manufacture of a Controlled Substance.

South Carolina

At 5:30 p.m., on August 17, a 24- year-old deputy with the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious person in Greenville. When an individual alerted the deputy that a burglary suspect was in a nearby trailer park, the deputy, who had over 2 years’ law enforcement experience, requested assistance. He then proceeded in his patrol vehicle to the noted location, where he spotted the suspect in the parking lot. According to witnesses, the deputy approached the suspect and began to handcuff his right wrist. After struggling with the deputy, the suspect broke free and fled; a foot chase ensued. When the two came to a fence, the deputy apparently tried to use pepper spray on the suspect and then drew his service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Authorities believe that the suspect overpowered the deputy, took the handgun, and fatally shot the deputy in left side of head with the service weapon. The suspect then fled on foot. The 19-year-old male, who was a known drug user and under the influence of narcotics at the time of incident, committed suicide with the officer’s service weapon when SWAT/Tracking Teams located him the following morning.

*****

A sergeant with the Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office and a constable with the Abbeville County Magistrate Office were killed on December 8 while responding to a disturbance call at 9:15 a.m. and 9:45 a.m., respectively, in conjunction with a property dispute in Abbeville. Apparently, a man and his son were irate that a portion of their property was being used to widen the bordering highway, and they were known to have threatened to shoot any state highway authorities or responding law enforcement officers who came on their property. At the start of his shift on the morning of December 8, the 37-year-old sergeant was informed about the situation and was dispatched to the scene to accompany Department of Transportation officials to confront the disgruntled residents. Upon his arrival, the sergeant became involved in an altercation with the two men on the porch of the residence, so he called for assistance. During the altercation, one of the residents disarmed the sergeant and shot him with a 7 mm bolt-action rifle in the shoulder area that was unprotected by his body armor. The bullet mortally wounded the veteran officer, who had nearly 8 years of law enforcement service. The victim sergeant’s body was then dragged inside the residence. Shortly thereafter, a 63- year-old constable arrived at the scene. The law enforcement veteran with nearly 7 years of experience exited his patrol vehicle and proceeded to discuss the situation with other responding deputies. Without warning, one of the suspects fired a 7 mm bolt-action rifle from inside the residence and fatally shot the constable in the back. The other deputies at the scene secured the area and called for additional assistance. Authorities from the Abbeville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, the State Law Enforcement Division, and the Greenville Resident Agency of the FBI’s Columbia Field Division responded to the scene. After a 14-hour standoff and hundreds of shots, one of the suspects, a 36-year-old male, surrendered; approximately 30 minutes later, the other suspect, a 74-year-old male, also surrendered after being wounded during the gunfire exchange. Both men were arrested and charged with two counts of Murder and Conspiracy. A female within the residence was also arrested and charged with Conspiracy Before the Fact of Murder.

Tennessee

On July 9, shortly after 9:30 a.m., a 43-year-old sergeant with the Mt. Juliet Police Department and a 49-year-old deputy with the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department were killed while attempting to assist other law enforcement officers in pursuit of a subject driving a stolen vehicle. Earlier that morning, officers with the Tennessee Highway Patrol discontinued a high-speed chase near Knoxville when the subject, who was wanted for a felony, struck a pursuing unit with the stolen vehicle in order to escape. Responding to the new report, units from the Wilson County Sheriff’s Department became involved in a second pursuit on an interstate near Mt. Juliet. The sergeant from the local police department, who had more than 13 years of law enforcement experience, and the deputy from the county agency, who had more than 15 years of experience, deployed a spike strip in order to stop the stolen vehicle. When the driver of the stolen car neared the spike strip, she swerved and struck both officers, who were standing by their patrol cars on the shoulder of the road, killing them instantly. The driver of the stolen vehicle, a 21-year-old woman who was on probation and had several prior arrests including Motor Vehicle Theft, Criminal Impersonation, and Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangerment, was under the influence of a controlled substance. She and a 33-year-old woman, who was also in the stolen vehicle, sustained injuries in the crash and were taken to a local hospital. The driver of the car was treated and released into the custody of law enforcement officers who transported her to a local jail. She was charged with two counts of Premeditated First-Degree Murder and two counts of Felony First-Degree Murder. The other woman remained in the hospital with a broken leg. Prosecutors did not charge the passenger of the vehicle with any crimes; she eventually provided information against the driver.

*****

An officer of the Memphis Police Department was shot at 7:30 p.m., on August 27 while responding to a domestic disturbance call. Approximately 30 minutes prior to the incident, a man went to his girlfriend’s apartment and began arguing with her. When the woman’s sister arrived at the apartment just a few minutes later, she feared for her sister’s safety and called 911. Allegedly, the man threatened to shoot somebody if either woman called 911, but the sister apparently managed to make the call and stay out of the man’s way while she waited for help to arrive. At 7:20 p.m., the 34-year-old officer was the first to arrive on the scene. When he knocked on the apartment door, the man and his girlfriend left the bedroom where they had been arguing, and the man answered the door. The man’s girlfriend stood in the hallway for a few seconds as both men pointed guns at each other, and the officer told the man not to move. The girlfriend then ran into the bathroom, got into the bathtub, and remained there as several gunshots were fired in the hallway. The man shot the 5-year veteran of law enforcement with a .357 magnum revolver two times in the side of the head and two times in the shoulder area, outside the officer’s protective vest. Later investigation revealed that the officer’s ammunition clip apparently separated from his weapon, preventing him from shooting the suspect during the altercation. The suspect then went into the bathroom and shot his girlfriend in the buttocks and then returned to the hallway and took the victim officer’s handgun and ammunition clip. He reentered the bathroom and shot his girlfriend again. After spotting a second officer outside the front of the apartment, the man took both women down the stairs on the opposite side of the building. On the way down the stairs, the woman’s sister broke free and ran to safety. Once the couple got to the bottom of the stairs, the man kissed the woman, walked to the south side of the building, and threw his revolver into the bushes. He returned to the entrance hallway of the apartments, sat down, and tried to shoot himself with the victim officer’s weapon. When the gun did not discharge, the 25-year-old male, who had prior arrests, ejected the round, inserted the officer’s clip, and shot himself in the head. A few minutes later, a third responding officer observed the suspect’s body in the dark hallway holding the victim officer’s weapon, and he ordered the suspect to drop the gun. When the suspect did not put the weapon down, the officer shot him once in the stomach, not knowing that the man was already dead. The fallen officer inside the apartment was subsequently transported to a local hospital where he died at 9 p.m. as a result of the shots he sustained in the head. The suspect’s girlfriend was also transported to the hospital and treated for her gunshot wounds.

Texas

A 20-year-veteran officer with the Houston Police Department was shot and killed at approximately 9:45 a.m. on April 3 in response to a robbery in progress call at a check cashing store. Upon arriving at the scene, the 45-year-old officer radioed dispatchers that three individuals were armed and inside the store; he requested backup. Apparently, the officer went to the front door, encountered the alleged robbers, and met with resistance from the individuals. He fired one shot from his 9 mm semiautomatic handgun before it malfunctioned. At least one suspect approached the officer from within the store and fired three shots at the officer at close range with a .380-caliber handgun, striking him in the arms and hands and fatally in the front of his head. The suspects then fled the scene in a vehicle. The suspects included two 21-year-old men and a 23-year-old man. All three were known to possess narcotics, and all three had prior arrest records. Each of the suspects were arrested in separate locations the next day and charged with Capital Murder Police Officer/Fireman.

*****

A sergeant with the Friona Police Department was killed when his vehicle was purposely struck by another vehicle during a felony vehicle stop shortly before 11 p.m. on April 13. The 31-year-old sergeant was off duty but was at the police department working on reports when he heard a call for assistance from the Bovina Police Chief who was in the pursuit of a vehicle that refused to pull over. The sergeant, a 6-year-veteran of law enforcement, and another officer with the Friona Police Department left in separate vehicles to assist in the pursuit. The sergeant and officer headed east on the same road and same direction as the fleeing suspect’s vehicle. The suspect turned his vehicle around and headed back towards the two Friona officers. The sergeant pulled his vehicle off the road to provide the fugitive room to get by. Apparently, the fugitive then swerved his vehicle towards the sergeant’s vehicle and hit the driver’s door at a high rate of speed. The sergeant was pronounced dead from chest injuries at the scene at 12:22 a.m. on April 14. The 37-year- old offender, who had prior arrests on Forgery, Larceny, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, Burglary-Forced Entry, and Theft charges, was arrested and charged with Capital Murder.

Utah

On January 26, a deputy sheriff with the Garfield County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop around 3:30 p.m. in Escalante. The 44-year-old officer, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience, initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with two occupants. He arrested and handcuffed the driver on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and placed him in the back seat of his patrol car. The passenger of the stopped vehicle asked the officer if they could close the vehicle’s windows to keep three small dogs from escaping. The deputy rolled up the driver’s side window and returned to his patrol car to use the radio to call for back up and a tow truck while the passenger closed the other window. While the officer was using the radio, the passenger allegedly retrieved a rifle from inside the truck and took cover behind the bed of the truck. When the deputy completed the radio transmission, the passenger pointed the rifle at him and instructed him to raise his hands. The deputy ordered the man to drop his weapon three times. The deputy and suspect fired almost simultaneously. The deputy fired two shots; one missed the suspect, and the other struck him in the left forearm, breaking both bones, before continuing on and lodging in his lung. The 53-year-old man fired one shot which hit the victim deputy in the chest. The single round from a 7 mm bolt-action rifle penetrated the deputy’s protective vest, mortally wounding him. The alleged shooter took the deputy’s handcuff keys and helped the arrested driver escape. The two fled in the vehicle and were located about three hours later after an intensive search by many law enforcement agencies. They were arrested without incident; the alleged shooter was charged with Aggravated Murder, and the 50-year-old driver of the vehicle was charged with Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Escape, Driving Under the Influence, and Obstruction of Justice.

Virginia

A police officer with the Norfolk Police Department was fatally shot shortly after 1:40 a.m. on January 16 while investigating a report of a gunshot victim at a sports bar. The veteran 39-year-old officer, with nearly 12 years of law enforcement experience, and her partner arrived at the bar and observed three subjects outside. The victim officer approached one male and her partner approached the other two subjects who were about 15 feet away. At this time, two additional officers arrived on the scene and split up to assist each officer. The one male began walking rapidly towards the police officer; she ordered him to stop as she began to back up. The suspect, a known drug dealer, pulled his weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and pointed it at the victim officer. The other three officers on the scene drew their weapons, and when the 35-year- old suspect fired, they returned gunfire, striking him 11 times. He died at the scene. The victim officer was struck three times, twice below the waist and once mortally in her right side below her protective vest. She was transported to a local hospital where she died.

*****

A 29-year-old trooper with the Virginia State Police was killed during a traffic stop on an interstate ramp in Henrico County at 2:30 a.m. on January 29. After stopping the vehicle, the trooper, who was wearing body armor, approached the motorist on foot and asked him to exit his vehicle. The driver stepped out of the vehicle, leaving the driver’s door open. Shortly thereafter, the man got back into the vehicle and attempted to leave the scene with the car door still open. The trooper, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, reached into the automobile in an effort to stop the man from driving away, but the driversped off with the trooper partially inside the vehicle and crashed at the end of the ramp. The driver then fled the scene on foot, leaving the trooper trapped underneath the vehicle. The trooper was transported to an area medical center where he was pronounced dead as a result of head injuries approximately an hour after the incident. The 40- year-old suspected drug dealer was arrested on February 5 and charged with Capital Murder, Failure to Stop for a Law Enforcement Officer, Abduction, Felony Hit and Run, Manslaughter, and numerous drug offenses.

*****

A 20-year veteran patrol officer with the Christiansburg Police Department was shot and killed at 5:30 a.m. on May 9 in an apparent unprovoked attack. The 43-year-old officer had spotted a shoplifting suspect who had been involved in a vehicle pursuit just minutes before. The officer pulled his patrol car into the parking lot of a gas station where he had observed the suspect. When the suspect saw the officer, he rushed the cruiser and launched a violent attack on his pursuer, dragging him from the police vehicle and removing his duty pistol from its holster. The attacker then shot the officer, who was wearing body armor, in the side of the head with the .40-caliber semiautomatic service weapon. The suspect also fired at a deputy responding from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, shooting through the windshield of his approaching vehicle and wounding him in his side, between his right arm and his protective vest. The injured deputy returned fire from a prone position inside his vehicle. When additional officers arrived at the scene, and the alleged killer ran from the parking lot, taking the police weapon with him. Officers quickly caught up with the man and ordered him to surrender the weapon. The suspect refused and pointed the gun at the officers, who opened fire and killed the 21-year-old man.

*****

About 7:20 a.m. on May 28, a 23-year-old patrol officer with the Chesterfield County Police Department was fatally wounded while responding to a disturbance call. When the patrol officer, who had five months of law enforcement service, and another officer responded to reports of shots fired at a residence, they saw a man with a gun in the front yard of the residence. The officers exited their vehicles, drew their weapons, approached the man, and ordered him to surrender. He refused to surrender and shot at the two officers with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The victim patrol officer, standing less than 10 feet away from the suspect, was struck in the chest by a bullet that entered through the armhole of his protective vest. The other officer returned fire and fatally wounded the offender. The victim officer was taken to a local medical center where he died of his injuries later that day. The 26- year-old offender, whose only known prior offense was for trespassing, was taken to another medical center where he also died of his wounds.

*****

A 33-year-old police officer with the Virginia Beach Police Department was shot and killed on June 23 at 3:25 a.m. while making a traffic stop. The officer, with over 5 years of police experience, was on a DUI/radar enforcement detail and had radioed the dispatcher that he had just stopped a vehicle with two occupants. Unknown to the officer, the two individuals had just committed an armed robbery of an all-night restaurant. As the officer exited his cruiser, the driver got out of his vehicle and shot twice with a .380- caliber semiautomatic handgun. The officer’s body armor stopped one shot, but the second shot went through the armhole of the vest wounding the officer in the chest as he turned to seek cover behind his cruiser. The officer continued to the passenger side of his cruiser as the suspect came between the vehicles and stood at the front passenger side of the cruiser. The victim officer fired four rounds at his attacker, striking him three times and mortally wounding him. The suspect then managed to fire two more rounds, which struck the victim officer fatally in the head. Both the officer and his 21-year-old assailant died at the scene. The other occupant of the car did not take part in the shooting and remained in the vehicle until responding officers arrived.

*****

A 41-year-old patrol officer with the Richmond Police Department was killed at 5:15 p.m. on July 30 while investigating a call concerning an armed individual who was selling drugs. The veteran officer, with 5 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene and approached the suspect. When the officer attempted to obtain identification from the man, the man tried to flee. A struggle ensued, and the suspect produced a .38-caliber revolver and shot four times, striking the victim officer in the side of his head, his back, and fatally in his neck. Through further investigation, the Richmond Police Department identified the alleged assailant as an 18-year-old male, a known dealer of narcotics, and initiated a manhunt for him. The Richmond FBI; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the U.S. Secret Service assisted the Richmond agency in the hunt for the alleged shooter. The Richmond SWAT team located and arrested the suspect without incident at a local hotel on August 2. The man, who had a previous charge of Obstruction of Justice, was charged with Capital Murder and Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony.

*****

A sergeant investigator, aged 30, with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office was gunned down in Standardsville while trying to arrest an individual shortly before 11 p.m. on August 26. The investigator, who had nearly 8 years of law enforcement experience, and a detective had traveled there to arrest the subject on drug-related charges. The individual had previously agreed to cooperate with an ongoing drug investigation that the Greene County Sheriff’s Office was conducting but later decided not to cooperate. The deputies arrived at the home of the subject’s mother, who informed them that her son was not there. The deputies asked her if they could search the residence, and she agreed. Once inside the house, the deputies saw the subject go into one of the bedrooms and followed him to the room. One of the deputies kicked open the bedroom door, and the man opened fire on them with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. As they returned fire, the man shot the sergeant investigator at least five times in the front below the waist and fatally in the stomach area. The victim deputy was wearing body armor, but the rounds entered between the side panels of the vest. During the shootout, the detective killed the 32-year-old suspect, a known drug user and dealer who had numerous prior arrests including assault and carrying a concealed weapon.

Washington

On June 26 at 6 p.m., a 35-year- old deputy sheriff with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while investigating a driver with a suspended license. The deputy, with nearly 8 years of experience, advised the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office communications center that he was at a residence in Manson attempting to contact a driver, who had been previously arrested for DUI, that he suspected had been driving with a suspended license. The next communication regarding the incident was when a citizen radioed the communications center that the deputy was wounded and needed assistance. An eyewitness report indicates that the deputy, who was wearing body armor, was engaged in a physical struggle with the individual he was investigating. The witness heard two gunshots, saw the victim deputy fall to the ground, and observed the suspect leave the scene in a station wagon. The deputy was struck fatally in the front of the head by a shot from his .40-caliber semiautomatic service weapon. A 21-year-old male, whom the witness identified through prior contact, was arrested 3 days later and charged with Murder.

*****

On August 2, at 10:25 a.m., a 46- year-old officer with the Federal Way Department of Public Safety was shot to death while investigating a domestic disturbance. The veteran officer, who had nearly 8 years of law enforcement experience, was attempting to resolve an argument between a man and his brother and other family members who accused the man of stealing from them. After talking to the family for a few minutes, the officer returned to his patrol car and made a call on his police radio. While the officer was occupied with the call, the man fled from the scene, and the officer and the man’s brother ran after him. When they caught the suspect, the officer attempted to arrest him. A struggle ensued as the officer attempted to handcuff the man, and the man pulled the officer’s .45-caliber service weapon, a semiautomatic handgun, from the holster and shot the victim officer once below his body armor in the lower abdominal area. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital where he died from the wound. The 28-year- old suspect, a known user of narcotics, was under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the incident. The man also was on probation for previous charges including rape and assault. He was arrested that day and charged with Aggravated First-Degree Murder and 2 counts of Assault.

Wisconsin

A deputy sheriff, aged 32, with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office was killed when he responded to a disturbance call shortly before 11 a.m. on March 7 in Strongs Prairie. The 7- year veteran responded to a call that an individual was threatening road workers with a firearm. Additional deputies had been dispatched but had not yet arrived. Arriving at the scene, the officer saw the man standing in his driveway and attempted to talk to the individual. Apparently, the person then reached into brush lining the driveway and produced a .300-caliber lever-action rifle with a scope. The officer unholstered his .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, pointed it at the man, and commanded him several times to drop his weapon, but the individual continued to raise the rifle. The deputy fired two shots, missing the man. The suspect allegedly then fired a single shot from a distance of more than 50 feet, fatally striking the deputy in the front upper torso. The victim officer, who died at the scene, was wearing body armor; however, the round was more powerful than the vest’s capabilities. After shooting the victim officer, the 54- year-old man, who was known to have prior mental disorders, took the deputy’s service weapon and radio and barricaded himself inside his residence. Following a 6-hour standoff with law enforcement officers, tactical unit members took the suspect into custody. He was arrested and charged with First-Degree Intentional Homicide.

*****

A deputy with the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Department was shot on October 19 at 4:15 p.m while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Green Lake. When the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call from a woman whose husband allegedly had hit her and taken their infant hostage in their apartment, the Department dispatched a patrol car to the scene. While the woman remained on the telephone with the dispatcher, the man went into the bedroom where he had several firearms. The woman then was able to take the infant and her daughter from the living room. She exited the apartment building and went to her car. At that time, the patrol car with two deputies arrived at the scene; shortly thereafter, another deputy, who was 38 years old and had over 14 years’ law enforcement experience, arrived. The deputies conferred briefly and decided that the deputies who were first to arrive would establish a roadblock farther down the street. The remaining deputy, who was wearing body armor, opened his trunk and began to remove his tactical rifle. Undetected, the suspect went out onto the apartment’s second-floor balcony and shot the deputy with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle in the chest and fatally above his protective vest in the neck and the throat. Witnessing the shooting, the woman and her children fled to safety at a nearby apartment building where she called 911 and reported an officer down. The suspect then yelled threats toward the street and fired two additional shots at a man who had stopped and exited his vehicle to assist the victim officer; the man abandoned his vehicle and fled the scene on foot. The deputies at the roadblock radioed the victim deputy and received no response. Shortly thereafter, the dispatcher requested additional assistance because an officer was down. The suspect reentered the apartment, fired at least ten additional rounds into the interior entry door and wall of the apartment, and entered the bedroom, firing more shots. After receiving notification that there was an officer down, one of the deputies who had established the roadblock worked his way to the scene and approached the area where the victim deputy lay, ordering citizens into their houses. The deputy dragged the victim deputy to safety on the driver’s side of the squad car and attempted to resuscitate him. At that time, the suspect shot at the assisting deputy from the bedroom window. The deputy returned fire across the hood of the car toward an apartment window in which the glass had been broken and the blinds were moving. When the shooting stopped, the deputy attempted to drag the victim deputy from the scene; two additional officers responding to the incident assisted in putting the victim deputy in the squad car. The victim deputy was transported to a local fire department, then to a medical center where he was pronounced dead at 6:30 p.m. Shortly after firing shots from the bedroom, the 21-year-old suspect, who had no known prior arrests, used a 9 mm pistol to shoot himself in the head. Because officials thought the suspect had barricaded himself in the apartment, they evacuated local residents. After several hours, SWAT teams from the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department and the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department entered the apartment and found the suspect dead.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2004

Alabama

A 40-year-old police officer and a 42-year-old sergeant with the Athens Police Department were shot and killed on January 2 while responding to an emergency call. Just before 1 p.m., the police officer and the sergeant, who each had almost 19 years of service to law enforcement, were dispatched to respond to a call from a man who had dialed 911 three times and demanded to speak to the FBI. Upon being told that the FBI does not answer emergency calls, he asked the dispatcher to send the police. The officer arrived first, and as he pulled into the driveway of the residence to which he was dispatched, a man opened fire with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle from inside the house. Despite his body armor, the officer was struck several times in the front upper torso and received a fatal wound to the front of his head. The shooter apparently then moved to the front porch behind a column and fired two rounds as the sergeant arrived on the scene in his patrol vehicle. Assigned as backup, the sergeant exited his vehicle to move to cover as the shooter fired several more rounds at him, striking him in the neck and fatally in the lower back. Reportedly, the man, who was under the influence of alcohol and who had prior mental disorders, then came out in the yard holding a rifle. He placed the gun on the ground and began walking around with his hands up. Seeing this, a neighbor told the suspect to lie on the ground with his hands out. The 28-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including police assault, complied with the neighbor’s instructions and remained on the ground until additional police officers arrived. He was arrested and charged with Homicide–Capital Murder of a Police Officer, Homicide–Capital Murder More than 2 People, and Homicide–Capital Murder Victim in Vehicle. The police officer was pronounced dead on the scene, and the sergeant was flown to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

*****

Three officers with the Birmingham Police Department were shot and killed after serving an individual with a misdemeanor warrant for domestic assault at a known drug house in Ensley. A fourth officer with the department was injured during the incident, which occurred shortly after 1:15 p.m. on June 17. Upon arrival, the officers surrounded the home. Two officers, one aged 58 with nearly 29 years of law enforcement experience and one aged 40 with nearly 7 years of law enforcement experience, were at the back door of the residence. Another officer, 36 years old with 11 years of law enforcement experience, was at the rear of the house, and the fourth officer, 33 years old with nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, was at the front door. The officers at the back door gained entry and served the warrant on the individual when another man in the house fired 15 rounds from a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle, striking both officers at close range. The 58-year-old officer was fatally struck in the front of the chest. The 40-year-old officer was fatally struck in the torso when the rounds penetrated his protective vest. The officer at the rear of the house went inside the residence to join the other officers when he heard shots. He was also fired upon, but his holster deflected the round. He reported that shots came from the front of the house as well as the back. The officer who was covering the front of the residence had entered also. He was wounded in the torso, the round having penetrated his body armor, and was fatally shot in the face. The 27-year-old subject of the warrant and the 24-year-old alleged shooter took the service weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, of one of the downed officers and fled the residence. Police arrested the pair a short time later at a nearby home. Both suspects had past criminal histories and were under the influence of narcotics and alcohol at the time of the incident. The alleged assailant was charged with three counts of Capital Murder and one count of Attempted Murder. The subject of the warrant, a known drug user who was on probation at the time, was charged with three counts of Capital Murder on a Law Enforcement Officer and Attempt to Commit Murder.

Arizona

Two officers with the Phoenix Police Department were shot and killed at about 6:10 p.m. on August 28 when they responded to a call of shots fired at an apartment complex. The two were among five officers who, when they arrived at the scene, learned that two men had been involved in a confrontation and one of them had shot and wounded the other. The shooter also fired at friends of the wounded man, then entered an apartment on the second floor. The officers evacuated residents from the surrounding apartments and attempted to contact the suspect. When the suspect failed to respond, the officers tried to knock down the hollow core door by kicking it in. On their first attempt, the officers broke the door at the bottom, but it did not open. An officer kicked the door again, and this time the door flew open. The suspect, armed with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, immediately opened fire on the officers. The officer who had kicked the door open, a 30-year-old with nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, was standing with his right side facing the open door and was struck in the chest by a bullet that entered through the armhole of his protective vest. He died instantly. A 27-year-old officer with 5½ years of law enforcement experience fired two shots at the suspect before he was hit by gunfire, once in the left hand and fatally in the front of his head. In an exchange of gunfire, a third officer was struck by a round from another officer that ricocheted from the exterior apartment wall. The same officer was also wounded by a shot that entered under the front panel of his protective vest when the suspect opened fire as officers attempted to retrieve the bodies of the two victim officers. After the area was secured, a SWAT team entered the apartment to find the 29-year-old suspect, who had prior mental disorders, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The officer wounded by the suspect returned to duty about 4 weeks later.

California

Shortly before 1 p.m. on February 20, a 31-year-old police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department was shot and killed when responding to a domestic dispute. The officer, who had over 2 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner met the complainant on the street in front of her apartment. The woman told the officers that her boyfriend refused to leave her residence and requested that the two officers ask the man to leave. The officers escorted the woman to her second-floor apartment and entered. As one of the officers approached the man to search him, the man produced a 10 mm semiautomatic handgun and shot at the officers. The officers pulled the woman from the apartment and down the stairs. The man continued to shoot at the officers, striking the victim officer once in the back below his protective vest and once fatally in the torso through the edge trim of his vest. Both officers returned fire. The suspect escaped after he jumped from the second story landing to the roof of an adjacent building, and then jumped over a fence behind that property. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital, where he died during surgery a couple of hours later. Officers from the Los Angeles Police Department set up a security perimeter in an effort to capture the shooter. Officers arrested the man about 3½ hours after the incident approximately 4 blocks from the scene. The 32-year-old suspect, who had an extensive criminal record and was on parole for armed robbery at the time of the incident, was charged with Murder and Attempted Murder. The suspect was found dead of a presumed suicide in his cell 6 days after the incident.

*****

Two San Francisco police officers who were on patrol in an undercover assignment were gunned down by an individual with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle at 9:34 p.m. on April 10. The officers, aged 29 and 38, observed a man wearing a long coat, which they thought might be concealing some object. They pulled over their patrol vehicle and ordered the suspect to stop for questioning. As the two officers exited their vehicle, the man pulled a rifle from under his coat and fired 17 shots at them. The 38-year-old officer was shot but eventually recovered. The younger officer, who had over 8 years of law enforcement service, was fatally wounded when the bullets penetrated his protective vest and entered his lower back. He was transported to an area hospital where he died later that evening. The alleged killer fled the area and discarded the weapon, which police later recovered. Based upon a tip from a citizen, the authorities tracked the 21-year-old man to a regional medical center in San Ramon and arrested him there on April 11. The suspect, who had a history of violent criminal activity, was charged with Murder and Attempted Murder.

*****

A 34-year-old senior police officer with the Merced Police Department was shot and killed shortly before 7:30 p.m. on April 15 after initiating a traffic stop. According to the woman driving the vehicle, the officer approached the passenger side of the automobile to speak to the individual who was riding with her in the front seat. The officer, who was a member of the Merced Police Department’s Gang Unit and had nearly 8 years of experience, apparently recognized the man in the vehicle as a convicted drug dealer who was on parole. He began to search the subject, whereupon the man pushed the officer away and ran off. The officer gave chase and was fatally wounded when the suspect turned and fired three rounds from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun at his pursuer. Although one of the bullets missed him, one hit the officer in the right arm and another entered his chest just above his protective vest. Witnesses telephoned the police, who found the victim officer lying on the sidewalk. He died a short time later at a local hospital. Authorities mounted an intensive manhunt, which culminated in the arrest of a 21-year-old man on May 2. The suspect, whose lengthy criminal history included police assault, was charged with Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

*****

On April 21 at 2:48 p.m., a 35-year-old officer attached to the Santa Fe Springs office of the California Highway Patrol was shot down in an apparent ambush as he walked from the courthouse in Pomona to a nearby parking lot. The officer, with 5 years’ experience in law enforcement, had paused at the edge of the street to wait for a passing automobile. However, the vehicle stopped approximately 11–20 feet away, and before driving off, the lone occupant fired three to five shots from a .38-caliber revolver at the uniformed officer. The officer, who was wearing body armor, was struck in the neck and head. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries several hours later. Immediately after the shooting, the Los Angeles police joined the Pomona police in searching for the vehicle. Within 15 minutes of the shooting, they located the abandoned vehicle a few blocks from the incident. Investigators traced the vehicle’s license plate and identified the owner of the automobile, who lived in Fontana, California. The police located the owner who indicated that he had allowed his young son to use the automobile for the day. A search of the house turned up evidence that the son was a member of a violent gang that had sworn vengeance against the Pomona police following the justifiable killing of a juvenile gang member by a police officer a few months earlier. The 16-year-old male, who had a criminal history involving weapons violations, was located and arrested the following day. He was charged with Murder.

*****

On August 10 at 5:30 a.m., an off-duty captain with the Los Angeles County Police Department, who had 31 years of law enforcement service, was shot and killed when two men attempted to rob him as he was riding his bicycle along a public road in Compton. The two robbers apparently spotted the captain riding alone, exited their vehicle, and approached him carrying a rifle. The 53-year-old officer saw the weapon and immediately drew his service pistol and official identification from his fanny pack. He attempted to take cover behind a nearby traffic signal control box, but before the captain could reach cover, one of the men began shooting with the 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle and wounded him. The assailants then jumped into their automobile and circled the block before returning to the scene where the injured officer was lying on the ground. As they drove by, the man with the rifle leaned out of the passenger’s window and fired several more shots at the captain, hitting him with a total of nine bullets. The wounded officer returned fire, striking the assailants’ vehicle several times as it sped away. One of his shots hit the armed suspect in the torso. The officer was then able to use his cell phone to summon aid and provide detailed information about the suspects to responding officers. Emergency medical staff treated the captain at the scene before transporting him to an area hospital where he died of a fatal injury to his front lower torso. Within 30 minutes of the attempted robbery, two suspects were in custody. Investigators located a wounded 21-year-old man at a nearby emergency room, and a motorcycle police officer arrested a 19-year-old suspected accomplice when he ran a red light after dropping the alleged shooter off at the hospital. Both men were charged with Murder and Attempted Robbery.

Connecticut

A 19-year law enforcement veteran with the Newington Police Department was shot and killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call on December 30. A female resident had called the Department at 10:22 p.m. complaining that her boyfriend had injured her during a fight. Responding to the call, the 47-year-old master patrol officer and his partner found the complainant standing in the driveway. She told the officers that her boyfriend was under the influence of alcohol and was inside the house. The two officers accompanied the woman into the home. After securing the first floor, the officers began descending a stairway to search the basement. The master patrol officer was in the lead when the woman’s boyfriend, who was hiding in the cellar, opened fire with a 5.56 mm automatic rifle. Bullets from the weapon penetrated the victim officer’s protective vest, striking him in the stomach and, fatally, in the chest. He fell to the bottom of the stairs; his partner was able to retreat and summon assistance. There followed a lengthy standoff, which involved officers and tactical teams from several nearby agencies using various techniques, including flooding the basement, to compel the assailant to surrender. When all efforts failed to produce the suspect, officials entered the basement. They found the victim officer’s body at the foot of the stairs. A further search of the basement turned up the body of his killer, a 45-year-old man, who had died from a gunshot wound, apparently self-inflicted.

District of Columbia

At 2:10 a.m. on June 2, a 34-year-old sergeant with the Metropolitan Police Department was fatally wounded in an exchange of gunfire with an apparent robber at an apartment house in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Apparently, the 15-year veteran law enforcement officer, who was off duty at the time of the incident, was in the vestibule of an apartment building when a young male approached him brandishing a weapon and announcing a robbery. A gunfight ensued that culminated in the deaths of both the officer and his 16-year-old assailant. The self-announced robber fired three shots from a .32-caliber revolver and fatally struck the officer in his upper torso. The victim officer returned fire, hitting his attacker with ten rounds. The assailant, who was under judicial supervision because of juvenile convictions, was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Florida

A short time before 12:15 p.m. on February 7, a master deputy sheriff with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed during an unprovoked attack in Ocala. The 36-year-old deputy, who had more than 9 years of law enforcement experience, was dispatched to conduct a well-being check on an individual. The family member who requested the check reported that the man possessed a firearm. Although the veteran deputy, who was wearing body armor, was assigned as backup, he was the first on the scene. He tried unsuccessfully to talk to the man, who remained inside his home. Meanwhile, other officers had arrived at the scene and were assisting the master deputy when the man fired two shots from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun from inside the house, striking the master deputy at close range in the torso and fatally in the neck. As fellow deputies tried to remove the victim officer from the scene, other officers repeatedly commanded the shooter to surrender. The man refused to comply with the officers’ demands. When the officers made physical contact with the man, he grabbed the barrel of a deputy’s shotgun. The suspect was subsequently shot and killed. The 74-year-old man had prior mental disorders. The victim officer died en route to a local hospital.

*****

During a vehicle pursuit for a traffic violation on April 27, a 55-year-old sergeant with the Florida Highway Patrol (Lake City Detachment) was killed at 10:05 a.m. The sergeant, who had 33 years of experience, was pursuing a suspect for a speed violation. In the course of the chase, the driver apparently engaged his emergency brake in an effort to stop without activating his break lights. In so doing, he forced the sergeant to take evasive maneuvers, causing the officer to lose control of his patrol vehicle. The sergeant’s vehicle left the roadway and hit a tree. The victim officer died the same day as a result of his injuries. Shortly after the crash, the suspect was spotted by Citrus County deputies subsequent to an issuance of a “be on the lookout” notice. Allegedly, the suspect tried to cause these officers to lose control of their vehicle by suddenly engaging his brakes. During the pursuit, the suspect’s vehicle collided with another vehicle and, putting his car in reverse, the man then hit a Citrus County cruiser before exiting his vehicle and fleeing on foot. A witness to the pursuit attempted to grab him. The suspect then turned to face the officers and, with an aggressive posture, taunted the officers to shoot him. Deputies ordered the suspect to the ground several times. He did not comply and instead continued his aggressive movement toward one of the officers. Two officers deployed tasers and incapacitated him. The suspect, who had a history of criminal conduct including weapons violations and drugs, was then handcuffed and taken into custody. The 31-year-old man was charged with Second-Degree Murder, Burglary, Fleeing and Attempting to Elude, Resisting Arrest without Violence, and Driving with License Suspended.

*****

On August 19 around 8:45 in the morning, a Broward County Sheriff’s Office detective with nearly 10 years of experience was shot and killed while assisting U.S. Customs in the arrest of a suspect for the possession of child pornography. The detective and his partner had arrived at the front door of the suspect’s residence with the intention of executing the arrest and search warrant. As the officers gained entry to the residence, they immediately took on gunfire from the suspect. The 33-year-old detective sustained a mortal wound to the chest when a round from the .30-30-caliber lever-action rifle penetrated his body armor. His partner also sustained gunshot wounds to his left hand and left shoulder where a bullet entered the armhole of his body armor. The 42-year-old shooter then surrendered to deputies at the scene and was taken into custody. The suspect, who had a prior arrest for police assault, was charged with Murder, Conspiracy to Possess Child Pornography, Possession of Child Pornography, and Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice.

Georgia

On December 29 at 9:15 p.m., a patrol officer with the Pendergrass Police Department was shot and killed while attempting to make a traffic stop. The 45-year-old officer tried to stop two males in a vehicle for a traffic violation. Instead of stopping, the driver of the vehicle sped away and a short chase ensued. In the course of the chase, the vehicle crashed into a ditch. The 14-year veteran officer exited his police cruiser and approached the disabled vehicle. The driver, who had gotten out of his car, began shooting at the officer from the ditch with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The officer was wounded several times:   in the front upper torso, in the front lower torso below his protective vest, and, fatally, in the head. The driver fled the scene of the shooting on foot. The passenger, still in the vehicle, was apprehended at the scene by arriving officers from the Pendergrass Police Department and deputies from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. The victim officer died at the scene. The responding officers located the driver a short time later in a nearby field, wounded from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. The 26-year-old driver, who was under supervision and on conditional release at the time of the shooting, and the 18-year-old passenger were both charged with Murder. Subsequently, the passenger agreed to testify on behalf of the government; he was finally charged with Conspiracy to Commit a Burglary and Possession of Tools for Commission of a Crime.  

Illinois

A 39-year-old detective with the Riverdale Police Department was shot and killed on February 4 while handling a prisoner who was brought to the police department on charges of Home Invasion, Aggravated Kidnapping, and Attempted First-Degree Murder. At 8:15 p.m., the veteran detective with 12 years of law enforcement experience was moving the prisoner from an interview room to a lock-up area for processing. The man, who was not handcuffed at the time, managed to remove the detective’s service weapon, a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, from its holster. He led the detective outside and forced him behind a building where he shot him in the side of the head, killing him instantly. The 27-year-old suspect then attempted to carjack three separate cars but was unsuccessful, even though he shot at and wounded the driver of the first car. The drivers of the other two vehicles used their cars to knock him down as they sped away. Three Riverdale police officers arrived on the scene and ordered the suspect to drop his weapon. He responded by firing the weapon at the officers. The officers returned fire, striking the suspect. He died at the scene.

Indiana

A 31-year-old patrol officer with the Indianapolis Police Department, who had nearly 4½ years of law enforcement experience, was fatally shot at 2 a.m. on August 18 when he was dispatched to a scene where another officer had been wounded. The wounded officer, an 8-year law enforcement veteran, was investigating a disturbance call (shots fired) when he was shot in his lower abdomen and left thigh. Before the attack, the officer had arrived at a residence and interviewed the person reporting that a man was shooting a machine gun from behind a nearby dwelling. After the interview, the officer drove his patrol car closer to the residence, and the man began firing at him with a semiautomatic rifle. It was then that the officer notified the dispatcher that he had been shot and requested backup. An assisting officer drove to the wounded officer’s vehicle and removed him and a witness from the scene as the shooter continued peppering the area with shots. The wounded officer subsequently was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

*****

As the assailant continued his rampage, additional responding officers, including the 31-year-old patrol officer, took positions in the area. The patrol officer, who was crouched behind the opened passenger door of his cruiser, was shot in his chest before he was able to fire his service weapon. The bullet entered above his protective vest near his collarbone and traveled down his body causing severe internal injuries. Officers removed the mortally wounded officer from the scene and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on him while they waited for medical assistance to arrive. The officer subsequently was transported to a nearby hospital where he died. In the meantime, a SWAT officer, who had 16 years of law enforcement experience, and several other units moved into position to locate the shooter, who had moved from his initial location behind the dwelling. The officers could not immediately determine the assailant’s position, but they knew he was nearby as the shots rang out in the darkness. As the SWAT officer opened the trunk of his vehicle to retrieve one of his weapons, the suspect shot him in his right knee. The assailant shot two patrol officers as well, striking one officer in his right bicep and the other in his left wrist. Other officers at the scene extricated the two injured patrol officers, who were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Although the SWAT officer was wounded, he took cover behind a telephone pole after he had located the position of the shooter. The suspect appeared from behind a vehicle parked in front of a residence, and the SWAT officer fired at him. The officer advanced toward the shooter staying on the opposite side of the parked vehicle for cover. As he approached the suspect, the officer emptied all 24 rounds of his SWAT-issued M-4 service rifle. Some of the rounds struck the man; however, he was still standing and attempting to aim his weapon at the officer. The officer was able to get close enough to strike the suspect in the head with the butt of the rifle. The blow knocked the suspect to the ground on his back; however, he rolled to his left and attempted to fire at the officer with a pistol he was also carrying. The SWAT officer fired his handgun, delivering a fatal shot to the assailant. Ultimately, the officer had struck the man eight times—three times in his chest, twice in his head, and three times in his legs. The shooter died at the scene. The SWAT officer was then transported to a local hospital for treatment of his gunshot wound.

*****

Investigating officers entered the initial residence from where the shooter had begun his assault and found the body of the suspect’s mother, who had been shot three times in the torso. Later investigation revealed that the 33-year-old shooter’s mental state had caused police to detain him a few months earlier. At the time he was detained, the confused man thought he had killed his mother and brother. During the man’s detention, the police discovered a cache of weapons the man had accumulated. At the request of the man’s mother and officers on the scene, the weapons were confiscated. The unstable man was hospitalized, treated, and subsequently released. Unfortunately, the officials had no legal grounds to retain the weapons, and they had returned them to the man a few weeks before the incident when the man and his brother had attempted to regain possession of them. Police had designated the shooter’s home a “hazard area”; however, his shooting spree began at his mother’s residence, which had not been flagged.

*****

A 31-year-old patrol officer with the Butler University Police Department in Indianapolis was killed at 11 a.m. on September 24 while answering a suspicious person call. Reportedly, a man had been watching the women’s basketball team practice and had been asked by university employees to leave the field house. The responding officer, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience, confronted the man in a nearby parking lot. Witnesses reported seeing the officer and the man talking and, after hearing a single gunshot, found the victim officer lying on the asphalt. Apparently, the officer and the suspect had struggled, and the man had disarmed the officer and shot him in the side of his head with the victim’s .40-caliber semiautomatic service weapon. Witnesses later reported seeing the man pick up a weapon before he fled the scene. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor at the time of the attack, was transported to a local hospital, but he died en route from the gunshot wound. When a radio dispatcher broadcast that an officer had been shot, more than 100 officers from various departments arrived at the scene to search for the shooter. Approximately 2 hours later, police spotted a man walking in the neighborhood who fit the alleged assailant’s description. Police reported that the 26-year-old male reached into his pants pocket, pulled out a firearm, and shot at the officers. They returned fire, shooting the man multiple times. He died at a local hospital later that day. Officers recovered the victim officer’s duty weapon at the scene where they encountered the man.

Louisiana

An off-duty lieutenant with the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed just before 11:45 a.m. on January 8 as he began a shift of his second job as a security officer for a bank in New Orleans. The 50-year-old veteran lieutenant, with over 10 years of law enforcement experience, was confronted by a man who walked up behind him and placed a .38-caliber revolver to his head. The man removed the lieutenant’s handgun from its holster while two armed accomplices entered the bank. An off-duty captain, who also worked a second job at the bank, was in the corner and had not been noticed by the suspects. He drew his revolver and shot two of the offenders, including the suspect holding the officer at gunpoint. The captain wounded the suspect in the left hand and the leg, which caused the man to fall to the ground and drop both weapons he was holding. The uninjured accomplice fled the bank. The other offender whom the captain shot was wounded in the leg and fell near the front door. Though injured, this suspect was able to fire six rounds from his .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. A surveillance video showed that during this time, the lieutenant attempted to take cover behind the check writing stand and tried to fire a revolver he had retrieved. He was, however, exposed to the line of fire from the offender shooting the handgun. A bullet penetrated the officer’s ring finger on his gun hand, glanced off the brown grips of the weapon, and struck him in the upper chest, fatally wounding him. The man then picked up the lieutenant’s 9 mm handgun and fired one shot in the direction of the 48-year-old captain, which struck him in the right foot. The 51-year-old shooter then left the bank, but was apprehended near the drive-through lane. His two accomplices, also in their 50s, were apprehended as they attempted to leave the scene. The victim officer was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. Of the three suspects, two, including the shooter, were on probation at the time of the incident; all were known to be drug dealers or users. They were all charged with Federal Bank Robbery Wherein Person was Killed.

*****

At 10:10 p.m., on May 22, a 51-year-old lieutenant with the Baton Rouge Police Department was shot and killed while detaining a shoplifter. Working an off-duty security detail at a local department store, the law enforcement veteran of over 27 years’ service and the store’s loss prevention officer detained a suspect and removed from his possession two disposable cameras that the male had allegedly shoplifted. When notified of the allegations, the suspect resisted the officers and a struggle ensued, during which both officers and the suspect fell to the floor. The suspect disarmed the lieutenant and shot her twice in the front of the head with her .357-caliber revolver, fatally wounding her. He then shot the store’s loss prevention officer and a customer. Following the shootings, the assailant fled to the parking lot where he carjacked a vehicle and left the scene. Responding emergency personnel transported the victim officer to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead upon arrival. Presumably, the other shooting victims also received medical treatment; both survived the incident. During the subsequent search for the shooter and the stolen vehicle, an officer with the Baton Rouge Police Department found the vehicle abandoned in North Baton Rouge, but did not find the assailant. The man, who was on parole at the time of the incident, surrendered 48 hours later, however, following negotiations between the police department and his family. The 33-year-old was charged with First-Degree Murder of a Police Officer, Illegal Use of a Weapon, Disarming a Police Officer, Armed Robbery, Theft, Issuing Worthless Checks, and Attempted First-Degree Murder (two counts).

*****

A 53-year-old veteran officer with the New Orleans Police Department died July 10 from injuries sustained in an incident nearly 20 years earlier. The officer, then 33 years old with more than 14 years of experience, was with one of several police units responding to a burglary in progress at a home at 3:30 p.m., March 18, 1985. He was securing an alley adjacent to the residence when a man opened a window of the home near where the officer was standing. The man attempted to get out of the house through the window apparently to evade other officers at the front and rear of the home. Upon seeing the officer in the alley, the man shot him twice at close range with a .357-magnum revolver he had taken from the residence. The suspect then jumped from the window and ran toward the backyard, where he apparently dropped the gun. He crossed neighboring properties by jumping several fences, including one around a swimming pool into which he fell. Officers in pursuit apprehended him in a courtyard of an apartment complex. The victim officer, who had bullet wounds in his neck and in the front of his head, was transported via police vehicle to a local medical facility. Several days later, surgeons removed a bullet from the back of his neck. Though shortly after the incident his condition showed improvement, the officer subsequently lapsed into a coma that lasted until his death. Police charged the perpetrator, who was 18 years old at the time of the incident, with Attempted First-Degree Murder, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, and Aggravated Burglary. According to police reports, the suspect confirmed his involvement in the burglary and the shooting.

*****

An officer with the New Orleans Police Department was killed August 9 while trying to serve a protective order on a man who suffered from mental illness. The 27-year-old officer, who had nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the man’s apartment with her partner at 11 p.m. Upon entering the residence, the officers found that the man had locked himself in a bedroom. After trying to elicit a response from the man and receiving none, the officers called for backup and then forced open the bedroom door. The officer’s partner shone a flashlight around the room; she did not see anyone, but she heard a loud “popping” sound. The partner left the bedroom and then realized the officer was not behind her in the hallway. The partner turned and saw the man standing over the victim officer, shooting her in the chest at close range with a .50-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The partner retreated to a bathroom for cover and exchanged fire with the man. When the additional law enforcement units arrived, the responding officers shot and killed the 38-year-old perpetrator. The victim officer, who had been shot 14 times and received injuries to her torso, below her waist, and her arms and hands, was transported to a local medical center where she was pronounced dead. Though bullets did not fully penetrate her body armor, the victim officer died from blunt force trauma to the chest.

*****

On August 11, shortly after 3 p.m., a 27-year-old patrol officer with the Bossier City Police Department was dispatched to a local residence to investigate a 911 hang-up call. Upon his arrival, the patrol officer, who had over 6 years of law enforcement experience, approached the home and knocked on the door. When the door opened, a man exited the home with a 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun. As the patrol officer turned from the suspect to create distance, the man fired one round, which entered the arm opening of the officer’s ballistic vest, striking him in the front upper chest area. The victim officer fell and tried to get up; however, the suspect fired a second round striking him in the back. It was later determined that the suspect, who had a violent history and prior criminal record, returned to his residence and committed suicide. Investigators found that the spouse of the 65-year-old suspect had attempted the initial 911 call while the couple was engaged in a domestic dispute. The wife had left the home before the officer and additional assisting units arrived. The victim officer died as a result of the chest wound.

*****

The Assistant Chief of Police with the Wisner Police Department was shot and killed on October 10 just before 10:30 a.m. while investigating a burglary in progress. According to the complainant, her brother was burglarizing the residence of another sibling, who was currently incarcerated. The 62-year-old officer, who had over 6 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the residence and called for backup. Before the additional officers arrived, the assistant chief apparently confronted the suspect and a struggle ensued. During the altercation, the man seemingly disarmed the assistant chief, taking his .357 magnum revolver and shot him four times, striking him once in his right thigh, twice in his torso, and fatally in the front of his head. Moments later, the responding officers arrived and found the assailant standing over the victim officer’s body beating the mortally wounded officer in the face with the police badge he had taken from the officer’s shirt. The 43-year-old man, who had a prior criminal record and a history of mental disorders, was taken into custody and charged with First-Degree Murder.

Maryland

On the evening of July 3 about 9 p.m., a 36-year-old veteran officer with the Baltimore Police Department was shot and killed while investigating a domestic situation. The officer, with nearly 11 years of experience in law enforcement, was dispatched to a residence where a woman had requested a person be removed from the premises. When the officer arrived, the complainant told him the man had already left. After obtaining descriptions of the two men, the officer returned to his vehicle and began canvassing the neighborhood for them. He located the complainant’s niece who told the officer the direction the individual and his companion had gone. The officer caught up with the two men in front of a liquor store, and after requesting backup, he exited his cruiser and called to the men. Both men ignored the officer and entered the store with the officer following. The officer asked both men for identification, and the first man produced an Ohio driver’s license. The second man said that he had no ID but was over 18 years of age. Witnesses reported that a few moments later, the officer spun around quickly in an attempt to exit the store, and they then heard gunshots. Apparently, the second man had produced a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol and began shooting at the officer. As the officer turned, he exposed the side panel of his protective vest and was mortally wounded in the chest through his arm. The shooter then followed the officer outside and proceeded to fire at him four more times, hitting him in his left side and three times in the legs. A second Baltimore officer had arrived on the scene as back up and witnessed the victim officer leaving the store and falling to the ground as the two suspects fled the store. The arriving officer fired at the suspects and then radioed for medical assistance before administering first aid to the victim officer. The first suspect reentered the liquor store and hid a second 9 mm handgun (later found to be stolen) behind a display, as the armed shooter fled on foot. The first suspect then attempted to flee on foot as well. He was apprehended nearby by other responding officers and was taken into custody and questioned. He corroborated other witnesses’ accounts of the shooting. Four days later, investigators located the shooter, who had an extensive criminal history that included police assault and weapons violations. Officers were dispatched to a motel where they found the 33-year-old shooter, who proceeded to take his own life with a shot to the head. The 31-year-old suspect, already in custody, was charged with First-Degree Murder and Handgun on Person.

Michigan

Two police officers with the Detroit Police Department were killed during a traffic stop shortly after 1:50 a.m. on February 16. Investigators believe that the officers may have stopped an individual after they witnessed his attempt to solicit a prostitute. Apparently, the man exited his car, surrendered his driver’s license to the officers, and got into the backseat of the patrol car. While the officers, who were both wearing body armor, were running a check of the individual’s driver’s license, the suspect apparently pulled out a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and fatally shot the officer who was sitting in the front passenger seat in her face and head. The suspect then fired at the officer sitting in the driver’s seat, possibly wounding him. It appears that the suspect subsequently ran into a nearby field. Apparently, the officer who was the driver was able to get out of the vehicle and may have fired three shots at the suspect. The officer then checked on his partner and radioed that there was an officer down, which was his last transmission. Seemingly, the suspect returned to the scene and shot the officer in the head and torso under his protective vest. Responding officers found the officer lying about 60 feet from the patrol vehicle; his service weapon was missing. Police arrested a 19-year-old male and charged him in connection with the killings.

*****

About 8:35 p.m. on June 4, a 30-year-old police officer with the Sterling Heights Police Department was mortally wounded in an apparent ambush as he was sitting in his cruiser in the parking lot of a local department store. The officer, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, was completing paperwork when, according to witnesses as well as a security camera on-site, a vehicle pulled along the passenger side of the officer’s patrol car. The driver then lowered his window and shot the victim officer, who was wearing body armor, in the rear of the head with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. The shooter then exited his vehicle, opened the patrol car door, and took the victim officer’s .40-caliber semiautomatic duty pistol. The man returned to his car and drove away from the scene. The officer died the next day. The incident was subsequently profiled on a national television show. Shortly thereafter, acting on a tip received, officers and federal agents located the suspect in Jacksonville, Florida, on July 25. During a raid of the residence where he was hiding, the 33-year-old assailant used the victim officer’s weapon to commit suicide.

*****

A 19-year law enforcement veteran died on November 7 at age 57 as a result of injuries he sustained while handling a mentally deranged person on September 22, 1990. At 5:50 p.m., the detective with the Sault Sainte Marie Police Department responded to a call to a home where a man with mental health problems had become violent and threatened his family members. The individual had threatened the officers who had initially responded to the scene before barricading himself in the basement of the home. The detective, who knew the offender, tried to communicate with him for several hours. Finally, the detective obtained a chemical agent from another officer and slowly descended the stairs to the dimly lit basement, moving debris along the way. As the detective reached the bottom of the stairs, the man jumped from a concealed area, lunged toward the detective, and stabbed him through the eye with a large knife. The other officers at the scene were able to subdue the man, who was 37 years old at the time of the incident. He was arrested and charged with Assault with Intent to Murder and was later committed to a psychiatric institution. As a result of the stab wound, the victim officer was severely incapacitated until the time of his death.

Missouri

A police officer with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department was shot and killed on January 30 while conducting an investigation into drug sales in his assigned Weed and Seed Program neighborhood. At 1:45 p.m., the 24-year-old investigating officer, who had nearly 2½ years of law enforcement service, and his 26-year-old partner, who had almost 3 years of law enforcement service, were led by their investigation to question the occupant of a car that was stopped in a store’s parking lot. The two officers were not in uniform but were wearing protective vests; they were clearly identifiable as police officers. When they approached the suspect, he became violent, striking at the officers and attempting to flee. As the officers wrestled with him in an attempt to make an arrest, the suspect was able to remove the pistol from the holster of the investigating officer. The suspect, now armed with the officer’s 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, shot the officer’s partner, knocking him to the ground and fracturing his shoulder. He then turned and fatally shot the victim officer once in the chest above his protective vest. Though critically injured, the victim officer’s partner was able to draw his own pistol and fire five rounds at the suspect, striking him once. The suspect, a 31-year-old male, fled approximately 150 feet on foot and then collapsed. He later died from his injury.

New Mexico

A deputy sheriff with the Otero County Sheriff’s Department was killed on December 18 after responding to a call of shots fired in a suspected domestic incident. The 49-year-old deputy, who had 6 years of law enforcement experience, approached a home in the city of Cloudcroft with his partner at 6:30 p.m. while canvassing the neighborhood where the call originated in an effort to find the source of the shots. A man was on the front porch of the home, and a car was backed up to the door with its trunk open. The two officers made contact with the man, who went inside the home, slamming and locking the front door. The officers saw what they perceived to be blood on the front porch and backed away from the home, calling for backup. When the deputy went around the home to the rear porch, the man apparently ambushed him. He shot the deputy in the side of the head with a .357-caliber revolver and killed him. The shooter then went to the front of the house and fired at the other officer. The assisting officer returned fire, striking and killing the man. Based on a review of the scene, investigators alleged that the suspect had killed his girlfriend and while attempting to load her body into the trunk of the car, he observed the officers in the neighborhood. He then apparently took her body into the house and placed it in a closet before confronting the officers. On parole at the time of the incident, the 38-year-old suspect had a criminal history including violent crimes, drugs, and police assault.

New York

A 38-year-old lieutenant with the Albany Police Department died on February 12 as a result of line-of-duty wounds sustained on December 23, 2003. At 11:30 p.m. on the night of the incident, officers responded to an armed robbery in progress call at a convenience store and spotted the alleged robber about a block from the store. The lieutenant, who had more than 13 years of law enforcement experience, provided backup and joined the ensuing foot chase after he arrived on the scene. During the pursuit, the suspect emerged from behind a parked car and allegedly fired 12 shots from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun at the officer. Four rounds struck the lieutenant, once in the chest, once in each leg, and fatally in the lower back below his protective vest. Despite his injuries, the officer shot the suspect three times, wounding him. The victim officer was rushed to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his wounds several weeks later. The 26-year-old suspect, a known drug dealer on probation at the time of the shooting, recovered from his injuries. On January 5, police arrested the man and charged him with First-Degree Murder, Attempted First-Degree Murder, Criminal Use of a Firearm, and Criminal Possession of a Loaded Firearm.

*****

A bay constable with the Town of Babylon was shot and killed while attempting an arrest on July 16. The 44-year-old officer saw an individual driving erratically and conducted a registration check from his patrol vehicle. The officer, who had 23 years of law enforcement experience, then followed the subject to his home. He reported that the man entered his house, and he let his dogs out. About 3:10 p.m., dispatchers lost radio communication with the officer, and calls to his cellular telephone went unanswered. Police later confirmed that the subject shot the officer twice with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, striking him in the front upper chest and fatally in the side of the head. Police also confirmed that as the suspect fled the scene in his vehicle, he ran over the victim officer’s body. Subsequently, he also became involved in an armed confrontation with some officers with the New York State Park Police. One of the officers shot and killed the 40-year-old suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol and narcotics at the time of the incident. The victim officer was pronounced dead at the scene.

*****

A short time after 8:30 p.m. on September 10, two detectives with the New York Police Department were killed while attempting to apprehend a suspect wanted for a domestic violence complaint. The 39-year-old detective with 15 years of law enforcement experience and the 43-year-old detective with over 22 years of experience arrived at the address to find the suspect sitting inside his car. While the officers were attempting to remove the suspect from the car, the suspect grabbed a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from one of the detectives and discharged seven rounds, mortally wounding both officers. Before the 43-year-old detective succumbed to the wounds he suffered in the front lower torso and fatally in the front upper torso, he was able to provide the identity of the man who had shot him to a dispatcher. The 39-year-old detective, although wounded in the front upper torso, rear lower torso, and mortally below the waist, was able to draw his own service weapon and fire one round, which struck the 28-year-old suspect. After fleeing on foot and carjacking a vehicle, the suspect was arrested at an apartment building the following day and was charged with Murder.

North Carolina

A 28-year law enforcement veteran with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in the town of Apex shortly after 1:15 p.m. on February 12 while investigating a suspicious person. The 49-year-old investigator saw a parked vehicle in a commercial construction area that was known to be frequented by young people to engage in illegal activity. He pulled his unmarked patrol car in front of the vehicle, partially blocking its forward path. An individual was standing near the rear of the vehicle with the trunk open. The officer exited his patrol car, walked around the driver’s door, and approached the individual. The man apparently reached into the trunk, pulled out a 12-gauge shotgun, and pointed it at the officer. The officer tried to retreat behind the driver’s side door of the patrol car and raised his arms in an attempt to negotiate with the individual and calm the situation. However, the individual allegedly fired one shot, striking the officer in the left side of the face, mortally wounding him. The suspect, who had prior arrests for police assault and was on probation stemming from a breaking and entering arrest, then fled in his car. A short time later, a passerby saw the officer on the ground outside his patrol car with the engine running. The passerby went to a nearby home and called emergency personnel. During the subsequent investigation, the police located two individuals who had attempted to assist the suspect by providing him with an alibi and helping him dispose of the gun. Under interrogation, these two persons furnished information that led the police to the 18-year-old suspect, who was arrested on February 14 and charged with First-Degree Murder.

*****

A 34-year-old sergeant with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office was ambushed, shot, and killed while attempting to serve commitment papers to an apparently mentally disturbed individual. Around 10:15 on the evening of April 4, the sergeant, along with three deputies, arrived at the residence of a man whose wife had requested the commitment order earlier in the evening. The wife alleged that the man was having “Vietnam flashbacks,” was heavily armed, and had commented to her that he would not be taken alive if she called the police. The officers arrived at the couple’s residence, which had been landscaped with tall shrubbery, including an abundance of bamboo. The yard included shooting positions and yardage distance sticks and was enclosed by a chain-link fence. The sergeant, who was a 9-year veteran of law enforcement with 8 years on the SWAT Team, elected to be the first one to cross the locked gate of the fence. As the sergeant crossed the dark yard, his fellow officers heard him tell someone to “put that down.”   There immediately followed a blast from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, and the deputies lost sight of the sergeant. Shots were exchanged with the suspect, and a perimeter was established as the deputies shot the lock off the gate and retrieved the victim sergeant from the yard. The victim had sustained wounds from the buck pellets of the shotgun that struck his right torso, neck, and face. One of the pellets severed his aorta, and he died at the scene. Responding officers of the SWAT Team arrived on the scene and found the 56-year-old shooter dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.

*****

A 59-year-old reserve sergeant with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed shortly after he returned to his home in Winston-Salem on November 11. Just before 6:45 p.m., the 9-year veteran of law enforcement was returning home from the store with his grandson. As he turned onto the street on which he lived, a vehicle pulled behind him and followed him to his home. An armed man exited the vehicle that had followed them and confronted the officer and his grandson. A former resident of the neighborhood, the man, who had had previous property disputes with the residents, stated that he returned to the neighborhood to kill neighbors with whom he had previous conflicts. He informed the sergeant and his grandson that he had already killed two of his neighbors and he was now going to kill them. The sergeant drew the assailant’s attention to him and instructed his grandson to run to the house for safety. The grandson escaped from the situation and called for help. The 59-year-old suspect shot the sergeant with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle, fatally wounding him in the front upper torso. A corporal with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office was alerted of the shooting and arrived within minutes. The suspect and corporal exchanged gunfire at close range, and both men were wounded. The 33-year-old corporal, who was wearing body armor, was shot in the torso area; the bullet entered through the armhole area of his vest. All three men were transported to the hospital, where the victim sergeant was pronounced dead. The suspect was arrested and charged with 3 counts of Murder and 1 count of Attempted Murder.

Ohio

Just before 5 a.m. on October 14, a 29-year-old deputy sheriff with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was killed while investigating a suspicious circumstance. An apparently disabled vehicle was parked along a state highway near Waldo Township, and the veteran deputy, who had nearly 8 years of law enforcement experience, asked the dispatcher to contact a nearby gas station to learn if anyone had reported the abandoned vehicle. The gas station clerk informed the dispatcher, who, in turn, informed the officer, that two men had purchased gas a short time before and had left on foot. The deputy then spotted a man walking toward the vehicle and apparently had a conversation with him. The officer, who was wearing body armor, informed the dispatcher that he was going to give the man a ride to an apartment complex in Marion. The dispatcher ran a check on the information that the man had provided to the deputy and found that the man had given a false name and date of birth. The dispatcher tried to contact the officer numerous times via radio, cellular phone, and pager to warn him about the man, but none of the attempts to contact him were successful. At 5:03 a.m., the 911 center received a call from a citizen reporting that a marked sheriff’s cruiser had crashed and was lying on its top in a ravine. Investigating officers who responded to the call found the victim deputy in the wrecked cruiser with a single gunshot wound behind his right ear. The fatal shot had been fired from a 9 mm handgun. A 20-year-old male, a known user, dealer, and possessor of drugs, was arrested the next day and charged with Aggravated Murder. Investigators determined that the second man who had been present with the alleged assailant when he purchased gas at the service station had no involvement in the death of the victim officer.

Pennsylvania

At 1:45 a.m. on March 19, a supervisor with the First Judicial District (FJD) of Pennsylvania was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a man in Philadelphia. The 53-year-old supervisor with 8½ years of law enforcement experience, an FJD investigator, and two officers with the FBI’s Philadelphia Violent Crimes/Fugitive Task Force went to the apartment of a man wanted on Rape and Drug Violations. The task force officers requested assistance from the Philadelphia Police Department, which sent two officers to the scene who covered the alley behind the apartment. One of the task force officers knocked on the apartment’s front door and indicated their identities to the occupants. Several seconds later, a woman inside the apartment opened the door and told the officers that the man they were looking for was in the bedroom. The officers entered the poorly lit apartment, and as the woman stepped into the kitchen, the man opened fire on the officers with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. One of the bullets struck the supervisor in the stomach below his protective vest, and he fell to the floor. Despite his injury, the supervisor was able to fire 15 shots, but apparently none of those shots hit the offender. As they backed out of the apartment along with the other task force officer, the investigator was shot in the stomach and one of the task force officers was struck in the left hand. The officers then heard two shots from inside the apartment. The task force officers attempted to come to the aid of the supervisor, but when they tried to reenter the apartment, the suspect opened fire on them again. They returned fire and shot the suspect in his back and leg. One of the officers called for backup from the Philadelphia Police Department and numerous officers, including the officers who had been covering the rear of the apartment building, swarmed to the front of the building. The suspect climbed out of a rear window in the apartment and broke into the apartment directly below. The responding officers searched the man’s apartment, but failed to find him. Philadelphia Police Department SWAT officers located a blood trail in the man’s apartment and followed it to the apartment below, where they found and arrested him. The FJD supervisor was taken to a local hospital where he died from two gunshot wounds to the back of his head. The 40-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included arrests for Murder, Rape, Robbery, and Aggravated Assault, was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for his wounds. He was charged with First-Degree Murder, 3 counts of Attempted Murder, 3 counts of Aggravated Assault, and Firearms Violations.

*****

Shortly before 11:30 a.m. on March 31, two deputy sheriffs with the Bradford County Sheriff’s Office were shot and killed in an ambush in the city of Gillett while they were attempting to serve a failure-to-appear warrant on a known drug dealer. The two deputies went to the home of the man’s father, which had an auto junkyard behind it and was located in a heavily wooded area, in an attempt to locate the subject. The deputies knocked on the front door of the residence, but no one answered. They then went around the house to the junkyard. The man, who had prior arrests that include Assault on a Police Officer and Weapons Violations, is believed to have hidden among the cars and fired 3 shots from a .38-caliber handgun at the deputies. The 36-year-old veteran deputy with 9 years of service in law enforcement was struck in the neck and died instantly. The 30-year-old deputy with 4½ years in law enforcement was mortally wounded in the stomach by a bullet that entered his protective vest between the side panels. The suspect’s father heard the gunshots and found the officers. The wounded officer was able to ask him to call for help. The father went to his house and telephoned the sheriff’s office to inform them that one officer was dead and another wounded. When the medical personnel arrived, they determined that both deputies were dead. Not being certain of the identity or location of the shooter, they retreated from the scene. When the backup officers arrived, they were unable to locate the suspect on the property or determine how he was traveling. Law enforcement personnel from Pennsylvania and New York launched a massive search involving hundreds of officers. The officers set up roadblocks, searched for the suspect from the air by helicopter, and looked for the man in the wooded areas using K-9 units and tactical teams. The next day, an officer in a helicopter spotted the suspect walking on a road a few miles from his father’s house. Officers on the ground took him into custody without further incident. The 27-year-old man was charged with two counts each of First-Degree Murder and Third-Degree Murder.

Puerto Rico

A 22-year-old agent with the Police of Puerto Rico, San Juan, was killed at 10 p.m., July 17 after responding to a report of gunfire at a store. One of several officers responding to the scene, the agent, with nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, approached the store. However, one of the would-be robbers leaving the store fired a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking the agent, who was wearing a protective vest, in the torso and delivering a fatal shot to his face. An assisting agent, also 22 years old, was shot in the torso below his protective vest. The assisting agent, who had almost 1 year of experience in law enforcement, returned fire and shot and killed the 26-year-old assailant. A second offender, aged 21, was arrested at the scene and charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, Weapons Violations, and Robbery. The assailants also allegedly killed the store’s owner in the incident.

*****

On August 14 at 3 a.m., a 46-year-old agent with the Police of Puerto Rico, San Juan, was killed at a local restaurant owned by one of his friends. The off-duty officer, who had 27 years of law enforcement experience, was told that an armed individual had entered the restaurant, and the officer had challenged the man. A struggle ensued in which the assailant fired 13 shots with a 9 mm handgun, fatally striking the veteran agent at least once in the side of his head. During the struggle, the man disarmed the officer and fled the scene with the officer’s service weapon. The suspect remains at large.

South Carolina

A senior captain with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety was shot and killed on July 18 after being ambushed on his own property in Calhoun County. The 56-year-old veteran officer, who had more than 11 years of experience in law enforcement, left a visit with his father at 7:30 p.m. Upon reaching his property and entering his workshop, he was attacked by a man who used the officer’s .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle to shoot him three times in the back of the head, fatally wounding him, and six more times in the torso. The man then allegedly doused the officer’s body with diesel fuel and lit the fuel in an attempt to   burn the body before leaving the scene in the slain officer’s pickup truck. The victim officer’s wife discovered his body in the workshop at 9:15 p.m. Three days later, police in Satellite Beach, Florida, stopped the suspect for reckless driving. The perpetrator, still in the victim officer’s truck and carrying one of the officer’s weapons, attempted to run before the police apprehended him. In the days before the attack on the senior captain, the suspect had allegedly stolen a vehicle in Virginia and killed a cashier at a gas station in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Earlier on the day of the incident, the man allegedly forced a driver from a vehicle at gunpoint in Columbia, South Carolina, before attempting to use a stolen credit card at a gas station about a mile from the victim officer’s property. Gas station attendants there alerted the local sheriff’s office to the man’s suspicious behavior, but when deputies arrived, the man fled on foot into woods behind the station. Though the woods, which were adjacent to the slain officer’s property, were searched by officers and K-9 units, the man was able to elude them. When the police initiated a search of the area, they located the suspect at a condominium building, where they subsequently cornered him in a hallway. After being confronted, the man surrendered and was taken into custody. Officials believe that though the officer was off duty, sensitive files and law enforcement equipment in the workshop and in the officer’s patrol car made the senior captain’s position with law enforcement apparent to the suspect. They concluded that the murder of the officer was directly related to his law enforcement affiliation. The 21-year-old suspect, a member of an anti-white, anti-law enforcement hate group, was charged with Capital Murder, Second-Degree Burglary, and Grand Larceny.

Tennessee

Approximately 8:30 a.m. on March 12, a deputy sheriff with the Loudon County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed when he responded to a domestic violence call in which a juvenile had attacked his mother with a fence post. When the 24-year-old deputy, who had 3 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the home in Lenoir City and exited his vehicle, the juvenile apparently shot him in the chest with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. Additional officers arrived at the scene and saw the victim officer lying on the ground. However, the suspect opened fire on them from inside the home, forcing the officers to retreat. Members of the Knox County Sheriff’s Department Extradition Team arrived and were able to retrieve the victim officer’s body. After 3 hours without any contact with the shooter, the officers sent a robot into the house to determine if there was any movement inside. The individual then exchanged gunfire with officers for about 30 seconds. Over the next 23 hours, officers deployed several canisters of tear gas and made numerous attempts to make contact with the suspect by public address system and by telephone. About 11 a.m. on March 13, a K-9 team entered the garage and listened for about an hour for any movement in the home. After hearing nothing, the team entered the house to clear each room. The team found the 16-year-old shooter, who had no known prior criminal record, in an upstairs bedroom dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

*****

A veteran Jackson Police Department sergeant, with over 30 years of law enforcement experience, was shot and killed while in pursuit of a robbery suspect. The 52-year-old sergeant was assisting other officers in a vehicle pursuit of a man who allegedly mugged a shopper earlier on the day of June 17 in the parking lot of a nearby mall. It was around 9:30 in the morning when the pursuit ended as the suspect crashed his vehicle in the parking lot of a dry cleaning business. The suspect exited his wrecked car and fired at least two shots from a .32-caliber revolver into the passenger window of the sergeant’s patrol unit. The sergeant exited his vehicle; other officers on the scene realized that he had been shot in the lower stomach and provided assistance. The sergeant was transported to a nearby hospital where he died during surgery. Additional officers pursued the suspect who had fled the scene of the shooting on foot. During the course of the pursuit, the 20-year-old suspect was shot by pursuing officers. The suspect was transported to the hospital where he recovered from his wound and was subsequently charged with First-Degree Murder.

*****

On November 27 at 9:30 p.m., a patrol officer with the Bristol Police Department was killed at a residence to which he was dispatched in response to a domestic disturbance call. According to the report, a man with a gun had been threatening people, including his girlfriend. An unidentified friend of the subject met the 30-year-old officer outside the residence and told him that there was no trouble inside the house. The officer, who had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, entered the split-level dwelling and ascended the steps that led to the living area. As he was nearing the top of the stairs, one of the two assisting officers who had just arrived at the scene approached the front door of the residence, glanced up, and saw an arm holding a gun appear from behind the left sidewall at the top of the stairs. The assisting officer saw the subject fire a .357 magnum revolver from his position at the top of the stairs. The fatal shot struck the victim officer in the face. Both assisting officers, who were still outside the dwelling, took cover—one in the front yard and the other behind a vehicle parked in the driveway. Moments later, a man exited the front door, and the officers ordered him to lie on the ground. A second man, who was later identified as the shooter, then exited, and the officers ordered him to lie on the ground. Three women followed, and the officers secured them as well. The alleged assailant, a 26-year-old man, who was on probation from prior criminal charges and who was a known drug dealer, surrendered to the officers without incident. They arrested and charged the man with First-Degree Murder. Other officers entered the house where they found the body of the victim officer at the top of the stairs; they recovered the gun used in the fatal shooting.

Texas

A 33-year-old senior patrol officer with the Huntington Police Department was shot and killed on March 13 shortly after 11:30 a.m. after stopping a motorist who was speeding. When the 10-year veteran officer learned that the driver was the subject of an active warrant for possession of a controlled substance, he approached the man to take him into custody. The man then exited his vehicle and shot the officer one time in his face with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The officer lost consciousness and dropped to the ground, whereupon the killer fired another round into his back. Before fleeing, the assailant attempted to disable the police in-car video system by firing into the monitor. Nevertheless, the video continued to run and recorded the entire incident. Local law enforcement pursued the killer to a house in Nacogdoches, where the 24-year-old man committed suicide by a gunshot to the head. The victim officer died 3 days later at an area hospital.

*****

The Grand Prairie Police Department lost a veteran sergeant with over 29 years of experience about 8:45 on the morning of June 18 when he was shot and killed while aiding in the investigation of a suspicious circumstance. The 54-year-old sergeant had arrived as backup to an officer who had been dispatched to investigate a suspicious van idling in the parking lot of a local department store. When the sergeant arrived, the officer briefed him on the circumstances. As the officer was attempting to gain entrance to the van, an occupant called out and peered at the officer and the sergeant from behind a curtain blocking the cargo area of the van. The officer asked the occupant, who had identified himself as the owner, for identification and then moved to the side cargo door to open it. The 44-year-old officer heard the sergeant ask the occupant to come out of the van, and there immediately followed a gunshot. The officer, a veteran of 18 years of law enforcement, came around the van and saw the sergeant had been shot in the neck above his protective vest. He tried to assist the sergeant and called dispatch to report an officer down. The shooter then fired at the officer with the .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and hit him in the chest, also above his body armor. The officer still managed to make his way to the front of the van and, using the engine as cover, fired his service pistol into the van through the windshield. The officer emptied the gun’s magazine and, observing further movement, fired several more shots into the van. The 42-year-old assailant was justifiably killed at the scene. The officer then made his way back to one of the cruisers and radioed for help a second time. The sergeant died from the wound to his neck. The officer recovered from a wound to the clavicle area of his chest and eventually returned to duty.

*****

A 38-year-old patrol officer with the El Paso Police Department was shot and killed on September 25 shortly before 1 a.m., responding to three calls regarding a domestic disturbance/assault-in-progress incident. The calls had been made by a woman reporting that her husband had entered the house with the intent to assault her; she did not report he had a weapon. The responding officer, who had 1 month of law enforcement experience, heard a woman scream in the garage as he and his partner approached the residence in question. The two officers entered the garage through the partially opened overhead door and found a man and woman arguing. The man pulled a handgun out of his waistband and aimed the weapon at the officers. The assisting officer fired at the man with a taser but missed. The assailant fired two shots from a .38-caliber revolver as the officers exited the garage to seek cover. One shot missed the officers; however, the second shot struck the victim officer below his body armor in the upper left leg near the buttocks. Outside the garage, the victim patrol officer collapsed, and his partner dragged him to cover behind a parked vehicle. Additional officers arrived at the scene and located the alleged shooter, who was then unarmed and standing outside the garage. Although the man was belligerent and uncooperative, the officers eventually overpowered him. In the meantime, the victim officer was transported to a local medical center where he died from the gunshot wound. The bullet, which had severed a major artery, had glanced off a bone and caused additional internal damage. The 42-year-old alleged assailant, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the shooting, had a prior history of violent crimes, including police assault and weapons violations. Police arrested him and charged him with Capital Murder and Attempted Capital Murder.

Virgin Islands

A 12-year veteran police officer with the U.S. Virgin Islands Police Department was shot on April 17 just before 11 p.m. when he intervened in an attempted robbery at a St. Croix fast-food establishment. The 45-year-old, off-duty officer was present at the restaurant when a man wearing a mask suddenly leaped across the counter. The officer drew his weapon, identified himself as a police officer, and ordered the man to freeze. Unknown to the officer, there was a second robber, who then shot him from behind. The officer managed to discharge his firearm before being shot several more times in the upper body with a semiautomatic handgun. The two men then fled the scene. The wounded officer was transported to an area hospital, then airlifted to a major medical center for treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries on April 26. On May 10, police arrested a 20-year-old male at his residence and charged him with First-Degree Murder, Carjacking, Possession of an Unlicensed Firearm, Interference with Commerce, and other federal and territorial violations. The suspect was on conditional release at the time of the incident. A second suspect, a 23-year-old male, was arrested on June 9 and charged with First-Degree Murder, Interference with Commerce, and other federal and territorial violations.

Washington

On July 30, a sergeant from the Clark County Sheriff’s Department, who had nearly 22 years of experience, was killed in a tactical situation after responding to a call regarding a domestic disturbance involving a gun. Deputies, who arrived at the residence near Vancouver shortly after 7 p.m., took up positions around the house and evacuated neighboring homes. The 49-year-old sergeant served as a supervising officer at the scene. The adult son of the suspect described him as suicidal and indicated that the man was in a house and had several firearms, though one shotgun had been taken from him. The suspect’s girlfriend and her son, along with several other people, were able to leave the residence unharmed. The responding deputies observed that the man was behaving erratically, removing an upstairs window screen, and then pointing a rifle out the window. A negotiator and SWAT team were called, but before they could reach the home, the man was observed crawling with a loaded rifle from the house to a pickup truck parked nearby. Shortly after 8 p.m., the suspect started the truck and drove through a fence, a neighbor’s yard, and a field to reach an adjacent roadway where the sergeant had moved his unmarked police car to block the area of traffic. The sergeant had parked his patrol vehicle on the gravel shoulder and was sitting in the vehicle with the emergency lights activated. Witnesses reported that the suspect aimed his truck at the driver’s door of the sergeant’s parked police car and intentionally accelerated and rammed the vehicle. Rescue workers transported the sergeant to a local hospital by a Lifeflight helicopter. Once there, he was pronounced dead due to trauma to the chest. The 43-year-old suspect, under the influence of alcohol during the incident, received minor injuries in the crash and was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder and Vehicular Homicide. He had a history of a mental disorder and a criminal record.

Wisconsin

A special agent with the Division of Criminal Investigation, Madison, Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ), died November 5 from injuries he received as the target of an attempted armed robbery on October 29. The 34-year-old veteran officer had 12 years of experience in law enforcement, serving as a police officer with the city of Milwaukee for seven years prior to joining the DOJ. Assigned to the Narcotics Bureau at the time of the incident, the officer was on surveillance duty, wearing a sweatshirt with an agency logo, when at midnight, he stopped at a Milwaukee convenience store. After leaving the store, he was confronted in the parking lot by two men who had allegedly watched him enter the store and viewed him as a profitable robbery mark. The two men approached the agent, and one of them pointed a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun at him as the other patted him down for weapons. The agent identified himself as a police officer, and the perpetrators discovered the agent’s service weapon. The man holding the handgun shot the agent twice at close range, striking him once in the abdomen, before the two subjects fled the scene. The agent was taken to a local hospital where he died from his wounds seven days later. Investigators apprehended the perpetrators on November 9. The 26-year-old offender who had fired the gun was charged with First-Degree Intentional Homicide, Attempted Robbery, and Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. A known drug dealer, he had a criminal record that included convictions for violent crimes, drugs, and weapons violations. The second offender, also a known drug dealer, was charged with Felony Murder. On probation at the time of the incident, the 19-year-old had a criminal record that included convictions as a juvenile, and convictions on drug charges and police assault charges.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2005

Alabama

Around 3:30 p.m. on August 29, a police officer with the Huntsville Police Department was fatally shot when he responded to a domestic disturbance in progress at a local restaurant. Upon arriving at the scene, the 27-year-old officer, who had over 3 years of law enforcement experience, parked his patrol vehicle in a tactical position approximately 50 feet from the front door; a backup unit also responded. Within seconds of the officer exiting his vehicle, a man stepped out of the restaurant and began firing at him with a .38-caliber revolver. Though the officer was wearing body armor, the shooter hit and wounded him in the chest and below the waist. The victim officer returned six shots; however, the offender approached the victim officer and shot him fatally at close range in the front of the head. The shooter then went to a nearby vehicle and awaited other responding officers. The assisting officer, a state trooper, and an off-duty officer from another agency took the 31-year-old male into custody without incident. The shooter, who had a prior criminal record including violent crimes, was arrested and charged with Capital Murder.

Arizona

A 48-year-old officer with the Phoenix Police Department was mortally shot while executing a traffic stop just after 11 a.m. on May 10. The patrol vehicle’s computer showed that the 22-year law enforcement veteran had run a license plate a few minutes earlier and found the car in question to be stolen. Shortly thereafter, the radio dispatcher began receiving 911 calls reporting an officer down. Responding officers found citizens giving medical aid to the victim. The officer, who was wearing body armor, had gunshot wounds to the front of the head and the neck, which were subsequently found to be from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Moments later, the stolen vehicle that the victim officer had observed was found 2 blocks away from the scene of the shooting, and two males had been observed walking away from the vehicle. Officers initiated a search for the individuals. The victim officer was transported to a medical center where he died of his wounds at 3:50 p.m. the same day. Two suspects with prior criminal convictions, an 18-year-old and 27-year-old, were arrested on May 12 and charged with First-Degree Murder.

California

During an ambush shooting incident on January 9, a 39-year-old sergeant with the Ceres Police Department was shot and killed, and a field training officer was critically injured. The suspect, a self-admitted gang member, called the Ceres Police Department Dispatch Center representing himself as an employee of a local market. He reported that he was being harassed by juveniles and requested that one officer be sent to his location. Fifteen minutes later, around 8:00 p.m. the suspect asked the owner of the market to call the police. He told the store owner that someone had shot at him, and the owner reported this to dispatch. Moments later, the owner of a store across the street called dispatch and reported a suspicious male who appeared to be holding a rifle. The 49-year-old field training officer, with 22 years of law enforcement experience, and his trainee arrived on the northwest side of the building at 8:11 p.m. in a “darked out” patrol unit and, according to a video tape recording, took a position of cover and concealment. The officer put out a “shots fired” call. The suspect was apparently waiting for the officers to arrive, and when he saw them at the corner of the building, he immediately fired at them with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. The field training officer was struck numerous times below his protective vest by the gunfire. Another officer arrived at the scene and helped provide suppression fire as the trainee helped the field training officer to cover, both of them firing as well. On the east side of the store, the 39-year-old sergeant with over 18 years of law enforcement experience arrived and exited his vehicle attempting to take cover behind a retaining wall. The suspect and the veteran sergeant exchanged gunfire. The suspect then ran toward the sergeant while firing his semiautomatic rifle. The rounds penetrated the sergeant’s protective vest, striking him several times in the chest. While the sergeant was down, the suspect fatally shot him two times at close range in the back of the head. The 19-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record and was under the influence of narcotics, fled the area on foot. Officers from several local law enforcement agencies responded to the area and set up a perimeter. Less than an hour later, the suspect was seen jumping a fence into an alley. He fired at officers on the perimeter. Four officers returned fire, killing him.

*****

A 35-year-old police officer with the Pittsburg Police Department died on April 24 as a result of bullet wounds he received on April 23 around 6 p.m. when pursuing robbery suspects. The officer, who had nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, was wearing body armor when he arrived in a single-officer vehicle at the location of the robbery. Two suspects, who were reportedly armed, had already begun to flee from the scene of the incident. A backup officer arrived to provide assistance, and the two officers began foot pursuit through a residential area. The first officer apparently observed one of the suspects hiding in tall brush. While the backup officer was 20 to 30 yards behind him, the first officer approached the suspect with his service weapon drawn and ordered the suspect to show his hands. From a distance of 11 to 20 feet, the suspect fired several rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking the officer multiple times. Other officers arrived and attempted to rescue the victim officer but were repelled by additional fire from the suspect. When the officers returned fire, the 18-year-old suspect, whose prior rap sheet included weapons violations, violent crime, and juvenile conviction, surrendered. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for a bullet wound to the lower leg and for wounds that proved to be fatal to the neck and throat area. The alleged shooter was charged with Murder and Enhancements, Attempted Murder of Uninjured Law Enforcement Officers, and Robbery. The second suspect was found hiding several blocks from the crime scene.

*****

A 35-year-old officer with the Los Angeles Airport Police Department was killed on April 29 at 10:45 a.m. while investigating a suspicious-looking pedestrian during a routine vehicle patrol of the airport’s perimeter fence line. The lone officer, who had 3 years of law enforcement experience, got out of his patrol car to talk to the suspect. Having left the driver’s side car door open and the keys in the ignition, the officer engaged the suspect in conversation near the rear of the vehicle. The suspect pushed the officer aside and managed to get in the driver’s seat of the patrol vehicle. As the officer tried to remove him from the car, the suspect began to drive away. Dragging the officer, he used the car as a weapon and swerved it from side to side such that it hit the curb, a fire hydrant, and finally a tree. The officer’s fatal injuries were to the neck and throat area. He died at the scene. The suspect exited the police car, unsuccessfully tried to take one witness’s vehicle, and then fled the scene at high speed in the car of an individual who had stopped to render aid to the officer. The stolen car collided with a curb, jumped the airport’s perimeter fence, and rolled over, trapping the 46-year-old suspect inside. The Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters who removed the suspect from the vehicle noticed that he had tried to slash his wrists with broken glass. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was taken into custody and transported to a hospital; he was charged with Murder.

*****

A 35-year-old deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was killed on June 24 after a subject wanted on assault charges allegedly shot the deputy as the deputy tried to apprehend him. The deputy, a law enforcement veteran with 15 ½ years of experience, was assigned to the Operation Safe Streets Bureau. He was on duty in the city of Hawaiian Gardens shortly after 3 p.m. when he apparently recognized a subject he knew was wanted on assault charges. The subject ran, and the deputy followed and attempted to locate him. After losing sight of the man, the deputy went to an apartment in the neighborhood and spoke to a female resident, one of several people in the apartment. Unknown to the deputy, the subject he was pursuing was hidden behind the open door. While standing on the porch, the deputy asked to see the identification of a man in the apartment. As the deputy examined the man’s identification, the subject allegedly pointed a .38-caliber revolver through the crack between the frame and the door and fired one shot, hitting the deputy in the front of his head. The subject then fled the scene. The deputy was airlifted to a hospital where he died as a result of the injury. The alleged perpetrator, on parole at the time of the incident, was apprehended in a nearby residence, arrested, and charged with Murder. The 27-year-old man had a criminal record that included violent crime, drug crime, police assault, and weapons violations. The handgun recovered at the scene is believed to be the same weapon used to shoot the deputy.

*****

A 42-year-old patrol officer with the San Leandro Police Department was killed on July 25 while investigating a disturbance call. Around 11 p.m., the officer, who had nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, was called to a residence where a gathering had sparked complaints of noise and loitering. When the officer arrived at the home, he requested the identifications of several of the people present, including a man who lived there. As the officer was in the process of obtaining this information, he turned his attention away from that individual. Apparently, the man pulled a 10 mm semiautomatic handgun from his waistband and shot the officer in the side of his head. As the officer lay wounded, the suspect shot the officer at least six more times at close range. Bullets entered below the officer’s protective vest, injuring him in the lower torso and fatally wounding him in the chest. The victim officer also suffered wounds to his neck and throat. The 23-year-old suspect, who was on probation at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with Murder. He had a criminal record that included drug violations and police assault.

*****

A 37-year-old officer with the Rancho Cordova Highway Patrol was killed during a traffic stop a little after 2:30 p.m. on November 17 in Woodland. The veteran officer, who had 12 ½ years of law enforcement experience, was on duty at an intersection when two vehicles passed through the intersection, one right after the other. The officer activated his lights and pulled over the second vehicle, a car. (Investigation later showed the officer may have pulled the car over because it had no license plate.) Seeing the police vehicle’s lights, the driver of the first vehicle, a sport utility vehicle (SUV), pulled over in front of the car. As the officer approached the driver’s window of the car, he waved the driver of the SUV on, indicating that she did not need to stay. When the officer turned his attention to the driver of the car, the driver fatally shot the officer once in the head below his right eye at close range with a .357 magnum revolver. The officer, who was wearing body armor, died instantly. The shooter fled the scene, and a witness used the slain officer’s radio to call for help. Witnesses were able to give police a description of the shooter and the direction in which the car was heading. Following a massive manhunt and investigation that included identifying the suspect and tracking his cell phone activity, the suspected shooter, a 20-year-old male, was apprehended as he left a motel in Rocklin shortly after 3 the next morning. The suspect, who was on conditional release at the time of the murder, was charged with First-Degree Murder. He was a known drug user, had a prior record of drug and weapon violations, and had a prior known mental disorder.

Colorado

On May 8 at 12:30 in the morning, an off-duty detective with the Denver Police Department was ambushed, shot, and killed while attending a fiesta. The 43-year-old, a veteran of 17 years of law enforcement experience, was at the fiesta with another off-duty Denver detective. Late in the evening of May 7, a male subject attempted to enter the fiesta. The officers refused to allow the man onto the premises. The man left the location, only to return a short time later with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, which he began firing at the officers. The first detective was shot three times, in the side of the head and in the lower rear torso and back. The second detective, a 35-year-old veteran of 12 ½ years of police experience, was also shot once in the back, but his protective vest stopped the bullet. After the shooting, the suspect ran from the scene and briefly returned to his home, packed some belongings, and told his girlfriend he was going to California, apparently to his mother’s home in Los Angeles. Responding officers arrived at the shooting location about 1:15 a.m., and both officers were taken to a local medical center where the first detective was pronounced dead, and the second detective was treated and released. Further inquiry and an interview with the suspect’s mother revealed that the suspect had fled to Mexico. After extensive investigation, the man was located on June 4 in Culiacan, State of Sinaloa, in Mexico. The 19-year-old suspect was taken into custody by the Mexican government and is being held in Mexico City pending extradition.

Florida

A 33-year-old deputy with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call on February 9. The female who made the initial call warned that her live-in boyfriend had said that he would shoot the first officer that came down the driveway. The deputy, with 8 years of law enforcement experience, and two other deputies arrived on the scene at 9:20 a.m.; cleared the victim’s home, which was located in a heavily wooded area; but were unable to locate the boyfriend. While the deputies were stringing up crime scene tape, a man emerged from the bushes with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and shot the veteran deputy in the torso area of his protective vest. Bullets also hit a second deputy, 26 years old, in the shoulder above his protective vest. The two deputies moved back to the patrol cars, taking cover with the third deputy, who had remained behind with the female victim. The suspect then emerged from the woods and fired additional shots at the deputies. During an exchange of gunfire, the 33-year-old deputy was shot in the rear lower torso, in the side of the head, and fatally in the front of the head. The 26-year-old deputy was further wounded in the arms and hands and in the front below his protective vest. The third deputy, aged 49, was also shot in the front below his protective vest. Though deputies wounded the suspect, he managed to flee the area on a motorcycle. The two injured deputies secured the female victim and left the area to meet with backup units. After an all-day manhunt involving nearly 500 law enforcement officers from local, state, and federal agencies, a 29-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and two counts of Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer. During the arrest, the suspect, who had a criminal record and was a known drug user, again exchanged gunfire with officers. He was wounded and is paralyzed as a result.

*****

Around 10:30 p.m. on March 27, a 34-year-old sergeant with the Panama City Beach Police Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop. The 6-year veteran of law enforcement pulled over a vehicle for unspecified reasons and obtained the driver’s license, registration, and proof of insurance. A check of the information revealed that the man’s license had been revoked. The officer returned to the vehicle to place him under arrest. However, as the officer approached the vehicle, the man produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and shot the officer at close range twice in the chest; a third shot missed and hit a passing car. The two bullets that struck the victim officer penetrated his protective vest (body armor failure), and he died at the scene. The alleged shooter fled the scene in his vehicle. When he turned onto a street that dead ended at the beach, he drove onto the beach, where his vehicle got stuck in the sand. He then walked back to the road and hitchhiked to a bar, and from there he hitchhiked another ride to the vicinity of a hotel. During the ride to the hotel, the man made comments about having a violent confrontation with a police officer. The occupants of the second vehicle contacted the police after they dropped the man off and notified them of the man’s comments and his location. The following morning, officers located and arrested the alleged assailant, who was in possession of the gun used to kill the officer the previous night. The 22-year-old, who was on parole and had a prior criminal record that included police assault and weapons violations, was charged with First-Degree Murder, Fugitive from Justice, and Resisting Arrest.

Georgia

A 30-year-old deputy sheriff with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department died on February 25 from injuries he received while involved with a tactical situation the previous day. At 10:30 p.m. on February 24, the deputy, who had 8 years of law enforcement experience, and other officers with the sheriff’s department were investigating a possible child abduction and molestation in Douglasville. Officers planned to enter a home, serve a search warrant for a suspect in the case, and clear the house. Officers entered the home and took an individual into custody without incident; however, as two officers were clearing a bedroom in the house, they were confronted by the stepfather of the person arrested. The man pointed a .38-caliber revolver at them. Officers told the man to drop the weapon, but he did not comply. One of the officers then fired three rounds from his service weapon, striking the man in the chest. As the mortally wounded 69-year-old suspect fell backward, he fired a single shot, which went over one of the officer’s ballistic shield, grazed the victim officer’s helmet, and struck him fatally in the left eye. The victim officer was flown to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.

*****

A 43-year-old sergeant with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office and a 40-year-old Assistant Special Agent in Charge with Immigration and Customs Enforcement were killed on March 11 in the Atlanta area. Just before 9 a.m. inside a local courthouse, a deputy was escorting an inmate, who was being retried on charges of Rape, Aggravated Sodomy, Burglary, False Imprisonment, and Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Felony, from a detention area to a holding area. Once inside the holding area, the deputy removed the man’s handcuffs so he could change into civilian clothes for his court appearance. After the deputy removed a handcuff from one hand, the man lunged at her, severely beat her, and took her empty gun belt and keys. He used the keys to open the lockbox holding the unconscious deputy’s service weapon and took the .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He went into a judge’s office at the courthouse and ordered several people into the judge’s chambers. The escapee then captured the officer who provided courtroom security for the judge, took his handgun, handcuffed him, and put him in a restroom. Moments later, the escapee reportedly entered the judge’s courtroom and fatally shot the judge and a court stenographer. The officer who had been in the restroom managed to escape and used his radio to broadcast that an officer needed help. The escapee then fled on foot down several flights of stairs. As he emerged from the building, he encountered the Fulton County sergeant, who had 18 years of law enforcement experience. He shot the sergeant once in the stomach with a .40-caliber service weapon, fatally wounding him. He then ran into a nearby parking garage and carjacked four different vehicles at gunpoint. After he parked the fourth car on the basement floor of the parking garage, the escapee ran to the nearby train station and took the train to a different area of town, where he remained until it was dark. Apparently, at 11:30 p.m., the escapee located and entered a house that was under construction. Once inside the house, which belonged to a federal agent, he encountered the agent who was on the premises working on the home. The agent, who had nearly 19 years of law enforcement experience, identified himself as law enforcement and displayed a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun as he questioned the escapee about his identity and why he was in the agent’s home. During the questioning, the escapee pulled out a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot the agent at close range in the arms and hands and fatally in the lower rib cage. He then took items belonging to the victim agent, including his weapon, money, and keys, before leaving the scene in the agent’s truck. Evidently, the escapee used the victim agent’s truck to drive to another county, where he forced his way into an apartment in Duluth about 2 a.m. on March 12. A woman living in the apartment was returning home at that time when the suspect confronted her and forced her to open the door and let him in. He bound the woman and held her at gunpoint for almost 8 hours. Approximately 9:50 that morning, the woman talked the man into allowing her to leave the apartment to see her child. She left the apartment and called 911. The Gwinnett County Police Department and the FBI responded, and the 33-year-old escapee, who had prior convictions for violent crime, drugs, and weapons violations, was taken into custody without incident about 10:30 a.m. He was arrested and charged with Murder, Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, and Obstruction of a Law Enforcement Officer. The victim agent’s possessions were recovered following the man’s arrest. At the time this publication was compiled, the injured deputy had not returned to duty and was continuing to receive medical care for the injuries she received in the incident.

*****

Two officers with the Atlanta Police Department were shot, one mortally, at 8:30 p.m. on April 23 while investigating a suspicious person. They were both assigned to a special drug-interdiction squad and were wearing body armor at the time of the incident. The officers were on patrol in a marked police car with a third squad member, who rode in the backseat. As the three officers drove near a park, they noticed a vehicle occupied by two males. Wanting to investigate, the officer who was driving stopped the police car next to and slightly behind the vehicle and turned a spotlight on it. The officer who was in the passenger seat of the police car—a 32-year-old with more than 5 years of law enforcement experience—spoke to the driver of the vehicle. When the officer asked him what he was doing, the man allegedly reached either under the driver’s seat or toward the center console. The officer immediately exited the patrol car from the passenger side. At the same time, the officer who had been sitting in the backseat of the patrol car got out on the driver’s side and positioned himself at the passenger side of the suspects’ vehicle. Simultaneous to this activity, the officer who had been driving exited the car and positioned himself near the trunk of the patrol unit. All three of the officers were outside the patrol unit when the driver of the suspect vehicle began shooting. His first victim was the 32-year-old officer who had been the front passenger of the patrol car. With a .38-caliber revolver and from a distance of less than 5 feet, he fatally shot the officer above his right eye. The officer who had been driving, a 35-year-old with more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, tried to assist the victim. However, the suspect shot this officer in the face from a distance of 6 to 10 feet. The bullet entered his left cheek and exited near his left ear. The third officer discharged his weapon 12 times from the passenger side of the suspects’ vehicle, striking the 19-year-old male 11 times. The man, who had a prior criminal record that included weapons violations, died at the scene. At the time of the incident he was under supervised probation. The passenger in the suspect vehicle sustained 2 bullet wounds. The first victim officer was taken to a local hospital for treatment but died that night. The second victim officer was taken to a local hospital and treated for his injury. After recovering, he returned to duty.

*****

At 4:45 p.m. on August 11, a 25-year-old police officer with the Pine Lake Police Department was shot and killed while assisting another officer attempting to make an arrest. The initial officer stopped an unregistered vehicle and asked the driver to provide his license and proof of insurance. The man told the officer that he did not have his license with him and provided the officer with a name and date of birth. The officer attempted to verify the man’s information, but a communications officer advised him that there was no matching information on file. The officer asked the individual to exit the vehicle, and the man complied. The officer then walked with the man to the back of the vehicle. An assisting officer arrived at the scene and the initial officer attempted to secure the subject. However, the man broke free and jumped into the driver’s side of his vehicle and exited through the front passenger side. The assisting officer, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, ran to the passenger side of the vehicle with his weapon drawn. The man grabbed the assisting officer, spun behind him, and gained control of the officer’s weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He used the officer as a human shield and ordered the other officer to throw down his weapon. Then the man shot the officer he was holding hostage in the back above his protective vest. The offender exchanged gunfire with the other officer as he dragged the victim officer, still using him as a human shield. Then the man dropped the victim officer and ran into a nearby post office. Officers later found the 31-year-old man, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crimes and weapons violations and who was on parole at the time of the incident, dead of an apparent suicide inside the post office. The victim officer was wounded in his back, neck, and the back of his head, which proved to be fatal. He died at the scene.

Kansas

The 42-year-old sheriff of the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed on January 19 while attempting to execute an arrest warrant. At 9:44 a.m. , the sheriff, along with two deputies, arrived at a single-family residence and found two individuals present, who indicated that the subject of the warrant was not at the house. The sheriff sought and received permission to search the residence. The two deputies secured the outside of the dwelling while the sheriff, who had 26 years of law enforcement experience, searched the inside. The sheriff called for the subject to come out. While the sheriff was standing near the staircase, the subject, who had hidden himself, reportedly emerged without warning, placed a .44 magnum revolver to the sheriff’s chest and fired twice. The deputies heard the shots, entered the residence, and dragged the victim sheriff from the house. They were unable to return fire as they removed the victim officer. The deputies directed the other two individuals in the residence to flee, leaving the 23-year-old male, who was on parole and under the influence of narcotics, alone in the residence. The victim sheriff was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Several hours later, after unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with the alleged offender, a Kansas Highway Patrol Special Response Team forced entry into the residence. The offender fired at the troopers, who carried a ballistic shield, until the revolver and a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun were empty. He fought while being arrested, but was eventually subdued and charged with Capital Murder.

*****

During the early hours of April 9, a 38-year-old deputy sheriff with the Harvey County Sheriff’s Office was fatally shot in the face during a tactical situation in which hostage negotiations broke down. He was a veteran officer with nearly 17 years of law enforcement experience. In the same incident, a 33-year-old veteran police detective from the Hesston Police Department sustained multiple bullet wounds but survived; he had 8 years of law enforcement experience at the time of the assault. Both men were wearing body armor and were part of a multi-department emergency response team (ERT) that had been dispatched with a separate team of hostage negotiators as a result of a 911 emergency call. In the late evening of April 8, a young female called the Newton Police Department and indicated that her mother was engaged in a domestic disturbance with the mother’s boyfriend. The caller reported that the suspect was armed. Responding officers declared that it was a hostage situation, since the suspect was allegedly holding an adult female against her will inside the residence. The ERT members and hostage negotiators arrived and established a perimeter barricade. About 3:10 a.m. the negotiators spoke on the phone with the suspect and the victim. At that time, the suspect denied that he had any weapons and agreed to a face-to-face meeting with the negotiators at the door of the residence. The ERT members escorted two negotiators through the perimeter barricade. The suspect opened the front door of the residence but not the storm door. The negotiators asked him how they could help to resolve the situation. The suspect would not let the female go outside, but he did turn on the living room light, making it possible for the negotiators to see her standing in the room. She said something to the suspect that apparently angered him, and he slammed the door shut. Immediately after that, the negotiators and officers reportedly heard him hitting the female and her subsequent screams. Believing that the hostage was in imminent danger, the officers forced their way into the residence using a ballistic shield. As the ERT members entered the residence, the suspect immediately fired multiple rounds from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He mortally shot the deputy sheriff, who was the first ERT member to cross the threshold. The suspect then shot the detective, who received wounds to his hands, arm, and leg. Other ERT members returned gunfire and removed the wounded men from inside the house. The detective, who was wearing a SWAT uniform with police lettering, was taken to a local hospital and recovered from his wounds but has not returned to duty. The 46-year-old suspect surrendered around 8 a.m. His prior criminal record included violent crime and police assault. He was a known drug dealer and was under the influence of narcotics and alcohol at the time of the incident. He was charged with Capital Murder, Attempted Capital Murder (2 counts), Criminal Possession of a Firearm, and Aggravated Kidnapping.

Kentucky

A 27-year-old police officer with the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious person shortly before 7 a.m. on March 23. The officer, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a call of a vehicle that had left the scene of an accident. Witnesses called dispatchers to report that the vehicle was abandoned nearby and that it was on fire. The callers also indicated that two young males had walked away from the vehicle and were still in the area. Shortly after he arrived in the area of the incident, the officer informed the dispatcher that he was going to get out of his vehicle to speak with two persons that matched the descriptions of the suspects. The officer, who was wearing a protective vest, took a bag from one of the young men and placed it on the trunk of his patrol vehicle. When the officer turned his head to look at the contents of the bag, one of the youths pulled out a .22-caliber revolver and shot the officer in the neck, fatally wounding him. As the victim officer lay on the ground, the suspect shot him three times in the head and unsuccessfully attempted to take the officer’s weapon. Two additional officers arrived at the scene and saw the suspect holding a gun. The officers drew their weapons and ordered him to drop his weapon. The suspect then placed the revolver to his head and pulled the trigger, killing himself. The assisting officers then went to the aid of the victim officer, who was transported to a local hospital where he died during surgery. The 17-year-old suspect was a known drug user who had a prior mental disorder and was on probation. The male who was with the suspect surrendered and was charged with crimes unrelated to the murder of the officer.

*****

A 51-year-old deputy sheriff with the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed while answering a disturbance call in Ledbetter shortly after 11:30 p.m. on June 2. The veteran deputy, who had 5 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at a home where a man was involved in a physical domestic disturbance with his wife and daughter. Shortly after entering the home, the deputy was confronted by the husband, who was armed. The deputy tried peacefully to disarm him, which included using pepper spray, but the offender began firing at the deputy with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle, one of two weapons with which the offender was armed. A round wounded the deputy’s right hand, and two rounds entered below the deputy’s protective vest but were deflected by his leather gun belt and accessories. Another round of bullets struck the deputy in the front of the head, fatally wounding him. Prior to succumbing to his wounds, the deputy returned fire, using his service weapon, a 40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and shot the 48-year-old offender in the chest, justifiably killing him. The offender, who had a criminal record which included drug-related crime, was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the incident.

Louisiana

A 47-year-old sergeant with the Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office who had nearly 8 years of law enforcement experience was killed while responding to a disturbance call on July 15. Another sergeant with the same agency, 37 years old with nearly six years of law enforcement experience, was wounded, but was able to return to duty. The shooter was a resident who was angry about a crop duster treating a field adjacent to his home. The pilot of the crop duster was making passes over the field when he heard a noise and saw the resident pointing a gun at the plane. The owner of the crop dusting company contacted the sheriff’s office and requested that officers go to the man’s home and monitor him while the pilot of the crop duster finished treating the field. The two sergeants were part of a group of four officers who arrived at the home at 7:30 p.m. The resident, who was under the influence of alcohol, shot at the officers from more than 50 feet away using a 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun. After the initial shots, deputies told the man to put down his weapon. In spite of the order, the man fired his weapon again, prompting one sergeant to return fire. During the exchange, the victim sergeant, who was wearing a protective vest, suffered a fatal wound to the front of his head and injuries to his arms and hands. The second sergeant was wounded in his lower back when bullets entered below his protective vest. The wounded sergeant returned fire and justifiably killed the 61-year-old resident. The shooter had a criminal record that included police assault. The owner of the crop dusting company said that a year earlier he had a confrontation with that same resident over crop dusting near the individual’s home. At that time, the landowner had opted to treat the field using a tractor.

*****

On August 10, at 3:15 p.m., three narcotics detectives from the Baton Rouge Police Department were executing a search warrant to investigate the property of an individual who was suspected of growing and distributing marijuana. After knocking on the door of the residence and not receiving a response, the detectives forced their way inside the house. They entered the first room without encountering anyone and then moved toward the doorway of the next room. Later investigation revealed that the suspect was apparently in the second room and was armed with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. A man stepped into the doorway and began firing at the officers, all of whom were wearing body armor. One bullet struck one of the three detectives, a 31-year-old, in his ballistic vest. The detective, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, returned one shot, striking the assailant in the center torso area. The wounded assailant then shot the victim detective in the forehead, killing him. The man attempted a third shot at the detective, but missed him. The assailant turned his gun on the other two detectives, and during the exchange of gunfire, the 41-year-old detective, who had nearly 20 years of law enforcement service, was struck in his neck, and he fell to the floor. The third detective backed toward the front door and continued firing at the assailant, who shot the 35-year-old detective in the right leg just below the knee. That detective, who had 7 years of law enforcement experience, fired several rounds, but his last round failed to eject properly. However, one of the bullets passed through the wall and struck the assailant in the right portion of his torso as he turned to one side; another round struck him in the hand, and he dropped the gun. The 25-year-old male, who had a prior criminal record for violent crimes, surrendered; however, he died from his wounds shortly thereafter. At the time of this publication, the two wounded detectives had not yet returned to duty.

Maryland

A corporal with the Prince George ’s County Police Department died on June 21 while assisting in a traffic stop in Laurel . The 41-year-old veteran officer, who had more than 14 years of law enforcement experience, was in an unmarked car with his partner at 11:05 a.m. and stopped to assist an officer in a marked car as that officer made a traffic stop. One of two subjects in the stopped vehicle got out on the passenger’s side and began to run. The corporal got out of the unmarked car and began to pursue the subject. The subject turned and fired a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun multiple times, hitting the corporal in his arms and hands and fatally in the chest. All three officers returned fire, wounding the shooter. Both the victim officer and the alleged assailant were transported to the hospital where the corporal was pronounced dead. The 43-year-old suspect, a known drug dealer whose criminal record included drugs and weapons violations, was arrested on June 23 and charged with First-Degree Murder.

Michigan

At 4:18 in the afternoon on May 9, a 44-year-old detective with the Battle Creek Police Department was shot and killed while investigating a homicide. The 19-year veteran of law enforcement, along with his partner, was following a lead regarding the murder of a taxicab driver. They were attempting to gain entrance to a second-floor apartment of a female whose name was found along with bloody clothes and a knife inside a gym bag that was located in a garbage bin near the scene of the homicide. When the two detectives did not get an answer at the door, the first detective stepped outside the front of the apartment building and attempted to peer through the window. When he failed to see anything, he returned to the front door of the apartment where the detectives heard movement inside the residence. The second detective stepped outside to the back of the building and observed a male on the screened balcony of the apartment. The second detective identified himself as the police and informed the man he wanted to speak with him. The man turned and went back into the apartment. The second detective was reentering the building when he heard shots. He went down the hallway and looked up the stairs to the apartment door’s landing. A man fired a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun at the second detective and wounded his ankle. The second detective returned fire, but the suspect escaped from the rear balcony of the residence. The wounded detective made his way to his partner, who was lying on the landing in front of the apartment door with gunshot wounds to the arms and hands and the front upper torso and chest. The shotgun was nearby and the detective’s service weapon was missing. The wounded detective performed CPR on his partner; the fallen detective was subsequently taken to an area medical facility where he was pronounced dead. The fleeing suspect allegedly carjacked several vehicles and led Dearborn Police on a high-speed chase before wrecking the stolen car and fleeing on foot. The suspect then forcibly took another vehicle and a brief chase with police culminated in his being apprehended by multiple agencies involved. The 21-year-old suspect, who was on parole, was in possession of the victim detective’s service weapon when he was apprehended. He was charged with Willful Killing of Law Enforcement Officer with Firearm, Aggravated Felonious Assault of Law Enforcement Officer, Felon in Possession of Firearm, and Use of Firearm in Commission of Felony.

Minnesota

Around 2:20 on the morning of May 6, a 41-year-old sergeant with the St. Paul Police Department was shot and killed while investigating suspicious persons. The veteran sergeant, who had nearly 18 years of police experience, was working a plainclothes detail with his partner at an area bar. The two sergeants were captured on a video surveillance camera in the street at the rear of the bar shortly after 2 a.m. engaged in a verbal altercation with two male subjects. Following the exchange, the two officers walked from the parking lot and left in separate vehicles for headquarters to end their shift. According to a witness, one of the sergeants pulled in front of the bar and one of the male subjects stepped in front of the officer’s car and resumed the verbal confrontation. As the sergeant observed the second male subject also returning to the confrontation, he called the other sergeant to return and assist him. Both subjects subsequently turned and walked down an alley just as the other sergeant arrived on the scene. The returning sergeant followed them down the alley. As he got close to one of the men, the subject turned and fired a .38-caliber revolver at the victim sergeant, striking him twice in the front upper chest and once in the back upper torso. The second sergeant entered the alley and reached the victim sergeant, who indicated that he was badly hurt. The second sergeant saw one of the subjects silhouetted against a garage and fired at the man but did not hit him. The victim sergeant died as a result of his wounds. Officers established a perimeter at the location of the shooting and arrested both suspects within 4 hours. The two men, a 32-year-old, with a lengthy record that included a prior arrest for murder, and a 27-year-old, also with a prior record, were charged with First-Degree and Second-Degree Murder.

*****

At 5:15 p.m. on September 6, a 32-year-old police officer with the Lino Lakes Police Department was struck and killed by a vehicle involved in a traffic pursuit. The traffic pursuit began in Chisago County when a deputy from the Chisago County Sheriff’s Office noted that a man, who would not stop as directed, was driving a stolen vehicle. The deputy continued the chase into Anoka County and gained assistance from officers from several other agencies. Attempts to stop the suspect with a Precision Immobilization Technique were unsuccessful. When the suspect headed into Lino Lakes, two Lino Lakes police officers traveling in separate vehicles went to a four-lane highway to help stop the suspect vehicle. The first officer, who had 8 ½ years’ law enforcement experience, parked in a crossover on the northbound side of the highway and deployed stop sticks in the southbound lane as the pursuit approached their location. The other officer positioned his vehicle on the shoulder of the southbound lane. As the first officer ran back toward his squad unit, the suspect swerved his vehicle from the southbound lane into the median to avoid the stop sticks, striking the officer on his left side. The force of the impact from the vehicle, estimated to be traveling at 90 miles per hour, threw the victim officer into the air; the officer landed on the far side of the northbound lanes of the highway. The suspect then drove his vehicle onto the northbound lanes and struck a van head-on. Though the suspect attempted to flee on foot, he was apprehended by pursuing officers. The victim officer suffered fatal injuries to the side of his head, as well as extensive injuries to the rear torso below his waist. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. The driver of the van was airlifted to the hospital; he was subsequently released but required further recovery. The 26-year-old male, who had a prior conviction for criminal behavior and was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with Second-Degree Murder, Fleeing Police in Motor Vehicle—Death, and Fleeing Police in Motor Vehicle—Injury. A grand jury later charged the man with First-Degree Murder of a Police Officer.

Mississippi

The Chief of Police of the French Camp Police Department was shot and killed in an ambush at 10:20 p.m. on February 4. The 32-year-old chief, a 6-year veteran of law enforcement, was assisting an officer in the pursuit of a vehicle that had begun in Ackerman. An officer with the Ackerman Police Department had attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver refused to stop and sped out of the town. The French Camp Chief of Police and a Choctaw County deputy joined in the chase, which ended at a residence in Millsprings. Two occupants remained in the vehicle, but the male driving the car and a female passenger got out and ran into the house. The chief and the deputy ran into the house after the pair. The deputy went into the kitchen chasing the female, while the chief, who was wearing body armor, went to the dining room and questioned the woman who owned the house about the whereabouts of the male. A 16-year-old male, who had a prior criminal record and was under supervision at a halfway house, walked up behind the chief, and from less than 5 feet away, shot him in the side of the head with a 16-gauge pump-action shotgun, killing the chief instantly. The deputy arrested the male, who was charged with Capital Murder.

*****

On March 17 about 2:50 p.m., a patrol officer with the Jackson Police Department was shot and mortally wounded during a traffic pursuit. The 40-year-old officer, who had 9 years of law enforcement experience, was patrolling on his motorcycle when he was flagged down by a man who told the officer that he was the victim of a carjacking just minutes before. The man provided the officer with a description of his vehicle and shortly thereafter, the officer spotted the vehicle, and began to pursue it. During the chase that ensued, the driver lost control of the carjacked vehicle as he attempted to turn left and wrecked. The vehicle came to rest with the passenger side lodged into a ditch. The officer pulled up to the scene, parked his motorcycle, and walked toward the driver’s side of the vehicle. The 18-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, climbed out of the car from the driver’s side window and fell onto the ground. The suspect then stood up, pulled out a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and shot the officer once in the stomach. The victim officer returned fire, hitting the suspect three times and fatally wounding him. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he died of his wound.

*****

At 10:10 p.m. on August 13, a patrol officer with the Crystal Springs Police Department was shot and killed while pursuing a man who had fled a traffic stop on foot. The 32-year-old officer and his partner had stopped a suspect vehicle and were being assisted by another officer. As soon as the suspect vehicle stopped, the driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot. The patrol officer, who had nearly 1 year of experience, immediately exited the passenger side of the patrol unit and gave chase, while the other two officers secured the two passengers in the suspect vehicle. Minutes later, one of the officers heard a single gunshot from the direction of the foot chase, followed by the victim officer’s call for assistance on his radio. Having heard the victim officer’s location over the radio, his partner left the passengers in the custody of the assisting officer and went to help. Upon arriving at the scene, the responding officer found the victim officer lying in a ditch on the side of the street with a gunshot wound in the front of his chest and his service weapon missing. Though the victim officer was wearing body armor, a bullet entered either through the armhole or the shoulder area of the vest. Apparently, the suspect had gained control of the officer’s .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, shot the officer in the chest, and then left the scene. Responding emergency medical personnel transported the victim officer to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his wound. Two days later, law enforcement apprehended a 19-year-old male, who was on probation at the time of the incident. He was arrested and charged with Capital Murder and Resisting Arrest.

*****

At 11:30 p.m. on September 28, a corporal with the Waynesboro Police Department was killed by a shotgun blast after he initiated a traffic stop. Responding to a call about a van that reportedly had been stolen from the parking lot of a local bar, the 31-year-old corporal, who had over 2 years of law enforcement experience, spotted a vehicle matching the description of the stolen van. He called another responding officer and reported that he was attempting to stop the vehicle. The corporal then advised dispatch of the stop location and the vehicle’s license plate number. When the assisting officer arrived at the scene, he found only the victim corporal lying dead near his police vehicle. Based on footage from the video camera in the victim’s police vehicle, the corporal had approached the suspect vehicle, and a shotgun blast from within the vehicle shattered its window and struck the corporal fatally in the front of the head and in the neck. The van then pulled away. That same evening, officers from the Waynesboro Police Department and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation located a 31-year-old male who had a prior conviction for criminal behavior and was a known drug user. Upon being questioned, the man confessed to killing the officer and led investigators to the location of the murder weapon, a 12-gauge bolt-action shotgun. Police arrested the man and charged him with Capital Murder, Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon, and Grand Larceny.

*****

Two officers with the Wiggins Police Department were shot and killed at 8 p.m. on November 27 while responding to a domestic disturbance call. Both officers, one a 23-year-old shift supervisor with 5 years of law enforcement experience, and the other a 48-year-old officer with 23 years of service, arrived at a mobile home and were met at the door by a woman who said her husband’s best friend had beaten her. The officers asked the alleged assailant to step outside. However, the 6-foot-4-inch man jumped both officers and wrestled them to the ground simultaneously. During the struggle, the suspect managed to disarm the 48-year-old officer and fired 5 shots from the .40-caliber semiautomatic service handgun. One of the shots struck the 48-year-old officer in the side of his chest, mortally wounding him. Two shots struck the 23-year-old officer: one bullet went into his thigh and the second struck him fatally in his back. The man fled the scene and drove to his home in another town where he later surrendered to law enforcement authorities. The 46-year-old man, who had a prior criminal record, was arrested and charged with 2 counts of First-Degree Murder.

Missouri

A 26-year-old officer with the Columbia Police Department died on February 10 from injuries she received during a traffic stop a month earlier. The incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. on January 10 when the officer, who had nearly 2 ½ years of law enforcement experience, pulled an individual over for an unknown violation. The officer approached the vehicle and obtained the driver’s license. As the officer stood outside the subject’s vehicle, the individual pulled out a concealed .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot at her. The round missed the officer, who retreated between the suspect’s car and her patrol car. The suspect pursued the officer as she attempted to draw her weapon. The individual fired a second shot from close range. The victim officer was wearing body armor, but the round struck her in the top of her left shoulder and continued into her neck area, resulting in severe damage to her throat and spine and leaving her immediately incapacitated. The suspect then moved directly over the victim officer and fired two additional shots, one into her rear upper left arm and another in the front of the victim officer’s neck. The 23-year-old man, who had a prior record involving police assault, returned to his vehicle and fled. The incident, which was captured on the victim officer’s in-car video, took less than a minute to unfold. Later, the suspect, who was known to use, possess, and deal drugs, was involved in a foot pursuit with officers. During that foot chase, he shot a second officer and then committed suicide.

*****

At 4 p.m. on March 20, a sergeant with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Willow Springs, was killed in an ambush outside his home in Van Buren. The 37-year-old sergeant, who was a 12-year veteran of law enforcement, returned home from work and parked his car in the driveway. He exited his vehicle and opened the back door on the driver’s side when he was shot in the back by a person with a .223-caliber rifle. Although the sergeant was wearing protective armor, the bullet penetrated his vest (body armor failure). The sergeant was then shot in the neck, side of the head, and back of the head, which proved to be the fatal wound, by a man with a shotgun, for which no description was available at the time of this publication. Officers arrested a 28-year-old man who knew the victim officer and had a prior criminal record that included drug arrests. He was charged with First-Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Felony Leaving the Scene of an Accident, in connection with the sergeant’s death.

*****

A 43-year-old veteran sergeant with the Kirkwood Police Department was killed on July 5 at 7:35 p.m. when an assailant ambushed him. The sergeant, who had nearly 21 years of law enforcement experience, was responding to a fireworks complaint when he stopped his patrol car to speak to some young people. With both front windows rolled down, the sergeant remained seated in the patrol car, talking to the youths, as an assailant approached from the rear passenger side of the vehicle and reached inside to fire several shots with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, wounding the sergeant and one of the young people. The sergeant accelerated the vehicle, moving several hundred feet forward away from the attacker. The vehicle struck a parked car and came to rest against a tree. Neighbors called for assistance and helped the sergeant get out of his patrol car. As the sergeant lay wounded on the ground, the assailant approached and shot the sergeant several more times at close range injuring the front and side of his head, and wounding him fatally in the back of his head. The assailant then took the sergeant’s service weapon and spare ammunition and walked away from the scene. The alleged assailant, a 19-year-old male who was on probation at the time of the incident, remained at large for 3 days before surrendering to police. The suspect, who knew the victim officer through a law enforcement relationship, was charged with First-Degree Murder. A known drug dealer and user, the alleged assailant had a criminal record that included police assault and weapons violations. The youth also wounded in the attack was expected to recover fully.

New Mexico

Two patrol officers with the Albuquerque Police Department were shot and killed about 9:40 p.m. on August 18 when they attempted to transport an allegedly deranged person who was slated to receive a mental evaluation. Upon arriving at the designated area, the two officers talked to the subject for several minutes to secure a level of his cooperation. However, the man produced a .45-caliber revolver and began shooting. One round struck the 50-year-old patrol officer, who was wearing body armor, in the back of the head, killing him instantly; the victim officer was a 21-year law enforcement veteran. The 46-year-old patrol officer, who was also wearing body armor, returned fire, striking a tree where the shooter had taken cover. The officer then took cover behind the patrol vehicle. During the following exchange of gunfire, the man struck the officer, also a 21-year law enforcement veteran, in the upper and lower back. Another shot entered the victim officer’s ballistic vest through the armhole or shoulder area, mortally wounding him. The shooter then fled the scene on his motorcycle but was apprehended a short time later. Police discovered that the man, who had a history of mental disorders, had allegedly been involved in three homicides earlier in the day. The 48-year-old man was arrested and charged with five counts of Murder on August 19.

New York

A 35-year-old police officer with the New York Police Department was shot at 2:50 a.m. on November 28 while attempting to make a traffic stop in Brooklyn. The 5-year veteran officer and his partner were on patrol in an unmarked police car when they saw the driver of a car run a red light. In an attempt to pull him over for the violation, the officer pulled along the passenger side of the suspect’s vehicle. At the same time, the suspect fired at least 5 shots through the passenger-side open window with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The officers returned fire; however, they did not hit the suspect. Three of the bullets fired by the suspect were embedded in the door on the driver’s side of the police car; one bullet went through the car’s rear left door, and one bullet grazed the bottom metal window rim of the driver’s door and then struck the victim officer in the left torso between his protective vest panels. The victim officer initially did not realize he was shot, and he continued driving in pursuit of the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect drove down the garage ramp of an apartment building, and the door of the garage closed behind him. The victim officer exited his vehicle and then realized he had been shot. He was rushed to a local hospital where he spent several hours in surgery. Later that day, the officer succumbed to the single gunshot wound that had grazed his heart.

*****

In the meantime, investigating officers located the alleged shooter’s vehicle in the parking garage into which he had driven. A check of the vehicle’s registration led them to an individual who told the officers that he recently had sold the car to a man. They traced the man to his girlfriend’s apartment, where he eventually surrendered to the officers. They found the weapon used in the murder of the officer in the courtyard behind the girlfriend’s apartment building, where the alleged shooter had apparently thrown it. The 27-year-old man, who was on probation and who had a prior record including police assault and other violent crimes, was arrested later that day and charged with First-Degree Murder, Second-Degree Murder: Intentional, First-Degree Robbery, Attempted Murder, and Assault With Intent to Cause Serious Injury.

*****

A 28-year-old police officer with the New York Police Department was shot on December 10 at 5:20 a.m. while attempting to stop a burglary in progress. The officer was awoken in his home by the sound of breaking glass at his neighbor’s house. He gathered his police shield, cell phone, and off-duty weapon, and went outside to investigate. He called for backup after seeing a broken basement window. As two individuals emerged from the house, the officer identified himself as a police officer and gave a verbal command to stop. One of the suspects, aged 48, fired a .357-caliber revolver, striking the police officer in the chest. Despite being wounded, the officer was able to return fire, hitting the suspect four times and the other suspect, aged 29, twice. The victim officer was transported to a nearby medical center where he was pronounced dead at 6:09 a.m. Responding officers arrested the suspects, both known drug users with criminal records, near the scene of the shooting. The 48-year-old suspect was charged with First-Degree Murder – Law Enforcement Officer, Burglary-Dwelling, Criminal Use Firearm, and Second-Degree Criminal Possession Weapon. The 29-year-old suspect was charged with First-Degree Murder – Law Enforcement Officer, Burglary-Dwelling, Second-Degree Murder: Intentional, Criminal Use Firearm, and Criminal Possession Disguised Gun.

North Carolina

A 36-year-old patrol officer with the Boiling Spring Lakes Police Department was shot and killed after initiating a traffic stop on January 18. At 1:15 a.m., the officer, with over 6 years of law enforcement experience, stopped a vehicle with two male occupants and one female occupant. The officer found a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle. He ran a license check on the driver and was notified that the driver was wanted in another county for a probation violation. As the officer attempted to arrest the man, he retrieved an empty liquor bottle from his vehicle and struck the officer in the head; they both fell to the ground. The officer pulled his weapon, but the suspect gained control of the officer’s .40-caliber semiautomatic service handgun. The suspect then fired one shot into the officer’s shoulder and two fatal shots into the officer’s head. A back-up officer from another agency arrived, and the suspect fired four shots at the Southport officer before fleeing the scene in the vehicle he had been driving. Officers from two other departments located the suspect’s vehicle and gave chase. When the suspect stopped and exited his vehicle, he fired shots at the officers and fled on foot. He was found a short time later hiding under a mobile home. The 19-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder, Assault with Firearm on Law Enforcement Officer, Attempted First-Degree Murder, Assault with Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill, and Robbery with Dangerous Weapon.

Ohio

A 33-year-old police officer with the Columbus Division of Police was shot and killed on January 6 while working special duty at a bank. Just after 10:30 a.m., a masked man entered the bank with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and ordered customers and employees to the floor. The man then ran toward the teller’s counter with the weapon pointed toward the employees and fired seven times at the officer who was standing behind the counter. The bullets entered the officer’s front upper torso above his protective vest. Despite being shot, the officer returned fire and wounded the 29-year-old would-be robber who fled the scene without any money. The victim officer, who had over 8 years of law enforcement experience, died at the scene. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was arrested without incident on January 9 while hiding in the basement of a residence in Columbus. In addition to confessing to the robbery and the murder of the police officer, he also confessed to other robberies. He was arrested and charged with Murder and four counts of Bank Robbery.

*****

A 44-year-old patrol officer with the Chillicothe Police Department was shot to death on April 21, at 9:10 p.m. while investigating a suspicious person. The veteran officer, with 19 years of law enforcement experience, was off duty and had been visiting his parents immediately prior to the incident under examination. His parents’ home was located across an alley from his residence. As he walked toward his home, he apparently observed not only the reflecting overhead emergency lights of a police vehicle but also a potential suspect in the alley. Unbeknownst to the officer, the suspect was armed and had allegedly stolen a car and robbed a gas station within the previous 20 minutes. Other officers of the Chillicothe Police Department had pursued him and attempted a traffic stop of the stolen vehicle, but the suspect abandoned it and fled down an alley on foot. One of the officers followed the suspect on foot. The suspect then turned down another alley, where he was seen by the off-duty officer. It is believed that the officer transitioned to on-duty status and, unarmed, pursued the suspect. From a distance of less than 5 feet, the suspect fired at the officer with a .38-caliber handgun, striking him in the neck and killing him instantly. Additional officers arrived at the scene and found the body of the victim officer in a dark area of the alley. The officer’s cell phone was found in his right hand, and his personal keys were located next to his left hand. An extensive crime scene search on April 27 resulted in the recovery of a second bullet located in the side paneling of a garage, approximately 220 feet from where the victim officer was shot. The 34-year-old suspect was a known drug user and was on parole at the time of the incident. The man was arrested on April 30; he confessed to the shooting on May 1 and was charged with Aggravated Murder and Aggravated Robbery.

Oklahoma

On November 11 at 7:30 p.m., an off-duty agent with the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, Oklahoma City, who was at home at the time, learned of the location of a known felon who was on probation for attempting to manufacture methamphetamine. The 38-year-old agent, who had more than 8 ½ years of law enforcement experience, left his house and went on duty in his bureau vehicle. The agent drove to where the suspect was and pulled him over in a traffic stop. The suspect exited his vehicle, and as the agent attempted to arrest him, a physical altercation erupted. The suspect managed to get back into his vehicle; however, the agent still was holding onto him. The man accelerated the car and attempted to leave the scene and escape arrest. The vehicle gained a high rate of speed as the suspect continued driving with the agent holding onto him. Eventually, the agent was able to draw his weapon and fire one shot, striking the suspect and subduing him. However, the agent lost his grip on the man and the vehicle, which was still moving, and he slid under the vehicle and was mortally wounded as it ran over him. The vehicle continued moving for approximately 30 yards and then struck a tree and stopped. The victim agent sustained fatal wounds to the side of his head in addition to injuries below his waist. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on November 18. The 29-year-old alleged assailant, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, suffered a life-threatening wound from the gunshot and was also transported to a local medical facility. After an extensive recovery period, the alleged assailant remained paralyzed from the middle of his chest to his feet. At the time this publication was compiled, murder charges had yet to be filed against the man, and a prior deferred sentence for drug abuse violations was to be revoked.

Pennsylvania

One police officer with the Newtown Township Police Department was fatally shot and another was assaulted while handling a prisoner around 6:20 p.m., on September 29. A man in custody for possibly driving under the influence had been transported to a medical facility where he was to provide blood and urine samples as the two officers and a medical technician monitored him. After exiting the bathroom, the suspect was directed to turn around so that one of the officers could handcuff him. As the 31-year-old officer, who had nearly 5 years’ law enforcement experience, reached for his handcuffs from under his jacket, the suspect suddenly turned and disarmed him. The officer reached toward the suspect; however, the suspect blocked the officer with his hand and fired one shot from the officer’s .357-caliber revolver. The round went through the suspect’s own hand and struck the officer in the chest, knocking him to the floor. The suspect then shot the 46-year-old officer, who had over 2 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor, in the abdominal area, knocking him to the floor as well. The gunman then shot the medical technician, walked over to the second victim officer, and fatally shot the officer in the left temple. Reportedly, he stood over the officer, made a derogatory remark, leaned down, and fired another bullet into the lower left side of the officer’s head. The gunman walked back over to the first victim officer, who was still lying on the floor. He aimed the gun at the officer’s head and pulled the trigger five times. However, the gun was out of ammunition. Next, the man ran down a corridor toward the emergency room waiting area, where he dropped the victim officer’s gun on the floor before exiting to an attached parking garage. Officials placed the medical center in a lockdown status, and police SWAT teams searched the facility. A SWAT officer discovered the gunman sitting in a vehicle that he had apparently broken into on the top level of the parking garage. When the man refused to get out of the vehicle, officers deployed a flash-bang and broke out one of the vehicle’s windows to gain access to the man. After a brief struggle, officers arrested the 38-year-old man, who was under the influence of alcohol and had an extensive criminal record including police assault. Charges against the offender include First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Assault (4 counts), Robbery (4 counts), Terroristic Threats (2 counts), Recklessly Endangering Another (10 counts), Escape, Former Criminal Not to Own a Firearm, Criminal Attempt at Murder (2 Counts), Simple Assault, Unlawful Restraint, DUI, Resisting Arrest, and Disarming a Law Enforcement Officer. The wounded officer has since returned to duty.

*****

A corporal with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Pittsburgh, was shot and killed following a high-speed traffic pursuit well before dawn on December 12. The 45-year-old corporal began midnight-shift duty for the PSP-Pittsburgh station at 11 p.m. on December 11. About 1:55 the next morning, he contacted the PSP dispatch center to report his pursuit of a vehicle for a traffic violation and to request assistance. After the vehicle crashed onto the curb at a motel entrance, the corporal ordered the two passengers, who had gotten out of the car on the passenger side, to show their hands. He also commanded the driver to move to the trunk area on the driver’s side of the car. The driver reportedly became verbally combative and refused to comply with the command. According to one of the passengers, when the corporal tried to place the driver’s hands on the car, the driver attempted to attack the corporal physically. The corporal then sprayed the suspect with pepper spray, but the suspect grabbed the officer’s arm and hand. During this struggle, the suspect allegedly took the corporal’s service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and shot him multiple times. The victim corporal, who had nearly 24 years of law enforcement experience, suffered wounds to the neck and throat. The fatal bullet entered his chest through the armhole or shoulder area of his body armor. The passengers fled the scene on foot before the shooting began but later reported hearing gunshots fired in rapid succession. The suspect left the scene in his own vehicle. Assisting officers discovered the victim corporal at 2:05 a.m. on the ground of the motel parking lot entrance. The emergency lights of his marked PSP vehicle were still flashing, and the driver’s door was open. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:26 a.m. Later that day, with the help of a confidential informant, officers were able to locate the suspect driver and the two passengers. One of the passengers reported receiving a cell phone call from the suspect, who allegedly referred to the shooting during the call. The suspect reportedly placed a second call requesting that the passenger return to the scene and retrieve a Glock handgun. The passenger refused to do so. The passenger reported that he had observed the suspect attempting to conceal the Glock under the driver’s seat prior to encountering the corporal. Members of a PSP forensic services unit subsequently found the fully loaded Glock in shrubbery near the motel parking lot. The 30-year-old suspect, who was under supervised parole at the time of the incident, had an extensive criminal history record, including prior convictions for weapons violations and drug-related crime. He was not licensed to carry a firearm. He was arrested on December 14 and charged with Criminal Homicide, Disarming a Law Enforcement Officer, Resisting an Arrest, Violation of Use of Firearm, Theft, and Fleeing the Police.

Puerto Rico

On July 24 at 1:50 in the morning, an agent with the Police of Puerto Rico in Hato Rey was shot and killed in an ambush. The 22-year-old agent, with nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, was off duty and standing on a street corner attending a festival. A 19-year-old male confronted the agent and began to threaten him. A second male approached the agent from behind, placed a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun against the agent’s neck, and fired three times hitting the agent twice in the neck and once in the side of the face. The two men then fled the scene, one on a motorcycle. The wounded agent was taken to the paramedic station of the festival but was unresponsive. The agent died of his wounds. Subsequently, the 19-year-old suspect was cited to come to the station for a line-up, was identified, and arrested. He then provided information that led to the arrest of a 23-year-old suspect that he identified as the shooter. The 19-year-old, who had a prior criminal record, was convicted of Weapons Violations and First-Degree Murder and sentenced to 20 years for the weapons charge and 99 years in prison for the murder. The 23-year-old, who was under supervision at the time of the incident, was charged with Possession of a Firearm and First-Degree Murder. He was acquitted of all charges based on reasonable doubt; an electronic monitoring device he was wearing at the time of the shootings did not register that he was at the scene of the murder.

*****

A 34-year-old undercover agent with the Police of Puerto Rico in Fajardo was shot and killed en route to an undercover drug buy around 7:30 a.m. on August 1. The officer, who had nearly 3 years’ law enforcement experience, had met at 7 a.m. with a subject who was to accompany him on a ferry to meet a drug supplier on a nearby island. The officer had $4,000 on his person in order to purchase marijuana in the planned drug transaction. Presumably because the officer was not heard from after the buy, police officers apprehended the subject later that night as he was leaving his place of employment. The suspect was a known drug dealer and user, had prior convictions for criminal behavior, and was on probation at the time. In addition, he was driving the undercover vehicle assigned to the missing undercover officer. Police arrested the 24-year-old and charged him with Carjacking-Drug Related. During an extensive search, police located the body of the missing officer in a remote area in the mountains overlooking Luquillo on August 5. The officer had been shot in the back of the head at close range with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, presumably in a parking lot close to the pier from which the ferry departed.

Rhode Island

On April 16, shortly before midnight, a detective sergeant assigned to investigative activity was interrogating a felony assault suspect on the premises of the Providence Police Department (PPD) when the suspect overpowered him, took his .40-caliber semiautomatic service handgun, and shot him twice at close range. The 50-year-old sergeant, who had nearly 27 years of law enforcement experience, was taken to a local hospital, where he died at 12:29 a.m. on April 17 of a wound to the front of his head; the other bullet had entered his chest. The suspect had allegedly assaulted an 83-year-old woman during the afternoon of April 16, stabbing her in the back during an attempted robbery. By that evening, police officers had apprehended him and had taken him to a PPD conference room on the third floor to be interrogated by two detectives. One of the detectives left the room to fulfill the suspect’s request for a cup of water, leaving the sergeant alone with the suspect. Because he had not yet been arrested, the suspect was not handcuffed. When he was alone with the sergeant, the suspect got up from his chair and locked the door to the conference room. He assaulted the sergeant, took his service weapon, and shot him. The suspect then entered an adjacent office, shot the glass out of a window, and jumped 30 feet to the street below. He is believed to have called a taxi service, stating that he had $500 and wanted a ride from downtown Providence to Boston. The taxi driver reported the call to the PPD, and officers converged on the designated area. They arrested the 26-year-old suspect, who resisted with a violent struggle. He was charged with First-Degree Murder. The suspect was a known drug dealer; his prior criminal record included violent crime, weapons violations, and drug-related crime. At the time of the incidents under examination the man was on supervised probation.

South Carolina

A 29-year-old lance corporal with the South Carolina Highway Patrol in Blythewood was killed just before noon on May 16 while assisting in the pursuit of an armed robbery suspect by the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Department and the Manning Police Department. The corporal, who had more than 7 years of law enforcement experience, had pulled his cruiser to the shoulder of the road to await the pursuit in progress. As the suspect’s vehicle approached the cruiser, the suspect allegedly intentionally crashed into the victim corporal’s vehicle, causing it to go airborne into the trees and catch fire. Pursuing officers immediately rushed to the crashed patrol vehicle to render aid but were unsuccessful at rescuing the corporal. Emergency medical services responded but were also unable to save the corporal, who was fatally injured by the crash and fire. The driver of the fleeing vehicle, who was under the influence of narcotics, was transported to an area health center and treated for his injuries. The 34-year-old man was arrested and charged with one count of Murder.

Texas

At 11:15 in the evening of May 8, a 27-year-old deputy sheriff with the Llano County Sheriff’s Office was fatally shot while making a traffic stop. The deputy, with 3 years of law enforcement experience, had responded to a report of a reckless driver. Both the license plate of the suspect vehicle and an individual’s driver’s license had been reported to dispatch by the officer shortly before a citizen used the officer’s radio to tell dispatch that the deputy was lying next to his vehicle with a gunshot wound to the front of the head. Two more 911 calls from other individuals followed. The victim died the next day of the wound, subsequently found to be from a .22-caliber revolver. After a 10-hour extensive investigation and search, pilots with the Texas Department of Public Safety located the suspect in a wooded rural area. Officers surrounded the 30-year-old suspect. When the man became aware of the officers and the helicopters, he shot himself once in the head. The assailant, who was on parole at the time of the shooting, died the next day of the self-inflicted wound.

*****

In the early morning hours of November 13, a 28-year-old police officer from the Dallas Police Department was shot and killed when he and his partner responded to a second call for police assistance for a domestic disturbance involving an armed offender. The officers arrived at the scene and learned that the suspect had fled the location of the disturbance and that the initial responding officers were searching the area. At 3 a.m. , as the officers were joining the search, the suspect began firing a .357-caliber revolver in their direction. In the exchange of gunfire that followed, the victim officer, a veteran with nearly 6 years of law enforcement experience, managed to return 3 shots before he was struck once in his upper torso. The bullet entered between the side panels of his body armor, immediately killing him. A 28-year-old man, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, was arrested at the scene. The alleged shooter, who had a prior criminal record, was charged with Capital Murder, 3 counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, and Aggravated Assault.

*****

On November 29 at 2 p.m., a 39-year-old officer with the Fort Worth Police Department was shot while attempting to arrest an individual who was the alleged subject of a felony warrant. The 17-year veteran officer and two other officers arrived at a residence where they thought the subject was staying. A female acquaintance of the subject met the officers at the door and told them that the man for whom they were searching was not inside. She invited the officers into the dwelling and gave them permission to search the rooms. As the officers approached a bedroom and opened the door, a man inside the room fired at them with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. In the exchange of gunfire that followed, the assailant shot the victim officer in the front of his head, and he fell to the floor. The shooter fled the residence through a window and went into a nearby house where he took a hostage. A shootout between police and the assailant ensued. A SWAT team arrived, and the 39-year-old assailant, who had a history of violent crimes and drug abuse violations, released the hostage unharmed and surrendered to the SWAT officers without further incident. The man, a parolee who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with Capital Murder and Aggravated Kidnapping. The victim officer lingered for two days, but on December 1, succumbed to the gunshot wound.

Virginia

A 41-year-old veteran police officer with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency died on February 14 from injuries he sustained during a traffic stop at 8:15 a.m. on January 11 in Arlington. The officer, who had 12 years of law enforcement experience, was manning an outdoor security booth at the Pentagon when he was run over by a vehicle that had been carjacked. The incident began when an individual carjacked a vehicle from a fast-food restaurant in Alexandria. The Alexandria Police Department located the suspect and attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver did not yield. Alexandria police officers pursued the vehicle through the city, into Arlington County, and then toward Washington, D.C. Because of heavy traffic, the carjacker turned the vehicle around and went the wrong way down a ramp into a parking lot at the Pentagon. The Alexandria police temporarily lost sight of the vehicle, and the officer at the security booth did not know the vehicle had been carjacked or was being pursued. The officer stepped out of the security booth and held his arms up in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The vehicle struck the officer, who was thrown into the air by the impact and landed on the pavement. The victim officer suffered injuries to nearly every part of his body. The vehicle continued to travel after hitting the officer until a police cruiser with the Alexandria Police Department then hit the suspect’s vehicle, blocking it in against a guardrail. A struggle ensued between four police officers and the suspect. During the struggle, the suspect took an Alexandria officer’s weapon and fired two shots. One round did not hit anyone, but one round struck the suspect in the leg. Alexandria police then apprehended the 22-year-old suspect and took him to the hospital. He was treated, released into the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service, and charged with two counts of Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Carjacking, and Use of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries on February 14.

*****

A 45-year-old police officer with the Chesapeake Police Department was shot and killed at 9:50 a.m. on October 8 while he was assisting other officers who were responding to a silent alarm activated during a bank robbery. The officer, who had nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene and noticed four individuals in a vehicle leaving the parking lot at the rear of the bank. Knowing that another officer had already arrived and was securing the bank entrance, the officer attempted to pull over the vehicle. The driver refused to stop, and a brief chase ensued. The driver of the vehicle failed to negotiate a sharp curve and crashed into a guard rail. A man who had been sitting in the rear passenger side of the vehicle exited the car and started to flee on foot; however, he suddenly returned to the vehicle, grabbed one of the three passengers as a hostage, and attempted to use the individual as a shield. As the man attempted to leave the scene, the hostage broke free, ran in the direction of the police vehicle, and jumped over a guard rail into a ditch. The suspect fired a .38-caliber revolver in the direction of the officer, who had exited the police car and had positioned himself at the right rear of the car for cover. During the ensuing exchange of gunfire, the suspect grabbed a second person from inside the vehicle and attempted to steal the officer’s police vehicle. The officer fired eight rounds at the suspect, six of which struck the assailant, though none were fatal. One of the shots from the assailant’s gun struck the victim officer in the right side between the panels of his protective vest, and he collapsed to the ground. As the suspect forced the hostage into the driver’s side of the police car, another officer arrived on the scene and more shooting broke out. The responding officer fired a fatal shot into the neck of the suspect, who died at the scene. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital, where he died a short time later. Subsequent investigation of the incident revealed that the robbery suspect had taken the three hostages from inside the bank, along with a fourth whom he had forced to attend to the bank’s drive-through facility in order to avoid suspicion. Although the suspect’s vehicle was located a short distance from the bank, the suspect ordered one of the three hostages to drive her vehicle when they left the bank. The 43-year-old alleged assailant, a known drug dealer, had a prior criminal record that involved various violent crimes, including drug abuse and weapons violations.

*****

On October 28, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, an officer with the Norfolk Police Department was killed while investigating a suspicious person. The 33-year-old officer, who had 11 years of law enforcement experience, was responding to a complaint of a person with a gun. When the officer arrived at the scene, a witness identified for him the person with the gun. As the individual exited an apartment building, the officer exited his vehicle and approached the man, who tried to walk away. The officer, who was wearing body armor, attempted a field interview with the person. The suspect pulled out a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and shot the officer three times at close range in the front of the head. After shooting the officer, the suspect removed the officer’s 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from its holster and fled the scene. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The suspect, aged 30, was on probation and was a known drug dealer who had prior convictions for violent crimes, drugs, and police assault. On October 29, a warrant was issued in Virginia for the suspect’s arrest. Investigation revealed that he was in the Yonkers, New York, area, and an Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution arrest warrant was issued there as well. He was arrested without incident on November 2 in White Plains, New York, and was charged with Capital Murder, Use/Display Firearm in the Commission of a Felony, Possess/Transport Firearms by a Convicted Felon, Failure to Appear on Misdemeanor Charge, and Flight to Avoid Prosecution/Confinement.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2006

Alabama

At 12:34 p.m. on September 28, a police officer with the Montgomery Police Department was shot during a traffic stop. The 30-year-old officer, who had nearly 1½ years of law enforcement experience, stopped a vehicle after the driver committed a traffic violation. An in-dash camera in the officer’s patrol car recorded the subsequent events. When the officer approached the stopped vehicle, the driver (the lone occupant of the car) shot the officer fatally in the jaw with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The officer, who was wearing body armor, collapsed onto the ground, and then the man fired four more rounds into the victim officer’s torso as he drove by him and then sped away. The alleged shooter’s vehicle was later recovered approximately 3 miles from the scene of the shooting. The vehicle, which had been set on fire, was identified as belonging to the father of the suspected shooter’s girlfriend. The suspect was arrested in Georgia the next day by officers from the U.S. Marshals Service and was charged with Capital Murder. The 32-year-old arrestee, who was on probation at the time of the murder, had a previous criminal record including murder and drug violations. The victim officer succumbed to his injuries on September 30.

*****

On October 23 at 10:09 a.m., a 48-year-old police officer with the Fairfield Police Department was killed while investigating a call concerning suspicious persons or circumstances. The veteran officer, who had 21 years of law enforcement experience, was interviewing two suspects and was being assisted by a second police officer, who had nearly 4½ years of experience. The second officer had responded as backup when he heard the call from dispatch. The investigating officer had subdued one of the suspects and was attempting to search him as she instructed the second suspect to place his hands on the hood of the vehicle. The assisting officer had entered his patrol car and was calling dispatch with the suspects’ vehicle information. The second suspect, who was apparently armed with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, shot the investigating officer fatally in her neck/throat and then ran to the assisting officer’s vehicle and shot multiple rounds into the car. The assisting officer, who was wearing body armor, was wounded in his rear lower torso/back and his leg. The investigating officer, who was also wearing body armor at the time of the shooting, was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead later that day. The 28-year-old assisting officer underwent surgery and was expected to make a full recovery. The alleged shooter, a 21-year-old man with a prior criminal record and who was on probation at the time of the incident, fled the scene. He was located the next day in Birmingham at a friend’s residence and was arrested without incident by officers from a multiagency task force. The arrestee was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

Arkansas

On February 4, a patrol officer with the Gassville Police Department was shot and killed while conducting a vehicle stop in a motel parking lot. Just after 2:30 in the afternoon, the 63-year-old officer, who had 31 years of law enforcement experience, approached the driver’s side door of the stopped vehicle. The driver opened fire with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, wounding the veteran officer in the side of his head, his arms/hands, and fatally in his neck/throat. An employee at the motel called 911 to report that an officer had been shot, and officers from the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. A description of the suspect’s vehicle was broadcast, and it was spotted by a deputy sheriff. Officers from the sheriff’s office and the Arkansas State Police chased the suspect for a distance. Despite the use of spike strips, the suspect continued to flee until losing control of his vehicle and coming to a stop. The driver shot at the officers, and the officers returned fire. Later investigation revealed that after the 18-year-old suspect wrecked the vehicle, he allegedly shot his passenger who was pronounced dead at the scene, shot at the officers, and finally shot himself once in the head. He was transported to a local medical center and then airlifted to another hospital where he died. Empty shell casings from the 9 mm weapon were found in the suspect’s vehicle. Evidence indicated that this weapon was used to kill the victim officer, the suspect’s passenger, and the suspect.

California

Just after 4:30 p.m. on January 7, a 38-year-old police officer with the East Palo Alto Police Department was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call at a local restaurant. Upon arriving at the scene, the veteran officer, who had over 14 years of law enforcement experience, observed one of the suspects involved in the disturbance leaving the restaurant and followed him to an adjacent street. As the officer attempted to take the man into custody, he resisted and produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and fired at the officer, striking him and knocking him to the ground. The officer was able to return fire and struck the suspect in the lower abdomen. The suspect fired a second time at the victim officer, wounding him in the chest above his protective vest and fatally in the front of his head. The shooter fled on foot. The search for the 22-year-old suspect, who was a known drug dealer and who was on parole at the time of the incident, ended the following morning when officers at a checkpoint set up in the area of the incident found him in the backseat of a vehicle. He was arrested and charged with Murder and Participation in a Street Gang.

*****

A patrol officer with the California Highway Patrol, Modesto Detachment, was shot and killed during a traffic stop on February 17. Around 4:40 a.m., a citizen called the Merced Communications Center and reported that it appeared an officer had been shot and identified the location near Ripon. The information was broadcast, and an officer who was in the area responded. As he approached the location, he saw a citizen frantically waving. When he arrived at the scene, he found the 36-year-old victim officer, who had nearly 6 years of law enforcement experience, lying on the shoulder of the road close to the right front of his patrol vehicle. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor, had suffered a gunshot wound to the front of the head from a handgun of an unknown caliber and was not breathing. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. The victim officer was holding a vehicle registration card in his hand. The vehicle description was given to all California law enforcement agencies and was posted on the freeway changeable message signs. Later that night, the registered owner of the vehicle and her husband came to the Stockton Police Department and reported that the car had been stolen. However, after extensive questioning, the couple began giving conflicting statements. The 30-year-old husband was arrested for the murder of the victim officer. The man, who had an extensive criminal record including violent crime, police assault, and drug and weapons violations, was charged with Murder.

*****

A 30-year-old deputy sheriff with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was killed on March 28 at 5:45 a.m. in Long Beach. The veteran deputy, who had nearly 7 years of law enforcement experience, was found lying next to her car shortly after nearby witnesses reported hearing gunshots. The deputy, who was on her way to work after leaving a friend’s house, was shot twice with a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun. She sustained a gunshot wound in her back and a fatal wound to her stomach. Investigators reported that the deputy may have been trying to take police action during an attempted armed robbery. Her service weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, was found in the open trunk of her vehicle. The weapon was jammed, and investigators believe that at the time she was slain, the victim deputy was attempting to draw her weapon. On September 27, two men, aged 26 and 20, were arrested and charged with Murder and Attempted Robbery relating to the incident. Both had prior criminal records that included weapons violations. Just before 3:30 a.m. on October 27, a deputy sheriff with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Wilton. The 38-year-old deputy, who had more than 7 ½ years of law enforcement experience, was conducting a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle and had typed information about the stop into the onboard computer in his vehicle. Shortly thereafter, a radio transmission was sent to the deputy, but he did not answer. Responding officers found the victim deputy, who was wearing body armor, on the ground near the rear of his vehicle. He had been shot in the arms/hands and fatally in the head at close range with his service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, which was found at the scene. By the time responding officers arrived, the vehicle and its occupant had left the scene; the suspect remains at large.

*****

Around 8:40 p.m. on December 22, a 28-year-old police officer with the San Francisco Police Department was fatally wounded while attempting to make an arrest. About 8:20 p.m., two other officers in a marked police vehicle spotted a prison escapee walking along the street. The officers made a U-turn but lost sight of the suspect. They believed he had jumped over backyard fences in an attempt to escape. The officers broadcast their location and requested backup to establish a perimeter. The victim officer, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, and several other officers arrived at the location and set up a perimeter and began searching for the suspect in the backyards of the residences in the area. One of the officers spotted the man and broadcast his location. The officer told the suspect to stop, but he turned and ran, and the officer chased after him. The suspect kicked in a door to a commercial garage and ran inside. The victim officer arrived at the garage from a different direction and entered the building, followed by the officer who was chasing the suspect. Inside, the victim officer stood to the right of a closed door of a small interior room, and the second officer was to his left about 10 feet away. Neither of the officers knew that the suspect was in the small room. Suddenly, the door to the room flew open, and the second officer saw in the dimly lit garage the silhouette of a person, heard shots fired, and saw a muzzle flash coming from the doorway. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor, dropped to the floor with a fatal gunshot wound to the front of his head from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The 33-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included drug arrests, violent crimes, police assault, and weapon violations, was killed at the scene apparently in the ensuing gunfire. However, the official cause of death is still pending. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he died the following day.

District of Columbia

A 44-year-old special agent with the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) was shot and killed about 7:40 a.m. on June 21 while attempting to make an arrest in Tallahassee, Florida. The special agent, a 17-year veteran of law enforcement, was part of a team of agents from the OIG and the FBI who had been sent to Florida to arrest six correctional officers indicted for corrupt activities at the local federal correction facility. The agents attempted to arrest one of the correctional officers as he exited the secure portion of the detention facility following the completion of his workday. During the arrest, the correctional officer pulled a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun from a bag he was carrying and fired one round, which struck a Bureau of Prisons employee. He ran to the front door of the building where he was confronted by the OIG special agent. In an exchange of gunfire, the correctional officer fired four shots, one of which struck the OIG special agent in the lower back, killing him. The special agent was able to fire thirteen shots, seven of which hit the 43-year-old offender and led to his death.

Florida

A 26-year-old deputy sheriff with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was killed while attempting a traffic stop in Orlando just after 3 p.m. on August 1. The deputy, who was in full uniform and wearing body armor, was working a traffic detail on a westbound ramp when he spotted a speeding car. He stepped into the right traffic lane and raised his hand to order the driver to stop; however, instead of stopping, the driver accelerated the car, striking the victim deputy’s legs, throwing him over the right side of the car. The deputy, who had nearly 6 years of law enforcement experience, was transported to a nearby medical center where he died the next day from the multiple traumatic injuries he suffered to his chest, stomach, arms/hands, and in the front below the waist. The 19-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record and was driving with a suspended driver’s license, drove from the scene to an intersection where he left the road and ran the vehicle into a fence. He abandoned the car and fled on foot. The suspect was located on August 2 and was arrested and charged with Second-Degree Murder.

*****

A 39-year-old deputy sheriff with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and his service dog were killed and another deputy sheriff was injured shortly before 12:30 p.m. on September 28 in an unprovoked attack. One of the deputies had stopped an individual in a rental car for speeding in Lakeland. The driver gave a false name to the deputy then fled the scene on foot into a heavily wooded area. The canine deputy and his canine partner responded as backup. The dog tracked the suspect and found him several hundred yards away from the road. The man shot and killed the dog with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and then turned the gun on the canine deputy. The victim deputy, who had more than 12 years of law enforcement experience, was shot in his back and arms, and then was fatally shot twice in the side of the head at close range. The man took the victim deputy’s service weapon, a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and the spare magazines. The deputy who initiated the traffic stop, also 39 years old, witnessed the man shooting the victim officer. The deputy fired four rounds at the shooter with his service weapon, but none of the rounds struck him. The offender fired back, wounding the 13-year veteran deputy in the right thigh. The offender fled but was thought to have remained in the wooded area. The next morning, officers located the 27-year-old suspect armed with the deceased deputy’s firearm. After he refused to surrender and brandished a weapon, SWAT team members shot and killed him. The offender was known to possess and deal drugs and had a prior record for offenses including police assault. The wounded deputy recovered from his injuries and returned to duty within a few days.

*****

On November 11, a deputy sheriff with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office was killed and another was wounded in an unprovoked attack in Tamarac. The 34-year-old deputy, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, was conducting a traffic stop in a residential area shortly after 11 p.m. A 37-year-old deputy, with nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, was providing backup at the scene and had parked his vehicle behind the responding deputy’s patrol car. The female driver of the stopped vehicle had a male passenger who was sitting in the front seat. When the 34-year-old deputy requested to see the woman’s driver’s identification, she complied. The deputy took her driver’s license and vehicle documentation and returned to his vehicle. Suddenly, the passenger in the woman’s vehicle and two other men, who apparently were watching nearby, attacked both of the officers, firing nineteen shots from .40-caliber semiautomatic handguns. The 34-year-old deputy was shot fatally in the rear back. The 37-year-old deputy, who was wearing body armor, was struck in the chest and in the rear below the waist. Responding personnel transported both deputies to a local medical center where the 34-year-old victim deputy was pronounced dead and the 37-year-old deputy was treated for his injuries. Three men were identified as suspects in the shooting: a 28-year old, a 22-year-old, and a 19-year-old. All three were arrested the next day and charged with First-Degree Murder. In addition, the 28-year-old suspect was charged with Possession of Firearms by a Convicted Felon. The 37-year-old deputy recovered from his injuries and returned to duty within a few weeks.

Georgia

At 1:30 a.m. on March 23, a deputy sheriff with the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office was killed during a tactical situation at a residence in Macon. The deputy, who was 36 years old and had nearly 12 years of law enforcement experience, was part of a team of officers from a multijurisdictional drug task force that included a drug squad from the sheriff’s office. The group was executing a no-knock search warrant on the residence with the deputy in the lead. As the officers entered the residence, two individuals began firing at them with 9 mm semiautomatic handguns. Nine shots were fired; three struck the victim deputy: one bullet penetrated both of the deputy’s hands as he was holding his service weapon; one round, which was fatal, struck the deputy in the face below his left eye; and one bullet hit him in the lower abdomen, but his body armor stopped the round. Officers removed the victim deputy from the residence and summoned an ambulance. He was taken to a local hospital where he was subsequently pronounced dead. Other officers at the scene took into custody five people who were inside the residence and seized weapons, illegal drugs, and drug paraphernalia. Two of the persons arrested, one man aged 20 and another aged 21, were believed to be the shooters. Both were arrested and charged with Felony Murder. Both men had previous criminal histories, and both were known drug dealers.

*****

A 33-year-old master police officer with the DeKalb County Police Department was shot and killed while investigating suspicious persons on the evening of June 29. Around 7 p.m., two officers were on patrol in a cruiser in rural DeKalb County when they noticed what appeared to be a drug deal occurring in a gas station parking lot. As they entered the lot, the suspect in the vehicle spotted the officers and drove away. The officers followed the suspect to a nearby apartment building. Aware that the police were following him, the suspect pulled behind the building, abandoned the vehicle, and fled on foot. The officers exited their vehicle and pursued the suspect, who was on parole at the time of the incident. At one point, the officers lost sight of the man as he turned a corner. As they came around the same corner, they were met with gunfire from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. During the gunfight, the 12-year veteran officer was hit in the chest when a round from the shooter’s gun entered the side panels of his body armor. Though mortally wounded, the officer returned fire and hit the 24-year-old shooter, killing him. The victim officer’s partner and other civilians on the scene were unharmed in the shooting.

Illinois

On September 27 at 9 p.m., a 43-year-old police officer with the Metra Transit Police Department, Chicago, was fatally shot in the back of the head with a .38-caliber handgun while he was conducting surveillance from his marked vehicle. The lone officer, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience and who was wearing body armor at the time of his murder, was parked on property adjacent to a commuter train station that had been the scene of recent criminal activity. An unknown gunman, who remains at large, shot the victim officer at close range. Investigating officers noted that the victim officer’s service firearm was missing.

*****

A 37-year-old police officer with the Maywood Police Department was shot and killed on October 23 in an unprovoked attack. At 11:13 p.m., the 9-year veteran police officer radioed dispatch from his vehicle for a license plate check. About 4 minutes later, dispatch received a call from a citizen stating that shots had been fired and that an officer was down. Police arrived on the scene and found the officer, who was wearing body armor, slumped over his steering wheel. The victim officer had been shot four times at close range in his neck/throat and fatally in the rear of his head with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The unknown suspect remains at large.

Indiana

A 36-year-old corporal with the South Bend Police Department was fatally wounded around 10:45 p.m. on April 21 during a robbery. The veteran corporal, who had nearly 10 years of law enforcement experience, was off duty and walking across a parking lot with an acquaintance when two young men, one brandishing a weapon, approached them and attempted to rob them. The corporal drew his weapon and ordered them to stop. The two exchanged gunfire; the offender was able to fire six shots with a .38-caliber revolver that struck the corporal in the side of the head, chest, back, and the neck/throat. The veteran corporal was able to fire eight shots, three of which struck the gunman. The accomplice drove the alleged shooter to a local hospital for treatment and upon their arrival, hospital personnel notified police that an individual had been brought there with gunshot wounds. The injured suspect was treated and released from the hospital the next day and was immediately taken into custody. The 18-year-old accomplice was also arrested that day. Neither suspect had prior criminal records. The 17-year-old suspect was charged with Felony Murder and Robbery, and the 18-year-old accomplice was charged with Murder and Attempted Robbery. The victim corporal was taken to a local hospital, but he slipped into a coma and died of the injuries to his neck/throat on April 23.

Kansas

On October 26 at 1:20 p.m., a 54-year-old sheriff with the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed by a man who had a history of mental illness. The man had come into the sheriff’s office in Hoxie voluntarily to answer questions about his father’s grave, which someone had attempted to unearth. The man insisted that he had not been responsible for digging up the grave; however, the sheriff, who had 18 years of law enforcement experience, noted that he appeared to be having trouble accepting his father’s death. The sheriff attempted to persuade him to undergo psychological evaluation and told him that the officers could take him to a place where he could receive help with his emotional state. After several minutes of dialogue, the man consented to an evaluation, and he was asked to remove his coat before officers transported him to the appropriate facility. The man appeared to comply, and the officers who were present prepared to search him for weapons; however, he pulled a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun from the small of his back and pointed it at a deputy but did not shoot. He then turned the weapon on the sheriff and fired six shots, striking the victim sheriff in the front upper and lower torso, arms/hands, and fatally in the front below the waist. The victim sheriff was able to fire three rounds from his service weapon, striking the shooter twice. A deputy who was present also returned fire, striking the man several times before killing him. The 35-year-old man had a prior criminal record of violent crime, including police assault.

Louisiana

At 8:37 p.m. on March 1, a sergeant with the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office was shot during a drug-related special assignment in Napoleonville. The 31-year-old sergeant, who had 8 years of law enforcement experience, was working with other agents assigned to the Assumption Parish Narcotics Task Force. The officers were conducting surveillance in high drug traffic areas in order to locate individuals who were wanted for felony warrants associated with undercover drug operations. The officers approached a vehicle that was illegally parked in the roadway, and the driver put the car into reverse and accelerated in an effort to elude the approaching officers. A chase ensued, and soon after, the driver crashed the vehicle into a ditch. As officers attempted to arrest the driver, he struggled with them and tried to take one of the officer’s firearms, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The weapon discharged and fatally struck the victim sergeant, who was assisting with the arrest, in the front upper chest just above his body armor. The victim sergeant was taken to a local hospital where he later was pronounced dead. The 22-year-old offender, a known drug dealer with a prior criminal record who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, was immediately taken into custody and charged with First-Degree Murder of a Police Officer, Aggravated Flight from an Officer, Resisting an Officer, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack/Cocaine.

*****

On June 16, a 40-year-old captain with the St. John the Baptist Parish (SJBP) Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while investigating suspects in an earlier nonfatal shooting of a 35-year-old SJBP deputy. In the initial incident, which occurred at 1:12 a.m., two deputies had attempted to pull over a vehicle with one male and one female occupant on a local highway. Suddenly, the driver made a U-turn and shot three rounds into the deputies’ unmarked police car, striking the leg of the deputy who was driving. The wounded 35-year-old deputy attempted to continue the pursuit of the suspects, but shortly radioed dispatch that he could not continue and pulled his car to the side of the road. An assisting deputy arrived on the scene and placed the victim deputy in his car to meet an ambulance that was en route, allowing the other deputy to resume the chase. Around 1:30 a.m., another deputy informed dispatch that he was in pursuit of a southbound vehicle that was traveling at a high rate of speed and could potentially be the suspects. He advised dispatch that the vehicle had possibly exited the highway at LaPlace. Officers who were securing the original crime scene observed a SJBP captain’s unmarked police vehicle traveling toward the area where the suspects had last been spotted by a civilian. At 1:48 a.m., dispatch received a 911 call from a residential area in LaPlace that reported a body being dragged to the curb. Officers arrived at the residence 2 minutes later and found the body of the 14-year veteran captain who had been shot three times with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun in the upper chest, the lower torso, and fatally in the rear upper back. His vehicle and service weapon were gone. The captain was transported to the hospital by ambulance where he was pronounced dead at 2:29 a.m. Later that morning, the 31-year-old male suspect and his 28-year-old female accomplice invaded a home in Kenner and stole another vehicle. The victim captain’s stolen vehicle was subsequently found near the scene of the home invasion. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle stolen from the home invasion victims was spotted by officers, and a pursuit began which ended in the crash of the suspects’ stolen vehicle and the apprehension of the woman. The man fled on foot to the River Ridge area and invaded a second home where he took an individual as a hostage. Around 11:50 a.m., the suspect surrendered to authorities. The female suspect was charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, two counts of Armed Robbery, and three counts of Second-Degree Kidnapping. The male suspect, who had a lengthy prior criminal record, was charged with First-Degree Murder, two counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder, and Armed Robbery. The wounded deputy returned to work a few weeks later.

Michigan

About 5:45 p.m. on May 24, a 31-year-old senior patrol officer with the Dearborn Heights Police Department was fatally wounded while responding to a disturbance call. The senior patrol officer, who had more than 11 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a call of shots fired from a home into the residential neighborhood and at officers who had already arrived at the scene. When he reached the area, the senior patrol officer, who was wearing body armor, attempted to position himself across the street from the house from where the shots were fired. However, the gunman opened fire, and a bullet from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun fatally struck the veteran officer in the front of the head. Other officers exchanged gunfire with the man, and he was eventually killed. The 60-year-old shooter had no prior criminal record and no known history of mental disorders; however, he apparently had had a mental breakdown, as he allegedly had announced earlier that he was going to kill someone. The victim officer, who had been taken to a local hospital, died the following day.

Mississippi

On October 21 at 2:10 a.m., a 30-year-old canine police officer with the University of Mississippi Police Department was killed while assisting an officer with a traffic stop in Oxford. Although the responding officer had initiated the stop on the university’s grounds, the driver was pulled over at an off-campus convenience store for speeding. When the responding officer requested to see proof of insurance, the individual put the vehicle in reverse and backed toward the patrol vehicles. He then attempted to flee the scene. The backup officer, who had nearly 4½ years of law enforcement experience, tried to stop the man from leaving by reaching into the driver’s window. The officer became entangled with the vehicle, and the man drove away, dragging the victim officer for several feet. Eventually, the victim officer became disentangled from the vehicle and fell to the pavement where he suffered a fatal head trauma. The victim officer also suffered injuries in the front of his body below the waist and on his arms/hands. He was transported to a local hospital and was then taken via helicopter to a hospital in Tennessee where he was pronounced dead later that day. The offender left the scene and drove to an apartment complex where he attempted to crash through an electronic entry gate. However, his vehicle became stuck in a ditch, and he abandoned it. He then walked to a friend’s apartment within the complex, called his parents, and told them that he had dragged a police officer with his vehicle. The offender’s parents called the Oxford Police Department. Shortly thereafter, responding officers arrived at the apartment and arrested the 20-year-old man without incident. The offender, who had a prior criminal record and who was allegedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with Capital Murder.

Nevada

A 37-year-old sergeant with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was killed and a 35-year-old detective was injured while responding to a domestic disturbance on February 1 at 1:20 in the afternoon. A helicopter unit was the first to respond to the call and relayed that there were several individuals outside of a residence. Just prior to the sergeant’s arrival, one man walked away from the house and another man went inside. The veteran sergeant, with nearly 16 years of law enforcement experience, and a uniformed primary officer were in the street in front of the residence when a radio broadcast was made indicating that the suspect in the original domestic disturbance report was in custody at a nearby location. It was later determined that this person was actually a witness to the incident and not a suspect. The sergeant and primary officer approached the open front door of the residence while other responding officers detained people outside. Inside, a man had created a concealed firing position by overturning a couch at the top of the stairway adjacent to the front door. As the officers entered, the man, armed with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle, fired multiple rounds, striking the sergeant in the chest and back. The victim sergeant managed to exit the house and fell on the porch 10 feet outside of the home. The primary officer returned fire, and the suspect moved to a second floor window where he had previously constructed a firing platform. He fired at the officers and patrol cars below. When officers returned fire at the suspect, he moved to another window and fired again. The detective, who had nearly 9 years of law enforcement experience, began firing at the suspect with an AR-15 rifle. The detective, who was wearing a tactical vest, was struck in his left leg by a round fired by the suspect. Despite his injuries, he remained engaged in the gun battle. The 21-year-old suspect emerged from the front door and began firing rounds at the victim sergeant who was still lying on the porch and inflicted a fatal wound to the rear of the sergeant’s head. After retreating inside the dwelling for a brief period of time, the shooter, a known drug user with a criminal history and who was under the influence of narcotics, reemerged firing his rifle at the officers. During the ensuing 8-minute gun battle in which the offender fired 49 shots, he was killed by return gunfire from the six armed officers.

New Hampshire

Shortly before 3 a.m. on October 16, two patrol officers with the Manchester Police Department who were on bike patrol responded to and cleared a call concerning a domestic disturbance in which a shot reportedly had been fired. The officers remained in the general area and observed two subjects they believed might have been involved in the domestic disturbance. The two men were walking away from the officers in an alley just behind the residence where the disturbance had occurred. The officers identified themselves at least three times and ordered the men to stop. One of the men complied, but the second man continued to walk away. The 35-year-old patrol officer, who had more than 5 years of law enforcement experience, identified himself again and ordered the suspect to stop, but he continued to walk away. The patrol officer, who was wearing body armor, was approaching him from behind when the man suddenly turned and fired at close range an undetermined number of shots from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. One of the shots struck the officer fatally on the side of the head. The victim officer’s partner returned fire, but the suspect escaped. By the time responding officers were able to establish a complete perimeter, the suspect was no longer in the area. Within 14 hours, he was located at a relative’s house in Massachusetts and was surrounded by a law enforcement tactical team. After brief negotiations, he surrendered without incident. The 26-year-old male suspect, who was a known drug user and who had a criminal record that included a prior conviction, violent crime, and weapons violations, was arrested and charged with Capital Murder. The victim officer died of his wounds the following day.

New Jersey

A 32-year-old detective with the Orange Police Department was killed on August 7 while investigating shots fired in a neighborhood. At 10:45 p.m. , the detective radioed for backup and reported seeing a man with a gun standing in the middle of the road. When additional units arrived, the detective, who had 5 years of law enforcement experience, informed them that the man had fled into the backyard of a nearby home. The detective pursued the man into the yard ahead of the other officers, who subsequently heard gunshots and called for more units. Officers found the detective lying at the foot of the steps to the back door of the residence. He had been shot in the upper chest with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. Although the detective was wearing body armor, the shotgun blast entered through the armhole of the vest, fatally wounding him. Officers transported the detective to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:17 p.m. Approximately 12 hours after the incident, police received a tip that led them to the suspect in the shooting, a 19-year-old male. The suspect, a known drug dealer and user, was on parole at the time of the incident. He had a prior criminal record that included violent crimes and drug and weapons violations. The suspect also knew the victim officer through a prior law enforcement relationship. He was charged with Murder and weapons violations.

New Mexico

A 38-year-old deputy sheriff with the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop on March 22 in Tijeras. The deputy, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, had stopped a vehicle at 12:45 a.m. and notified dispatchers of the stop. Two minutes later, the county communications center received a 911 call from an area resident who said that shots had been fired and that an officer was lying in the road. Personnel at the communications center tried to contact the victim deputy but received no response. Backup officers arrived at the scene and found the deputy, who was wearing body armor, on the roadway with a fatal gunshot wound to his face. Officers and rescue personnel tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate him. Two casings from a 10 mm semiautomatic handgun were found next to the deputy’s body. A manhunt ensued involving numerous law enforcement agencies that eventually led to a 29-year-old suspect in Ciudad, Juarez , Mexico . He was arrested on April 3 and charged with Capital Murder. The suspect was on parole at the time of the incident and was known to use and deal drugs. He had a previous criminal history that included drugs and weapons violations, and he was wanted for a previous murder.

New York

A 30-year-old patrol officer with the New Hartford Police Department was shot and killed at 8:20 p.m. on February 27 while pursuing suspects in a robbery at a local jewelry store. At 8:17 p.m., the Oneida County 911 Center received a silent alarm from the jewelry store and dispatched officers to the scene. At least two individuals, and possibly as many as four individuals, had entered the store brandishing weapons and had handcuffed the store’s employees. The robbers disabled the store’s video surveillance system and stole watches, loose diamonds, and diamond rings. Though police units arrived at the scene within minutes, the robbers fled from the store, and a high speed car chase ensued. The chase ended in Kirkland where the driver of the getaway car attempted to turn into a parking lot of a market, but crashed the car into gasoline pumps in front of the store. When two men exited the vehicle, officers subdued one of them. However, the other man fled toward a wooded area at the edge of the parking lot. When the man entered the tree line, he turned and fired one shot with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the pursuing officer, fatally striking him in the upper chest. The victim officer, who had 6 years of law enforcement experience, was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Canine units dispatched to find the shooting suspect led police to a business in Kirkland where the suspect had carjacked a tow truck. The suspect forced the tow truck driver at gunpoint to drive him to Pennsylvania, gave the tow truck driver $100, and released him. The next day, the U.S. Marshals Service obtained a warrant for the shooting suspect citing the charge of Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution. Law enforcement personnel tracked the 36-year-old man to a house in Chester, Pennsylvania. When a U.S. Marshals Service Task Force tried to enter the house, the suspect exited the front door and fired at the entry team with a handgun. The entry team returned fire and killed the offender, who had a prior criminal record that included convictions for murder, drugs, and weapons violations. The offender, along with the other individuals involved in the jewelry heist in New Hartford, were thought to have been involved in other jewelry robberies in the Northeast.

Ohio

Shortly before midnight on August 30, a 37-year-old detective with the Cleveland Police Department was shot and killed while attempting an arrest. The veteran detective, who had 10 years of law enforcement experience, was with a task force, including officers from the U.S. Marshals Service and various local agencies, who were trying to execute an arrest warrant for an individual who was wanted for aggravated burglary and rape. The officers took up positions around the individual’s residence, which had a small porch at the front door. The detective and a lieutenant knocked on the door several times without getting a response. The lieutenant left the porch as the detective positioned a battering ram he was carrying. A man suddenly unlocked and opened the door then quickly tried to close it. Though the detective attempted to stop him from closing the door, the man retreated into the residence. The man then fired three shots at close range through the door with a .357 Magnum revolver. One round circumvented the detective’s body armor between the vest’s side panels, fatally striking the detective in the chest. The victim detective walked away from the porch and collapsed in the front yard. Officers took him to a local hospital where he died. The 37-year-old alleged shooter, a known drug dealer, had previous criminal records for violent crime, drugs, police assault, and weapons violations. He surrendered to officers at the scene and was arrested and charged with Aggravated Murder, Having Weapons While Under Disability, Tampering with Evidence, Rape, Gross Sexual Imposition, Kidnapping, Felonious Assault, and Aggravated Burglary.

Oklahoma

A 43-year-old trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol died on February 9 as a result of injuries suffered in a shooting on April 25, 1999. Around 7:30 in the evening of the incident, the trooper, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a report of a woman’s body found in a local cemetery. The trooper, along with other troopers and the sheriff and deputies from the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department, arrived at the cemetery and found the body with a fatal gunshot wound to the head. As the officers were securing the scene, a man approached them. When questioned, he identified himself as the dead woman’s husband and told officers he had shot her and was going to kill himself as well. At that time, officers observed that the 52-year-old suspect was hiding a .357 Magnum revolver behind his back and took cover. The suspect raised the gun but did not threaten the officers. The trooper and the sheriff began to negotiate with the suspect in an attempt to talk him into putting down his weapon. During the discussion, the trooper made an attempt to disarm the man by throwing a flashlight against his chest. The trooper and the sheriff then rushed the man, and as he fell backwards, the man fired three times hitting the sheriff in the shoulder and striking the trooper in the neck above his protective vest. The suspect then fatally shot himself in the head. Emergency medical technicians immediately responded to the scene and treated both the trooper and the sheriff. The victim trooper, who suffered severe blood loss and spinal cord injury from his neck wound, was transported to an area hospital and later admitted to a trauma center where he spent 8 months. The trooper’s injuries resulted in his paralysis from the neck down and ultimately led to his death nearly 7 years after the incident.

Pennsylvania

About 10:10 p.m. on May 8, a 46-year-old police officer with the Philadelphia Police Department was shot while responding to a robbery in progress at a local cafe. Two officers responded to the call, and when they arrived at the location, they noticed that the window blinds of the cafe were down. One of the officers went to the front of the business, and the other officer went to the back. The officer at the front of the building opened the door and saw the patrons lying on the floor; when they saw the officer, they pointed to the back door. The officer exited through the front door and headed to the back of the building. Before he arrived at the back, however, he heard a door open and then a gunshot. When he reached the corner, the officer saw a man behind the building holding a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. The man pointed the gun at the officer, who headed for cover as the man fired a round at him. The officer reported on the police radio that shots had been fired. The officer heard the man pump the gun, preparing to fire again, and the officer repositioned himself behind a vehicle. The officer noticed the back door to the establishment closing and then saw the other officer lying on the sidewalk. When the victim officer did not respond to his calls, the officer radioed that an officer was down. Additional officers arrived at the location, and the suspect fled the scene on foot. The arriving officers placed the victim officer, who had gunshot wounds to his neck and chest, into a patrol vehicle and transported him to a local hospital. At 11:50 p.m., the 16-year veteran of law enforcement was pronounced dead from a wound he had sustained to his neck above his protective vest. On May 16, officers arrested a 23-year-old man and charged him with First-Degree Murder, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Firearm, Resisting Arrest, Possession of an Instrument of Crime, Prohibited Offensive Weapon, and Unauthorized Use of Auto and Vehicles. The man, who was on supervised release, had a prior criminal record that included arrests for violent crime, drugs, and weapons violations.

*****

A 40-year-old field training officer with the Reading Police Department was shot and killed while answering a disturbance call in the early morning hours of August 6. Around 2:30 a.m., the veteran officer, who had over 9 years of law enforcement experience, was working in plain clothes on a stolen auto detail when he heard a dispatch of a fight with possible gunshots fired. The officer was in the immediate area, and he approached a man who was a possible suspect reported in the disturbance. After a brief conversation, the man fled, and the officer pursued him on foot. As the officer was about to tackle him, the suspect, while on the run, fired four or five shots from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Two rounds struck the victim officer, one shot in the lower back and one fatal shot in the chest. The 24-year-old man was apprehended, and his gun was found at the scene. The offender, who was on probation at the time of the shooting, was charged with First-Degree Murder, Third-Degree Murder, and two counts of Aggravated Assault.

Puerto Rico

On the evening of September 4, shortly before 10 p.m., a 52-year-old off-duty sergeant with the Carolina Municipal Police Department attempted to intervene in a robbery in progress at a local liquor store. Three youths entered the store while a fourth one remained outside as a lookout. As the veteran sergeant of 26 years approached the youths, he identified himself as an officer, and an immediate exchange of gunfire ensued. The sergeant fired three shots, one of which hit one of the offenders, a 20-year-old male, who died at the scene. In the exchange of gunfire, the sergeant suffered a fatal wound to his chest from a .38-caliber revolver. After disarming the victim sergeant, the youths fled. Five days after the incident, Puerto Rican authorities arrested the 17-, 18-, and 19-year-old male suspects and charged each of them with First-Degree Murder, Weapons Violations, and Attempted Robbery. Two of the arrestees confessed to the charges.

*****

A 36-year-old sergeant from the Police of Puerto Rico, San Juan, was shot and killed in Rio Piedras at 6 p.m. on December 7 as he responded to a disturbance call at a housing project. The veteran sergeant, who had 14 years of law enforcement experience, along with other officers, were fired upon as they arrived at the scene. The sergeant returned fire, shooting three times at the offender. The offender fired 21 times with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle, striking the victim sergeant with some of the rounds in his arms/hands and fatally in his front lower torso/stomach. The victim sergeant was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. The offender, who escaped from the scene and remains at large, has not been identified.

Tennessee

Shortly after 6 p.m. on May 11, a 53-year-old deputy sheriff with the Roane County Sheriff’s Department and a ride-along partner, who had worked previously in law enforcement, were shot and killed in an ambush at Ten Mile. The veteran deputy, who had nearly 27 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner traveled to a residence to serve an arrest warrant. When the deputy pulled his vehicle into the driveway of the residence, two men, one with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle and the other with a .45-caliber handgun, charged toward the patrol car and began firing at the vehicle. The deputy was able to return fire and hit one of the offenders with two of his sixteen shots. However, the deputy suffered 40 bullet wounds in the exchange. He suffered injuries to his chest, back, stomach, arms/hands, in the front below his waist, and fatally to the back of his head. Approximately 1 hour after the shooting, officers from a nearby department arrested a 45-year-old man who had gone to a local hospital for treatment for a gunshot wound. The man, who was the subject of the arrest warrant that the victim officer was attempting to serve, had a prior criminal record including violent crime and police assault. The man allegedly knew the victim officer through a prior law enforcement relationship. The other suspect, a 47-year-old man who also had a prior criminal record, surrendered approximately 5 miles away from the location of the shooting about 30 hours after the incident. Both suspects were charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder and two counts of Felony Murder.

Texas

A 54-year-old patrol officer with the San Antonio Police Department died on June 21 as a result of injuries he sustained while responding to a disturbance call on February 17, 1977. At the time of the incident, the 24-year-old officer had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience when he responded to a report of a man with a gun at a lounge. As the officer opened the door to the establishment, an individual shot the officer an unknown number of times in the chest, stomach, and below the waist with a .22-caliber revolver. The officer reported to dispatchers that he had been shot, and the suspect was apprehended a short distance from the lounge. The officer suffered serious internal injuries but was able to return to work after a long hospital stay and rehabilitation. The officer continued to work until May 2006 when he became ill and was hospitalized. He died at age 54 from complications stemming from the gunshot wounds. The offender, who was 41 years old at the time of the incident, was arrested the day of the shooting and was charged with Attempt to Commit Capital Murder. The arrestee had a criminal record that included arrests for violent crime, drugs, police assault, and weapons violations. He was convicted, received a life sentence for the crime, and has since died.

*****

A 45-year-old deputy constable from the Smith County Constable’s Office was shot and killed during a tactical situation in Tyler on June 7 at 11 a.m. A woman had placed a 911 call from her neighbor’s house reporting her husband had beaten and threatened to kill her and himself, as well as any law enforcement officers who came to the scene. Two deputies from the Smith County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call and initially arrived at the neighbor’s house, where the 911 call had been placed, thinking that it was the suspect’s house. The two deputies then proceeded to the suspect’s residence where they noticed a rifle barrel sticking out of a window in the front of the house. Simultaneously, the deputies noticed the person with a rifle was targeting the Smith County deputy constable, a 21-year veteran of law enforcement, who had arrived on the scene in his unmarked vehicle as backup. The two deputies shouted to the deputy constable to take cover and that he was being targeted by a person in the house with a rifle. The deputy constable, who was wearing body armor, managed to obtain his rifle from his vehicle and fired three rounds at the front of the house. He moved to the rear of his vehicle to take cover; however, the offender fired one shot from his .30-06-caliber semiautomatic rifle with a scope, striking the victim deputy constable in front of the head and killing him instantly. A third deputy sheriff arrived on the scene and tried to aid the victim deputy constable, whom he thought was still alive. The 34-year-old deputy, who was also wearing body armor and who had served 8 years with the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, was shot three times, suffering wounds to his arm, leg, and ankle. The deputy survived those wounds. The 52-year-old alleged shooter, who had an extensive criminal record, which included a prior conviction, violent crime, drugs, police assault, and weapons violations, was later shot and killed by a police sniper when he exited his house with his rifle and proceeded toward an officer in a threatening manner.

*****

On September 21 at 5:30 p.m., a 40-year-old patrol officer of the Houston Police Department stopped a motorist for speeding. During the traffic stop, the officer, who had nearly 13 years of law enforcement experience, placed the motorist under arrest because he did not have any identification. The veteran officer handcuffed the individual and placed him in the rear of the patrol vehicle, unaware that the arrestee had a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun concealed in the waistband of his pants. Once inside the vehicle, the arrestee was able to draw the gun and position himself to fire the weapon through the patrol car cage’s sliding partition, which was open at the time. He struck the officer numerous times in the upper back and also in the side of his head. The victim officer managed to activate the emergency button on his mobile terminal within the patrol car before succumbing to a fatal shot to the side of his head. A wrecker came upon the scene, and the 32-year-old suspect fired at the wrecker driver, who called 911. The offender, who was still in the back seat of the patrol car with his hands cuffed behind his back, was disarmed by officers who arrived at the scene and was taken into custody. He was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer. The arrestee had a criminal record of violent crime convictions and previously had been paroled.

Virginia

A 34-year-old police officer with the Chesterfield County Police Department was killed and another officer was injured when the pair responded to a domestic dispute at a residence in Ettrick. As the two officers, both wearing body armor, entered the home at 1:19 a.m. on May 4, a man immediately fired ten rounds from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun at them. The mortally-wounded victim officer, who had more than 11 years of law enforcement experience, was struck at close range in the front of the head. His 26-year-old partner, who had 2½ years of law enforcement experience, was hit in the chest, back, and arms; however, he was still able to fire five rounds from his service weapon. Three shots struck the 34-year-old shooter, killing him. The shooter was a known drug user who was under the influence of narcotics and alcohol at the time of the incident.

*****

Shortly before 4 p.m. on May 8, a detective and a master police officer with the Fairfax County Police Department were fatally shot in an ambush in the department’s parking lot in Chantilly. Approximately 1:30 p.m., a man dressed in military camouflage and armed with two rifles and five revolvers unsuccessfully attempted to carjack a pickup truck in Fairfax. He somehow traveled to Centreville, where he successfully carjacked a minivan, he then drove to the parking lot of the Fairfax County Police Department’s Sully Station in Chantilly. There, he exited the minivan and fired a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle at a master police officer sitting in a police cruiser parked less than 20 feet away. The 53-year-old officer was shot at least five times and suffered wounds to his arms/hands, back, and neck. The 23-year veteran of law enforcement was not armed at the time of the attack. Despite his wounds, he was able to contact police personnel via his radio to advise them of the situation. The gunman then moved to the rear of the parking lot and exchanged gunfire with a 40-year-old detective who had arrived at the scene. The 16½-year veteran of law enforcement was able to fire 11 rounds at him, but from a distance of more than 50 feet, the gunman shot the detective in the front below her waist and fatally in the chest where a bullet from the .30-06-caliber bolt-action rifle penetrated her protective vest. Another detective arrived at the parking lot and engaged in gunfire with the man and wounded him. As the man retreated further into the parking lot, two additional officers reached the scene and fired at him, killing him. Investigators later learned that the 18-year-old gunman, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, suffered from a mental disorder. In addition, he had a prior criminal record that included weapons charges and was on supervised release. The detective died the same day of her wounds. The master police officer was taken to a local hospital and underwent several hours of surgery, but he died on May 17 as a result of the injuries to his neck.

*****

A 40-year-old corporal from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was murdered in Blacksburg shortly after 7 a.m. on August 21 while attempting to locate an escaped murder suspect. The corporal, who had 14 years of law enforcement experience and was a member of the sheriff’s office bike patrol, responded to a report that the murder suspect had been spotted along a local bicycle trail. The previous day, the suspect had been transported to a hospital from the Montgomery County Jail where he was awaiting trial for armed robbery. At the hospital, the man overpowered a corrections officer and took his service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The suspect shot and killed a hospital security guard with the corrections officer’s weapon and fled the scene. On August 21, a civilian reported seeing the suspect along the bicycle trail. When the corporal arrived in the area, he radioed dispatch and confirmed seeing the suspect, who had left the trail and gone into the yard of a residence. The corporal, who was wearing body armor, also exited the trail into the yard, but he did not find the man. He reentered the trail and was pushing his bicycle up a steep path when he encountered the suspect. The suspect fired twice at the corporal with the stolen service weapon, striking the corporal fatally in the back of his head. The suspect then fled the area, and an extensive manhunt began. The 24-year-old alleged shooter, who had a prior criminal record including violent crime and weapons violations, was located later that day and surrendered without incident. He was arrested and charged with Capital Murder, Assault and Battery, Use and Display of Firearms in the Commission of a Crime, and Escape with Force.

Washington

Shortly before 2 a.m. on December 2, a 46-year-old deputy sheriff with the King County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call along with other officers at a residence in White Center. Officers who had arrived at the scene found a man who had been badly beaten and shot apparently after his car had struck another vehicle outside the residence. The deputies entered the residence, where a party was occurring, and separated individuals into separate rooms for questioning. The deputy, who had nearly 10 years of law enforcement experience, was interviewing a man in a back room of the home when other officers heard what sounded like firecrackers coming from the room. Officers entered the room and found the deputy, who was wearing body armor, lying on the floor with fatal gunshot wounds to the front and back of the head and the body of the man he had been interviewing. The suspect apparently committed suicide by shooting himself with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, the same weapon that had been used to kill the victim deputy. The victim deputy was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 23-year-old alleged shooter, who had just been released from prison in August, was on probation at the time of the incident. He had prior convictions for violent crime, including drug and weapon violations and police assault. The suspect was known to deal and possess drugs and was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident; in addition, he was believed to be a member of a gang.

West Virginia

At 4:23 a.m. on August 29, a 29-year-old detective from the Beckley Police Department was fatally wounded while conducting an undercover drug purchase. The detective, who had more than 5 years of law enforcement experience, was attempting to buy drugs from a 24-year-old man and a 41-year-old accomplice who had arranged the meeting. When the undercover detective identified himself to the two drug dealers as an officer, the 24-year-old man opened fire at close range with a .357-caliber revolver, striking the victim detective in the front below the waist and also in his arm. The fatal round entered the victim detective’s arm and traveled into his chest. An off-duty, unarmed police officer witnessed the shooting and attempted to administer first aid to the detective, but the detective died at the scene. The two suspects fled the area but were located and arrested later the same day; both were charged with First-Degree Murder. The 24-year-old alleged shooter was a known drug dealer, and the 41-year-old male accomplice was a known drug user. Both individuals had prior criminal records that included drug abuse violations.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2007

Alabama

A 36-year-old officer with the Huntsville Police Department was fatally wounded while attempting to make an arrest on December 14. Shortly after 9 p.m., the officer, who had nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, was called to a traffic accident in which people were injured. At the scene, one of the drivers involved in the accident, who was being placed under arrest for driving under the influence, used a .22 Magnum revolver to shoot the victim officer at close range. The officer, who was wearing a protective vest, received a fatal wound to the front of his head. He was transported to a local hospital where he died the following morning. The 53-year-old driver was taken into custody at the scene and charged with Capital Murder. He had a prior criminal record and was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the incident.

Arizona

A police officer with the Glendale Police Department was shot and killed while assisting another officer with a vehicle stop on February 19. Around 7:30 a.m., the 24-year-old police officer, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience, responded to back up the primary officer, who had stopped a car with no license plate. After detaining the driver in the back seat of his patrol car for a misdemeanor warrant, the primary officer approached the car again near the passenger door while the backup officer covered from the rear of the vehicle. Without notice, the front seat passenger exited the car and spun around to face the officer at the rear of the vehicle. As he did so, he drew a .357 Magnum revolver from his waistband and immediately fired at the backup officer, who was wearing body armor, and fatally hit the officer in the right side of his head. The primary officer fired at the suspect and then radioed dispatch. The assailant quickly moved away from the scene while shooting at the primary officer. As the primary officer went for cover, he fired again and hit the suspect in the right knee, instantly knocking him to the ground. The primary officer continued to watch the suspect and attempted to protect the victim officer by moving him to the closest point of cover behind the wheel of a parked car. The 33-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including police assault and weapons violations, was located that day by responding officers from both the Glendale and Phoenix Police Departments. He abruptly surrendered and was charged with First-Degree Murder and Attempted First-Degree Murder.

*****

On July 27, a 23-year-old officer with the Phoenix Police Department was killed when attempting to arrest a suspect at a local business. Just before 8:30 p.m., the officer, who had 3 years’ law enforcement experience, responded to a call from a local check cashing company where the clerk said someone was presenting a stolen check drawn on a commercial account. The officer arrived, approached the suspect from behind, and used his left hand to grab the suspect’s left hand. The officer then used his right hand to cuff the suspect’s left hand. At that point, the officer noticed the woman who was with the suspect move toward an exit. As the officer commanded the woman to remain in the building, the suspect spun to the left, drew a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun from his front waistband, and fired two rounds at the officer at close range. The officer, who was wearing a protective vest, was injured first in the shoulder and then received a fatal wound to the front of his head. The suspect and the woman fled the scene but were apprehended 8½ hours later after a short standoff. The 20-year-old suspect, who was a known drug user and on probation at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record that included violent crime and drug violations. He was charged with First- Degree Murder, Forgery, and Burglary.

*****

On September 18 at 8:35 a.m., a 33-year-old police officer with the Phoenix Police Department was fatally shot in the head at close range while attempting to make an arrest. The officer, a 9-year veteran of law enforcement, and his partner approached a man and two women who were jaywalking and obstructing the flow of traffic. The man gave the officers a fictitious name that registered a misdemeanor warrant. As the officer, who was wearing protective body armor, and his partner attempted to take the man into custody, the suspect drew a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and fatally shot the victim officer at close range in the back of the head. After firing several additional shots, the offender carjacked a vehicle and took the driver hostage. The victim officer was rushed to a local medical center where he died an hour later. About the same time, an unmarked special assignment unit spotted the car matching the carjacked vehicle’s description and boxed in the vehicle. The suspect pointed his gun towards his hostage, and an officer of the special unit shot and killed him before he was able to harm the hostage or anyone else. The deceased offender was 22 years of age and had an extensive criminal history.

Arkansas

A patrol officer with the Fort Smith Police Department was killed in an unprovoked attack at 9:30 p.m. on March 23. The 33-year-old officer, who was wearing a protective vest, was sent to assist a woman who was retrieving her child from her boyfriend’s residence. Earlier that day, there had been a domestic disturbance at the residence that had resulted in the arrest of the woman’s boyfriend, the child’s father. The officer, who had nearly 12 years of law enforcement experience, and the woman were met at the front door by the brother of the woman’s boyfriend. The man opened the door and closed it after briefly talking to the officer and the woman and being informed of the purpose of their presence. The man then suddenly re-opened the door and immediately fired four rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. One round fatally struck the officer in the front of the head; the other three rounds struck the woman in the back as she was attempting to flee. The veteran officer was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The woman was hospitalized but survived the attack. The 26-year- old suspect fled to Oklahoma, where he later committed suicide.

California

On July 31, a 46-year-old patrol officer with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Placerville, died as the result of injuries sustained in a high-speed traffic pursuit that began at 12:22 p.m. in Rancho Cordova. Dispatched to a parked vehicle with an unresponsive driver lying inside, officers with the Rancho Cordova Police Department (RCPD) attempted to get identification from the driver. However, the man fled from the scene in the vehicle, and a pursuit ensued reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. When the pursuit neared the county line, RCPD officers requested assistance from the CHP, engaging officers from the Placerville and South Sacramento offices. One officer with the CHP attempted to deploy a spike strip, but the suspect swerved his vehicle toward the officer, forcing him to take cover and rendering the spike strip unsuccessful. As the pursuit continued, officers with the CHP relieved RCPD officers, taking the lead and secondary positions in the chase. Monitoring the chase via radio, two other officers with the CHP, Placerville, positioned themselves to set up spike strips in both eastbound lanes of a highway in Shingle Springs. When the suspect reached their location, the patrol officers deployed the spike strips. However, as the officers retreated toward their respective vehicles for cover, the suspect veered his vehicle into the center median area, striking one of the CHP officers. Two of the three CHP units immediately stopped to assist the victim officer, who, despite wearing body armor, suffered injuries to his front torso, below his waist in the front, as well as a fatal wound to the front of his head. The victim officer, a veteran of law enforcement who had over 22 years of experience, was airlifted to a medical center where he succumbed to his wounds shortly after his arrival. The third CHP unit, joined by RCPD, chased the suspect from the highway onto a secondary road where they successfully stopped the suspect’s vehicle. Following a short foot chase, the driver was taken into custody. The 38-year-old man was arrested and charged with Murder, Murder to Avoid Arrest, and Use of a Deadly Weapon. He was a known drug user who had a prior criminal record including drug offenses and police assault with a prior conviction.

*****

On October 18 at 7 a.m., a 29-year-old officer with the Rialto Police Department’s SWAT team was shot and killed during a tactical situation. The officer, who had 4½ years of law enforcement experience, was wearing a tactical vest and body armor during the operation. He was serving a series of search warrants with other SWAT officers from the Rialto and Colton Police Departments. The warrants had been issued for gang members involved in narcotic and weapon sales. In the course of serving a warrant at an apartment complex, the officers entered the suspect’s residence, and the man ran down a hallway and went into a bedroom. Two of the officers followed the man into the bedroom, and the suspect lunged at one of them when they entered. During the ensuing struggle, the man apparently grabbed a gun from the second officer, a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle, and fired three rounds. One of the bullets struck the victim officer in the face, killing him. The offender, a 32-year-old suspected gang member, had a prior criminal record that included drug dealing and weapons violations. At the time of the incident, he had violated parole by fleeing from another state after being convicted for selling rock cocaine. He was taken into custody and charged with Murder.

*****

Just before 1:30 p.m. on December 17, a 38-year-old detective with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department (TCSD) was shot and killed in Ivanhoe while investigating a suspicious person. The 10-year veteran of law enforcement was traveling southbound when he observed a vehicle parked alongside the road headed in the opposite direction. The detective made a U-turn, drove up to the vehicle, and spoke with the occupants. During this encounter, the detective spotted a man in a nearby orange orchard. He released the vehicle and advised dispatch that he was going to investigate the suspicious man in the orchard. The detective approached the man, talked to him, then the two walked out of the orchard toward the detective’s vehicle. The man pulled out a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun and fired five shots at the detective, who suffered wounds to his stomach, chest, and front of his head. After the shooting, the man walked northbound alongside the road. A number of people driving by the scene used their in- vehicle communications systems and mobile telephones to contact dispatch for assistance. An off-duty nurse, who had witnessed the incident, stopped to provide first aid. A firefighter, who also had witnessed the event, and a sergeant with the California Highway Patrol, who had responded to the report of an officer down, also attempted to assist the wounded detective. Additional units from the TCSD were en route to the scene when a description of the suspect, based on the witness reports, was broadcasted. A sheriff’s sergeant responding to the area arrested the suspect just north of the crime scene. The victim detective was taken to a local hospital where he died later that day from the head wound. The 20-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included arrests for drugs and who was on probation at the time of the incident, was charged with Murder.

*****

A 37-year-old detective with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed shortly after 2 p.m. on December 19 while investigating a suspicious person. The detective, a 7-year veteran of law enforcement, and his partner were driving through Sacramento when they saw a suspicious individual. The detective’s partner stopped the vehicle and the detective exited and approached the suspect, who then ran. The detective chased him while his partner drove the vehicle in an attempt to intercept the suspect. A short time later, witnesses heard gunshots. The detective was found with gunshot wounds to his back, stomach, and neck from a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He was taken to a local hospital where he died of the injuries to his neck. After an intensive search and with information from the public, law enforcement officers arrested a 16-year-old suspect the next day and charged him with Murder and Failure to Obey Order of Juvenile Court. He was on probation and had a prior criminal record that included Violent Crime and Police Assault.

Florida

A 48-year-old sergeant with the Florida Highway Patrol, Arcadia, was shot and killed during a traffic stop on January 12. Just after 3:20 in the afternoon, the sergeant called in via radio that he had stopped a vehicle for careless driving. He advised that a passenger had fled from the vehicle and entered an orange grove. He requested routine backup and checked on the availability of a K-9 unit. The victim sergeant, a law enforcement veteran with nearly 24 years of experience, then approached the vehicle and began a conversation with the lone remaining occupant of the vehicle. One minute later, the victim sergeant notified dispatch via radio that he had been shot. A tractor-trailer driver, who had pulled in behind the trooper’s car to report the stopped vehicle’s careless driving, witnessed the shooting. Backup units arrived moments later and attempted first aid on the victim sergeant who had been fatally shot in the front upper torso/chest with a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The 19-year-old driver of the vehicle, who had a prior criminal record, including weapons and drug violations, was located the next day in his home in a nearby town and was arrested for First-Degree Murder and Possession of a Firearm by Delinquent. The passenger surrendered to law enforcement after spending the night in the orange grove.

*****

Just before 5 p.m. on January 30, a 42-year-old deputy sheriff with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office was killed in an ambush in Marianna. He was responding to a call for help at the home of the Jackson County sheriff. Moments earlier, the wife of the sheriff had called her husband on her mobile phone and told him that a car had followed her from the highway into their driveway. The sheriff told her he was on his way home, but before he arrived, she called him again screaming into the phone. He immediately advised dispatch of the situation and requested help. The responding deputy, who had more than 1 year of law enforcement experience, was within 2 minutes of the home and was the first to arrive. Dispatch then heard what sounded like someone saying “help.” The sheriff, a captain, and a corporal arrived at the scene at the same time. One of the men who had followed the sheriff’s wife home was waiting behind a bush, along with his accomplice. The suspect stepped out, shooting at the sheriff. The captain and corporal fired upon the suspects, justifiably killing them both. The officers then went to the back of the home, where they found the victim deputy and the sheriff’s wife both deceased from gunshot wounds. The victim deputy had been shot in the front of the head, in the arms/hands, and fatally in the front upper torso/chest with a .38-caliber revolver. The 60-year-old and 54-year-old suspects both had prior criminal records involving violent crimes and weapons violations. The 60-year-old suspect had recently been denied an insurance claim payout because of the suspicious nature of his wife’s death. Investigators determined that the 60-year-old suspect, who had fired on the responding officers, had also shot and killed the victim deputy and the sheriff’s wife.

*****

A sergeant with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office was gunned down in Pompano Beach at 1:20 a.m. on August 10 while investigating suspicious persons outside a drugstore. The 51-year-old sergeant, a veteran of law enforcement who had nearly 17 years’ experience, was checking the license plates of two suspicious vehicles to determine if one was stolen. The driver of one of the vehicles exited the driver’s door and began shooting at the sergeant. According to police reports, the shooter advanced as he fired 10 or more shots from a 9 mm handgun. At least five of the shots struck the victim sergeant in the front lower torso beneath his body armor, below the waist, in the arms and hands, and fatally in the side of his head at close range. The unknown offender remains at large.

*****

At 12:50 a.m. on August 15, a sergeant with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in an ambush attack while driving alone in an unmarked car in Brandon. A witness reported that the 55-year-old sergeant had stopped his car beside her vehicle in the northbound turning lane at a traffic light. After both vehicles made the turn and were traveling north, the witness heard shots fired. The veteran sergeant, who had nearly 28 years of law enforcement experience, activated his lights, bumped into the witness’s vehicle, drove past her, and crashed into a tree. The witness called 911, and responding deputies transported the victim sergeant to a local hospital where he died of gunshot wounds to his rear upper torso and back. He also had gunshot injuries to his arms/hands from a total of three shots fired from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Upon receiving a call from a female who claimed that her boyfriend had called her and told her he had shot a police officer, sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence in Brandon. The first deputy to arrive at the scene spoke with the suspected shooter’s mother and was able to evacuate her and a small child from the residence. However, the suspect barricaded himself inside of the dwelling. A SWAT team responded to the scene and attempted negotiations with the suspect, during which he fired shots from a window and struck a deputy’s vehicle and another vehicle parked near the residence. On the order of the sheriff, members of the SWAT team then fired into the residence, killing the 24-year-old suspect, who had an extensive criminal record including violent crime, police assault, drugs, and weapons violations.

*****

At 11:10 a.m. on September 13, an officer from the Miami-Dade Police Department was killed and three other officers were wounded while investigating a suspicious circumstance. The 37-year-old officer with nearly 8 years of law enforcement experience and his partner were working undercover. While riding together in a vehicle, they noticed a vehicle being driven erratically. The officers followed the vehicle to an apartment complex and approached the driver, identifying themselves as police officers. The man fled on foot, and both officers pursued him. The two officers separated and attempted to establish a perimeter around the apartment complex. The man entered his residence and subsequently began firing a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle through the front window of the building, striking the victim officer, who fell to the ground. The suspect exited the apartment and fired at the officer six more times at close range, striking him in the stomach, in the front below his waist, and fatally in the chest. The other officer, 34 years old with 6 years of law enforcement experience, advised other officers in the area that shots were being fired. He went to the front of the building to assist his fallen partner. The suspect, who was now wearing a bulletproof vest, began firing at the assisting officer. The officer sought cover behind a vehicle and returned fire. However, the officer sustained a wound to his right leg and was pinned down behind the vehicle. A third officer, 31 years old with 1 year of law enforcement experience, responded to the scene and attempted to assist the injured officers. As she advanced toward the residence, the suspect shot her, inflicting a severe gunshot wound to her right leg. She was then trapped behind an air conditioning unit. A fourth officer, 37 years old with 18 years of law enforcement experience, responded to the scene. This officer drove into the apartment complex and stopped his vehicle near the fatally wounded officer and attempted to rescue him. The suspect shot at him, and the officer sustained a minor gunshot wound to his right leg from bullet fragments. This officer was able to leave the area without further injury. The 25-year-old offender, a man with a prior criminal record including violent crime and weapons violations, was justifiably killed at the scene by a responding officer who was not among those who were injured.

Hawaii

Approximately 3:10 a.m. on February 10, an off-duty deputy sheriff with the State of Hawaii, Department of Public Safety, Sheriff Division, Honolulu, was shot and fatally wounded during a robbery. The 27-year-old deputy sheriff, who was a 5-year veteran to law enforcement, was in a local sushi bar as the employees were preparing to close for the night when a man wearing a red ski mask entered, armed with a semiautomatic handgun with a silencer. The gunman gathered the people (approximately 10 individuals) in the establishment into one area and fired 3 or 4 rounds into the roof and wall as he ordered them to get down. Witnesses reported that the man yelled, “I want the money.” One of the employees of the establishment was slow to get down on the ground, and the gunman fired a shot from his .22-caliber handgun over the man’s head. He then fired a shot at the feet of the off-duty deputy sheriff, who rushed at the gunman in an attempt to subdue him. The gunman shot the deputy sheriff in the arm, neck, and chest. Employees from the sushi bar jumped on the gunman and held him down until other law enforcement officers arrived. The deputy sheriff was taken to a local hospital where he died of the gunshot wound to the chest later that day. The 35-year-old offender, who was wearing a protective vest at the time of the robbery, had a prior criminal record that included drugs and police assault. He was charged with Second-Degree Murder, First- Degree Robbery, Kidnapping—2 counts, Second-Degree Attempted Murder, First-Degree Attempted Murder, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Reckless Endangerment, and multiple firearms violations. Investigators believe the gun used in the robbery was stolen in the 1970s.

Idaho

A 48-year-old patrol officer with the Moscow Police Department (MPD) was shot and killed in an ambush at 11:30 p.m. on May 19. The patrol officer, who had a little more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, and his 30-year-old partner, who had less than a year of law enforcement experience, responded to a call of shots fired into the Latah County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) and dispatch center at the county courthouse. Several deputies and dispatchers took cover inside the building as a man fired shots from outside the building with a .308-caliber semiautomatic rifle before he took cover behind a cement retaining wall. When they arrived at the courthouse, the patrol officers approached the parking lot, and the man shot at them from more than 50 feet away. Although the patrol officers were both wearing protective body armor, a bullet hit the victim patrol officer in the chest, fatally wounding him as the powerful round penetrated his vest. The victim officer’s partner was also wounded in the front below the waist by bullet fragments. A civilian attempted to aid the fallen officers, but the gunman shot the man three times, critically wounding him. Officers from the MPD and deputies from the LCSO used the personal vehicle of a sergeant from the sheriff’s office in an attempt to rescue the downed patrol officers. After the wounded officers were placed in the vehicle, a 46-year-old sergeant with the LCSO, who had 17 years of law enforcement experience, attempted to take cover behind a tree. He was shot in the right forearm and right hip by the gunman, who had moved to the inside of a church across the street from the sheriff’s office. Inside the church, the offender also shot and killed a church employee who attempted to call 911. The gunman held up inside the church until the following afternoon when, after the last shot was heard from inside the church, officers moved in and found the man dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. In addition to the .308-caliber semiautomatic rifle, the gunman also used an AK-47 style weapon in the shootout in which he fired a total of 160 shots. Investigators determined that the 36-year-old man had prior mental disorders and a prior criminal record that included violent crimes, and drug and weapons charges. The investigation also found that at the time of the incident, he was on probation and under the influence of drugs and alcohol. On May 20, investigators went to the home of the gunman, just outside of Moscow, and they found his wife dead of a gunshot wound to her head. They believe her husband killed her before driving to the courthouse.

Illinois

A chief deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office died July 17 from wounds sustained during a shooting on June 21. At 10:15 a.m. on June 21, the 59-year-old chief deputy, who had nearly 29 years’ law enforcement experience, was on patrol looking for a pickup truck involved in a home invasion and a minivan that had been stolen from the home. On a road in Tuscola, the veteran chief deputy met vehicles traveling toward him that matched the descriptions. As the suspects’ vehicles passed his, three bullets were fired from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun into the chief deputy’s vehicle, one striking him in the face and another striking him fatally in the chest. Despite his wounds, he was able to radio his location, the last location where the vehicles had been seen, to law enforcement. Two suspects, one 23 years old and the other 24 years old, abandoned the pickup truck and fled in the stolen minivan. The chief deputy was transported to a hospital in Urbana where he remained until his death. Members of the Illinois State Police (ISP) located the suspects’ vehicle and a high-speed chase ensued. During the chase, shots were fired at the police. ISP officers pursued the suspects until they entered the town of Arcola, where the suspects crashed the minivan. The 23-year-old suspect was immediately apprehended, but the 24-year-old suspect ran into a bank and held five people hostage at gunpoint. Following hostage negotiations with which additional ISP personnel and the FBI assisted, the suspect released the hostages unharmed and then surrendered. Both suspects had juvenile and adult criminal records that included violent crime and drug and weapons violations. The 23-year-old suspect was on probation at the time of the incident. Both suspects had a history of prior mental disorders and were charged with Murder, Home Invasion, Aggravated Kidnapping, Attempted Armed Robbery, Armed Violence, Unlawful Possession of Weapons, Aggravated Fleeing and Eluding, and Aggravated Vehicle Hijacking.

Indiana

At 1:38 a.m. on April 24, a 34-year-old corporal was killed and a 28-year-old patrol officer was wounded while investigating a disturbance call at a local motel. The two officers, both with the South Bend Police Department, were dispatched to the motel regarding someone firing shots in the establishment’s parking lot. When the veteran corporal, who had more than 9½ years of law enforcement experience, and the patrol officer, who had more than 1½ years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene, a witness directed them to the motel’s second floor where the suspect had gone; however, no one knew which room the suspect had actually entered. Upon reaching the outside balcony on the second floor, the corporal and patrol officer, both of whom were wearing body armor, encountered a man who was standing in the doorway to his room. The man’s left hand was empty, and his right hand was on the doorknob. The corporal and patrol officer spoke briefly to him, but he was uncooperative and avoided answering questions. The patrol officer attempted to handcuff the man, who then produced a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The suspect fired three shots from close range; one round struck the patrol officer in the right collarbone above his vest. The other two shots struck the corporal in the left arm and in the right side of his chest above his body armor. The officers returned fire with their .40-caliber semiautomatic handguns. The corporal fired one round, and the patrol officer fired five rounds. One of the rounds from the patrol officer’s weapon struck the suspect in the head, killing him. The 45-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including police assault, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. The corporal died of his chest injury; the patrol officer sustained a broken collarbone and had not returned to duty as of the time of this publication.

*****

Just before 6:30 pm on June 18, a 32-year-old patrol officer with the Floyd County Police Department was killed and a backup officer was wounded in an ambush situation. The patrol officer and the 27-year-old backup officer were dispatched to a residence after a woman had reported finding marijuana in her home. She had confronted her teenage son about the drugs, and he became abusive to her. When the first responding officer, who had 4 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the residence, he was met in the driveway by the teenager’s mother and aunt, who reported that the youth had armed himself with a rifle and was possibly suicidal. Realizing the suspect was armed and may have taken a superior position in the house, the officer instructed the two women to move down the driveway and away from the home. Immediately after the backup officer arrived at the scene, gunshots were fired from an upstairs bedroom window of the home. As the officers and the women moved toward the rear of the police cars to take cover, both officers were wounded from shots from a .30-06-caliber semiautomatic rifle. The backup officer was shot in the lower back below his protective vest. The patrol officer was shot in the leg and in the lower back, with a round penetrating his vest. The victim patrol officer managed to get behind one of the cruisers, and the backup officer went behind a nearby tree as he fired three rounds into the house to provide cover. Both officers were rescued about 10 minutes later by responding officers. The victim patrol officer died later that day from the wound in his lower back. The 15-year-old shooter, who was on probation and under the influence of narcotics at the time, committed suicide with a single rifle shot to the head.

*****

Approximately 4 p.m. on July 5, a master trooper with the Indiana State Police, Peru, was shot and killed in an ambush while stopping to check on an individual he believed to be a stranded motorist. The 41-year-old trooper, a veteran of nearly 18 years of law enforcement, was working as a detective at the time of his death. The trooper stopped on a highway in Wabash County to check on an individual in a parked vehicle. As the trooper approached the car, the driver fired one shot from a 20-gauge lever-action shotgun and fatally struck the victim trooper in the chest. After shooting the trooper, the 21-year-old man, who had a prior criminal record, apparently reloaded the shotgun and took his own life.

Kentucky

Shortly before 11:30 a.m. on June 13, the Chief of Police of the Clay City Police Department was shot and killed with one of his own weapons while transporting a prisoner. The 55-year-old chief responded to a report of a reckless driver who was thought to be driving under the influence. He pulled over the vehicle, arrested the driver, and placed the man in the back seat of his patrol vehicle. The chief, a 23-year veteran of law enforcement, took statements from witnesses at the scene of the arrest and searched the man’s vehicle. He returned to his vehicle and drove around the block to an apartment complex to take pictures of the entrance and the area around the complex where the suspect was alleged to have left skid marks on the pavement. The chief took the pictures, returned to the vehicle, and then started toward the jail. However, approximately a mile from the apartment complex, the suspect shot the chief in the back of his head with the chief’s 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Investigators were unable to determine at what point the suspect had reached through the safety screen in the patrol car and took the chief’s backup weapon that he kept between the driver’s seat and the console. The 37-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record and knew the chief through a previous law enforcement relationship. In addition, he had prior mental disorders and was a known drug dealer. The suspect, who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the incident, was arrested the same day and charged with Murder, Escape, and Theft.

Louisiana

A 43-year-old sergeant with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed on January 25 while investigating a burglary. Just after 1:30 a.m., the off-duty sergeant, who was in his personal vehicle, observed three individuals engaged in what appeared to be a burglary of a local pharmacy. He pulled in to investigate, and the individuals fled the scene. The sergeant, a law enforcement veteran who had more than 11½ years of experience, gave chase on foot while a passenger in his vehicle called 911 to report the incident. The chase continued to a residential area where the victim sergeant was shot multiple times at close range in the stomach, in the front below the waist, and fatally in the chest with a .38-caliber revolver. He died at the scene. A 29-year-old male on conditional release, who had an extensive criminal record including murder and police assault, was arrested the next day and charged with First-Degree Murder, Resisting Arrest by Refusing to ID, Simple Burglary—2 counts, Burglary of a Pharmacy, and Contempt of Court—4 counts. The other two individuals, who both had prior criminal records, were arrested on January 25. One of the arrestees, a 25-year-old male, who was on parole at the time of the incident, was charged with Second-Degree Murder and Simple Burglary. The other arrestee, a 24-year-old male, was a known drug dealer. He was charged with Second-Degree Murder, Simple Burglary, and Issuing Worthless Checks. Another 24-year-old with a prior criminal record was arrested the same day and charged with Accessory After the Fact Aiding Felon for his involvement following the incident.

*****

Shortly after 7 p.m. on July 5, a 22-year-old deputy sheriff with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office (JPSO) was killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Gretna. Information received in the call indicated that a handgun was possibly in the possession of someone at the home involved in the disturbance. When the deputy sheriff, who had 1 year of law enforcement experience, arrived at the home, he exited his vehicle and was immediately met by gunfire from a person standing in the home’s open garage. One of the bullets from the .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun entered the armhole of the deputy sheriff’s protective vest, fatally wounding him in the chest. Although he unholstered his service weapon before being shot, the victim deputy sheriff was unable to return fire. After assisting officers arrived at the location, the deputy sheriff was transported to a local hospital where he died several hours later. At the scene, other people in the home were able to escape without injury, including the suspect’s girlfriend, with whom the suspect had argued earlier that day. The suspect’s mother reported that after her son had shot the deputy sheriff, he went upstairs to a bathroom and closed the door. She then heard a single, final gunshot. The JPSO SWAT team arrived, assessed the scene, and tried to make contact with the suspect. They used robot surveillance technology to locate the suspect in the bathroom where he lay injured with a self- inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The 21-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included drug violations, died nearly a week later.

*****

Two sergeants with the Bastrop Police Department were killed in an ambush while looking for a burglary suspect at 1:30 p.m. on August 10. While working a detective detail, the sergeants received a tip from an informant that the suspect was at a local motel. Based on that information, the veteran sergeants, a 34-year-old officer with over 11 years of law enforcement experience and a 40-year-old officer with 18 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at a local motel room where they were greeted by a female. As the sergeants entered the room, a man, who was hidden inside, shot at them with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, fatally striking the 40-year-old sergeant in the chest, in the front of his head, and in his arms/hands. The 34-year-old sergeant was shot in the front below the waist and then mortally wounded in the back as the shooter chased him outside. The assailant fired additional shots into the rear lower torso of the first victim sergeant and retreated into the motel room. As emergency medical technicians arrived to treat the victim sergeants, the man emerged from the room and also fired at them. Nearby deputies with the Morehouse Parish Sheriff’s Office heard the initial sounds of gunfire and came to the scene. Immediately, the shooter engaged the deputies in a gun battle during which he was justifiably killed. The 24-year-old man, who had a prior criminal record for various offenses, was pronounced dead at the scene. The investigating officers found that he had been using two .45-caliber semiautomatic handguns from which he had fired more than 20 rounds. The victim sergeants were transported to a local hospital where they were pronounced dead.

*****

Early on the morning of October 13, shortly after 3 a.m., an off-duty detective from the New Orleans Police Department was fatally wounded during a robbery of his home. The 47-year-old veteran detective, with nearly 20 years of law enforcement experience, was entering his vehicle in front of his home when two masked individuals approached him and forced him back inside his residence. His wife, who was still in bed, overheard her husband identifying himself as a police officer and offering the money in the residence in exchange for his family’s safety. The detective directed the robbers to a safe located inside a closet in the master bathroom. The intruders forced the detective into the bathroom, just off of the master bedroom, and made him kneel on the steps of the bathtub. His wife was pulled from the bed and instructed to open the safe and then kneel next to her husband where they were held at gunpoint. The contents of the safe, which included a rifle, were removed. The robbers asked the detective about other weapons in the home, and the detective told them that his service handgun was hidden under the mattress on the right side of the bed. Upon retrieving the handgun and reentering the bathroom, one of the offenders made a suggestive remark and motioned toward the detective’s wife. The detective then drew his off-duty semiautomatic handgun, which he had concealed on his right side in a holster, and fired two rounds. The handgun then malfunctioned. The offenders returned fire with an unknown caliber handgun, striking the detective’s upper torso/stomach and left arm. One shot also struck his wife’s left foot. As the detective lay bleeding on the bathroom floor, the robbers ransacked the home and fled the residence with the detective’s service weapon. Twenty-seven days after the incident, the hospitalized detective succumbed to the abdominal wound. On November 21, an 18-year-old suspect was arrested and brought in for the investigation of an unrelated murder. Investigators found in the suspect’s possession the service handgun of the victim detective. He then confessed to his involvement in the detective’s murder and named an accomplice. The offender, who had a prior criminal record that included drug and weapons violations, was charged with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Aggravated Assault. His 19-year- old accomplice, who also had a prior criminal record of drug violations, was arrested later that day and was charged with the same offenses.

Maryland

A 34-year-old off-duty detective with the Baltimore Police Department was shot and killed when a man attempted to rob him around 1:20 a.m. on January 9. The detective, a 13-year veteran of law enforcement, was standing on the porch of his girlfriend’s dwelling preparing to go in the door when a man brandishing a weapon confronted him. The detective produced his weapon, and the two men exchanged gunfire. The detective suffered multiple wounds to his arms, stomach, and chest from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun that was later recovered at the scene. The detective was taken to a local hospital where he died later that day from the wounds to his chest. Investigating officers who responded to the scene of the shooting followed a trail of blood apparently left by the alleged assailant, whom the officers believed was wounded in the shootout with the victim detective. The blood trail ended along a street where officers believed that the suspect most likely fled in a vehicle. Officers checked with hospitals in their respective areas for anyone seeking treatment for gunshot wounds. Staff from an area hospital contacted dispatchers to alert them that a walk-in patient was in the emergency room seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his leg. Officers were dispatched to that location. The officers viewed surveillance videos from the hospital showing that the wounded man had been helped from a vehicle and assisted to the emergency room by two people. Officers located the two individuals and took them to the police department for questioning. Both of the individuals admitted driving with the suspect to the area where the shooting had occurred. They said that they had heard gunshots and that the suspect had returned a short time later bleeding profusely from his leg. The two individuals also admitted that they had helped the man into the vehicle and had driven him to the hospital. However, both denied any involvement in the shooting death of the detective. The alleged shooter was arrested that day and charged with First-Degree Murder, Handgun Use–Violent Felony, Reckless Endangerment, Handgun on Person, and First-Degree Assault.

Massachusetts

Shortly before 2 a.m. on September 29, a 30-year-old patrol officer with the Revere Police Department was killed in an ambush. The veteran officer, who had more than 5½ years of law enforcement experience, had gathered at a local ball park after 1 a.m. with his fiancée and three other officers. All four officers were in plain clothes and off-duty at the time of the incident. The group had been socializing and drinking beer for approximately 30 minutes when a man wearing gang colors walked through the park. The man evidently overheard someone make a comment regarding his apparent gang membership. He left the park and returned a short time later and called to the officers, attempting to lure them to the area where he was standing. Two of the officers approached the man to investigate the disturbance he was causing. As they approached, three additional men appeared and immediately began firing at the officers. The victim officer attempted to fire his weapon but was fatally struck in the front of his head with a round from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and died at the scene. The second officer who had also approached the area was able to return fire, but the suspects escaped. A few days after the incident, investigators identified and arrested several suspects. A 20-year-old arrestee, who was on probation at the time of the incident, was a known drug user and had a prior criminal history that included police assault, violent crime, and drug and weapons violations. This man had recognized the victim officer and had instigated the ambush on the group in the park; he was subsequently charged with Murder. A search warrant of a 19-year-old suspect’s residence led to his arrest on a charge of Possession Class B with Intent and a pending charge of Accessory Before the Fact—Murder. He also had a prior criminal history that included violent crime and drug and weapons violations, and was on probation at the time of the incident. The third arrestee was a 17-year-old who also had a prior criminal history that included violent crime and drug and weapons violations. He was charged with Accessory Before the Fact—Murder.

Michigan

A 29-year-old police officer with the Grand Rapids Police Department was shot and killed at 1:40 a.m. on July 8 when he was ambushed while answering a domestic disturbance call. The 7-year veteran officer, who was near the location of the home when the call was sent out, volunteered to assist three other officers who were dispatched to the residence. After the officer arrived at the scene, all four officers took cover and called for the occupants of the house to come onto the front porch. A woman and her two sons, one of whom had placed the call to the police reporting that his father was armed with a shotgun and threatening to shoot the family, exited the house onto the porch and were directed to cover. The officer who voluntarily responded to the call went to cover the rear of the house while the other three officers covered the front and sides of the house. The three responding officers tried to talk the father out of the house. Shortly after the officer, who was wearing body armor, made his way to the rear of the house, the other officers heard a shot. Unknown to the officers, the suspect had exited the house from the rear and taken up a position in an unattached garage. The suspect later stated that when he saw the victim officer’s flashlight beam and heard the police radio, he fired one shot from his 12-gauge pump-action shotgun through a window, in an attempt to get the officer to shoot him. The one shot hit the victim officer in the side of the head. About 8 minutes later, the 45-year-old man, who was under the influence of alcohol, came out of the garage onto the driveway where officers arrested him. The wounded officer was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The alleged shooter, who was under conditional release from prison at the time of the murder, was charged with Homicide-Murder of Peace/Corrections Officer and Weapons Felony Firearm.

Missouri

Shortly before 10 p.m. on August 15, a 22-year-old police officer with the St. Louis Police Department was shot and killed in an ambush. The police officer, who had nearly 1 year of law enforcement experience, went searching for two young males who had fled from him on foot. The officer, who was wearing body armor, drove down an alleyway where he found one of the youths standing in the middle of a vacant lot. As the officer exited his police vehicle to question the young man, the second individual, concealed by brush and darkness, fired one shot from a .38-caliber revolver. The bullet struck the officer in his left shoulder, bypassing his soft body armor and traveling through his torso, mortally wounding him. The two young individuals ran from the scene. The victim officer was able to call for assistance, but he succumbed to his wound shortly after he was transported to a local hospital. Two days after the incident, investigators arrested a 15-year-old male and charged him with First-Degree Murder and Armed Criminal Action in the death of a police officer. The convicted juvenile had a prior criminal record that included drug violations. The other youth was not charged in relation to the shooting.

New Hampshire

On May 11, a 48-year-old corporal with the Franconia Police Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop. At 6:10 p.m., the corporal, who had nearly 11½ years of law enforcement experience, stopped an individual for speeding. As the veteran corporal approached the vehicle, the individual drove away. The corporal pursued the vehicle for approximately 1 mile and then pulled his patrol vehicle in front of the individual’s vehicle, forcing the driver off the road. The man attempted to leave the scene again as the corporal approached the vehicle. The corporal used pepper spray on the man and a passenger in the car. When the corporal turned slightly away, the man produced a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot at the corporal seven times. Four rounds struck the corporal in the front of the head, below the waist, and in the arms/hands. The fatal round struck the corporal in the upper back. The assailant then tried to back his vehicle out of the area where he had been stopped. He drove over the victim corporal and then ran over him a second time. Before the suspect could leave, a passerby and his son drove past the scene and witnessed the incident. The passerby, a former Marine, instructed his son to call for help on the police radio. The former Marine took the corporal’s service weapon, a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, approached the assailant, and ordered him to stop. When the man did not comply, the former Marine fatally shot him. The 24-year-old offender was known to possess drugs and had a prior criminal record for drugs. In addition, he was well known to the victim corporal and had been convicted of assaulting him in 2003.

New Jersey

Around 1:15 a.m. on January 7, a 23-year-old police officer with the Paterson Police Department was shot and killed while being robbed at a local fast food restaurant. The officer, who had nearly 1 year of law enforcement experience, was off duty at the time of the incident. While in the restaurant, the officer was held up by another patron, who subsequently learned that his victim was a police officer. A struggle ensued, and the offender shot the police officer five times with a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun, once in the front of the head and four times in the back as he reached around the unarmed officer. At least one of the rounds that struck the victim officer in the back was fatal. A citizen who attempted to come to the aid of the officer was also shot, but survived. The 23-year-old suspect, who was a known drug dealer and street gang member, had an extensive criminal record. He was arrested on January 16 and was charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault with a Weapon, Robbery by Force, Possess Firearm Unlawful Purpose, Possess Handgun, and Persons Not to have Weapons.

*****

On March 3, shortly after 3:30 a.m., a 33-year-old sergeant with the Newark Police Department was killed during a vehicle pursuit. A suspect, who had been arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm, had been placed in the rear of a marked police car with his hands cuffed behind him. The suspect had maneuvered his hands to the front, slipped through the partition to the front seat of the vehicle, and had driven away from the scene. The veteran sergeant obtained another vehicle and pursued the stolen police vehicle. In an attempt to stop the fleeing suspect, the sergeant pulled alongside the man, and the two vehicles made contact. The sergeant’s car careened, then the vehicles collided again, causing the vehicle driven by the sergeant to roll over. The sergeant received wounds to the side and rear of his head, and a fatal wound to the front of his head. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The 20-year-old suspect, who had a prior juvenile and adult criminal record that included police assault, drugs, and violent crime, fled the scene on foot but was quickly apprehended. He was charged with Aggravated Manslaughter, Theft, Attempt to Elude Police, Escape, Possess Defaced Firearms, Possess Handgun, Persons Not to have Weapons, and Causing Death While Operating a Motor Vehicle.

New York

A 32-year-old police officer with the Utica Police Department was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack shortly before 9:30 p.m. on April 12. The officer, who had 5½ years of experience in law enforcement, had pulled a vehicle over to conduct a traffic stop. An individual who was not involved in the stop approached the officer from the rear and fired several rounds at close range from an unknown caliber handgun. The officer, who was wearing a protective vest, was fatally struck in the side of the head. The 23-year-old suspect, who had a previous criminal history record, knew the officer through a prior law enforcement relationship and previously had spoken of harming the officer. Shortly after the incident, the New York State Police arrested and jailed the suspect on unrelated charges. After an investigation, the suspect was identified as the alleged shooter. On June 6, he was charged with Aggravated Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

*****

Approximately 2:30 a.m. on July 9, a New York Police Department police officer was shot and killed and his partner seriously wounded during a traffic stop. The 23-year-old officer, who had nearly a year and a half of law enforcement experience, was riding in a marked cruiser being driven by his 26-year-old partner. The two spotted a suspicious vehicle and made a Department of Motor Vehicles check that revealed that the license plate did not match the vehicle. The officers, both of whom were wearing body armor, pulled over the vehicle and exited their police car. They approached the vehicle, later discovered to be stolen, with the partner walking up to the driver’s side and the officer approaching the passenger’s side. The driver produced a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot across the car, striking the officer once in the front of the head. The victim officer immediately fell to the ground. Nearly simultaneously, a passenger in the back of the vehicle shot the victim officer’s partner twice with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking him in the chest and forearm. The partner’s body armor prevented the shot from penetrating his chest. The wounded officer returned fire, but the perpetrators were able to speed off. Though wounded, the fallen officer’s partner called in the emergency situation and gave a description of the vehicle. Both officers were then taken to a nearby hospital where the fallen officer died 5 days later. His partner, who had 3 years of law enforcement experience, was treated for his wounds and eventually was released from the hospital. Subsequent investigation into this incident resulted in the arrest on July 10 of a 29-year-old male parolee, allegedly the driver of the vehicle, and two other men, both 34 years old and on parole. The alleged driver was charged with First-Degree Murder Law Enforcement Officer, Attempted Murder, Assault Law Enforcement Officer, Criminal Use Firearm, Unauthorized Use of Vehicle, and Attempt to Hinder Prosecution. The first 34-year-old suspect was charged with First-Degree Murder Law Enforcement Officer, Assault Law Enforcement Officer, Criminal Possession Weapon, Hindering Prosecution, and Tampering with Evidence. The second 34-year-old suspect was charged with First-Degree Murder Law Enforcement Officer, Attempted Murder, Assault Law Enforcement Officer, Criminal Possession Weapon, Hindering Prosecution, and Tampering with Physical Evidence.

North Carolina

Approximately 2 a.m. on February 23, a 41-year-old sergeant with the Winston-Salem Police Department was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call involving several fights in the parking lot of a local night club. The sergeant, a law enforcement veteran with over 17 years of experience, had just exited his car and was approaching the area when shots were fired from the crowd of over 200 people gathered outside the club. Investigation revealed that the shots were fired from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. One bullet struck the sergeant in the lower right jaw, traveled downward, and ruptured the carotid artery. The sergeant, who was wearing body armor at the time of the incident, died later that day. A 22-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record and was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, was arrested on February 27 and charged with First-Degree Murder.

*****

Two officers, aged 34 and 35, with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department were shot and killed after approaching a man outside an apartment building where they had just cleared a domestic disturbance call. The incident occurred just before 10:30 p.m. on March 31. The 34-year-old officer, who had more than 1 year of law enforcement experience, and the 35-year-old officer, who had more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, made contact with the man, and a struggle ensued as they attempted to arrest him. The suspect then fired five shots at the officers, both of whom were wearing body armor, at close range with a .32-caliber revolver. Each officer was fatally struck on the side of the head and died of his injuries the following day. The 25-year-old suspect fled the scene but was captured less than an hour after the shooting. He had a prior criminal record, including police assault, and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. He was arrested and charged with two counts of Murder.

Ohio

A detective with the Toledo Police Department was shot and killed on February 21 while working undercover in an area well-known for drug sales. At 2 a.m., the 35-year-old detective, who was in an unmarked vehicle with two other undercover detectives, observed two suspicious individuals who appeared to be underage. The detective, who had 13 years of law enforcement experience, stopped the vehicle and began talking to the individuals. Some words were exchanged, and the detectives exited the car and identified themselves as police officers. As they attempted to arrest the two individuals, one suspect ran down the street and was pursued by two detectives. The remaining detective grabbed the second individual just a few feet from the undercover vehicle. A short struggle ensued, and the suspect pulled a .38-caliber revolver from his coat pocket and fatally shot the victim detective in the front upper torso/chest. As the suspect tried to flee, the mortally wounded detective fired six rounds at the suspect. None of the shots hit the suspect. The victim was able to broadcast for help, and the other detectives, who had heard the shots, returned with their suspect to the location of the downed detective. The veteran detective was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. A 15-year-old male on probation, who had a prior criminal record including police assault and weapons violations, was arrested later that day and was charged with Aggravated Murder.

*****

A 31-year-old investigator with the Cleveland Heights Police Department was shot and killed when he responded to a disturbance call around 9:45 p.m. on May 25. The investigator, a 7-year veteran of law enforcement, was in the lead of two police vehicles that responded from the west as another officer approached from the east to the location of a large fight. All of the officers noticed a westbound vehicle when the driver turned around, headed in the opposite direction, then backed into a driveway. To block the suspicious vehicle, the investigator drove alongside the driveway with the driver’s side of his vehicle closest to the curb and parked with his emergency lights and side spotlight activated. The investigator had maneuvered his vehicle so that his driver’s side door was aligned with the outside of the suspect’s driver’s door. As the investigator was exiting his vehicle, the suspect began firing at him with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from inside his vehicle. After the investigator fell to the street, the man got out of his vehicle, approached the downed investigator, and fired several more shots at him. The investigator, who was wearing a protective vest, suffered wounds to the arms, legs, side of the head, and a fatal wound to the front of his head. The assailant fled the scene on foot and broke into a nearby residence. Investigating officers subsequently apprehended the 27-year-old man hiding on the second floor of the home. The man, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime and police assault, was charged with Aggravated Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer with Specifications, Aggravated Robbery with a Handgun, and Felonious Assault.

Pennsylvania

On October 31 at 10:30 a.m., a 54-year-old police officer with the Philadelphia Police Department was fatally shot when he arrived at a scene of a robbery in progress. The veteran officer, who had nearly 26 years of law enforcement experience, was patrolling an area where armed robberies had been occurring. He was making a security check at a local business, and as the officer opened the door of the establishment, he encountered an armed man. The officer, who was wearing body armor, ducked and drew his service weapon out of its holster; however, before he was able to fire, the offender shot the officer in the side of his head with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The shooter stole the victim officer’s weapon and fled the area. The suspect was arrested without incident on November 6 in Miami, Florida. The 21-year-old man, who had a prior criminal record including drug abuse violations, was a known dealer and possessor of drugs. He was charged with Murder, Robbery, Theft, and Possession of an Instrument of Crime. The victim officer died of the single gunshot wound on November 1.

Puerto Rico

A 32-year-old veteran agent with the Police of Puerto Rico (POPR), who had nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience, was fatally shot in the forehead at close range while on a special assignment in Juncos on May 22. Shortly before 8 in the evening, three special units of the POPR, San Juan, confronted a group of eight suspects in a well-known drug trafficking area. As officers questioned the group, one suspect jumped over a wire fence and fled the scene. One of the agents spotted a firearm in the waistband of the fleeing suspect and alerted the other officers. This agent pursued the suspect by running through a parallel street while two other agents attempted to follow directly behind the suspect. The other officers who were involved in the drug investigation stayed at the scene with the remaining suspects. During the chase, one of the three agents lost his radio. Another officer saw the suspect jump over another fence into a yard with plantain trees. The agent who had dropped his radio followed the suspect and began searching among the trees with a flashlight for the man. A radioed message alerted the agents that a firearm had been seized at the original arrest scene. Two of the agents returned to assist in the arrests and the securing of the remaining seven suspects. Moments later, two shots were heard, and a supervisory sergeant went to find the agent who had pursued the fleeing suspect. A distress call was issued, requesting assistance for a wounded officer. The victim agent, who was wearing protective body armor, was found unconscious with a shot to his head from an unknown caliber revolver. He was transported to a local hospital where he died a few hours later. Two days after the incident, investigators determined the identity and whereabouts of a 22-year-old male who was then arrested on charges of First-Degree Murder, Illegal Possession of a Firearm, and Illegal Discharge of a Firearm. The offender had a criminal history that included prior convictions for drug violations.

South Carolina

A deputy sheriff with the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed during a traffic stop just before 10 p.m. on February 27 in Wellford. The 39-year-old deputy, who had 9 years of law enforcement experience, had pulled an individual over, made contact with him, and had returned to his patrol car when the individual sped away. The veteran deputy, as well as another deputy from the sheriff’s office, pursued the man in a brief car chase, which ended on a dead end road. The man then fled on foot into nearby woods. The deputy chased the man, and a struggle ensued. As the deputy was trying to arrest the individual, the man shot him twice at close range with a .38-caliber revolver. Rounds struck the deputy in the arms/hands, the chest, and the back. The fatal shot hit his chest under his right arm in an area not covered by the protective vest he was wearing. The victim deputy was able to fire 10 rounds from his service weapon before he died at the scene. The other deputy fired several rounds at the individual as well. Three or four shots hit the 48-year-old suspect, who was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The suspect was under the influence of narcotics and alcohol at the time of the incident and had prior arrests for murder and drugs.

*****

Two officers with the Moncks Corner Police Department, a 40-year-old private first class with more than 2½ years of law enforcement experience and a 26-year-old corporal with more than 1½ years of law enforcement experience, were shot and killed as a result of a domestic disturbance call at 3 p.m. on March 25 at a residence. A caller had reported to the 911 center that a woman was abducted from a business and was being assaulted. The alleged abductor had forced the female into a pickup truck, which police traced to a mobile home. As the private and corporal approached the residence, a man emerged with a 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun and fired an unknown number of rounds of buckshot at the officers, both of whom were wearing body armor. During the exchange of gunfire, the woman was able to escape. The private shot nine rounds and the corporal shot four rounds using their service handguns; a round from the private’s weapon struck the suspect. Both officers were shot in the head, neck, throat, and arms/hands. The private, who was fatally struck in the back of the head, died at the scene. The corporal, who was fatally struck in the front of the head, died at a local hospital the following day. After shooting the officers, the suspect fled the scene in the private’s vehicle. Officers from the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department located and chased the vehicle. The 51-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, crashed into a fence at a local school and was justifiably killed by the officers.

Tennessee

On January 6, a trooper with the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), Memphis, was shot and killed while conducting a vehicle stop in Covington. Just before 9:30 p.m., the 24-year-old trooper, with nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, approached the driver’s side door of the stopped vehicle, which had two occupants. The trooper detected an odor usually associated with marijuana and questioned the driver regarding whether drugs were present in the vehicle. The driver acknowledged that there were drugs in the console. The trooper asked the driver to exit the vehicle and then patted down the driver before positioning him at the rear of the vehicle. The trooper then leaned into the driver’s side of the vehicle, and the passenger opened fire with a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun fatally wounding the trooper, who was wearing body armor, in the front of his head. The driver threw the trooper, who had fallen into the driver’s seat, onto the highway before the suspects fled the scene. A passing motorist called 911 to report that the victim trooper was lying on the road, and officers from the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office, along with emergency medical personnel, responded. The trooper was pronounced dead at the scene. A description of the suspect vehicle was obtained from the video tape of the incident that was filmed from the victim officer’s patrol car, and a notification was sent to area law enforcement. About 4 a.m. the next day, a vehicle matching the description was stopped and the individuals were transported to the local jail. While in jail, these individuals revealed that they had transported two males to a motel in Nashville. Apparently, the information that the individuals gave to the police implicated the two men in the murder of the victim trooper. The Nashville Metro SWAT Team and THP Special Operations Unit descended on that location and arrested the two suspects, a 17-year-old who was on probation at the time of the incident, and a 19-year- old with no prior criminal record. Each was charged with First-Degree Murder and First-Degree Murder Premeditation.

Texas

On March 17 at 1:30 a.m., a 34-year-old game warden with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Victoria, was killed in a small town outside of Austin while responding to a call for assistance from another warden. The first responding warden was investigating a suspicious vehicle from which shots were allegedly being fired. The driver of the vehicle attempted to flee when the assisting game warden, a veteran law enforcement officer with more than 5 years of law enforcement experience, arrived on the scene. During his escape attempt, the driver struck both of the wardens’ vehicles. In the ensuing car chase, the wardens were joined by Wharton County deputies and Texas state troopers. Spike strips were used to disable the suspect’s vehicle, and when the car came to a stop, the suspect exited his vehicle, took cover behind the engine area of the car, and began firing a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. The suspect fired at the responding officers and wardens, all of whom were still in their respective vehicles. The assisting game warden exited his vehicle and attempted to move to an advantageous location to subdue the shooter. While moving to this point in the darkness, the warden was inadvertently illuminated in the headlights of another officer’s vehicle. The warden knelt down and fired at the suspect, striking him at least twice. The suspect fired at the warden and struck him once in the stomach and then shot a fatal round into the warden’s arm. The bullet entered through the armhole or shoulder area of his body armor and entered his chest. The victim warden was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The offender, a 26-year-old man who had a prior criminal record, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. The injuries he sustained in the exchange of gunfire were not life threatening. He was taken into custody and charged with Capital Murder.

*****

A 33-year-old senior corporal with the Dallas Police Department was killed at 5:30 p.m. on March 23 while assisting with a felony traffic stop. The corporal, a veteran of law enforcement with nearly 7 years’ experience, was assisting plainclothes officers making a traffic stop on a fleeing vehicle that had been reported to be involved with a possible homicide. During the chase, the driver of the vehicle lost control, spun out, and his vehicle ended up nose to nose with the corporal’s patrol car. The corporal exited his vehicle, approached the passenger side of the suspect’s vehicle, and was attempting to break the passenger side window when the individual fired a single shot from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle from inside the vehicle. The round struck the corporal in the neck and upper portion of the chest above his protective vest, killing him. The 27-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record for drugs and weapons violations, was on parole at the time of the incident and was known to possess, use, and deal drugs. The suspect was arrested at the scene and charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and four counts of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon.

*****

A 61-year-old deputy sheriff and 63-year-old investigator with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office were shot and killed in a tactical situation in Eustace shortly after 3:30 p.m. on May 17. The deputy sheriff, a nearly 8-year veteran of law enforcement, and the investigator, a 26-year veteran of law enforcement, were among several officers who responded to the scene of a reported domestic disturbance. Initially, officers were talking to a man outside of the residence where the alleged disturbance had occurred. When the officers attempted to arrest the man, he ran into his house and picked up a high-powered hunting rifle with a scope. The officers took cover. Though officers attempted to negotiate with the man, he began firing at them with a .30-06 bolt-action rifle. The deputy sheriff, who was wearing a protective vest, and the investigator were each struck in the front of the head and killed. A gun battle ensued, and then the assailant exited through the back door of the house. As a deputy sheriff behind the house headed for cover, the man shot him in the lower leg and reentered the house. Another officer saw the man at a window, fired at him, and wounded him in the arm and stomach. The man then surrendered to the law enforcement officers. The 47-year-old shooter, who knew at least one of the victim officers through a law enforcement relationship, had a prior criminal record that included police assault and weapons violations. He was charged with Attempted Capital Murder and 2 counts of Capital Murder. As of the date of this publication, the wounded deputy sheriff had not returned to duty.

*****

Just after 12:30 a.m. on June 30, a 34-year-old deputy sheriff with the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while attempting an arrest. The deputy, a veteran of law enforcement with almost 7 years of experience, had been dispatched to a single- vehicle accident with injury in New Boston. Upon discovering that the driver had fled the scene, the veteran deputy and a New Boston police officer, who also had responded to the scene, began searching for the driver in a wooded area near the wrecked vehicle. The deputy found the suspect, and the other officer heard the deputy ask the suspect if he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The deputy called to the other officer that he was bringing the suspect out of the heavily wooded area and would handcuff him when he got to the clearing. Just after that verbal exchange, the officer observed the beam from the deputy’s flashlight moving erratically and heard a shot. When the officer got to the deputy, the victim stated, “He got my gun and shot me.” The officer and other first responders immediately began to give aid to the deputy, who was wounded in the shoulder. (It was later revealed that the bullet from the deputy’s .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun had traveled to his lung, wounding him fatally.) The suspect moved deeper into the woods as the officers worked to treat the deputy. A few minutes later, the officers heard another shot. Apparently, the 36-year-old man had committed suicide with one shot to the head from the deputy’s service weapon, which was found in the shooter’s hand. Subsequent investigation revealed that the man, who had prior convictions, had been drinking and smoking crack cocaine earlier in the evening, as witnessed by three companions. He had become abusive to his friends and had taken the vehicle, which belonged to one of the individuals, without the owner’s consent shortly before the car accident took place.

*****

Three corporals from the Odessa Police Department were shot and killed in an ambush situation while responding to a domestic violence call around 6:30 p.m. on September 8. All three victim corporals were veteran law enforcement officers who were wearing protective body armor at the time of the incident. Upon arrival, the first corporal, who was 32 years of age and had 10 years of law enforcement experience, spoke with the woman in front of the residence. The woman reported that her husband was intoxicated and that he had assaulted her. She told the corporal that she believed there were firearms locked in a vehicle inside the closed garage, but she did not know if her husband had the keys to the vehicle. The officer attempted to contact the man at the front door, but there was no response. The suspect’s wife gave the officers permission to enter through the back door of the residence. As the first corporal entered the door, he was struck in the jaw with a round from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. He managed to return three rounds from his service weapon and then staggered out of the rear door of the residence. In the exchange of gunfire, a second corporal, who was 48 years of age with over 22 years of law enforcement experience, attempted to take cover against the rear exterior of the home. However, the offender leaned out of a window and fired, striking the corporal’s left arm. As the corporal fell to the ground, the man shot another round into the top right of the victim officer’s head, fatally wounding him. The corporal died at the scene. Additional responding officers arrived and were directed to the rear of the residence by the first victim corporal, who was still standing. As the assisting officers surrounded the residence, the man fired another round of shots from the window, striking a third corporal in the face. The third victim corporal, who was 30 years of age and had nearly 10 years of law enforcement experience, was killed instantly. Three officers, who were attempting to help the downed corporal, exchanged gunfire with the offender. After a 4-hour standoff the 58-year-old suspect, who had a criminal history including violent crime and weapons violations, was taken into custody. The first victim corporal was transported to a local hospital and then transferred to an area medical center where he died 4 days later as a result of his injuries. The suspect was charged with 3 counts of Capital Murder and 3 counts of Attempted Capital Murder.

*****

A 37-year-old detective with the San Antonio Police Department was shot and killed while attempting to serve an outstanding arrest warrant on an individual for aggravated assault. Around 1:50 p.m. on September 21, the veteran detective, who had nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience, was called to an apartment building as a member of the Repeat Offenders Program (ROP) to help serve the warrant on a man inside who had allegedly shot his girlfriend in the leg with a shotgun the night before. When the detective arrived with other colleagues from the ROP, they set up loose surveillance of the apartment building. One of the other detectives observed the suspect leaving the apartment complex and radioed to the others to arrest him. As the detective and a uniformed officer approached the suspect, he began to run. A foot chase ensued, and the uniformed officer lost sight of the suspect and the detective as they rounded a corner. The officer and other detectives heard one shot and subsequently found the victim detective on the ground in front of the building. The detective, who was wearing body armor, had received a fatal gunshot wound to the front of the head from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. The officers and detectives took positions of cover in front of the apartment complex and attempted to contact the suspect. After several minutes, the 35-year-old suspect, who had prior convictions that included weapons violations, called to the officers, “Are you ready?” He then exited the building with the shotgun pointed at the officers. The officers fired several shots, striking the suspect in the leg, stomach, and head, killing him.

Wisconsin

About 11:40 p.m. on May 16, a deputy sheriff with the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department was shot during a traffic stop in Somers. The 48-year-old veteran deputy sheriff, who had nearly 18 years of law enforcement experience, attempted to stop a vehicle on a rural road for a traffic violation. After the deputy turned on his emergency lights, the driver of the vehicle continued at a slow speed. Another deputy joined the slow speed pursuit and followed in his patrol vehicle. The suspect continued driving his vehicle for approximately one half mile, turned into a subdivision, and proceeded to the end of a cul-de-sac. The driver pulled the vehicle into a driveway and stopped near the back of the residence. The deputy sheriff who had initiated the traffic stop pulled in behind the vehicle with his emergency lights still on and his spotlight focused on the vehicle. The deputy sheriff, who was wearing body armor, exited his vehicle. He approached the suspect’s vehicle and ordered the driver to get out. The suspect opened the driver’s door, pointed a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the deputy sheriff, and fired. A round from the weapon deflected off the deputy’s shoulder microphone and went into his neck. The victim deputy returned fire, but the suspect shot another round that struck the deputy in the face, fatally wounding him. As the victim deputy fell to the ground, a third round struck him in the thigh. The assisting deputy sheriff took cover and fired 11 rounds at the suspect, who fled into a nearby wooded area. On the following day, the victim deputy sheriff succumbed to his wounds, and tactical units captured the 44-year-old alleged shooter and charged him with First-Degree Intentional Homicide. The man, who had been under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record that included violent crimes and weapons violations.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2008

Arizona

An officer with the Tucson Police Department (TPD) was shot and killed, and two deputy sheriffs with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) were injured as a result of a felony traffic pursuit on June 1 in Tucson. Shortly before 10 a.m., dispatchers with the PCSD received several calls about a man in camouflage clothing who was shooting at houses. Deputies were dispatched, arrived at the scene at 10:08 a.m., and obtained a description of the man’s vehicle. A 30-year-old PCSD deputy, with nearly 1 year of law enforcement experience, spotted the man’s vehicle. The suspect waved at the deputy and motioned for the deputy to come to him. The suspect then raised a 5.45x39 mm semiautomatic rifle and fired at the deputy, striking him in the left shoulder. The deputy returned fire with three rounds from his service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. None of the rounds struck the suspect, who fled. The injured deputy attempted to pursue the suspect, but his marked police car sustained gunshot damage to the engine, making it inoperable. At 10:21 a.m., a sergeant with the TPD spotted the suspect’s vehicle, broadcast the vehicle’s location and description, and followed the vehicle. Several other officers from the TPD and the PCSD joined in the chase. As the suspect drove, he slung his weapon over his shoulder and fired at the officers. One shot hit the lead patrol car in the windshield. At 10:25 a.m., a 43-year-old TPD officer, with more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, was headed toward the suspect’s vehicle when he made a U-turn and joined the chase as the lead vehicle as several police units had backed off the chase. The suspect again slung his weapon over his shoulder and fired additional rounds. Officers had planned to put down spike strips at a nearby intersection, but the suspect stopped about 75 yards from the strips and fired at the officers. One round traveled through the windshield and dashboard, striking the victim officer, who was wearing body armor, above the left eye. The officer’s car rolled to a stop, and the suspect, still in his vehicle, fled. Deputies lost the suspect’s vehicle, but a 32-year-old PCSD deputy, with nearly 8 years of law enforcement experience, who was responding to the incident, saw the car, did a U-turn, and pursued the suspect. As the deputy rounded a blind corner, he was confronted by the suspect, who had stopped his vehicle in the traffic lane and was kneeling on the front seat, taking aim at the deputy. The suspect fired at least 22 times, striking the deputy, who was wearing body armor, on the side of the head, slightly injuring him. The suspect then traveled to a nearby campground where he stopped his vehicle and waited for officers to detain him. Officers arrested him without incident at 10:45 a.m. The fatally injured TPD officer was airlifted to a local hospital where he died of his injuries the next day. In all, the 25-year-old suspect fired 90 rounds at law enforcement officers. He had a prior criminal record and was known to use drugs. He was charged with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, two counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, three counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, and two counts of Discharge of a Firearm at a Structure. The 32-year-old injured deputy returned to duty on June 6. At the time of this publication, it is unknown if the 30-yearold deputy returned to duty.

*****

A 31-year-old agent with the U.S. Border Patrol, Yuma, was killed at 9:20 a.m. on January 19 while assisting in a felony traffic stop. The agent, who had 5½ years of law enforcement experience, was working undercover when he and his partners saw two vehicles exit sand dunes in a place common to illegal entries into the United States from Mexico. The officers suspected that the vehicles had entered illegally and positioned themselves to intercept them. The suspects in the vehicles saw the plain clothes unit and turned around to return to Mexico. The agent was attempting to deploy a controlled tire deflation device to stop one of the vehicles when the suspect accelerated his truck and swerved at the agent. Witnesses estimated that the suspect’s vehicle was traveling between 60 to 70 miles per hour when it struck the victim agent, causing multiple traumatic injuries to his head, chest, front below the waist, and his neck/throat. Agents on the scene began life-saving measures on the victim officer until emergency services could arrive. The emergency medical personnel pronounced the victim agent dead at the scene. Meanwhile, both suspects eluded capture and returned to Mexico. Numerous American and Mexican law enforcement agencies searched for the individuals, and the manhunt culminated in the capture of one of the suspects. The 42-year-old arrestee, a known drug dealer, was arrested in Mexico and at the time of this publication, was still in custody there for unrelated smuggling charges and was awaiting extradition to the United States to face trial in this case.

California

Just after midnight on February 7, two police officers with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) were shot—one fatally and one seriously injured—during a tactical situation at a residence. Hours earlier a man had made a 911 call indicating that he had shot at least three family members and did not want to kill more. Units responded, and staff communicating with the residence via the 911 line heard mumbling sounds that may have been a victim in peril in the background. The LAPD SWAT team was requested, and when the members arrived at the scene, an emergency rescue team was formed to make entry through the front door. The suspect fired shots from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the SWAT team as they attempted to make entry. A 51-yearold police officer with 27 years of law enforcement experience was fatally shot in the front of the head. Another 51-year-old officer with nearly 26 years of law enforcement experience was seriously injured when he was shot in the front of the head. Both victim officers were wearing protective body armor. During the hours following the initial attempt to enter the residence, there were multiple attempts to encourage the suspect to surrender. The confrontation between the 20-year-old suspect and the officers continued over the next several hours until the suspect was justifiably killed by an officer. The man had a prior criminal record including weapons violations and was a known user of narcotics.

*****

A 13-year veteran sergeant with the Martinez Police Department (MPD) was shot and killed while answering a domestic disturbance call that became a tactical situation around 11:30 a.m. on September 6. The 47-year-old sergeant was the second responder on the scene at a beauty shop where an employee’s ex-husband had broken the front window to gain entrance and was making threats and displaying a weapon as he searched for his ex-wife, who had hidden in a storage closet. As another MPD officer and the sergeant arrived within seconds of each other, they heard shots from an upstairs apartment adjacent to the shop’s parking lot. The officers went up the stairs to an L-shaped hallway that had two apartments at the end with facing doors. They made their way down the hallway to a door that had been kicked in and from where they heard children and women screaming. Suddenly, the suspect extended his arm out of the open doorway and shot around the front door with a .38-caliber revolver. One of the two rounds shot by the suspect struck the victim sergeant in the neck above his protective vest, and the sergeant fell to the floor. Both officers returned fire. The suspect began firing again, and the MPD officer continued to return fire as he attempted to pull the fallen sergeant to safety. Several of the rounds fired by the officer struck the suspect through the door. Arriving back-up officers gave additional cover as the officer dragged the sergeant from the scene. A K-9 unit was among the arriving officers, and a corporal from that unit sent his dog into the residence. The dog bit the suspect in the leg as the corporal approached the suspect, who was still armed. The corporal fired two rounds at the 49-year-old suspect, who was justifiably killed at the scene. (It was later determined that the victim sergeant actually fired the round that ultimately proved fatal to the shooter.) The victim sergeant was transported to a local hospital where he died the same day. Inside the apartment, MPD officers found three children, two adults, and one deceased female, who was another victim of the shooter.

*****

A 37-year-old deputy sheriff with the Yolo County Sheriff’s Department was fatally shot shortly after 9:30 p.m. on June 15 while attempting to make a traffic stop in Dunnigan. Earlier in the evening, about 7:15 p.m., a dispatcher advised of a possible drunk driver with an infant in the vehicle and also provided a vehicle description and license plate number. Around 9:30 p.m., the deputy, who had nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it. However, the driver refused to pull over. The deputy advised all units that he was in pursuit and that the suspect vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed. A few minutes later, the suspect stopped the vehicle and fled on foot. Moments later, the deputy called for emergency backup and reported “officer down.” Several units arrived on the scene within minutes and found the deputy with a gunshot wound to his chest. A powerful round from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle had penetrated his protective vest. The victim deputy sheriff was treated by emergency personnel and transported to a local hospital, where he died later that day. Following an extensive manhunt, the 35-year-old suspect was located and arrested on June 16. The man, who was on parole at the time of the incident and who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, drugs, police assault, and weapons violations, was charged with Murder.

Florida

A 30-year-old police officer with the Fort Myers Police Department, who had just over a year of law enforcement experience, was shot and killed when he responded to a disturbance call shortly after 2 a.m. on July 18. The officer, who was wearing body armor, and another officer approached two men fighting in front of a home. As the officers approached the scene of the altercation, one of the men produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and shot the victim officer in the right side of his face, killing him instantly. The other officer returned fire as the gunman attempted to flee. The offender also fired at other officers who had arrived at the scene. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, the victim officer’s partner shot and killed the 26-year-old offender, who was on probation and under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. Unknown to the officers at the time, the man had been fighting with his girlfriend earlier in the evening and had threatened to shoot her. The man had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, drugs, and weapons violations.

*****

On July 22 approximately 8:40 a.m., a 33-year-old deputy sheriff with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) was shot and killed while participating in a tactical situation in Fort Walton Beach involving a man whose family was attempting to have him placed in a hospital for psychiatric examination. The man had suffered some mental problems since the death of his father several months prior to the incident on July 22. His family had attempted twice on the previous day to have him involuntarily placed under psychiatric observation, but he had left the hospital twice on his own. He had proven to be verbally abusive and uncooperative to law enforcement and hospital staff involved in both episodes. After the second time he left the hospital, he returned to his father’s house. A family friend in the neighborhood reported contact with the man to his family, and neighbors reported seeing suspicious activity near the property in the very early hours of July 22. They notified authorities that someone appeared to be in the vacant house. When OCSO deputies arrived on the scene, the man’s brother was waiting in a pickup truck at the house. He informed the deputies he and his companion could hear his brother moving about in the house and that his brother had a shotgun in his possession. Deputies searched the area around the residence, set up a perimeter, and attempted to make contact with the man. A second brother of the man arrived on the scene, confirmed that his brother was armed, and provided a key and gave consent for the deputies to enter the residence. At 4:20 a.m., both a Special Response Team (SRT) and a Crisis Negotiation Unit were called out. Details of the case were discussed and further information dispersed, including that the man was no longer in possession of a mobile phone and the house had no phone service. After further efforts to contact the man failed, the decision was made to send in the SRT using a “stealth” entry and quietly conduct a welfare check on the man. The SRT entered with the key and, initially, behind a ballistic shield. The team then moved slowly and methodically through the rooms of the house. The victim deputy, who had 4 years of law enforcement experience, began to search a second bedroom. As the victim deputy and another deputy began to slowly open the door to the room, the second deputy saw a muzzle flash and heard a shot right before the victim deputy fell backwards. The second deputy returned fire. As the second deputy moved, he observed the shooter crossing the room with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. The deputy continued to fire as the suspect dove into a closet. The deputy moved a little further into the doorway and saw the suspect lying on the floor of the closet. Officers began administering aid to the victim deputy who was mortally wounded in the neck above his protective vest. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel transported the deputy to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The EMS also evaluated the condition of the suspect and established that he was dead on the scene. Laboratory analysis later determined that, although the 47-year-old suspect suffered several wounds, the fatal shot was a self-inflicted one from his own shotgun.

Georgia

Two police officers with the DeKalb County Police Department were shot and killed while investigating suspicious circumstances at 12:3o a.m. on January 16. The two officers had just completed their regular work shift and were working as police security at an apartment complex. The 26-year-old police officer, with over 1 year of law enforcement experience, arrived on the scene first and observed a suspicious vehicle. He approached it and began questioning the driver. During this time, several other individuals appeared around the vehicle. The 34-year-old officer, with over 4 years of law enforcement experience, arrived shortly thereafter and immediately came to the passenger’s side of the vehicle in question. While questioning one of the individuals, a struggle ensued between the 34-year-old officer and the man. The 26-year-old officer came around the vehicle to assist. As the suspect fell to the ground, he produced a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and began firing at both officers. The 34-year-old officer, who was wearing body armor, received shots to his arms/hands, the side of his head, and fatally to the front of his head. He died at the scene. The 26-year-old officer received shots that entered below his waist and fatally in his front lower torso/abdomen below his protective vest. He died en route to an area hospital. A manhunt ensued that included numerous local, state, and federal agencies. A 26-year-old male was arrested on January 18 and was charged with two counts of Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Probation Violation, and Marijuana Possession.

Illinois

Approximately 2 a.m. on July 2, a 60-year-old police officer with the Chicago Police Department was shot and killed while attempting to make an arrest. The 27-year veteran of law enforcement was flagged down by a Chicago Transit Authority bus driver who requested that the police officer assist him with a woman causing a disturbance on his bus. When the police officer, who was wearing body armor, approached the woman, a struggle ensued, and both fell to the ground. During the struggle, the woman grabbed the police officer’s .38-caliber revolver and shot him in the front of the head. She then used the same gun to shoot at responding officers. Those officers returned fire, hitting and wounding the woman. The victim police officer was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 44-year-old offender, who was a known drug user with prior mental disorders, was also taken to a local hospital for medical attention and then arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder.

*****

A 14-year veteran police officer with the Chicago Police Department was killed on September 28 as he and several other officers were attempting to serve a search warrant at a residence. Just after 5:30 a.m., the subject of the warrant arrived at the residence. As the 39-year-old officer, who was working undercover, approached the individual, the man fired four rounds from a .38-caliber revolver. Three rounds struck the officer in the arms/hands and fatally in the front of the head. Other officers returned fire, striking and injuring the shooter. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he died later that day of his injuries. The 37-year-old suspect, who had prior convictions for violent crimes, drugs, and weapons violations, was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder.

*****

A 29-year law enforcement veteran died on November 4 at the age of 53 as a result of injuries he sustained during a tactical situation around 10 a.m. on August 28, 2001. The detective with the Chicago Police Department was part of an arrest team that included federal task force officers and FBI agents who were looking for a bank robbery suspect. The team converged on the apartment of the suspect’s girlfriend. During the arrest attempt in the back bedroom of the apartment, the suspect shot the veteran detective, who was wearing a protective vest, in the side of the head with a .44-caliber semiautomatic handgun at close range. The shooter then fired the same weapon and a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol at agents in the living room. The agents returned fire, striking the shooter, but he continued firing at the agents, who were forced to retreat into the hallway. After 2 hours of negotiations, a SWAT team entered the apartment and took the man into custody. The 41-year-old offender, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime and weapons violations, was charged with Attempted Murder. The detective was taken to a local hospital. He was in a coma as a result of the gunshot wound, and he never regained consciousness.

Kentucky

On January 10 at 12:53 a.m., a deputy sheriff with the Bell County Sheriff’s Office was killed in Pineville while assisting two state troopers in a traffic pursuit. The troopers were attempting to stop a speeding vehicle, but the driver refused to pull over. Instead, the driver sped away, sometimes reaching speeds in excess of 110 mph in the ensuing chase. One of the trooper’s vehicles was equipped with a video camera that captured the entire incident. The speeding car left the southbound lane several times and traveled southward in the northbound lane, forcing several vehicles off the roadway. The troopers were in contact with the Bell County dispatcher, and they requested assistance, asking for a tire deflation device to be deployed. The assisting deputy sheriff, who was 31 years old and who had more than 10 years of law enforcement experience, responded to the call. He parked his patrol car at the entrance to a county garage facility, facing the northbound highway. Apparently, when the fleeing suspect neared this location, he accelerated his vehicle across the lanes of the highway again and deliberately headed toward the deputy’s vehicle. The man, still driving the car south, crossed the center line, the other lane of the northbound roadway, and the northbound asphalt shoulder. He drove the vehicle across a patch of grass and gravel and an asphalt access road and struck the deputy’s vehicle at a high rate of speed. The assailant’s vehicle deeply penetrated the passenger side of the deputy’s car, fatally injuring the victim deputy. The deputy’s K-9 partner was also killed in the collision. The 17-year-old assailant, who had a prior criminal record, was arrested and charged with Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and First-Degree Assault of a Service Animal. The second occupant in the vehicle, a 16-year-old male, was also arrested in connection with the incident and charged with Facilitation to Commit Murder and Facilitation to Commit First-Degree Assault on a Service Animal.

Louisiana

A 25-year veteran deputy sheriff with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office was struck by a vehicle and killed at 2:30 a.m. on August 20 when she responded to a burglary in progress call at a convenience store in Chackbay. The 53-year-old deputy, who was accompanied by the store’s owner, had confronted the burglary suspect and was attempting to detain him when she was hit by the stolen pickup in which he was escaping. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, fatally suffered a broken neck and major internal injuries. The 41-year-old suspect, who had a long list of prior offenses, including murder, was apprehended and arrested the same day by the Louisiana State Police. He was charged with First-Degree Murder, Attempted First-Degree Murder, Simple Burglary, and Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle.

*****

A 24-year-old police officer with the New Orleans Police Department was shot and killed with her service weapon while investigating a suspicious person on January 28. At 10 a.m., the officer, with 2½ years of law enforcement experience, identified a person with whom she had had previous law enforcement contact who was seated on the curb in the parking lot of a two-store strip mall. She parked her marked police car at an angle, placing the suspect and herself between the police car and the store building. Upon exiting her vehicle, she walked towards the man and spoke to him and then grabbed his shoulder. The man batted away her hand. The officer again reached toward the man, and he lunged forward, tackling her against the patrol car, and they both fell to the ground. While the struggle continued, the officer attempted to request backup; however, the radio was set to a non-dispatch talk frequency. The man obtained control of the officer’s baton from her duty belt and struck her in the head. He then removed her .40-caliber semiautomatic service handgun. The suspect disengaged from the struggle and fired the gun at close range at the officer. He shot the police officer 15 times in the front and side of the head, rear lower torso/back, arms/hands, and fatally in the rear upper torso/back. The fatal bullet traveled between the side panels of her protective vest. The 44-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including violent crime, remained by the officer’s body, still holding the gun in his hand, until responding officers arrived. He was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. The entire incident was captured on video surveillance cameras owned by the stores in the strip mall.

Maryland

Around 11:40 a.m. on June 27, a 39-year-old sergeant with the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGCPD) was struck and killed in Laurel by a vehicle driven by a fleeing suspect. The 10-year veteran of law enforcement, along with an assisting corporal with the PGCPD, had approached a suspicious vehicle that appeared to have stolen Virginia plates. The sergeant had parked his marked vehicle to prevent the driver of the suspicious truck from exiting the space in the apartment complex where it was parked. The sergeant exited his cruiser and walked toward the suspect vehicle. Suddenly, the driver accelerated the truck (later determined to be stolen from a local dealership) toward the sergeant. The sergeant discharged his service weapon six times, and four of the rounds struck the vehicle. The driver kept accelerating, struck the victim sergeant, and dragged him over 200 feet before fleeing the scene. The sergeant was transported to an area hospital, but the multiple injuries that he suffered proved fatal. The stolen truck was found abandoned in another area of the city, and the 19-year-old suspect was located later that same day. He was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder. The suspect was subsequently found unconscious in his jail cell and later died. The cause of death had not been determined at the time of this report.

Michigan

Around 12:30 a.m. on December 28, a 28-year-old public safety officer with the Oak Park Department of Public Safety was shot and killed while attempting an arrest. Shortly before the incident, the officer had stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation and had identified the operator as a 16-year-old unlicensed driver. The juvenile told the officer that he lived in the apartment complex near where they were stopped, so the officer took the juvenile to the complex in an attempt to turn him over to a parent. After arriving there, however, the officer determined that the residence was that of the juvenile’s 15-year-old girlfriend. The officer, who was wearing body armor and who had 3½ years of law enforcement experience, then attempted to arrest the juvenile. A struggle ensued during which the juvenile disarmed the officer and shot him in the side of the head with the service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The victim officer immediately died from the injury, and the juvenile fled the scene. The 16-year-old assailant, who had a prior criminal record and was on conditional release at the time of the incident, was arrested later that day and charged with First-Degree Murder, Homicide of a Law Enforcement Officer, and 2 counts of Felony with a Firearm.

Missouri

A sergeant and a patrol officer with the Kirkwood Police Department were shot and killed during unprovoked attacks on February 7. Just before 7 p.m., a 50-year-old sergeant with over 20 years of law enforcement experience was picking up his evening meal at a restaurant less than a block away from Kirkwood City Hall. The veteran sergeant was approached at the rear entrance of the restaurant by a man who is believed to have asked him a question. Apparently, the offender surprised the sergeant with a .44-caliber revolver and shot him in the side of the head. Prior to being shot, the sergeant had pressed the emergency button on his portable radio to alert dispatchers that he needed assistance. He died at the scene. The suspect then stole the victim sergeant’s gun and quickly proceeded to the city hall where a city council meeting was being held. He entered the building wearing a sign that he had used previously to demonstrate his dislike for the council members. The suspect walked up the steps, entered council chambers, and walked down the aisle adjacent to where a 37-year-old patrol officer, who was on a duty assignment as the city council security officer, was seated. The man approached the patrol officer as if to ask a question; instead, however, he drew a revolver from under his sign and shot the veteran officer, who had more than 10 years of law enforcement experience, fatally in the side of his head. The 52-year-old male then shot and killed two council members and a city employee, and he wounded the mayor and a newspaper reporter. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, was justifiably killed by responding officers.

*****

Around 10:20 p.m. on October 31, a 50-year-old sergeant with the University City Police Department was shot and killed in an ambush situation. According to witnesses, the sergeant was sitting in his police cruiser when a man ran up to the vehicle and fired five rounds. The 25-year veteran of law enforcement was hit fatally in the front upper torso/chest area by a round that entered through the armhole/shoulder area of his protective gear. Shots from the suspect’s .38-caliber revolver also hit the victim sergeant in the side of his head and in his arms/hands. Following the shooting, the suspect fled the scene in a vehicle and officers pursued him. Although he escaped that evening, the suspect was captured in the Kansas City (Missouri) area on November 4. The 41-year old man, known to the police as a drug dealer and user with prior convictions, was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

North Carolina

A 24-year-old trooper with the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Asheville, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Canton about 10:20 p.m. on June 17. The trooper, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience, stopped a vehicle for a registration violation. The trooper approached the vehicle and asked the driver to step out. The man complied and walked with the trooper to the front of the patrol vehicle. After questioning the man for a few minutes, the trooper asked the man if he minded being frisked. The man asked the trooper what being frisked meant, and the trooper explained that it was to check for weapons. The man told the trooper that he had a gun, and a struggle ensued. The man produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and fired three shots from close range, striking the trooper in his back, his arms/hands, and fatally in his chest, where a bullet entered above his protective vest. The shooter took the trooper’s weapon, returned to his vehicle, and drove away. However, numerous 911 calls were received from witnesses that led officers to the man where he was apprehended a short distance from the scene. The 37-year-old man, who was a known drug user and who had a prior criminal record that included arrests for drugs, police assault, and weapons violations, was charged with First-Degree Murder, Armed Robbery, Felon with a Firearm, and Possession of Controlled Substance.

*****

Just before 10:15 p.m. on September 19, a deputy with the Caldwell County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) was shot and killed and a CCSO lieutenant was shot and injured in an ambush situation in Lenoir. In response to a 911 hang up call, the 25-year-old deputy, with 1 year’s law enforcement experience, arrived at a residence around 9:40 p.m. and began to investigate. Minutes later, he reported to communications that he had discovered an open door to the residence. Further investigation revealed a domestic dispute between a man and a woman. The woman was still inside the residence with three children, but the man had left the home, possibly armed, and had gone into the surrounding area. At 9:55 p.m., the deputy, who was wearing body armor, requested assistance from dispatch and began canvassing the immediate area. At 10:11 p.m., the 30-year-old lieutenant and an assisting deputy arrived on the scene. As they approached in their patrol unit, they saw the responding deputy standing near the rear of his patrol vehicle, and then, as they drove closer, they saw the victim deputy lying on the ground, mortally wounded. At that time, the officers were fired upon by multiple rounds. The lieutenant, a 7-year veteran of law enforcement, was hit in the front upper torso/chest from over 50 feet away. His protective vest stopped the round, but he sustained bruising and burning on his chest. The lieutenant then returned fire as he and the assisting deputy exited their patrol unit and sought cover. Additional officers responded to the scene, evacuated the victim deputy and the victim lieutenant, and drove them to an intersection where an ambulance waited to transport them to a local hospital. There, the victim deputy was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the front of the head from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle, and the victim lieutenant was treated and released. Following a 5-day manhunt, the 32-year-old suspect was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The victim lieutenant has since returned to duty.

Ohio

A 36-year-old patrol officer with the Cleveland Division of Police was shot while investigating suspicious persons at 6:25 p.m. on February 29. The veteran officer, who had more than 9 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner were on patrol when they observed what appeared to be a drug transaction taking place between a man in a vehicle and a man in front of an abandoned house. The officers also saw five men on the porch of the house. When the men saw the officers, they jumped off the porch and began to walk away. The officers pursued them on foot, but the men scattered in different directions. The veteran officer chased one male up a driveway and was approximately 3 to 4 feet away from him when the man turned and fired several shots from a .44-caliber revolver. A round struck the victim officer fatally in the abdomen below his protective vest. Before collapsing on the ground, the officer shot at the suspect twice with his service weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and yelled to his partner to go after the suspect. The victim officer’s partner ran up the next driveway, and the suspect reappeared and fired two or three rounds at the officer’s partner. The partner fired six rounds at the 19-year-old suspect, who then fled the area. The victim officer was transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on March 1. The suspect turned himself in to the Cleveland Division of Police on March 3 and was charged with Aggravated Murder.

*****

Shortly before 2 a.m. on July 13, a 33-year-old patrol officer with the Twinsburg Police Department was fatally shot while he was attempting to make an arrest. The veteran officer, who had nearly 12½ years of law enforcement experience, made a traffic stop and radioed for a back-up unit. A few minutes later, a resident in the area of the traffic stop called the Twinsburg dispatcher to report hearing individuals arguing and popping sounds. Additional officers arrived at the scene and found the patrol officer lying on the ground near his vehicle, and his K-9 partner was still in the vehicle. The officers pulled the victim patrol officer, who was wearing body armor, across the street to a safer area and attempted to provide medical aid to the officer’s wounds to the front and side of his head and to his neck. He was flown by helicopter to a local hospital, where he died a short time later from the gunshot wound to the front of his head from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Officers located a 26-year-old suspect, who still had one handcuff on his wrist, in a nearby community and arrested him. He was charged with two counts each of Aggravated Murder, Escape, and Resisting Arrest, one count of Carrying Concealed Weapons, and three counts of Tampering with Evidence.

Oregon

Around 5:25 p.m. on December 12, a captain with the Woodburn Police Department (WPD) and a senior trooper with the Oregon State Police (OSP), Salem, were killed in a bomb blast while investigating an attempted bank extortion in Woodburn. The chief of the WPD was also injured in the blast. Earlier that day, the 51-year-old captain and the 46-year-old chief, both from WPD, as well as agents from the OSP, responded to the first of two banks involved. There, a hoax bomb device and a throw away cell phone were located in the bank’s dumpster and seized as evidence. Because an anonymous male caller referenced a second bank during the extortion attempt, investigators reported to the second bank after searching the first one. A metal box located in the bushes around the second bank was deemed by bank personnel to belong to the gardener, and since investigating officers found nothing else, the scene was cleared around noon. However, when the gardener arrived at the bank at 4 p.m., he advised that the metal box did not belong to him. Police were again summoned to the bank along with bomb squad personnel, one of whom was a 51-year-old senior trooper/bomb technician of the OSP with over 11 years’ law enforcement experience. The bomb technician x-rayed the box and determined that it was a hoax device. During the investigation, the WPD captain and chief who had been on the scene earlier in the day also arrived. Around 5:25 p.m., the OSP bomb technician took the metal box inside the bank due to a severe rainstorm. When the bomb technician attempted to manually open the box, it exploded, killing him and the WPD captain, who had more than 28 years of law enforcement experience. The men died of fatal wounds to multiple locations of their bodies. The WPD chief, who had more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, also sustained serious life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a hospital where one of his legs was amputated. Meanwhile, the bomb scene was secured as a homicide scene and the investigation intensified. On December 14, a police officer from the Keizer Police Department and one from the OSP apprehended a 32-year-old suspect at his home. The man had a criminal record with prior convictions, probation, and parole. He was arrested and charged with six counts of Capital Murder, two counts of Attempted Aggravated Murder, First-Degree Assault, Second-Degree Assault, Possession of Explosive Device, Manufacture of an Explosive Device, and Conspiracy to Commit Crimes. A few days later, a 57-year-old male was also arrested in connection with the case and charged with six counts of Aggravated Murder, two counts of Attempted Murder, First-Degree Assault, and Possession of Explosive Device. The WPD chief continues his rehabilitation and has returned to duty part-time as of publication.

Pennsylvania

A sergeant with the Philadelphia Police Department was killed at 11:28 a.m. on May 3 while responding to a radio call of an armed robbery at a bank inside a store. The 39-year-old sergeant, who had more than 11 years of law enforcement experience, spotted a vehicle that matched the description of the vehicle used in the robbery and pursued it. The vehicle stopped, and a male exited the car and fired an unknown number of shots at the sergeant with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle, striking him several times in the chest, legs, arms, and fatally in the front lower torso/abdomen. The victim sergeant was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:14 p.m. The 34-year-old offender, who had a prior criminal record for violent crime, was justifiably killed by another officer investigating the incident.

*****

Around 2 p.m. on September 23, a 30-year-old police officer with the Philadelphia Police Department was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious person. At 1:47 p.m., the officer stopped a vehicle with a female driver and a male passenger. Within moments, the male passenger exited the vehicle to leave the scene, and the 8-year veteran officer pursued the man on foot around the corner of the block. Shortly thereafter, the man shot the officer at close range with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking him in the front upper torso/chest several times. The victim officer managed to fire one shot from his own weapon, but he did not hit his assailant. As the shooter attempted to flee the area, he quickly encountered another officer with whom he exchanged gunfire. The 35-year-old assisting officer, a veteran of law enforcement with over 10 years’ law enforcement experience, was shot in the hip. The offender, who had been hit with three of the four shots fired by the assisting officer, soon collapsed from gunshot wounds in his head and chest. The 30-year-old officer was pronounced dead at the scene, as was his assailant. The 35-year-old assisting officer was transported to a hospital and later released. He did not return to duty. The 27-year-old offender was wanted at the time of the incident for aggravated assault and parole violation, and he had an extensive criminal record of violent crime, police assault, and weapons violations. A special agent with the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office was shot and killed at 6 a.m. on November 19 while attempting to serve an arrest warrant at a residence in Indiana Township. The 33-year-old agent, who had more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, was part of a multi-agency arrest team that had been investigating a man at the residence. Members of the team knocked on the home’s front door and rang the doorbell. The suspect approached the front door, was advised of the law enforcement’s presence, and notified that the officers had a warrant for his arrest. The man did not open the door; instead, he ran in the other direction. The arrest team initiated a forced entry using a battering ram to open the door and enter the house. While officers were using the ram, they repeated several times that they were police. After the ram successfully opened the door, the special agent was the first officer to enter the residence. As he entered, the individual’s wife fired a single round from a .38-caliber revolver. The round struck the agent in the front upper torso/chest above the bulletproof vest he was wearing. The agent was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 40-year-old woman was arrested and charged with Murder of a Federal Agent, Assault by Use of a Dangerous Weapon, Use of a Firearm in a Crime of Violence, Aiding the Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Drug Conspiracy, Possession with Intent to Deliver More than 50 Grams of Cocaine Base, Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm While Using Unlawful Controlled Substances. She was known to use, deal, and possess drugs, and she was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

South Carolina

Approximately 3 a.m. on August 6, a 39-year-old deputy sheriff with the Colleton County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed when he responded to a burglary in progress. The deputy, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the residence located in the community of Smoaks. The deputy was approaching the house via the carport when he suddenly was confronted by two suspects exiting the home through a kitchen door that led onto the same carport. One of the suspects fired two shots at the deputy from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, and one of the shots struck the victim deputy in the lower abdomen, just below his protective vest. The victim deputy died at the scene. The burglars fled the area before additional deputies arrived. In the ensuing investigation, officers arrested two suspects on September 5. The first suspect, a 19-yearold male with a prior criminal history, was charged with Murder, 4 counts of First-] Degree Burglary, and 1 count of Second-Degree Burglary. The second suspect, an 18-year-old male who was on probation at the time of the incident, was also charged with Murder, 3 counts of First-Degree Burglary, and Second-Degree Burglary. A 16-year veteran of law enforcement was killed at 1:35 a.m. on May 3 while attempting an arrest in Holly Hill. The 46-year-old corporal with the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office had been dispatched to escort a woman in retrieving her belongings from her home following a domestic altercation with her husband. On the way to the residence, the corporal was notified that there was an active warrant for failure to appear for the woman’s husband. The woman, her sister, and the corporal arrived at the home in two separate cars. A visitor answered the door, and the corporal told the visitor why he was there. As the women retrieved the belongings, a man from a nearby residence, who was dressed only in boxer shorts, approached the corporal. Witnesses confirmed to the corporal that the man was the woman’s husband. The corporal told the man to put on some clothes and that the corporal had a warrant for his arrest. The husband asked if he could talk to his wife, but the corporal denied his request and again told the man to put on some clothes. The man entered the home to dress. In the meantime, the women had finished gathering the possessions and were waiting in their car for the corporal, who was on the front porch talking to witnesses with his back partially to the door of the home. As the man approached, the corporal, who was wearing body armor, began to turn. The man fired a single shot at close range from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, fatally striking the corporal in the neck. The man then jumped off the front porch of the home and attempted to shoot his wife, who was in the passenger side of the car. Her sister, who was driving, tried to escape the man. She put the car in reverse and accelerated as she tried to leave the area; in doing so, she unknowingly struck the man and another witness who was attempting to tackle him. The women called 911 and reported the incident. Additional units arrived, and officers discovered the victimcorporal on the ground in front of the porch. Emergency personnel declared the corporal dead on the scene. Officers located the 41-year-old man in a ditch dead from injuries he sustained from being struck by the car. The man, who had prior convictions for violent crime, was under the influence of narcotics and was on conditional release at the time of the incident.

Tennessee

A deputy sheriff with the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office was killed and a patrol officer with the Monteagle Police Department was injured while attempting to arrest an individual at approximately 3 a.m. on June 5 in Monteagle. The 29-year-old deputy had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, and the 23-year-old patrol officer had 2 years of law enforcement experience. The pair, along with a reserve police officer, were at a residence to serve an individual with a warrant for a misdemeanor violation of probation. The deputy went to the front door of the residence, and the patrol officer and reserve officer went to the back door. The man let the deputy inside and then asked if he could change clothes, and the deputy agreed. The man went into a rear bedroom, and the deputy remained in the living room with the man’s girlfriend. The deputy asked the woman if the man had a gun, and she acknowledged that he did. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, then went to the bedroom. As he crossed the threshold to the room, the man fired a shot at the deputy from a .38-caliber revolver, striking the deputy at close range fatally in the right temple. The suspect took the deputy’s service weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and fled. Outside, the patrol officer heard the scuffle and attempted to go to the front door but tripped and fell in the dark in the yard of the residence. As the suspect was fleeing, he fired two rounds, one of which struck the patrol officer in the right side of the torso when the bullet entered through the armhole area of his protective vest. The reserve officer called for assistance and emergency aid, and the wounded patrol officer was taken to a local hospital where he was treated and released and then returned to duty the next day. The suspect fled into a wooded area behind the residence armed with the revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun, and the deputy sheriff’s service weapon. After an extensive search by local, state, and federal agencies from three states, officers found the suspect in a wooded area near a local cemetery. Attempts to negotiate with the suspect were unsuccessful. At approximately 6:55 p.m., the 29-year-old suspect committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. The suspect was on probation at the time of the incident and had prior convictions for drugs.

Texas

A 56-year-old corporal with the Harris County Constable’s Office was shot with his backup weapon at 2:30 p.m. on January 26 while handling a prisoner in Houston. The corporal, who had 12½ years of law enforcement experience, was working off-duty at an apartment complex when he stopped an individual in the parking lot of the complex and placed the individual in custody in the back seat of the corporal’s unmarked patrol car. The individual was able to open the sliding partition between the front and rear seats and retrieve the corporal’s backup weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, from the front seat. It is not known if the corporal had handcuffed the suspect with his hands in the front or if the individual was able to slide his legs through his arms after being handcuffed with his hands in the back. The individual, still handcuffed with his hands in the front, fired nine shots with the handgun at the corporal from close range, striking the corporal in the front below his protective vest and also in the neck/throat. Despite being critically injured, the corporal was able to fire 18 rounds from his service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Seven rounds hit the 21-year-old suspect, killing him. The corporal was taken to a local hospital where he died of the bullet wound to his neck on February 20.

*****

At 8:41 a.m. on December 7, a veteran police officer with the Houston Police Department was killed in an unprovoked attack. The 43-year-old officer, who had more than 10½ years of law enforcement experience, was conducting a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle pulled into the parking lot of an apartment complex, exited his car, and fled into the complex. The officer entered the car’s license plate information into his mobile data terminal and then followed the man into the complex but lost sight of him. The individual apparently hid from the officer in a front patio area of a vacant apartment and saw the officer run past him, giving the man the opportunity to ambush the officer. The man fired four rounds from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The officer, who was wearing body armor, was struck once in the throat, causing him to fall. The shooter then walked to the victim officer, stood over him, and fired another round into his head, killing him. The suspect then fled the scene in the suspect’s vehicle. At 8:43 a.m., residents of the apartment complex called 911 to report shots being fired, and one caller reported that an officer had been shot. Responding patrol units found the victim officer with his unholstered weapon under his body and his microphone in hand. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Witnesses were able to provide some license plate information on the suspect’s vehicle, which matched the data from the victim officer’s mobile data terminal. Investigators used this information to locate the vehicle at 9:10 a.m. at a residence in an unincorporated area of Harris County. Local, county, and state officers surrounded the residence. The 28-year-old suspect, who had a long criminal history including arrests for police assault, violent crime, and drugs, attempted to flee the area on foot. Officers caught him after a short pursuit and took him to the local police station where he confessed to the murder. He was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

*****

A trooper with the Department of Public Safety, Jefferson, was shot and killed during a traffic pursuit at 8 p.m. on April 29. The 39-year-old trooper, who had more than 4½ years of law enforcement experience, was wearing body armor while pursuing a car in Jefferson. The trooper had given dispatchers identifying information about the vehicle, which was occupied by a male driver and a female passenger, and requested assistance. After turning onto another roadway, the driver abruptly stopped, exited the vehicle, pulled out a 20-gauge pump-action shotgun, and fired five rounds at the trooper, who had not yet completely stopped his vehicle. Two rounds struck the trooper, one in the side of the head and another fatally in the front of the head. The suspect then fled the scene with his female passenger. A manhunt ensued that lasted for 3 days and involved multiple local, state, and federal agencies. As troopers moved in, the suspect committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. The 37-year-old suspect had an extensive list of prior convictions and was on parole. He was also known to use and possess drugs and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of his death. The female passenger was later charged with Hindering Apprehension and Failure to Report a Felony.

Virginia

On January 17 at 8:35 p.m., a 34-year-old detective with the Special Investigation Unit of the Chesapeake Police Department was killed while assisting in the serving of a search warrant at the home of a suspect. The officers involved in the tactical situation knocked on the man’s door and identified themselves as officers and announced their purpose at least twice. The man refused to let them in, so the officers attempted to force open the door. While the teams were trying to force their way in, the suspect fired two shots from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The victim detective, who had 8 years of law enforcement experience, was struck in his arms/hands, and one round entered through the armhole or shoulder area of his protective vest and struck him fatally in the chest. Other detectives moved the victim detective to a safe location and began life saving measures. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:15 p.m. After the victim detective was shot, the suspect, a 28-year-old man who had a prior criminal record involving drugs, was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder, Use of a Firearm in Commission of a Felony, and Possession of Marijuana.

*****

A 40-year-old officer with the Fredericksburg Police Department was shot and killed on June 6 during a felony traffic stop. Just after 11 p.m., a citizen reported that her former companion had been in the stairwell of her apartment building with a gun. An alert was issued and his vehicle was located in a nearby shopping center. When police approached, the man fled in his vehicle and headed directly to the apartment complex where the complainant lived. The man bailed out of his vehicle and ran behind an apartment building near a wooded area. The officer, who had nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, ran in one direction, and a second officer ran in the opposite direction around the building. The second officer heard shots fired, and the suspect was then heard running through the wooded area towards the apartment building where the complainant lived. The suspect fired several shots at vehicles and police officers. As police were commanding him to drop his weapon, the suspect continued to shoot and then attempted to reload the weapon. After the suspect reloaded, police returned fire, and the 47-year-old suspect fatally shot himself in the head with his .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, the same gun used to shoot the victim officer. A sergeant on the scene found the victim officer, who was wearing body armor, in the wooded area with a fatal gunshot wound to the rear of his head.

*****

A 37-year-old master police officer with the Virginia Beach Police Department, with 9 years of law enforcement experience, was shot and killed while working as an undercover narcotics officer in a buy/bust operation on August 7 around 11:15 p.m. Several cover/take down detectives were assisting nearby, monitoring and observing the evening’s activities as the veteran officer met with an individual in the parking lot of a shopping center. The suspect entered the officer’s vehicle, and they discussed the possibility of a drug transaction. The man stated he did not have the drugs on him, but would get them and return shortly. Before leaving the vehicle on foot, the suspect “checked” to see if the undercover officer was a cop. The suspect walked a short distance away and was observed with a second individual. Approximately 10 minutes later, the suspect walked back to the officer’s vehicle and got in again. Within a few minutes, the second individual with whom the first suspect had met drove up in an SUV and pulled alongside the undercover officer’s vehicle. The driver of the SUV exited his vehicle and approached the driver’s side of the officer’s vehicle and began to shoot. The suspect fired three shots from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking the officer in the arms/hands and, fatally, in the front upper torso/chest. The shooter was apprehended immediately at the scene by the cover/take down detectives; the first suspect fled but was pursued and apprehended by officers a short distance away. The victim officer was pronounced dead at the scene. The 26-year-old initial suspect, who had a prior criminal history, was charged with First-Degree Murder, Use of a Firearm to Commit a Felony, and Conspiracy to Violate Drug Control Act. The driver of the SUV and alleged shooter, a 23-year-old male who was under supervision/conditional release, was also charged with First-Degree Murder, Use of a Firearm to Commit a Felony, and Conspiracy to Violate Drug Control Act.

Washington

On September 2, a 40-year-old deputy sheriff with the Skagit County Sheriff’s Department was killed in Alger while responding to a 911 call, and a 42-year-old trooper with the Washington State Patrol was injured in a vehicle pursuit involving the same suspect. The deputy, who had more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the residence of the 911 caller around 3:30 p.m. The caller said her son was at a neighbor’s home and was acting strangely. The deputy drove to the neighbor’s home, and when the deputy knocked on the front door, a man opened the door and shot at her with a .44 magnum lever-action rifle. The deputy immediately returned fire from the top step near the door. The deputy retreated to her locked patrol car and finally to a nearby tree while returning fire. The deputy exhausted the ammunition in her three magazines, becoming incapacitated and unable to return fire. The suspect then approached her and shot her once in the head at close range. In addition to the fatal head wound, the deputy, who was wearing a protective vest, suffered 9 gunshot wounds to the front upper torso, below the waist, and in her arms/hands. The shooter continued his killing spree resulting in five dead and four wounded individuals. One of the wounded, a veteran Washington State trooper with 15 years of law enforcement experience, had responded to a request for assistance involving pursuit of the suspect’s vehicle just after 4:30 p.m. Planning to assist in pursuit from behind, the trooper mistakenly entered the highway in front of the alleged shooter’s vehicle. When the trooper learned that the suspect was being followed by an unmarked patrol vehicle, he slowed to try to let the truck pass, but the driver of the truck also slowed. The trooper then accelerated ahead of the truck and as he did, the driver fired a round from his rifle, striking the trooper in his left arm above the elbow. The trooper drove himself to a local hospital where he received treatment. The 28-year-old assailant, who had a previous criminal history that included violent crime and drug violations, was apprehended and charged with six counts of First-Degree Murder and Assault.

*****

A 51-year-old officer with the U.S. Forest Service in Vancouver was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious person near Sequim around 2:45 p.m. on September 20. The 21-year veteran of law enforcement was responding to a report of a suspicious man and a van without a license plate at a campground in Olympic National Forest. She notified Washington State Patrol dispatch that she was going to be out of her vehicle talking with a man she believed was associated with the van. She requested a driver’s check, and gave the name and date of birth that the man provided. The dispatcher advised the officer that the man was a convicted felon, had a temporary protection order and a no contact order placed against him, and that he was on parole. The officer acknowledged receipt of the message. The dispatcher attempted to contact the officer for an updated status but did not receive a response. Clallam County deputies and Washington State Patrol troopers responded to the area and found the victim officer lying in the woods at the side of the road below her marked patrol vehicle, which was still running with the emergency lights activated and her K-9 partner in the vehicle. The officer, who was wearing body armor, died of a gunshot wound to the side of the head from a handgun. Officers searched the area and found the suspect’s van abandoned several miles from the scene. Fliers of the suspect were posted around the community. Around 9 p.m. that evening, Clallam County deputies responded to a 911 call from employees at a local establishment who thought the suspect was inside their store. As two deputies arrived, the suspect was coming out of the front of the building. They ordered the man to stop, but he continued walking forward, reached to his waist, and pulled out a pistol. The deputies shot and killed the 36-year-old suspect. Further investigation revealed that the suspect had also killed a second victim, a recently retired correctional officer who was shot to death and whose vehicle was found at the store where deputies had killed the suspect.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2009

Alabama

At 5:45 p.m. on April 24, a chief investigator with the Headland Police Department was killed and a deputy sheriff with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office was injured during a disturbance call that turned into an ambush. Earlier in the day, a woman had pulled her vehicle into a store’s parking lot to get a signal to make a telephone call on her mobile phone. While she was sitting in her car, a man approached the automobile from the rear and fired a shot into the air from a shotgun he was carrying. The man told the woman to “keep her family close,” that “bad things” were going to happen, and that she needed to leave his property. The woman called her husband, and when he got off work around 4 p.m., the pair returned to the store’s parking lot and called police. A 38-year-old deputy sheriff, who had 14 years of law enforcement experience, and a reserve deputy were dispatched to the scene shortly before 5 p.m. When the deputy sheriff and reserve deputy arrived at the scene, the officers parked their police car near the home and exited the vehicle. The deputy sheriff went to the front of the home, and the reserve deputy went toward the rear of the vehicle. As the deputy sheriff approached the front door of the residence, the reserve deputy saw a man with a weapon come around the corner of the house. The reserve deputy yelled “gun,” and the deputy sheriff tried to turn toward the vehicle for cover. The armed man fired three rounds from a 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun at the deputy sheriff, striking him in the head, neck, chest, back, and hands. The reserve deputy radioed that an officer was down and that he needed assistance. A 38-year-old chief investigator with the Headland Police Department and his partner responded to the call and stopped in the parking lot of a nearby store. The chief investigator, who had more than 16 years of law enforcement experience, exited the vehicle, retrieved his service weapon, and attempted to verbally engage the suspect. However, before the chief investigator could issue any commands to the suspect, the man fired an unknown number of rounds from a .280-caliber semiautomatic rifle at the chief investigator, who was wearing body armor. The rounds struck the chief investigator in the front of the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His partner and responding officers from the Quitman County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia and the Abbeville Police Department in Alabama engaged the 53-year-old suspect in a firefight, killing him. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record, may have had a mental disorder and had possibly stopped taking his medications. At the time of the publication, the injured deputy sheriff had not returned to duty.

*****

On September 24, just before 1 p.m., a 39-year-old deputy sheriff with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office died from wounds incurred while performing a traffic stop. The deputy, with nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner were on patrol when they spotted a vehicle with the driver behaving suspiciously. The deputies ran a check on the license plate and found that the license plate and vehicle information did not match. The deputy and a trainee partner, who was driving, pulled over the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle, the sole occupant, turned into the driveway of a residence, and the officers followed. Suddenly, the driver made a u-turn in the yard and attempted to pass the patrol car on the passenger side in order to flee. The deputy was stepping from the passenger side of the cruiser, and the suspect accelerated his vehicle, striking the victim deputy and pinning him under the vehicle. The victim deputy’s partner drew her sidearm and fired two rounds, after which the man surrendered. The 37-year-old assailant, who had a prior criminal record and was on parole at the time of the incident, was taken into custody by the victim’s partner and later charged with Capital Murder. The victim deputy was taken to a local hospital where he subsequently died.

*****

A 26-year-old police officer with the Mobile Police Department died from a gunshot wound sustained while investigating a disturbance call around 11:30 p.m. on June 2. The officer, with nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, was off duty but encountered the disturbance at the apartment complex where he lived and where he also served as courtesy officer. In his official capacity, the officer investigated the dispute and initially dispersed the parties involved in the altercation. Shortly after the incident, one of the parties involved returned to the location of the dispute armed with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Witnesses reported that the individual seemed extremely agitated. The officer approached a vehicle in which one of the original parties involved in the dispute was sitting to ask them to leave the premises. As the officer approached the passenger side of the vehicle, the armed man, who was concealed on the other side of the vehicle, stood up and shot through the open windows of the vehicle, striking the officer in the upper torso/chest area. The 18-year-old alleged assailant then fled the scene in the vehicle. He was pursued by responding officers and was apprehended about 1 hour after the incident. The victim officer was rushed to a nearby hospital by emergency personnel where he succumbed to his injuries a few minutes after midnight on June 3. The alleged assailant was charged with Capital Murder, Altering the Identity of a Firearm, Third-Degree Receiving Stolen Property, and Second-Degree Possession of Marijuana.

*****

A 33-year-old police officer with the Pelham Police Department was fatally wounded during a traffic stop at 11:50 p.m. on December 3. The veteran officer, who had more than 10 years of law enforcement experience, stopped a driver for speeding in a construction zone. Approximately 10 minutes later, dispatch received a call reporting that an officer was lying on the road in that area. Dispatch attempted to contact the officer by his radio, but they were unable to reach him. Several back-up officers arrived on the scene and found the victim officer with a gunshot wound to the front of his head. The back-up officers immediately called for emergency medical personnel, who arrived shortly thereafter and transported the victim officer to a local hospital, where in the early morning hours of December 4, he was pronounced dead from a wound inflicted by a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Investigating officers identified a suspect in the slaying of the victim officer from information that was obtained from the officer’s ticket book found at the scene of the shooting. The partially completed speeding ticket contained the man’s name, birth date, and a description of the suspect’s vehicle. A region-wide announcement was broadcast to be on the lookout for the suspect and his vehicle. Officers from the Alabama Bureau of Investigation arrived on the scene and reviewed footage from the victim officer’s dash-mounted camera that showed the victim officer approaching the driver’s side of the suspect’s car, speaking to the driver, and returning to the patrol car. The officer approached the suspect’s vehicle a second time and engaged in another conversation with the driver. As the officer looked down at his ticket book, the man produced a handgun. The white flash of an apparent gunshot appeared on the video, and the victim officer fell to the ground. Police from nearby Trussville, who had heard the description of the murder suspect and the vehicle he was driving, recognized the description of the car as one belonging to the brother of a Trussville police officer. Meanwhile, in Birmingham, the Birmingham Police Department received a telephone call about a man who was trying to break into vehicles and subsequently was seen getting into a truck driven by an unidentified individual. Birmingham officers issued an alert for the truck, and an officer in Trussville reported seeing a truck matching this description speeding through Trussville approximately 1 hour after the shooting incident in Pelham. Officers from Birmingham subsequently located an abandoned car matching the description of the shooting suspect’s vehicle. It appeared to have blood on the driver’s side doors and roof. Shortly thereafter, the suspect, in a truck driven by his brother, approached cruisers from the Hoover Police Department parked at an exit by the side of the highway. As police officers apprehended the man, he stated, “I’m the guy you’re looking for.” After a tip from the suspect’s brother, police found the weapon used in the murder of the victim officer in the glove compartment of the truck. The 29-year-old suspect, who had no previous criminal history, was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

Arkansas

The 50-year-old assistant chief of the Plumerville Police Department was shot and killed around 6:20 a.m. on June 19 while attempting a traffic stop of a reported stolen vehicle. The assistant chief, who had 27 years of law enforcement experience, had stopped a truck along a local portion of a national highway. He was approaching the vehicle when the suspect fired a single shot from a .22-caliber revolver, fatally wounding the assistant chief in the upper left chest. The assistant chief returned fire, striking the tailgate of the truck before the suspect fled. The victim officer succumbed to his wounds at the scene shortly thereafter. The 22-year-old alleged assailant, who had a prior criminal record and was on probation at the time of the incident, was arrested approximately 15 miles from the shooting. He was charged with Capital Felony Murder, Felon in Possession, and Theft by Receiving.

California

Four officers from the Oakland Police Department were killed and another of its officers was injured during a traffic stop and related tactical situation on March 21. Shortly after 1 p.m., a 40-year-old sergeant, who had 18 years of law enforcement experience, advised that he was making a traffic stop. A 41-year-old officer, who had 10 years of law enforcement experience, had just cleared a traffic stop one block away and drove to the sergeant’s location. The lone occupant of the vehicle that the sergeant had stopped presented false identification. The sergeant and the officer were walking toward the vehicle on the driver’s side when the occupant of the vehicle opened fire with a .40caliber semiautomatic handgun through the open window on the driver’s side. Both officers, though wearing protective body armor, were each fatally struck in the neck. The victim officers were transported to a local hospital where they succumbed to their injuries. A SWAT team was assembled to search for the suspect, who had fled from the scene. At 3:02 p.m., the tactical team entered the apartment of the suspect’s sister, where they had tracked him. As a 43yearold sergeant with 13 years of law enforcement experience and a 35yearold sergeant with 9 years of law enforcement experience entered the apartment, they were shot by the suspect with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. Both victim sergeants were wearing body armor, and both were shot fatally in the fronts of their heads. The suspect retreated to a rear bedroom. As a 33-year-old sergeant, who had 11 years of law enforcement experience, entered that room, he was shot in the front upper torso/chest above his protective vest. He was transported to a local hospital where he was treated and released. The other sergeants were transported to the hospital where they were pronounced dead. The 26-year-old suspect, who had an extensive criminal history and had a paroleeatlarge warrant against him, was shot and killed during the incident.

*****

At 9 p.m. on July 23, a 30-year-old agent with the U.S. Border Patrol, Campo Station, was shot and killed while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances in Campo. The agent, who had 11 years of law enforcement experience, was patrolling alone and had radioed that he had spotted multiple individuals traveling north in Mexico toward the United States border. Other agents working in the vicinity lost radio contact with the agent and subsequently heard gunshots. Responding agents went to the last known location of the agent and found his vehicle, its lights on and the motor still running. They found the victim agent a short distance away in the brush. He had been shot multiple times in the head and torso from both the front and rear. The victim agent’s service handgun, radio, handcuffs, and personal mobile phone were all missing. On August 14, a 16-year-old male was arrested for the murder and charged with Murder of a Federal Officer Committed in Perpetration of a Robbery and Aiding and Abetting. That individual subsequently pled guilty and was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison.

Colorado

A sergeant with the Montrose Police Department was killed and two officers were wounded at 9:40 p.m., July 25, when they were responding to a domestic incident. The 41-year-old sergeant, who had 19 years of law enforcement experience, was called to a home at 8:30 p.m. to assist two officers who were dealing with a person under the influence of alcohol. The person had barricaded himself in a detached garage. The sergeant, along with the intoxicated man’s family members, negotiated with the man for more than an hour. When negotiations failed, the sergeant decided to forcibly enter the garage in order to arrest the man. Family members assured the officers that though there were weapons in the garage, the man inside did not have a key to the locked container, which they called a “gun safe.” Upon the police breaking through the door, however, the man began shooting at them with a 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun. The assailant fired four times. All three law enforcement members were wearing body armor; however, the victim sergeant was fatally struck in the upper torso when a bullet entered the armhole of his protective vest. The other two officers were wounded. One, who was 53 years old and had 18 years of law enforcement experience, was shot in the left leg. The other, who was 24 years old and had 2 years of law enforcement experience, was struck in both legs. Although these two officers returned fire, the 52-year-old offender was not hit and retreated to a bathroom in the garage where he committed suicide. What had been described as a “gun safe” was a gun locker made of sheet metal. The shooter had used hand tools in the garage to peel the metal away and had gained access to the weapons inside. The shooter, who had prior mental disorders, knew the sergeant through a law enforcement relationship. He had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime conviction and was on probation at the time of the incident.

Delaware

Two officers with the Georgetown Police Department were shot around 6:40 p.m. on September 1 while investigating a complaint of shots being fired at a local fast-food restaurant. A 29-year-old patrol officer, who had nearly 6 years of law enforcement experience, was fatally shot in the incident, and a 31-year-old corporal, who had nearly 7 years of law enforcement experience, sustained minor injuries. The officers were on patrol together when they heard a broadcast providing a description of a vehicle occupied by the suspects involved in the reported shooting incident, which allegedly also involved a robbery. According to later reports, one or more of the suspects had robbed a drug dealer and then had fired rounds at the dealer before fleeing the scene with an undisclosed amount of marijuana. The patrol officer and the corporal, both of whom were wearing body armor, spotted the suspects’ vehicle in front of them. The corporal, who was driving the patrol car, began to pursue the vehicle, which was occupied by three men. The pursuit ended when the suspects’ vehicle came to an abrupt stop, and the corporal stopped alongside it. A passenger in the rear driver’s side of the suspects’ vehicle shot through his partially opened window with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The round entered the officers’ passenger side window and struck the patrol officer in the face, killing him. The corporal, unaware that his partner was struck, received a minor injury to his neck from shrapnel from the round. In spite of his injury, he exited the vehicle and began a foot pursuit of the driver, who had gotten out of the suspects’ vehicle and was fleeing the scene. The driver managed to escape, however, and when the corporal returned to the police vehicle, it was only then that he realized that his partner had been shot, and he called for assistance. One of the suspects had remained in the car at the original location and was apprehended; one of the other suspects, the alleged shooter who had killed the officer, had also fled the scene. He was tracked to an area east of the scene, and several assisting officers converged there. The alleged assailant was found inside a residence, and when the officers entered the dwelling, they took the 22-year-old man into custody and charged him with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, three counts of Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Felony, Burglary, Reckless Endangering, and Resisting Arrest. The man, who had in his possession the gun used in the shooting of the patrol officer, had a prior criminal record including violent crime, drugs, and weapons violations. The driver of the vehicle turned himself in approximately 3 days later.

Florida

Two deputy sheriffs, both aged 44, with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office were shot and killed while attempting to make an arrest in Crestview around 12:50 p.m. on April 25. About 10:20 a.m., other deputies from the same office responded to a local hospital regarding a report of domestic violence. The victim told the deputies that her husband had beaten her, and she gave the officers a description of his truck and also indicated that she believed he would be at their apartment or at a local shooting range. Around noon, the victim deputies, both of whom were wearing body armor, located the suspect’s truck at the shooting range and saw the man standing behind the truck. The deputies, who were driving separate patrol cars, parked several feet behind the truck with the patrol cars facing opposite directions. Witnesses said the deputies approached the man and ordered him to get on the ground, but the man refused. As the deputies continued to give the man commands to get on the ground, one of the deputies pulled out a conducted energy device (CED). When the man continued to defy their orders, the deputy used the CED. The man fell to the ground, then immediately pulled out a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and began shooting at the deputies. One of the deputies took cover at the front of one of the cruisers, and the assailant positioned himself at the back of the same cruiser. In an exchange of gunfire, the deputy at the front of the cruiser was hit in the shoulder. Despite the injury, the deputy (whose total years of law enforcement experience is unknown) was able to notify dispatchers that he was shot, and he continued to exchange gunfire. The shooter stepped away from the vehicle, approached the injured deputy, and shot him in the front of the head. The second deputy, who had more than 22 years of law enforcement experience, had taken cover but was out of view of any witnesses. At one point, someone at the shooting range saw the second deputy move to the back of the truck, and he attempted to take cover by jumping into the open passenger side door of the assailant’s vehicle. Witnesses then heard gunshots and saw the window from the open door shatter. The assailant walked around his truck and shut the passenger side door. He then walked around to the driver’s side, got in, and sped off on a local highway. A short time later, additional deputies arrived at the scene and found the two victim deputies lying on the ground. They were transported to a local hospital where they both died later that day. The first deputy succumbed to the gunshot wound to the front of his head, and the second deputy succumbed to the gunshot wound to the rear of his head. Dispatchers broadcast a description of the man’s truck to local law enforcement. A sergeant from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, traveling on the same highway, spotted the truck and attempted to make a traffic stop, but the man refused to stop. The sergeant pursued the vehicle as additional officers deployed spike strips in an attempt to disable the truck in a couple of locations along the highway. However, the suspect avoided the strips and continued to flee at speeds of up to 80 mph. A police officer from the Defuniak Springs Police Department placed a set of spike strips across the road along the highway at the city limits. The suspect saw the spike strips and turned across all lanes of the highway to avoid them. He drove off of the right shoulder of the highway and headed toward the sergeant. The sergeant pulled out his gun and fired at the driver’s window as the suspect sped past him going about 70 mph. At this point, five patrol units from Walton County and one unit from Okaloosa County were in pursuit. As the suspect’s vehicle crossed the entrance road to a local airport, it went airborne and left the roadway. The suspect attempted to gain control of the truck and return to the road when the sergeant from Walton County performed a tactical maneuver in an attempt to end the pursuit. The maneuver forced the suspect’s truck off of the right shoulder of the roadway where the truck struck a sign and some shrubs. The vehicle then flipped several times and struck the roof and windshield of a vehicle driven by a Walton County sheriff’s deputy before coming to rest up against that deputy’s vehicle. The remaining deputies involved in the pursuit positioned their vehicles around the suspect’s truck. The suspect, still in the vehicle, shot at the deputies, who returned fire and killed the assailant to end the threat. The 28-year-old man had a prior criminal record that included violent crime.

*****

A 38-year-old corporal with the Tampa Police Department was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious person around 10 p.m. on August 19. When the veteran corporal, who had nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience, confronted a man pushing a shopping cart full of items in an outside commercial area, a fight ensued. The man tried to run away, and the corporal tackled him. The man then produced a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, hit the corporal in the head with it, and shot the corporal in the front upper torso/chest area. The round entered the corporal’s ballistic vest through the armhole area, fatally wounding him. The man ran back to the shopping cart and grabbed a canvas bag as a second officer arrived. He reportedly pulled a semiautomatic rifle from the bag, aimed it at the responding officer, and then fled the scene. A police dog later tracked the suspect to the backyard of a nearby residence. The 34-year-old male was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Aggravated Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer, Carrying a Concealed Firearm, and Depriving a Law Enforcement Officer of Communications. In addition to the military-type gear and numerous ammunition magazines found in the shopping cart, police confiscated three handguns and a rifle from the offender.

Illinois

A 59-year-old lieutenant with the Centreville Police Department was shot and killed while investigating suspicious persons shortly before 2:30 a.m. on June 2. The veteran lieutenant, who had nearly 23 years of law enforcement experience, was patrolling an area near a housing complex when he noticed three or four people loitering at the complex. He stopped his vehicle and told them to leave the area. The lieutenant circled the complex and came back to where he first saw the group, and they were still there. He stopped his vehicle and exited but did not notify the dispatcher that he had left the vehicle or that he was investigating suspicious persons. The lieutenant ordered the individuals to place their hands on the patrol vehicle. As he was patting down one of the individuals, a man pulled out a .32-caliber revolver from his waistband and fired three shots, striking the victim lieutenant in the chest, back of the head, and fatally in the neck. A witness contacted dispatch via the radio in the victim lieutenant’s patrol car and informed them that the lieutenant had been shot. Tips from the public assisted the authorities in locating and arresting the suspect on June 4. The 22-year-old man, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, police assault, and weapons violations, was charged with First-Degree Murder.

*****

A 27-year-old police officer with the Chicago Police Department was shot and killed in an ambush around 12:30 a.m. on June 1. The officer, who had nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner responded to a dispatch call of shots fired and a report that gang members were hiding guns in the garage of a nearby residence. As the officers approached the location, they saw someone walking near the residence. While the officers were questioning this person, a vehicle drove by, and a passenger fired multiple shots at them through an open window of the vehicle with a .357 Magnum revolver. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor, was shot in the thigh and the back of the head. He was taken to a local hospital where he died later that morning from the head wound. Later that day, authorities arrested a 21-year-old suspect and charged him with Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer. The suspect stated that he believed he was shooting at rival gang members. The following day, another suspect, a 20-year-old male, was arrested and charged with Murder and Attempted Murder. Both men were on probation at the time of the incident, were known drug dealers, and had prior criminal records that included violent crimes, drugs, and weapons violations.

Kansas

A 26-year-old deputy sheriff with the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office was shot at 12 p.m. on September 28 in an ambush in Wichita. The deputy, who had more than 1 year of law enforcement experience, had been dispatched a few minutes earlier to investigate a report of larceny. At 12:01 p.m., he radioed dispatch to report that he had been shot. Apparently, the deputy arrived at the residence but was unable to get anyone to answer the front door. He asked the dispatcher to contact the complainant on the telephone, which the dispatcher did. The complainant instructed the deputy via the dispatcher to meet him behind the residence. The deputy went to the rear of the residence, and the man, who was hiding behind a tree, immediately opened fire with a .30-30 lever-action rifle, wounding the deputy in his chest, the front below his waist, and fatally in his back, where at least one of the bullets penetrated his body armor. The force of the shot knocked the victim deputy to the ground. The man approached the deputy and attempted to shoot him at close range, but the rifle malfunctioned and did not fire. After a struggle, the man took the deputy’s service weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and pointed it at the deputy. The deputy, still lying on the ground, lifted his leg in an effort to protect himself from the bullet when the man fired the weapon, and the bullet went through the deputy’s foot and lodged in his bulletproof vest. The man fled the scene, and it was then that the victim deputy radioed dispatch that he had been shot twice. Assisting deputies arrived, secured the scene, and administered emergency medical treatment to the victim deputy until an ambulance arrived. The victim deputy was transported to a local medical center where he underwent surgery, but he succumbed to his wounds later that day. In the meantime, officers from the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, the Wichita Police Department, the Derby Police Department, the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP), the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the FBI responded to the scene of the shooting. They surrounded the house where they believed the shooter was located and attempted negotiations with him, but those attempts were unsuccessful. Eventually they introduced gas into the house and then used a robot with a camera in an effort to find the man. However, the suspect had escaped into a rural area surrounding the house. As two ATF agents and one KHP trooper drove through the field where they believed the suspect was hiding, he fired at them with the service weapon he had taken from the fallen deputy. A brief gun battle ensued, and the suspect was fatally wounded and died at the scene. Investigating officers discovered that the man had remarked earlier that he was going to “kill a cop,” and that he subsequently had called in the false report of larceny. They found a large supply of ammunition for the .30-30 rifle and outdoor clothing in a duffle bag at the scene in addition to the victim deputy’s service weapon. The offender was a 27-year-old man with a prior criminal record that included police assault and violent crime.

Minnesota

On September 7, at 8:45 a.m., a 57-year-old officer with the North St. Paul Police Department was shot and killed and a 37-year-old officer with the Maplewood Police Department was wounded while attempting an arrest. The North St. Paul officer, who had nearly 16 years of law enforcement experience, and the Maplewood officer, who had more than 10 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a call regarding a possible violation of a protection order. The woman who had called for assistance and her daughter were waiting in the parking lot outside of their apartment building when the officers arrived. The woman said that she thought her former husband, for whom she had an active protection order, might be in her apartment. He had violated the protection order previously and was on conditional release. At the woman’s request, the officers first checked the vacant apartment adjacent to the woman’s residence but found no sign of the man there. The woman then unlocked the door to her apartment, and the North St. Paul officer entered first and was immediately assaulted by the woman’s ex-husband. The officer pushed the woman and her daughter away from the attack, and he then was struck in the face with a burning rag that the man was wielding. In the altercation that ensued between the two officers and the man, the man managed to remove the North St. Paul officer’s service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, from its holster and shoot the officer once in the side of his head. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor, died instantly. The man immediately turned the gun on the second officer, who was also wearing body armor. In the ensuing gunfight, she fired eight shots at the assailant, and he fired several rounds at her. During this time, the officer’s weapon malfunctioned once, but not before five of her rounds struck the assailant. She discarded that magazine and attempted to load another one, not knowing that it had been damaged by one of the rounds fired by the assailant. The rounds from that magazine spilled onto the floor, and as she was loading her last magazine, a back-up officer arrived, and she and the officer seized the firearm from the shooter and handcuffed him. The 34-year-old assailant, who had had a prior criminal record and convictions that included violent crime, drugs, and weapons violations, died at the scene a short time later. Medical personnel that arrived on the scene pronounced both the victim officer and the assailant deceased. They transported the wounded officer to a local hospital where the injuries to her arms/hands and front lower torso were treated. She was released later that day and returned to work approximately 2 weeks later.

New Jersey

On July 19, a 37-year-old detective with the Jersey City Police Department (JCPD) succumbed to gunshot wounds he received 3 days earlier while attempting to arrest a man suspected of shooting another police detective. In that incident, which occurred on July 16 around 5 a.m., a JCPD surveillance team was monitoring a vehicle that was allegedly used in an armed robbery in which an individual was shot with a 12-gauge shotgun. When the officers saw a female suspect move the vehicle to the opposite side of the street, they began to move toward the vehicle in their unmarked car. The woman exited the vehicle and was joined by a male suspect who apparently had been lurking nearby; the pair crossed the roadway. As the unmarked police car came into view, the man pulled a 12-gauge shotgun from under his robe-like garment and began firing at the unmarked car, striking the detective who was operating it. The pair then fled into an apartment complex. An entry team comprised of the JCPD and the Port Authority of New York and the New Jersey Police Department responded and attempted to elicit the suspects’ surrender. Among the team members was the JCPD veteran detective, who had more than 10 years of law enforcement experience. When the attempts failed to yield a response from the suspects, the entry team began a floor-by-floor, unit-by-unit search of the complex. After clearing 14 units, the team knocked on the door of the fifteenth unit; although the knocks were unanswered, officers heard activity inside the apartment. As the officers prepared to break through the door, the male suspect began firing the same 12-gauge shotgun, striking four officers. The officers returned fire, fatally shooting both the male and female suspects. The victim detective, who was wearing body armor, suffered a shotgun blast to the head and neck. He was transported to a medical facility where he died from the wound to his head. The 32-year-old male assailant had a previous criminal record with both juvenile and adult convictions and that involved violent crime, drugs, police assault, and weapons violations.

New Mexico

A sergeant with the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed on July 16 while investigating a burglary in progress in La Cueva. The 45yearold sergeant, with nearly 27 years of law enforcement experience, and a deputy were on duty working an undercover burglary operation. Around 4:30 a.m., a lone male entered the cabin where the officers were, and a struggle ensued. After the officers handcuffed the 62-year-old burglary suspect, he brandished a .357caliber revolver and fired five rounds at the officers. The victim sergeant was shot in the arms/hands and fatally below the waist, severing his right femoral artery. Despite being shot, the sergeant was able to return fire, killing the assailant instantly. The man was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident and was wanted in Canada for a double homicide. The sergeant was airlifted to a hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival at 6:48 a.m. The deputy was not injured in the incident.

North Carolina

At 1:25 a.m. on April 8, a 29-year-old detective with the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), who had more than 7 years of law enforcement experience, was killed during a tactical situation in a wooded area in Grifton. A 27-year-old detective with the same agency was also wounded in the incident. At 10 p.m. on April 7, deputies responded to a report of a man who had parked his car near a wooded area, exited the vehicle, and fired a gun. Although the deputies found the vehicle, they could not locate the man. Moments later, the man fired a shot from the nearby patch of woods and continued to fire shots about once every 10 minutes; however, none of the rounds struck the officers or their vehicles. Additional officers arrived and set up a perimeter on both sides of the wooded area. Using a public address system, officers attempted to contact the man, and he responded by firing his weapon again. Meanwhile, officers processed the vehicle’s license information and determined that the owner was a woman in a nearby county. Sheriff’s deputies from that county went to the woman’s residence in an effort to determine the identity of the shooter, but they found the woman dead, apparently murdered in her home. Police determined that the woman’s boyfriend was the individual in the woods firing at the officers. Officers summoned a special response team from the LCSO and a helicopter from the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Officers in the helicopter scanned the area using infrared technology, and after about 25 minutes, they located the man. Seven members of the special response team, wearing ballistic vests and using a thermal unit and a ballistic shield, entered the woods. The helicopter pilot radioed the team informing them when they were within 5 yards of the man. Armed with a 7 mm bolt-action rifle, the man fired a round at the officers, who were in a “stack formation.” The round went through the sleeve of the first officer’s uniform and struck the detective fatally in the left shoulder. The victim detective was wearing a protective vest, but the round exceeded the vest’s specifications. In the exchange of gunfire that followed, fragments from a shot struck the second detective in the left side of the neck, injuring him. Officers returned fire, hitting the suspect five times; he later died of his injuries. The injured detective recovered from his wounds and returned to duty several weeks later. The 43-year-old suspect had a record involving weapons violations, violent crime, and police assault. Police later found a note in the suspect’s home that indicated he was going to kill as many officers as he could. Investigators also determined that he had murdered his girlfriend.

*****

A corporal from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed on December 8 at 9:15 a.m. while responding to a disturbance call in Williamston. The 38-year-old veteran corporal, who had nearly 16 years of law enforcement service, responded to a report that a man was walking around and firing a gun in a residential area in the city. When the corporal arrived at the alleged shooter’s residence, he saw a man was inside the home. The corporal had a brief conversation with the man from the front porch and then immediately requested that all available officers report to the scene. The man appeared to walk to the rear interior of the home, and the corporal walked to the side of the house, approaching the backyard. In the backyard, the corporal encountered the man holding a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. The corporal ordered the man to drop his weapon; instead, the man fired an unknown number of shots, striking the corporal in the front upper torso/chest. The victim corporal was wearing body armor, but one bullet entered his chest through his left armpit, circumventing the vest. The alleged assailant, a 36-year-old man with a prior criminal record including police assault, was shot and killed by assisting officers who had arrived on the scene.

*****

At 10:29 a.m. on October 7, two officers with the Winston-Salem Police Department were shot while responding to a warrant service request. A 50-year-old sergeant was shot and killed, and a 27-year-old officer was injured while attempting to make an arrest stemming from the warrant. The officer, who had more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner responded to the original call made from a local fast-food restaurant. While the officers were en route to the location, the call was upgraded to a hold-up alarm. The two officers arrived on the scene and made contact with the individual who had made the call. Apparently, a man had gone into the business to confront his ex-wife and had created a disturbance. It was then that personnel were prompted to activate the hold-up alarm. The officers identified the suspect and confirmed that he had outstanding warrants for his arrest regarding offenses against his ex-wife. The officers were told that the suspect had exited the building and was in an adjacent parking lot. When the officers went to the parking lot to confront the man, he ran, and the officers pursued on foot. The suspect attempted to run back into the restaurant, but the employees had locked the doors. The sergeant, a 27-year veteran of law enforcement, arrived on the scene to assist just as the suspect was rounding a nearby building. The man ran down an embankment into a thicket, and the sergeant followed him. While in the thicket, the man produced a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot the sergeant, who was wearing body armor, in the front of his head at point blank range. The 27-year-old officer caught up to them in the thicket, and the suspect shot the officer in the chest. The round was stopped by the officer’s body armor. The officer was also struck by a bullet in the side of the head, near his ear. The officer returned fire with six shots, striking the man three times. The 35-year-old suspect died at the scene. He had a prior criminal record including violent crime, drugs, police assault, and weapons violations. Both the sergeant and the officer were transported to a local medical center. The officer survived his injury but did not return to duty. The sergeant did not recover from his injury and died 5 days later.

*****

Two sheriff’s deputies with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Department were shot and killed in the city of Seminole in an ambush around 4:30 p.m. on July 26. About 4 p.m., a woman called the department because her son, against whom she had a restraining order, had broken into her home, and she was afraid to go into the residence. The two deputies went to the home to investigate. One of the deputies knocked on the front door three times then entered the home. The man in the house opened fire on the officers with 22 shots from a 9 mm automatic rifle. The first deputy, who was 23 years old and had 1 year of law enforcement experience, was struck in the front below the waist and in the front of the head. The second deputy, who was 43 years old and had 3 years of law enforcement experience, was hit by a round in the chest. The first deputy died at the scene from the gunshot wound to his head. The second deputy was taken to a local hospital where he died later that day. The 26-year-old alleged assailant was arrested and charged with two counts of Murder. He was a known drug user and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. The man also had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, drugs, police assault, and weapons violations.

Pennsylvania

A 32-year-old patrol officer with the Penn Hills Police Department was shot and killed on December 6 around 8:25 p.m. in an ambush. The patrol officer, who was a 5½-year veteran of law enforcement, was sitting in his police cruiser waiting for backup outside the house where a 911 call around 8:20 p.m. indicated that there was a man inside with a gun. While the telephone line remained open, the dispatcher heard what sounded like a struggle, then gunshots. A second officer arrived at the scene and reported that an officer was down. Additional units were called to the scene. Approximately 8:30 p.m., a sergeant arrived and found a woman standing in the street crying and yelling, “He’s been shot, the cop’s shot.” She told the sergeant that the victim officer was in his car. The sergeant told the woman to return to her house and remain there, and he ran to the patrol officer’s vehicle, where he found the victim patrol officer slumped in the front seat with a gunshot wound to his head. Because of the initial “officer down” call, medical personnel already had been dispatched. Within minutes of the sergeant’s arrival, an ambulance arrived at the scene and rushed the patrol officer to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later of the head wound from a round from a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. Further investigation showed that the victim patrol officer, who was wearing body armor, was also shot in the chest but had been able to fire two shots from his service weapon before he was fatally wounded. They also found the body of another man in an upstairs bathroom. Apparently, the suspect had shot and killed the man in the bathroom and was attempting to run from the scene when he saw the patrol officer in the cruiser and had shot him. Twelve hours later, officers arrested a 32-year-old suspect when they located him in his mother’s residence. The suspect had a criminal record that included murder, weapons violations, and drugs, and was also on parole at the time of the incident. He was charged with two counts of Criminal Homicide, Burglary, Robbery, Illegal Possession of a Firearm, Possession of a Firearm without a License, Possession of a Firearm with an Altered Manufacturing Number, and Possession of a Prohibitive/Offensive Weapon.

*****

Around 8:40 p.m. on June 7, a 34-year-old state trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police, Swiftwater, who had nearly 7 years of law enforcement experience, was fatally shot following a traffic stop in Coolbaugh Township. A 35-year-old state trooper with the same detachment, who had nearly 6 years of law enforcement experience, was injured in the same incident. Approximately 7:45 p.m., officers from the Nazareth Borough Police Department (NBPD) responded to the residence of a reported protection from abuse violation. When the officers arrived at the home, they found that the suspect had left the home with his 9-year-old son. Other officers with the NBPD spotted the man driving his vehicle, and they pursued him for 40 miles to Coolbaugh Township. Assisting officers were able to stop the vehicle. The two troopers from the Swiftwater detachment approached the vehicle, and when they were within 5 feet of the driver’s door, the man opened fire with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking the victim officer in the neck and wounding the other officer in his left shoulder. The troopers returned fire, striking the assailant, while another state trooper and a corporal with the Tatamy Borough Police Department pulled the boy from the vehicle unharmed. The fatally wounded state trooper, who was wearing body armor, was airlifted to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injury later that day. The second state trooper, who was also wearing body armor, was taken to another hospital where he was treated and later released. The 31-year-old assailant, who was on probation at the time of the incident and who had a prior criminal record that included drug use, was pronounced dead at the scene.

*****

A 25-year-old police officer with the Philadelphia Police Department was shot and killed on February 13 while investigating an attempted robbery. At 8:12 p.m., the officer and his partner responded to a call where they were met by a cab driver who identified a man who had attempted to rob him. As the officers approached the suspect, they directed him to remove his hands from his pockets. The man fired multiple shots from a .357-caliber revolver from inside his jacket pocket. The victim officer, who had nearly 6 years of law enforcement experience, was struck three times in the front upper torso/chest above his body armor. Both officers returned fire and wounded the offender. The victim officer was transported to a local medical center where he died shortly after arrival. The 33yearold suspect, a known drug dealer and user, was on probation at the time of the incident. He was arrested and charged with Murder and Narcotics Possession.

*****

Three officers from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police were killed and another of its officers was injured in an ambush at a residence shortly after 7 a.m. on April 4. At 7:03 a.m., dispatchers received a call of a domestic dispute at the residence, and two officers arrived at the scene at 7:11 a.m. One officer was 36 years old and had more than 1 year of law enforcement experience; the other officer was 28 years old and had nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience. Each was wearing body armor. The complainant, who had called and asked police to remove her adult son from the house, admitted the officers into the dwelling. She apparently was unaware that her son had come into the room with a .22-caliber rifle. When the officers entered about 10 feet into the house, he opened fire on them with an unknown number of rounds. The woman fled downstairs to the basement as each officer was hit in the front of the head. The 36-year-old officer was hit at point blank range and fell to the floor inside the house. The other officer apparently had moved outside of the house to the front stoop, where he fell. Witnesses said the man opened the screen door and fired two or three more shots at the fallen officer, then went back inside. Both officers died at the scene. At approximately 7:16 a.m., dispatchers received calls about the downed officers, and a 45-year-old officer, who had 26 years of law enforcement experience, responded. As he arrived at the scene, he saw that another officer, aged 41 and with more than 14 years of law enforcement experience, had responded to the call and had been shot below the waist and in the chest. The wounded officer, who was wearing body armor and was off-duty just having completed the night shift, was lying on the ground near his vehicle. As the responding officer took cover near the front of the vehicle to assess the situation, the assailant fired an unknown number of rounds from a 7.62 mm semiautomatic rifle from the residence toward the vehicle, striking the officer in the hand. The officer, despite his injury, pulled the other wounded officer to cover behind the vehicle and fired at the assailant until the SWAT team arrived. The fatally wounded officer was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. When the SWAT team arrived, officers took up positions around the area, and a 3-hour standoff ensued during which time the assailant exchanged gunfire with police intermittently. The man had been stockpiling weapons and had used several weapons in the incident, including a 12-gauge shotgun, a .357-caliber revolver, and a .380-caliber handgun. Several rounds from the assailant’s weapons struck the SWAT team’s vehicle as well as nearby residences. Police returned fire, and at one point, struck the man in the leg, wounding him. The assailant, who was 22 years old and was wearing body armor, then allowed the police to enter the home. He was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries. He was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault and three counts of Criminal Homicide. His mother was safely removed from the home without injuries. The officer with the injured hand recovered from his injury and returned to duty on April 25.

South Dakota

A deputy sheriff with the Turner County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed around 9:15 a.m. on March 15 while responding to a call regarding a possible suicide attempt. The 32-year-old deputy sheriff, who had 5 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the rural residence and attempted to make contact with a 19-year-old male, whose welfare was in question. The deputy entered a bathroom in the home and located the male holding a .30-06 boltaction rifle. The man shot at the deputy, and the bullet grazed the deputy’s left shoulder, hitting beyond the edge of his body armor. The deputy returned fire and retreated toward his patrol vehicle as the man shot at him two more times. One bullet struck the front door post of the patrol vehicle and the other round went through the windshield and struck the deputy fatally in the neck. The 19-year-old suspect telephoned the Mitchell Police Department from the residence, claimed he had shot the deputy in self defense, and then fled the scene. When emergency personnel arrived, they found the deputy deceased on the ground next to his patrol vehicle. Approximately 3 hours later, the suspect, who had a prior criminal record and who was a known drug user, surrendered to law enforcement officials. He was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder.

Tennessee

A 56-year-old captain with the Henderson Police Department died December 13 from gunshot wounds sustained shortly before 8 p.m. on December 10 when he responded to a robbery in progress at a local grocery store. Minutes before the incident, one of the employees had called dispatch to report that an armed man was robbing the store. The captain, a veteran with nearly 28 years in law enforcement, and a deputy were the first to arrive at the scene. As two assisting officers were pulling into the store’s parking lot, they received a call from dispatch indicating that shots had been fired in the store and that the captain had been hit. The assisting officers entered the store and found the deputy unharmed and the captain lying on the floor. The assailant had shot three rounds from a .44-caliber revolver, wounding the captain in his front lower torso/stomach. The captain had fired 13 rounds, wounding the suspect. The assisting officers found the assailant lying on the floor of the store’s office with the revolver lying at his feet. They ordered the man to show his hands. When the man did not comply, the two officers and another deputy who had arrived at the scene approached the man, who was lying face down with his hands under him moving around. The officers turned him over, handcuffed him, and searched him for any additional weapons. The captain was transported to a local medical center where he succumbed to his injuries 3 days later. The 48-year-old assailant, who had a prior history of violent crime, drugs, and weapons violations, recovered from his wounds and was charged with First-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, and Aggravated Robbery.

Texas

At 3:40 p.m. on April 2, a sergeant with the Bridgeport Police Department was killed while assisting with a traffic pursuit. A peace officer with the Wise County Attorney’s Office and a deputy with the Wise County Sheriff’s Office were riding in a patrol car near Decatur when they saw a speeding vehicle driven by an individual they believed they had pursued earlier that day. They followed the vehicle into Bridgeport. The 32-year-old sergeant, who had 6 years of law enforcement experience, had been clearing traffic ahead of the pursuit and was waiting in his marked cruiser on the right side of the road for the officers’ and the suspect’s vehicles. When they arrived, the suspect abruptly turned his vehicle to the right, crossed two lanes of traffic, and struck the parked patrol car, fatally wounding the victim sergeant, who died at the scene. The 43-year-old assailant, who was taken to a local hospital for treatment of injuries sustained in the incident, was known to use drugs and had a prior criminal record. At the hospital, he confessed to the murder to an attending ranger and was subsequently arrested and charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

*****

A 31-year-old deputy sheriff with the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office was killed on July 13 in an incident at a residence in Baytown. The deputy, who had more than 6 years’ law enforcement experience, responded to a mobile home a little after 9:30 a.m. with a fellow deputy and a trooper from the Texas Department of Public Safety. A meter reader assigned to turn off water service to the home had reported being shot at by a resident. When the law enforcement officers arrived, they arrested a female resident of the home who had shot with what she later described as “blanks” at the meter reader. When the deputy sheriff, who was wearing body armor, entered the home to search for other suspects or victims, he encountered a male resident in a hall near a back bedroom. The male resident looked around a corner, saw the deputy, and began firing a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle, fatally wounding the deputy in the front head. The shooter then went into the back bedroom. The other deputy and the trooper fired at the assailant through the door and wall of the bedroom and were able to get the victim deputy out of the home. Because there was no further response from inside the home, SWAT teams were called. After an extended standoff, heavy construction equipment was used to shake the mobile home and then remove a wall. The 37-year-old shooter was found dead in the back bedroom with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The SWAT units noticed explosives in the home and called in the bomb squad, which began clearing the residence. They requested assistance from other bomb squads, including four FBI Special Agent Bomb Technicians. The bomb squads collectively found 118 improvised devices, which took 2 days to safely remove. The shooter had prior crime convictions that included violent crime, weapons violations, and a juvenile conviction.

*****

A 47-year-old lieutenant with the Corpus Christi Police Department was fatally struck by a vehicle at 12:10 a.m. on March 11 while deploying stop sticks during a felony traffic pursuit. A few minutes earlier, a patrol officer in a neighboring community had requested an emergency backup after a driver had assaulted him in Molina. The assault had escalated into a traffic pursuit, and the lieutenant had responded to the area to assist the patrol officer. The lieutenant had placed the tire deflation devices on the road in advance of the suspect’s arrival in Corpus Christi. The 20-year law enforcement veteran was waiting on the shoulder of the road to pull up the spikes once the suspect had driven over them. As the driver approached the devices, officers chasing the suspect’s vehicle saw the driver swerve off the road and strike the victim officer with the vehicle. The victim officer suffered extensive and fatal internal injuries; he was taken to a local medical center where he was pronounced dead at 12:30 a.m. After striking the victim officer, the assailant sped away in his vehicle with the other officers still in pursuit. The pursuit ended when the driver was shot while attempting to assault other officers. The 21-year-old driver, who was on probation at the time of the incident, was also taken to a medical center for the treatment of his wounds. The suspect, who had a prior record for violent crime, was arrested and charged with Homicide and eight counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. The suspect was later found guilty and sentenced to death.

*****

A 43-year-old senior corporal with the Dallas Police Department was shot and killed on January 6 while attempting to serve an arrest warrant. The corporal, who had 18 years of law enforcement experience, was with other members of a gang unit as they attempted to enter an apartment at 6:14 p.m. An individual from inside the residence fired five shots through the door from a .38-caliber revolver. The victim corporal, who was wearing body armor, was struck in the front of his head from an unknown number of rounds, and he fell to the ground. He was transported to a local hospital where he died as a result of his injuries. The 26-year-old male suspect, a known drug dealer with a prior criminal history, was arrested and charged with Capital Murder.

*****

A 29-year-old patrol officer with the Pasadena Police Department died from a gunshot wound to the head at 7:11 a.m. on August 21 after responding to a domestic disturbance call. He was one of two patrol officers dispatched to the scene. The officer, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, was wearing body armor when he arrived at the residence at 6:25 a.m. He knocked on the door of the dwelling and made contact with the woman who had called the police for help concerning a man who was mentally ill. While the two talked on the porch, the man stepped out of the residence and shot the officer in the front of the head with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The second responding officer had just arrived, and upon seeing the shooting, he shot the male assailant. The victim officer was transported by medical helicopter to a hospital in Houston where he was pronounced dead. The 24-year-old assailant, who had a previous criminal record with both juvenile and adult convictions, was arrested and charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Aggravated Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer.

Washington

One sergeant and three officers from the Lakewood Police Department were killed in an ambush at 8:14 a.m. on November 29. Earlier that morning, the sergeant and the officers went to a local coffee shop where police often gather to share information and complete required reports. At 8:16 a.m., dispatchers received a 911 call via a mobile phone that reported a man had entered the coffee shop and had fired a gun. The witness with the mobile phone reported that a man had walked into the business as if he were going to purchase coffee, but instead, had drawn a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and had fired on the four officers at close range. The 39-year-old sergeant, who had more than 13 years of law enforcement experience, was shot in the rear of his head and fatally in the side of his head. The 37-year-old officer, who had more than 12 years of law enforcement experience, was shot in the front and side of his head, in his front upper torso/chest, and fatally in his neck/throat area. The 40-year-old officer, who had nearly 15 years of law enforcement experience, was struck in the rear of her head and fatally in the side of her head. The fourth officer, a 42-year-old with more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, was able to shoot the assailant twice in the chest/abdomen even though the officer was shot in the front, rear, and side of his head; in the front below his waist; in his arms/hands; and in the front of his head, which was the fatal wound. After killing the four officers, all of whom were wearing body armor, the assailant took the 42-year-old officer’s weapon and left the coffee shop. Witnesses reported that the alleged assailant went to a nearby car wash where he got into the passenger side of a truck that was being washed by another man. That man reportedly drove away in the vehicle with the alleged assailant. Two days later, at 2:30 a.m., a police officer in Seattle discovered a stolen vehicle apparently abandoned in the middle of a street. As the officer approached the vehicle, he heard a noise by his patrol car, turned, and saw a man whom he recognized as the suspect from the Lakewood shootings. The officer ordered the man to show his hands, and when the man refused to comply, the officer shot and killed him. The gun that was taken from the victim officer during the ambush in the coffee shop was found in the man’s waistband. The 37-year-old alleged assailant was a known drug dealer with previous charges against him for violent crime, murder, and weapons violations. He was on conditional release at the time of the shootings and was known to have mental disorders.

*****

Two officers with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department were shot at 8:48 p.m. on December 21 when they responded to a domestic incident in Eatonville. The 44-year-old deputy sheriff, who had 10 years of law enforcement experience, was fatally wounded, and the 43-year-old sergeant, who had nearly 21 years of law enforcement experience, was seriously wounded but survived the attack. The officers were called to a residence to investigate an argument between two brothers. The officers were invited into the home by the caller, who was one of the brothers. The other brother apparently had armed himself and began firing shots at both officers with a .45caliber semiautomatic handgun. The deputy sheriff was wounded in the neck/throat and fatally in the front upper torso/chest when the bullet entered between the side panels of his protective body armor. Even though he was severely wounded, the deputy sheriff returned fire, killing the assailant. The veteran sergeant, who was wearing body armor, was wounded on the side of his head. The victim deputy sheriff was airlifted to a hospital where he died on December 28. The victim sergeant was taken to a hospital where he was treated and released days later for an extended recovery. The 35-year-old assailant, who had a prior mental disorder, had a criminal history including police assault and was on conditional release at the time of the incident.

*****

On October 31, just after 11 p.m., two officers from the Seattle Police Department were ambushed while sitting in their patrol car. The attack left a 39-year-old officer dead and a 34-year-old officer injured. The 39-year-old officer, who had nearly 9 years of law enforcement experience, and a trainee officer, who had 7 months of law enforcement experience, were parked on a public street discussing training points following a routine traffic stop. The veteran officer was seated in the passenger side when a car pulled up on the driver’s side of their police vehicle, blocking the trainee officer’s door. The trainee officer noticed that the driver had something in his hand, and she yelled a warning and ducked. The driver of the car shot several rounds from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle into the police vehicle. The trainee officer received an injury to her upper back when a bullet entered the left sleeve of her shirt, traveled along her back tearing her protective vest, and exited through her right sleeve. The veteran officer, who was wearing body armor, was shot in the neck and arm, and received a fatal wound to the side of his head. The shooter backed up his vehicle and made a three-point turn and fled the scene. The injured trainee officer was able to exit the patrol car and fire several rounds into the assailant’s vehicle before he sped away. She used the radio to call for help, reporting that shots had been fired and that her partner had been killed. When assistance arrived, the injured officer was transported to the hospital where she was treated and released. The 41-year-old male suspect, who had no prior record, was arrested 6 days later and charged with Murder, two counts of Attempted Murder, and Arson.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2010

Alabama

On January 1, a 63-year-old former sergeant with the Guntersville Police Department died from injuries he sustained in an incident more than 16 years earlier on July 16, 1993. The sergeant, then a 47-year-old with 4 years of law enforcement experience, was one of four officers who responded to a domestic disturbance with shots fired at a residence around 12:20 a.m. An individual at the home had shot his wife, and the individual’s brother was causing a disturbance at the scene. The officer was subduing the individual’s brother on the hood of a patrol car when the subject fired a single shot from a .22-caliber revolver. The round struck the victim sergeant under his protective vest in the lower back, immediately paralyzing him. The suspect, who was 27 years old at the time of the incident, was known to use drugs and was under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and charged with Attempted Murder.

Alaska

On August 28, two officers with the Hoonah Police Department were targeted in an ambush shortly before 11 p.m. The first officer, a 31-year-old sergeant with more than 3 years of law enforcement experience, was on duty. The second officer, a 39-year-old police officer with 1½ years of law enforcement experience, was off duty when he stopped to talk to the on-duty sergeant. As the men spoke, the sergeant was shot in the back with an unknown caliber rifle. The force of the round penetrated the sergeant’s protective vest, wounding him. The off-duty officer radioed for backup and began to drag the sergeant to cover when the suspect fired four more rounds, striking the sergeant in the front below his waist and the off-duty officer twice in the chest. Backup officers arrived and moved both victims to cover until emergency medical personnel could get there. The victim officer was moved to the local clinic where he died 45 minutes later. The victim sergeant was transported by helicopter to a Juneau hospital where he died the next day. On August 30, after a 36-hour standoff during which he fired at officers, the 45-year-old suspect surrendered. The Juneau Police Department and Alaska State Trooper SWAT teams, as well as officers from Hoonah, Wrangel, and the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement assisted during the standoff. The suspect reportedly had a mental disorder and a prior record of violent crime, including police assault. He was known to the victim officers from previous encounters with law enforcement. The offender was charged with Felony Misconduct Involving Weapons and two counts of First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

Arizona

On July 28, just after 6:30 p.m., a 34-year-old officer with the Chandler Police Department was killed during an undercover narcotics operation. The officer, who had 6 years of law enforcement experience, was working with several other officers and a confidential informant, all of whom were part of an undercover deal to sell 500 pounds of marijuana to a group of individuals. The deal and the details of the sale, including the amount that would be paid for the marijuana, had already been set between the informant and a broker. According to the plan, the three undercover officers were to deliver the marijuana to a private residence where the transaction would take place. On the day of the transaction, several backup officers were stationed around the location. When the three undercover officers entered the house, they encountered at least six males. As the officers began to discuss the deal, several of the men displayed weapons. The officers reacted verbally and were immediately fired upon by multiple assailants. The victim officer was fatally wounded in the chest by a bullet from a 5.45 mm semiautomatic rifle. The other two undercover officers were also wounded in the incident. Supported by backup police positioned nearby, the two injured officers engaged in a gunfight with the suspects. In the end, two suspects were wounded, one was pronounced dead at the scene, and another died as he was trying to flee in a vehicle and was stopped by a detective down the street from the scene of the shooting. Investigators later found information that suggested that the drug buyers had never intended to pay for the marijuana, but had planned an ambush to steal it from the beginning. The 35-year-old man who allegedly had shot the victim officer had a prior criminal record including police assault and weapons and drug violations. He was charged with three counts of First-Degree Murder, four counts of Aggravated Assault with a Dangerous Instrument, First-Degree Burglary, Possession of a Weapon by a Prohibited Person, Possession or Use of a Weapon in a Drug Offense, and Intent to Transport/Sell Marijuana.

*****

A lieutenant with the Gilbert Police Department (GPD) was killed while conducting a traffic stop at 10:42 p.m. on January 28. The 42-year-old lieutenant, who had more than 16 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor, initiated the stop on a truck for an obstructed license plate. The lieutenant made contact with two occupants of the vehicle, obtained their names and identification, and requested backup assistance. As the lieutenant approached the passenger side of the vehicle, one of the occupants fired a single shot from a .38-caliber revolver at close range. The bullet fatally struck the lieutenant in the front of the head. The assailants fled in the truck. Two sergeants with the Mesa Police Department (MPD) were in the vicinity, heard the shot, and began to check the area. A witness notified the GPD of the shooting using the victim lieutenant’s radio, and another witness called 911. A GPD officer spotted the suspects’ vehicle and was immediately met with gunfire. As the pursuit began, the suspects fired on the officers and threw tools and equipment from the bed of the truck at the officers’ vehicles. Several police cars were disabled because of gunfire and debris. Officers from the GPD, the MPD, the Department of Public Safety, and the sheriff’s offices from Pinal and Maricopa Counties all took part in the pursuit, which ended after the suspects stopped in the roadway. The 35-year-old passenger then exited the vehicle and engaged officers in gunfire as he ran to the front of the truck. The driver also ran to the front of the truck. Officers stopped the attack by returning gunfire and releasing a K-9 police dog. The suspects were taken into custody and transported to local hospitals with nonlife-threatening injuries. The alleged shooter was arrested on February 2 and charged with First-Degree Homicide, four counts of Drive by Shooting, nine counts of Aggravated Assault, and Felony Flight from Police. A known drug user who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, the alleged assailant had a prior criminal record involving violent crime, drug violations, and police assault.

*****

A police officer with the Phoenix Police Department was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious circumstance on May 26. About an hour prior to the incident, officers observed a vehicle being driven at a high rate of speed and advised dispatch of the situation. Just after 1:30 a.m., a 911 call came in that a male was observed covering up a car that he had parked in a carport at a vacant house. The 29-year-old officer, who had 4 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner responded to the call in a marked police vehicle. The officers exited their cruiser and approached the vehicle in question from opposite directions. The partner began searching the backyard, but then heard gunshots. He ran back toward the vehicle and found the victim officer lying on the ground in front of a nearby residence. The victim officer had gunshot wounds from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle to his front below the waist and fatally to his front lower torso/stomach below his protective vest. He was transported in a police vehicle to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead hours later. The 30-year-old suspect, who had an extensive prior criminal record that included police assault and drug and weapons violations, was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder, First-Degree Burglary, Misconduct Involving Weapon, and Disorderly Conduct.

*****

A sergeant with the Phoenix Police Department was killed with his department-issued shotgun while on patrol at 10:40 p.m. on October 18. The 34-year-old veteran sergeant, who had nearly 12½ years of law enforcement experience, was wearing body armor at the time of his death. He was shot once fatally in the back of the head. He was found in full police uniform near his marked patrol vehicle, but, at the time of this publication, the circumstances surrounding his death are unknown, and the assailant remains at large.

Arkansas

A patrol officer and a sergeant with the West Memphis Police Department were ambushed and killed during a traffic stop on May 20 just after 11:30 a.m. The 38-year-old patrol officer was conducting a traffic stop and was speaking to the driver of the stopped vehicle by the front passenger side of his patrol car when the 39-year-old sergeant arrived as backup. Shortly after the sergeant arrived, the driver’s 16-year-old son exited the vehicle and began firing a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. Both veteran officers received multiple gunshot wounds. The sergeant, with more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, was fatally struck in the front of his head, and the patrol officer, with more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, was fatally shot in the front upper torso/chest when the bullet penetrated his protective vest. The suspects fled in their vehicle, which was found an hour and a half later approximately 1 mile from the scene in a store parking lot. When responding officers arrived, both suspects began firing at them. During the ensuing gunfight, two veteran officers from the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Department were shot; both sustained serious injuries. After exiting his police vehicle, the 68-year-old chief of enforcement, with more than 42 years of law enforcement experience, was hit in the front lower torso/stomach. The 73-year-old sheriff, with more than 44 years of law enforcement experience, was hit in the arms/hands while still in the passenger seat of the vehicle. Other officers on the scene engaged the suspects, and both the 16-year-old suspect and the 45-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including weapons violations, were justifiably killed.

California

Around 9:50 a.m. on February 25, two deputy sheriffs with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) were shot and injured while serving a search warrant at a residence in Minkler. Approximately an hour later, while responding to the “officer down” call, a corporal with the Reedley Police Department (RPD) was also shot. One of the FCSO deputies and the RPD corporal subsequently died as a result of injuries sustained. The two deputies initially attempted to serve a search warrant at the residence of a person of interest concerning several arsons and shootings in the Minkler area. Apparently, the suspect opened fire on the deputies with a rifle while they were outside the home. The 49-year-old veteran deputy, who had nearly 12 years of law enforcement experience, was hit in the chest by a round that entered his body armor through the armhole. The second deputy was grazed on the face by one of the rounds fired. Both victim deputies were transported to a regional medical center where the 49-year-old deputy died at 10:26 a.m. as the result of his gunshot wound; the other deputy was treated and released. Meanwhile, other responding agencies on the scene of the incident had established a perimeter as the shooter continued to fire his weapon sporadically. Around 10:50 a.m., one of the rounds struck an RPD corporal in the front of the head as he maintained his perimeter position 80 yards from the suspect’s residence. The 28-year-old corporal, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor at the time, was taken to a regional medical center where he died on March 1. During the standoff, the 51-year-old assailant, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, ended his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

*****

On February 4, a former investigator from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department died as a result of complications from injuries he sustained more than 29 years earlier while investigating suspicious activity in a mall parking lot. Around 8:30 p.m. on November 6, 1980, the investigator and his partner traveled to a mall in the City of Orange to collect bail on a warrant. At that time, the investigator was 39 years old and an 8-year veteran of law enforcement. While driving their unmarked car through the lot, the investigators noticed three men tampering with a parked car. Two of the men were working under the hood, and a third man was inside the vehicle. The investigator and his partner were approaching the men on foot when the man inside the car opened the passenger door and pointed a handgun at the partner. The investigator removed his service weapon from his ankle holster and ordered the suspect to drop his weapon. The man then turned and pointed his gun toward the investigator. The suspects at the front of the vehicle also drew weapons, and a gun battle erupted. The investigator was struck in the torso by two rounds fired from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Two of the offenders fled in the investigators’ unmarked vehicle, while the other offender fled on foot. While pursuing them in a high-speed car chase, California Highway Patrol units received gunfire from the two suspects. During the pursuit, the suspects lost control and crashed the unmarked unit, allowing officers to capture the two men and take them into custody. The man who escaped on foot was apprehended within days in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bullets that struck the investigator during the gun battle paralyzed him from the chest down. Over the next 29 years, he was confined to a wheelchair and required numerous medical procedures to address complications from his injuries. The three suspects were all on parole at the time of the shooting and were attempting to steal a vehicle to serve as a get-away car for a planned robbery. At the time of the incident, all three offenders were convicted of Attempted Murder and served prison sentences.

*****

A 27-year-old officer with the Riverside Police Department (RPD) was killed with his service weapon during a traffic pursuit about 9:45 p.m. on November 7. The officer, who had 4 years of law enforcement experience, was on patrol when he received information from dispatchers regarding a semi-truck that had been involved in a hit-and-run accident. The officer saw the truck and attempted to pull the vehicle over. The driver pulled the truck over and exited. The officer’s dashboard camera showed the individual removing a bar from the rear of his waistband and running into a nearby park. The officer, who was wearing body armor, called for assistance and began a foot chase. An eyewitness said that the officer slipped while chasing the man. While the officer was on the ground, the man struck the victim officer several times with the bar. At some point, the suspect disarmed the victim officer and fired three rounds at the officer from his service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Two rounds missed the officer, but the third struck him fatally in the side of the head at close range. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The dashboard camera from the officer’s vehicle showed the suspect getting back in the truck and fleeing the scene. The RPD, the Inland Regional Apprehension Team, and the FBI searched for the suspect. Officers located the suspect on November 9 and kept surveillance on him until a tactical team could arrive to arrest the suspect. In the early morning of November 10, officers also recovered the victim officer’s weapon. The 44-year-old suspect, who was on parole at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, police assault, and drug and weapons violations. He was charged with Murder, Violation of Parole, and a Local Ordinance Violation.

*****

A 50-year-old police officer with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) was shot during a tactical situation on October 27. Around 11:10 p.m., SDPD police officers responded to an apartment to assist San Diego County probation officers and U.S. Marshals in taking a fugitive suspect into custody. The 30-year-old male suspect was barricaded in a bedroom of the apartment and initially, officers called out for him to surrender. Preparing to release a K-9 into the room, officers kicked open the door and were immediately met with gunfire from the suspect and his female companion. The victim officer, who had more than 17 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor, was struck fatally in the side of his head. Forensic examination determined that the 30-year-old suspect fired the fatal shot from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Both he and his 27-year-old accomplice committed suicide. Both were under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident and both had prior criminal records. The victim officer was transported to a hospital where he died the next day.

Colorado

A deputy sheriff from the Weld County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in Evans while pursuing a robbery suspect on November 23. The 43-year-old deputy sheriff, who had 8 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner were dispatched to assist in a pursuit that was entering from a neighboring county and involved an armed and dangerous suspect that was connected with an armed robbery. Around 10:45 a.m., the deputies joined in the pursuit. Just after 11 a.m., the pursuit ended, and the suspect initially refused to exit the vehicle he was driving. The suspect was pulled from his vehicle and stood upright with his back against the vehicle. He immediately began punching, fighting, and struggling against the officers. During the altercation, the suspect and the deputies fell to the ground. The suspect gained possession of the deputy’s firearm, a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and shot him three times. The victim deputy received injuries in his front upper torso/chest area and on his arms/hands. One bullet entered the deputy’s bulletproof vest at an extremely shallow angle and traveled through several layers of the vest. The bullet exited the top panel of the vest, striking the veteran deputy fatally in the head and killing him instantly. Following this, the 20-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including violent crime, police assault, and drug and weapons violations, was justifiably killed by other officers at the scene.

Florida

A 33-year-old captain with the Dixie County Sheriff’s Office was killed while conducting a felony traffic stop in Cross City around 4:30 p.m. on January 14. Near 3 p.m. in Hernando County, a man was allegedly involved in a domestic dispute that resulted in the death of two women and the wounding of two others. The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office issued a “lookout” alert for the man and informed other law enforcement agencies along Florida’s coast of his vehicle’s make, model, and year. Around 4:30 p.m., the man was spotted driving his vehicle in Cross City. Officers followed him for a brief time until the man did a U-turn and pulled his vehicle into a convenience store parking lot. The captain, who had 11½ years of law enforcement experience, was approaching the man and giving verbal commands to surrender when the man fired a single round from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking the veteran captain fatally in the jaw. Three other deputies on the scene fired 11 rounds at the suspect, wounding him. The victim captain was transported via helicopter to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 55-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record for violent crime and drug and weapons violations, recovered from his injuries. He was arrested and charged with three counts of Murder.

*****

Just before 8:30 p.m. on December 8, a deputy sheriff with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Orlando. The 27-year-old deputy, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, had stopped a truck and was talking with the male driver as they stood near the front of the deputy’s patrol car. Witnesses saw them conversing, reported hearing gunfire, and then saw the deputy on the ground. Responding officers found the deputy at the scene lying on his back with his taser in his right hand and the suspect’s vehicle registration and driver’s license in his left hand. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, had been shot in the front and side of his head with what was later determined to be a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The victim deputy was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead from the bullet wound to the side of head. Investigating deputies found the suspect’s truck near the apartment complex listed as the home address on his driver’s license. They searched a wooded area nearby and found the suspect’s body with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The weapon used to murder the victim deputy was found near the man’s body. One probe from the deputy’s taser was found on the 29-year-old alleged shooter’s jacket, which was discovered near his vehicle. The medical examiner (ME) confirmed that, although the deputy had discharged his taser, it had not penetrated the man’s thick winter jacket. Further, the ME indicated that, based on the deputy’s wounds, it was likely that the suspect and the deputy were on the ground fighting at the time the shots were fired. The suspect, who was on parole at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record that included police assault and weapons violations.

*****

Two Tampa Police Department patrol officers, both 31 years old, were shot and killed while attempting an arrest about 2:15 a.m. on June 29. One of the patrol officers had stopped a vehicle that did not have a license plate. The officer, who had 3½ years of law enforcement experience, ran a check of the vehicle’s two occupants and discovered that the passenger had a misdemeanor warrant for arrest. The second patrol officer, who had 1 year of law enforcement experience, arrived to assist with the traffic stop. The officers, both of whom were wearing protective vests, approached the vehicle from the right side and asked the man in the passenger seat if he was aware of a warrant for his arrest. The man denied knowing there was a warrant. The first patrol officer, still standing outside the right front passenger door, asked the passenger to exit the vehicle. The man exited the vehicle, and the same patrol officer secured the man’s left arm. Then, the man pulled out a .38-caliber revolver with his right hand and fired two rounds. Each officer was fatally shot once in the side of the head. The passenger fled the scene on foot, and the driver sped off in the vehicle. The 24-year-old alleged shooter was arrested on July 2 and charged with three counts of First-Degree Murder. He had a prior criminal record that included violent crimes, including murder, police assault, and drug and weapons violations.

Georgia

On May 26, a 55-year-old former patrol officer with the Carrollton Police Department (CPD) died as a result of injuries received nearly 30 years earlier while answering a call to investigate suspicious persons. About 9 p.m. on November 11, 1980, the patrol officer, then 25 years old with nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, was responding to a report of a man who was heading to a tavern at a local mall with a shotgun and the intent to kill another person. The patrol officer was the third member of law enforcement to arrive at the mall parking lot where the suspect’s car was located. A CPD sergeant and another CPD assisting officer had parked cruisers at the rear and front of the suspect’s car. The arriving patrol officer parked in front of the assisting officer’s vehicle. The suspect and his female companion, who had tipped off a gas station clerk earlier in the evening about the suspect’s intent, exited their vehicle. While the sergeant was talking to the suspects, the two officers retrieved the loaded shotgun from the floorboard of the suspect’s vehicle. The sergeant talked to the suspects and determined from the female companion that the suspect was in town for a “big narcotic deal” and $20,000 had been stolen from his vehicle earlier as it sat in the mall parking lot. The sergeant then went to his cruiser to check for outstanding warrants. The assisting officer was standing with the female on the passenger side of the suspect’s vehicle, and the suspect was standing directly in front of him with the patrol officer by his side. The assisting officer asked the patrol officer to walk the suspect away from the car so that the female could speak freely. As the patrol officer attempted to do so, the suspect pulled a .38-caliber revolver from his pocket, put the barrel in the patrol officer’s stomach and ordered, “Okay, everybody hold it!” The assisting officer took cover behind the suspect’s vehicle, and the sergeant took cover behind a nearby truck. The suspect put the revolver to the patrol officer’s head and took the shotgun from him. He demanded that the other law enforcement members drop their weapons just as the patrol officer he was holding hostage knocked the revolver from the suspect’s hand and a struggle ensued. The suspect put the shotgun in the patrol officer’s back and the patrol officer raised his hands. The suspect retrieved the revolver from the ground and shot the victim patrol officer in the upper left back before shooting the tire of the sergeant’s patrol car. The assisting officer fired three shots at the suspect, and a gun battle followed. As the assisting officer kept the suspect’s attention, the sergeant crawled under the suspect’s vehicle and shot the suspect once in the knee. As the suspect fell to the ground, his weapons landed out of his reach. The suspect, who was 39 years old and a corrections escapee at the time, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer and Aggravated Assault. The coroner ruled that the victim patrol officer ultimately died as a result of complications from the wounds received during this incident.

*****

On February 15, at 11:34 a.m., a 56-year-old lieutenant with the Chattahoochee Hills Police Department (CHPD) was shot to death in an unprovoked attack. The lieutenant, a 30-year veteran of law enforcement, was on patrol in the city. Around noon, a county dispatcher received a telephone call from a passerby who had come upon the lieutenant’s patrol vehicle and discovered the lieutenant inside. Responding units arrived at the scene and found the patrol car still running and the back window shattered. Evidence showed that an attacker had shot five rounds into the vehicle with a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle. The victim lieutenant was in the front driver’s seat with bullet wounds to his chest, his arms/hands, and a fatal wound to the front of his head. He was pronounced dead a short time later. The next day, tips called in to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the CHPD’s tip line, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) provided information to investigators about the alleged shooter and the murder weapon. A caller indicated that the suspect was in the area where the lieutenant had been shot and that the weapon used in the slaying had originally been purchased as a non-automatic weapon but had been altered by the alleged shooter to be “fully automatic.” When the tipster spoke with the ATF agent, the individual indicated that the alleged shooter had said that when he shot the lieutenant, the weapon was on “full auto.” On February 17, a 44-year-old man was arrested for the shooting and charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault, and Possession of a Firearm. The man, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record that included violent crime and weapons violations. He also was acquainted with the victim lieutenant through a law enforcement relationship.

*****

Just before 10 p.m. on December 23, a 39-year-old lieutenant with the Dougherty County Police Department was killed while responding to a robbery in progress in Albany. The lieutenant, who had more than 18 years of law enforcement experience, was one of several officers who were patrolling the general area looking for a robbery suspect or the suspect’s vehicle. The veteran lieutenant saw an individual running through a dimly lit mobile home park near where the robbery took place and attempted to stop him. The lieutenant exited his marked patrol vehicle to pursue the suspect; at some point, the individual fired two rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. One round struck the victim lieutenant in the upper left thigh and exited through his lower back; the second and fatal round entered just below the lieutenant’s ballistic vest on the lower right side of his abdomen and exited the lower back near his spine. The lieutenant was able to fire two rounds from his service weapon, but neither round hit the 20-year-old suspect, who was apprehended a short time later while hiding under a mobile home. The suspect was on probation at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record for drug violations. He was arrested and charged with Murder, Armed Robbery, and Possession of a Firearm in the Commission of a Crime.

*****

A trooper with the Georgia State Patrol, Forest Park, was killed during a traffic stop shortly after 11 p.m. on December 27. The 38-year-old trooper, who had more than 2 years of law enforcement experience, stopped a car for a headlight violation on a road near a major parkway in Atlanta. The driver pulled over to the right shoulder of the road, and the trooper approached the driver’s side door. After checking the trunk to ensure that it was secure, the trooper asked the driver to roll down the rear window, presumably because the window was tinted and he could not see inside the vehicle. The driver failed to comply with the request, and instead put the car into gear and fled. The trooper radioed for assistance and gave chase in his patrol car. The suspect crashed into a concrete mailbox a few miles away. The trooper positioned his vehicle behind the suspect’s car, exited the unit, and cautiously approached the crash. He attempted to shine a flashlight inside the window. As he came closer, the passenger side door of the suspect’s vehicle opened slightly and the suspect fired three rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking the trooper in the neck above his protective vest. Although the trooper was out of view of his vehicle’s in-car camera, it picked up the muzzle flashes of the shots that were fired. Assisting officers arrived at the scene and called for an ambulance. The victim trooper was transported to a local hospital where he died a short time later. Two witnesses at the scene advised the investigating officer that the assailant had shot the victim trooper and then had fled the scene in the patrol car. On December 28, a member of the Atlanta Police Department apprehended the 30-year-old suspect, who was on probation and a known drug dealer with a history of drug and weapons violations. The alleged shooter was charged with Murder and Aggravated Assault of a Law Enforcement Officer.

*****

An investigator with the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack at 12:55 p.m. on May 8. The 28-year-old investigator, with nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, along with other investigators and a deputy, were attempting to serve an arrest warrant on an individual at a residence in Conyers. The warrant was for Rape, Aggravated Assault, and Kidnapping stemming from an incident the previous evening. The entire house had been cleared except for the rear master bedroom. The door to that room was locked and had to be breached to gain entry. Once inside the room, all visible areas were cleared except for the closet, which was closed and did not have a doorknob. When the investigator pulled open the door, the 41-year-old male began firing a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking the victim investigator twice. The first shot entered through his left forearm and was stopped by his protective vest. The second shot fatally struck him on the left side below the vest in the front lower torso/stomach. Two other investigators and one deputy returned fire, killing the suspect, who had a prior criminal record.

Illinois

An off-duty police officer with the Chicago Police Department was shot on May 19 in a robbery attempt involving four male suspects. Shortly before 11:30 p.m., the 30-year-old officer, who had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, had gotten on his motorcycle and was about to drive away when two males, ages 19 and 20, approached the officer and announced they were going to rob him. The 20-year-old robber produced a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and placed it to the officer’s head. A retired officer had been standing in the doorway of his nearby home and saw the robbery in progress. The retired officer yelled to the offenders, who told the retired officer to mind his own business and the armed robber fired his weapon at him. The 20-year-old robber moved the handgun away from the officer’s head, the officer announced that he was a police officer, retrieved his weapon, and fired at the offenders. The officer and the 20-year-old assailant exchanged gunfire at close range. The officer fired eight rounds, all of which struck the offenders, who were standing near each other. The armed assailant fired four rounds, one of which grazed the officer’s rear below the waist and one that struck him fatally in the center of his torso, above his abdomen. As this was happening, the retired officer retrieved a handgun from his residence. He saw a vehicle on the scene and saw the 19-year-old offender attempting to help the 20-year-old offender into the car. The retired officer then walked toward the street and saw two additional males in the car, one of whom had a handgun. The retired officer saw the two offenders at the side of the vehicle and saw one raise a handgun, at which point the retired officer fired on the men. The men in the vehicle backed it away from the scene, appearing to leave the two offenders behind. Apparently, the victim officer was struck and dragged by the vehicle and then was dislodged when the driver put the car in reverse to pick up the offenders. The retired officer then went to assist the victim officer, and all of the offenders fled. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he died the next day. The 20-year-old suspect, who was known to possess drugs and had a prior criminal record involving violent crime and drug and weapons violations, was killed by the victim officer’s gunfire. The other three men—the 19-year-old, a 20-year-old male passenger, and a 29-year-old male passenger—also had prior criminal records. All three suspects were arrested on June 12 and charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder and Armed Robbery.

*****

A 43-year-old patrol officer with the Chicago Police Department (CPD) was shot and killed in an ambush in the parking lot of the CPD’s Tactical Response Unit around 3:45 p.m. on July 7. The patrol officer, who had nearly 12 years of law enforcement experience, was standing at the back of his personal vehicle removing his gear at the end of his shift when a man approached and attacked him. The offender gained control of the veteran patrol officer’s 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and shot the patrol officer several times. The patrol officer suffered gunshot wounds to the neck, chest, and a fatal wound to the front of his head. Another officer wounded the 24-year-old man, who was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder and 4 counts of Attempted Murder. The offender was a known drug user who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, police assault, and drug and weapons violations. Further investigation revealed that individuals had heard him say earlier in the day that he was going to kill the police.

*****

An off-duty police officer with the Chicago Police Department was shot and killed during a robbery attempt shortly after 6 a.m. on July 18. The 60-year-old officer, a 20-year veteran of law enforcement, was returning home from his shift and was still in his uniform, with an oversized shirt covering his uniform shirt. He arrived at his home, exited his vehicle, and prepared to wipe it down. Then, investigators believe he was approached by someone and a struggle ensued. The officer was able to fire several shots from his service weapon, but the assailant fatally shot the officer in the chest and the abdomen with a revolver. The offender then fled the scene, and at the time of this publication, he remains at large.

*****

A 46-year-old police officer with the Chicago Police Department was shot and killed in an ambush around 1:40 p.m. on November 26. The officer, who had nearly 20 years of law enforcement experience, was processing the scene of an earlier burglary at a local garage. After taking photographs of the scene and dusting for fingerprints, the officer was standing at the back of his police vehicle wearing his protective vest when a man apparently approached him from behind and fatally shot him in the side of the head with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The offender then allegedly shot the owner of the garage in the head and attempted to move evidence regarding the earlier burglary of the garage. He left the scene, but later returned and reportedly shot both the officer and the garage owner one more time in the face to make sure they were dead. Later that day, witnesses told detectives that a man confessed to them that he had committed the murders. On November 27, detectives arrested a 19-year-old man and charged him with First-Degree Murder. His prior criminal record included charges of violent crime, and drug and weapons violations; he was on parole at the time of the incident. Detectives also recovered a fingerprint from the burglary scene that matched the alleged offender.

Louisiana

On March 4, at 6:18 p.m., a 33-year-old corporal with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office was shot after responding to a call to assist a deputy with an arrest. The veteran corporal, who had more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the residence in West Monroe where the suspect in an investigation of an Aggravated Battery with a Motor Vehicle had been located. The man was standing in the front yard of the residence, and after a brief interview by the officers, the man was advised that he was going to be taken into custody. As the officers attempted to arrest him, the man began backing away from them and said, “Uh-uh.” The corporal drew his taser; and the suspect reached into the back waistband of his pants, produced a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and started firing at the officers. The victim corporal was struck once in the back of his right shoulder, just outside his protective ballistic vest, as he was moving for cover. The bullet exited his shoulder area and reentered his body in the back of his neck, lodging at the base of his skull. The deputy returned gunfire, striking the shooter in the face, killing him. The deputy called for assistance and administered first aid to the victim corporal. Emergency medical personnel transported the corporal to a local medical center where he was placed on life support. On March 6, the victim corporal died from the bullet wound to the back of his head. The 26-year-old offender, who had a prior criminal record and conviction, also had a history of violent crime and drugs and weapons violations. He was a known drug user and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

*****

A 57-year-old sergeant with the Rayville Police Department was shot and killed while investigating a burglary in progress around 9:15 p.m. on September 11. Just after 9 p.m., the 20-year veteran of law enforcement responded to a call for assistance from a deputy with the Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office (RPSO), who was en route to the home of a woman who reported a window of her house had been broken. At 9:12 p.m., the sergeant arrived at the residence and met the woman outside of her home. They walked into the home together and heard noises. The sergeant continued to search the house. At the same time, two deputies arrived at the scene and heard shots fired from inside the home. In the house, the sergeant told the woman to run, and he shielded her as she ran to the other end of the house. The deputies ran toward the home and saw the woman running to them. One of the deputies assisted her to a safe distance from the home. The other deputy entered the home and found the sergeant lying on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds. The deputy reported an officer down, and a medical helicopter was dispatched. The victim sergeant suffered gunshot wounds to his stomach, the front below his waist, and a fatal injury to his chest from a .38-caliber revolver. The sheriff arrived at the scene and, along with the deputy, continued to search the home. The deputy located a 52-year-old man hiding under a bed and arrested him. The deputy took the suspect, who knew the victim sergeant through a previous law enforcement relationship and was on probation at the time, to the RPSO, where he was interrogated. Investigators began looking for two additional suspects, a 33-year-old man believed to be the shooter who escaped from the scene, and a 20-year-old man who had planned to drive the get-away car after the burglary. Through their investigation, officers arrested the suspected driver, also on probation at the time of the incident, in a nearby town on September 12. Also that day, deputies with the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested the alleged shooter, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crimes (such as murder and police assault) and drug and weapons violations. All three suspects, who were known drug dealers, were charged with First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Burglary, Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder, and Conspiracy to Commit Aggravated Burglary. On September 13, deputies with the RPSO located the weapon used to kill the sergeant.

*****

Shortly after 3:30 a.m. on October 24, a sergeant with the Shreveport Police Department was killed during an unprovoked attack. The 43-year-old sergeant, with 19 years of law enforcement experience, was checking on a clerk at a local establishment and stood at the front of his patrol car as the two were talking. A car pulled into a parking space three spaces down from the sergeant’s vehicle. A male exited the car and immediately began firing a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the sergeant. The sergeant attempted to take cover but was struck several times below his protective vest, sustaining a fatal wound in his back below his waist. He was able to return fire but did not hit the suspect, who fled the scene. Another officer in the area heard the gunshots and found the victim sergeant. The veteran sergeant was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The store clerk gave a description of the suspect and his vehicle. A short time later the 24yearold suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder and Attempted Second-Degree Murder.

Maryland

A 24-year-old trooper with the Maryland State Police, Forestville, was killed on June 11 while working off-duty as a part-time security officer at a local restaurant. The trooper, who had more than 3½ years of law enforcement experience, was working with an off-duty Maryland parole and probation officer late on the evening of June 10. When a patron became disruptive, the pair asked the patron to leave the restaurant. The patron became argumentative, pushed past the parole officer, and left the restaurant on foot. Shortly after 12:30 a.m., on June 11, the trooper went outside to take a cellular telephone call. Minutes later the parole officer went outside to check on the trooper. As the parole officer got to the front of the restaurant, he heard gunshots in the parking lot and saw the glass front door shatter. The trooper turned toward the door to try to enter the restaurant, and the parole officer saw that the trooper had been struck by gunfire. An unknown number of rounds from a handgun injured the trooper in the front below the waist and additional rounds also penetrated through the side panels of the trooper’s protective vest, fatally wounding him in the upper chest. The victim trooper was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later. A subsequent law enforcement investigation of the incident led to the arrest of two people on June 13. One was a 27-year-old male, who had a previous law enforcement relationship with the victim trooper, as well as a prior criminal record for drug and weapons violations. The other was a 28-year-old male with a prior criminal record for drug violations. Both were charged with First-Degree Murder.

Massachusetts

A 60-year-old patrol officer with the Woburn Police Department (WPD) died from a gunshot wound sustained while pursuing a robbery suspect around 8:50 p.m. on December 26. Minutes earlier, the WPD received several 911 calls about a robbery in progress at a local department store. The first officer to arrive at the scene observed a man leaving the store carrying a handgun and a black canvas bag. When he saw the suspect fleeing across the parking lot on foot, the officer exited his cruiser and pursued him. As the suspect approached one of the exits of the parking lot, a second officer, who was operating a marked police cruiser, encountered the suspect. The veteran patrol officer, who had nearly 35 years of law enforcement experience, exited his vehicle; immediately he and the suspect exchanged gunfire. At least four shots from the .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun used by the offender hit the victim officer, injuring him in the chest, in the front below the waist, in his arms/hands, and fatally in the stomach area. Although paramedics took the victim officer to a clinic, he died as a result of his injuries. Three of the officer’s rounds hit the 57-year-old offender, who died at the scene. The offender, who was on parole at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record including violent crimes and weapons violations.

Michigan

A 42-year-old police officer with the Detroit Police Department was shot and killed on May 3 while responding to a burglary in progress. At 2:45 a.m., three two-person squad units responded to the call. As the 12-year veteran officer approached the front door, another officer went to the rear of the location to secure the perimeter, and the remaining four officers fanned out across the front yard. The officer at the front door found it open and announced clearly, “Detroit Police.” He pushed the front door open further, and entered the dwelling. A man immediately began firing from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking the officer in the front of his head and fatally in his neck/throat above his protective vest. As the suspect exited the home through the front door, he continued firing at the officers in the front yard. They returned fire while trying to find cover. When the officer in the backyard heard gunshots, he came toward the corner of the house and encountered the suspect, who shot him in the leg. The suspect, who suffered a gunshot wound to his back in the exchange of gunfire with the officers in the front yard, climbed over a gate in the driveway. He then collapsed and was arrested. The 25-year-old suspect had an extensive prior criminal history that included police assault, was a known drug dealer, and was on conditional release at the time of the incident. He was charged with Felony Murder, Assault with Intent To Murder, Felony Firearm, Possess with Intent To Deliver, Fourth-Degree Habitual Offender, Home Invasion, and Felon in Possession. Three of the officers in the front yard and the officer securing the back of the house, all of whom were wearing body armor, received gunshot wounds during the exchange of gunfire. They included a 48-year-old police officer with more than 16 years of law enforcement experience shot in the front below the waist, a 25-year-old police officer with nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience shot in the arms/hands, a 31-year-old police officer with nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience shot in the front below the waist, and a 29-year-old police officer with more than 1 year of law enforcement experience shot in the front below the waist. At the time of this publication, the three wounded officers had not returned to duty.

*****

At 12:12 a.m. on March 9, a 26-year-old patrol officer with the Jackson Police Department (JPD) was killed and a 22-year-old officer with the Blackman Department of Public Safety (DPS) (now the Blackman and Leoni Township DPS) was injured during the investigation of a domestic situation. The DPS officer, who had 3½ years of law enforcement experience, had been dispatched to investigate a complaint of a man who had been beating on the door of his estranged wife’s apartment and threatening her with bodily harm. When the officer arrived at the woman’s apartment, the man had left. After gathering more information, including the fact that the man was possibly in possession of a firearm, the officer went to the man’s residence and requested a backup unit to assist. At the suspect’s residence, the DPS officer was invited in by the suspect, who was intoxicated and somewhat agitated. The officer asked the man to sit on the couch and keep his hands in sight on his lap. When the JPD patrol officer with nearly 2½ years of law enforcement experience arrived as backup and entered the room, the suspect became more agitated and jumped to his feet. The officers ordered him back onto the couch, but he refused. The DPS officer advised him that he was being placed into custody. The man struggled with the officers, but the DPS officer was able to place a cuff on the man’s right wrist. The man placed his left hand under his mid section and refused to show it to the officers. The JPD officer tried to gain control of the suspect’s left hand as the man bent over the couch, face down. Suddenly, a shot was fired unexpectedly. Both officers checked to ensure their service weapons were still holstered. Then, the suspect swung his left hand toward the DPS officer and fired a .357-caliber revolver that had been hidden in the couch, striking the officer in the upper right thigh. The man then spun back to his left and shot the JPD patrol officer through the armhole of this body armor, striking him in the upper torso/chest. The JPD officer fell to the floor immediately. The shooter switched the handgun into his right hand and swung back around toward the DPS officer, who also was wearing body armor. While still falling backward from the shot fired into his thigh, the DPS officer drew his service weapon and shot the suspect in the back of the head and neck area, fatally wounding him before he could fire another round. The JPD officer died from the bullet wound to his chest. The DPS officer underwent immediate surgery for his injury; he made a full recovery and returned to duty 5 months later. The 63-year-old offender had a prior criminal history that included a previous murder and weapons violations. He was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

*****

A 31-year-old corporal with the Taylor Police Department was shot and killed during a burglary in progress around 5:45 a.m. on July 23. The corporal, who had 6½ years of law enforcement experience, and his partner responded to a reported break-in at an apartment. When they arrived at the scene, the officers observed a screen that had been removed from a window of the apartment and a man leaning against a mini-van in a parking lot near the apartment. The corporal exited the passenger side of the patrol car, and the man began walking towards the patrol car. The man, who was carrying a small bag, told the corporal that he and his wife had an argument and she had thrown him out of the apartment. The corporal stayed with the man in the parking lot as his partner walked toward the apartment. The partner heard gunshots behind him. He turned and saw the man holding a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shooting the corporal. The partner shot and wounded the man. The corporal, who was wearing a protective vest, was injured in his stomach and suffered a fatal wound to the front of his head. The 36-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime (murder) and drug and weapons violations, was arrested and charged with Murder.

Minnesota

On August 9, a deputy sheriff from the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office succumbed to gunshot wounds he received on February 18, 2009, while investigating suspicious circumstances. At the time of the incident, the 26-year-old deputy, who had more than 5 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a call at 7:10 a.m. reporting that shots had been fired in the city of Mahnomen. Upon his arrival at the scene, the deputy encountered two men in a driveway. The deputy exited his vehicle and approached the two individuals, at which time a physical altercation ensued. During the struggle, the deputy, who was wearing body armor, was shot twice in the abdomen and once in the back of his head with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. A second deputy arrived on scene and returned fire on the suspects, hitting one suspect in the abdomen. The assisting deputy called for an ambulance for the wounded deputy. The two suspects fled to a residence across the street and a standoff ensued. Nine hours later, both suspects surrendered peacefully and were arrested. One suspect, a 32-year-old man, was initially charged with Attempted Murder. The other suspect, a 27-year-old man, was charged with a Felon Convicted of a Crime of Violence, Possession of a Weapon, First-Degree Assault, Use of Deadly Force Against a Law Enforcement Officer, Attempted Theft of a Motor Vehicle Without Consent, Failure to Render Aid/Assistance, and Contempt of Court. It was determined that both individuals were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the shooting. Both suspects also had prior criminal records that included violent crimes and weapons violations. When the victim deputy eventually died as the result of the gunshot wound to the back of his head, the suspect’s Attempted Murder charge was increased to Second-Degree Murder.

*****

A 49-year-old sergeant with the Maplewood Police Department was shot and killed while investigating suspicious persons at 6:45 a.m. on May 1. Minutes earlier, police were summoned to a residential area where a man reported that he had just escaped from a carjacking incident. He said that two suspects were last seen fleeing on foot near a walking trail. The veteran sergeant, with more than 25 years of law enforcement experience, was asked to check the trail and radioed that he would be out with two people at the trail. Moments later, a citizen, who had been jogging on the trail and witnessed the shooting, came on the radio and broadcast that an officer had been shot. The victim sergeant, who was wearing body armor, was fatally shot in the front of his head with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. A large perimeter was set up and a search initiated. A 21-year-old male approached an officer who was covering the perimeter; in the process of being frisked, the suspect began to strike the officer with a large bolt that had been wrapped in some type of material. The offender, who had a prior criminal record and was on parole at the time of the incident, was justifiably shot and killed by the officer during the attack. A second suspect, also 21 years old, with a prior criminal record and on probation at the time of the incident, was located in a nearby apartment and taken into custody. He was arrested and charged with Second-Degree Murder.

*****

Mississippi

A 63-year-old sheriff serving with the George County Sheriff’s Department was killed when he was struck by a truck crashing through a roadblock in Lucedale at 2:45 p.m. on July 21. The veteran sheriff had nearly 37 years of law enforcement experience. Earlier, a deputy with the same agency attempted a traffic stop of a truck driven by a female. Although the deputy turned on his blue lights and siren, the driver increased her speed in an attempt to flee. Out of concern for the safety of the public, the deputy backed off from the pursuit, which had reached speeds in excess of 100 mph. During the pursuit, a male passenger in the truck took control of the vehicle. The deputy kept the truck in sight and witnessed the male throwing what was later discovered to be methamphetamine out of the vehicle’s window. During this time, the sheriff and several other deputies set up a roadblock in an attempt to stop the vehicle and arrest the man, who had been recognized as a subject who had failed to appear in court to face a previous narcotics conviction. Upon encountering the roadblock, the man drove through it, striking the sheriff and causing extensive and fatal injuries to the victim sheriff. The man fled the scene; however, the next day, the 24-year-old male suspect and the 18-year-old female suspect were arrested and charged with Capital Murder. They were both known drug users who had prior criminal records that included drug violations. The male suspect’s record also included a prior police assault.

*****

At 8:35 p.m. on August 6, a patrol officer with the Jackson Police Department was killed with his service weapon while transporting a prisoner. The 31-year-old patrol officer, who had 10 years of law enforcement experience, and another officer were transporting a suspect to a detention center; a third officer was in a vehicle following them. During the transport, the suspect was handcuffed but was able to escape from the vehicle and flee on foot. The veteran patrol officer, who was wearing body armor, pursued the individual on foot, while his partner and the third officer tried to cut off the man using their patrol vehicles. Shortly after losing sight of the patrol officer and suspect, the other two officers heard a gunshot but were unable to make contact with the patrol officer. The two officers contacted their command center and began a search. The victim officer was found submerged in a creek; his service weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, was missing. The victim officer, who had been fatally shot once at close range in the front of the head, was taken by helicopter to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead. When the 24-year-old suspect was found later, he was still wearing handcuffs. He was arrested and charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Escape, and Convicted Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The suspect was a known drug user who was on probation at the time of the incident. He had a prior criminal record for violent crime, police assault, and drug and weapons violations.

*****

A 62-year-old deputy sheriff with the Tippah County Sheriff’s Department, was shot and killed in Ripley around 4:30 in the morning on December 3. He and another deputy were responding to a domestic disturbance call. When they arrived on the scene, the deputies encountered an uncooperative suspect in the driveway of the residence. The first deputy was attempting to restrain the man when the suspect gained control of the deputy’s service weapon, .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and shot the other deputy twice. The victim deputy, a 7-year veteran of law enforcement, was struck in the front lower torso/stomach area and fatally in the front upper chest. He died at the scene. The weapon jammed after the assailant had fired the two shots, so the other deputy was able to subdue the suspect until responders arrived to assist with the arrest. The 26-year-old suspect, who was on parole at the time of the incident, was charged with Capital Murder.

Montana

A 23-year-old trooper with the Montana Highway Patrol, Bozeman, was shot and killed on December 1 around 4:20 in the afternoon while investigating a suspicious person or circumstance in Three Forks. The trooper, who had a little more than 2 years of law enforcement experience, was patrolling the area when he saw a man with a shotgun in a field. The trooper believed the locale to be an area where hunting was not allowed, and he radioed the Three Forks Marshal’s Office and requested marshal assistance in contacting the individual. However, before assistance could arrive, the man got into his vehicle and started to leave the vicinity, and the trooper attempted to stop him. Apparently, the man exited his automobile and after a brief encounter with the trooper, he returned to his vehicle, retrieved a 12-gauge shotgun, and shot the trooper in the abdomen. The trooper, who was wearing body armor, managed to shoot his attacker once. The assailant reloaded his shotgun and fired at the victim trooper again, striking him in the front upper torso/chest, in the front of the head, and fatally in the throat. The shooter then fled the scene. The marshal arrived and found the trooper, who appeared to be deceased, and immediately requested assistance. The 56yearold suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, drove approximately 35 miles from the scene of the shooting, where he stopped and committed suicide.

*****

On February 12, a sergeant from the Missoula Police Department succumbed to complications from a gunshot wound he sustained more than 11 years earlier while investigating a suspicious person. On October 21, 1998, at 5:30 p.m., the sergeant responded to a call from a bank concerning a man who was possibly involved in forgery. When the sergeant, who was 35 years old at the time, first saw the suspect, the man was standing at the drive-thru window of the bank without a vehicle. The sergeant parked in an alley and exited his patrol car about a half-block from the bank. When the suspect saw the sergeant, he fled on foot. The veteran sergeant, who had nearly 8 years of law enforcement experience, chased the suspect across a four-lane road and into a parking lot. The man drew a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun and fired two shots. The first shot hit a cargo truck, and the second shot entered the armhole of the sergeant’s protective vest, striking him in the upper torso. The shooter ran to the sergeant, took his service firearm, and fled the scene. Deputies with the Missoula County Sheriff’s Department later found the man two blocks away, hiding in a crawl space. The suspect fired at one of the deputies who found him, and the deputy fired back, but neither was hit. The shooter surrendered and was taken into custody. The victim sergeant lived the rest of his life as a quadriplegic because the bullet that entered through the armhole of his protective vest traveled through his shoulder and into his spine. The suspect, 20 years old at the time of the incident, was a known drug dealer and was charged with Deliberate Homicide, Burglary, Aggravated Assault, Escape, Felony Forgery, and two counts of Felony Theft. He was found guilty of Murder and received a life sentence.

Nevada

A 27-year-old deputy sheriff with the Nye County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in an ambush around 3:40 p.m. on April 26 in Pahrump. The deputy, who was a 6-year veteran of law enforcement, had recently returned from a military tour of duty in Afghanistan and was in Field Training status. He responded with his training officer to a domestic dispute involving shots fired at a local casino. When they arrived at the scene, the male subject involved in the domestic dispute positioned his vehicle in front of the deputy’s patrol vehicle. The deputy, the training officer, and the subject exited their vehicles at approximately the same time. A third officer arrived at the scene and pulled in behind the suspect’s vehicle, when the suspect pulled out a semiautomatic rifle and opened fire on the deputy. The third officer shot the suspect. The victim deputy, who suffered gunshot wounds to the back, the front below the waist, and the chest, was taken by helicopter to a hospital. Although the deputy sheriff was wearing a protective vest, the bullets penetrated the armor, and he died later that day from the wounds to his chest. The 30-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, died at the scene.

North Carolina

On July 28, just after 7:30 p.m., a 31-year-old deputy sheriff with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office was killed during an unprovoked attack. The veteran deputy, who had 10 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a domestic call between a mother and her son in Snow Hill. The call included a code to alert the deputy that a weapon was present in the home. When the deputy arrived at the scene, the mother allowed him into the house, and he walked to the den in the back of the house and asked the son to come out of his bedroom so they could talk. The son opened the bedroom door and began firing at the deputy at close range with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, hitting the deputy in the nose, the hand, and twice in the upper chest, fatally wounding him. The assailant then took the deputy’s .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and used it to shoot the deputy again, this time behind the ear. The man fired more rounds from the service weapon inside the home before going into his mother’s room and shooting himself in the head. In all, the 22-year-old offender shot 15 rounds during the attack. When the investigating officer arrived, he found the victim deputy lying in the floor of the den, deceased. He found the attacker, who was still alive but barely breathing, in the mother’s bedroom. When emergency medical personnel arrived, they attempted to save the man, but he died a few minutes later. It was later determined that the assailant was under the influence of alcohol during the shooting. He had a prior criminal record, including violent crime and weapons violations, and was on probation at the time of the incident.

Ohio

A patrol officer with the Elyria Police Department was fatally shot on March 15 shortly before 10 p.m. when he responded to a disturbance call. The officer, who was an 18-year veteran of law enforcement, arrived on the scene, made contact with the man who was the subject of the call, and then went inside the residence with the man. While they were in the dwelling, the man fired at the 43-year-old officer with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking the officer in the front and side of his head, in his neck and chest, and in his stomach below his protective vest. The victim officer radioed that he had been shot and asked for backup. The alleged shooter, who had exited the residence, was confronted by assisting officers who had arrived on the scene, and an altercation ensued. The alleged offender was shot and killed by the backup officers. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival from the gunshot wound to the side of his head. The 58-year-old alleged shooter had a prior law enforcement relationship with the victim officer and a prior criminal record that included violent crime.

Pennsylvania

A trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police, Franklin, was ambushed in an unprovoked attack shortly before noon on January 13 while responding to a domestic disturbance involving a husband and wife at their home in Cranberry Township, Venango County. The 40-year-old trooper, with more than 16½ years of law enforcement experience, arrived on the scene with another officer. As they exited their vehicles, someone inside the residence told the officers to return to their vehicles and leave. The troopers ordered the subject to show himself. The individual then fired a single shot from a .30-30 lever-action rifle from a second-story bedroom window. The fatal round struck the victim trooper, who was wearing body armor, in the neck. Other troopers arrived and fired 26 shots from a .223-caliber automatic rifle and 12 shots from a .45-caliber handgun into the residence to provide cover while evacuating the victim trooper. A Special Emergency Response Team eventually entered the home and found both the suspect and his wife dead in a second-story bedroom. The wife died of a single gunshot wound to the head, and the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The suspect’s rifle was found in his lap; autopsies revealed that neither individual had been shot by police. The 44-year-old suspect, who had a prior law enforcement relationship with the victim trooper, had a prior criminal record including police assault and weapons violations, and a history of mental disorders.

*****

Approximately 10:30 p.m., on November 11, a conservation officer with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Huntingdon, was shot and killed while investigating reports of illegal poaching of deer near Freedom Township. Upon hearing gunfire in the vicinity, the 31-year-old conservation officer traveled toward the source of the gunfire, where he encountered a pickup with at least two individuals in it. The officer, who had 4 years of law enforcement experience, called dispatch with the license plate of the pickup and requested backup. Before backup officers could arrive, the driver allegedly exited the pickup and approached the officer, who was wearing body armor. When the officer attempted to handcuff the man, a struggle ensued, and there was an exchange of gunfire. The suspect shot the officer in the back of his legs and, fatally, in the back of his neck with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Two of the victim officer’s rounds hit the suspect; another shot was deflected by a knife worn by the man. Apparently, the suspect fled the scene with a handcuff on his right wrist, but he managed to shoot off the handcuff. Shortly after the shooter left the scene, he and a passenger in the pickup went separate ways. When law enforcement personnel later interviewed the passenger, he said that the suspect had illegally shot a deer shortly before the officer arrived, and that the suspect stated that he was “not going back to prison” for possessing a handgun. The 27-year-old offender, who had a prior criminal record including violent crime and weapons violations, was apprehended the next day at a hunting cabin in Adams County. He was charged with First-Degree Murder, Possession/Use/Transfer of a Firearm, Flight to Avoid Appeals Trial, Firearm Carried Without a License, Possession of Instrument of Crime, and Violation of Game Laws.

Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico Department of Environment and Natural Resources lost two of its rangers on March 23 at 12:30 a.m. while they were on guard duty at the agency’s facility in San Juan. Each of the rangers was 30 years old and each had nearly 6 years of law enforcement experience. Both rangers, who were wearing body armor, were going about their normal duties, unaware that two men who intended to steal their service weapons were watching them. The two men had maintained their surveillance for more than an hour when one of the rangers left the guard station to go on his rounds within the property, leaving the other ranger alone in the small building. The would-be robbers then climbed over the fence surrounding the property and entered the guard shack. One of the perpetrators, a 23-year-old man, pointed a .45-caliber handgun at the ranger. The ranger fell to the ground in surprise, and the attacker attempted to take the ranger’s 9 mm semiautomatic service handgun. A short struggle ensued as the ranger fought to keep possession of his weapon, but the attacker gained control and shot the victim ranger with the service weapon, striking him in the arms/hands. The shooter handed one of the handguns to the second perpetrator, a 35-year-old man. Meanwhile, the second ranger, who had detected the intruders, moved to a position in front of the guard station near a large rock where he opened fire on the two assailants with his service weapon, also a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The 23-year-old attacker was shot in the left calf. After a few more shots were exchanged, the second ranger fell to the ground, mortally wounded when a bullet from his partner’s stolen 9 mm service handgun struck him in the side of his head. The 23-year-old attacker went to the body to steal the fallen ranger’s service handgun, but he could not find the weapon. He returned to the guard station and saw that the first ranger was still moving. He shot the ranger fatally in the side of the head. Because of the attacker’s calf wound, he was unable to jump over the fence that they had scaled to enter the property. The pair then stole a truck that was parked next to the guard shack and drove it through the gate that was locked with a chain. They joined a third man, a 21-year-old, who was part of the original robbery plan, and fled to the home of the 23-year-old man. Later that morning, the 21-year-old and the 35-year-old suspects were detained in an unrelated traffic stop. When police searched the vehicle, they found the 9 mm service weapon belonging to the first victim ranger. All three men, who were known to use drugs and who were under the influence of narcotics, were subsequently arrested. The 23-year-old man was charged with Carjacking and Murder. The 35-year-old man was charged with Carjacking, Murder, Stolen Weapon, and Interstate Commerce. The 21-year-old man was charged with Possession of a Stolen Firearm and Accessory After the Fact.

*****

On October 26, a 52-year-old lieutenant with the Police of Puerto Rico in Hato Rey was shot and killed while interrupting a robbery in progress in San Lorenzo. Around 8:15 p.m., two masked gunmen entered a convenience store/bar and announced a robbery to the store owner and customers inside. While one gunman hid by the side of the door, the other proceeded to the bar area where the cash register was located. Outside the bar, the off-duty lieutenant, who had 31 years’ law enforcement experience, was socializing with friends when he realized there was a robbery in progress. As the veteran lieutenant entered the bar, he announced that he was a police officer and attempted to draw his weapon from the holster in the small of his back. The gunman beside the door then pointed his weapon at the lieutenant. The lieutenant attempted to grab the weapon from the gunman with his other hand and a brief struggle ensued. The gunman shot the lieutenant three times in the front upper torso/chest area, wounding him with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The gunmen stole cash from the register, took the lieutenant’s service weapon, and then fled the store on foot. The victim lieutenant was transported to a local emergency room where he died of his wounds shortly after the shooting incident. The two subjects and a third individual, who had been waiting with a get-away vehicle some distance from the store, were subsequently arrested in connection with the murder. A 22-year-old man, a known drug user with a prior criminal record including violent crime and weapons violations, was charged with First-Degree Murder, Robbery, and Firearms Law Violation. A 26-year-old man, a known drug user with a prior criminal record including violent crime, was also charged with First-Degree Murder, Robbery, and Firearms Law Violation. No information was available on the third arrestee at the time of this publication.

Texas

A police officer with the Lancaster Police Department was shot and killed at 6 p.m. on June 20 while responding to a disturbance call involving a man with a gun at an apartment complex. The 37-year-old officer, who had more than 5 years of law enforcement experience and who was wearing body armor, arrived at the complex and saw the individual attempting to leave in a vehicle. When the officer stopped and exited his patrol vehicle, the individual shot at him with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. The officer returned fire with his .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle. However, as the officer ran for cover behind his patrol vehicle, the gunman continued firing at him. One of the offender’s rounds fatally struck the victim officer in the side of the head. Responding officers then justifiably killed the 27-year-old offender, who had a prior criminal record that included drug violations and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

Utah

A 41-year-old deputy sheriff with the Kane County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) was shot and killed at 3:20 p.m., August 26, during an ambush in Fredonia as he and other law enforcement officers were searching for a suspected armed burglar. Earlier that afternoon, a man had broken into a local grade school. When he was discovered by the school janitor, the man shot at the janitor, missed, then fled on foot. Responding to a call about a man with a gun, KCSO deputies and Fredonia marshals organized a search team and began pursuing the suspect, who authorities believed had stolen a rifle from a residence the night before. The deputies and the marshals went over a hill where the suspect was in position to ambush them. The suspect fired one shot from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle that struck one of the deputies in the front of the head. The victim deputy, who had 13 years’ law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor, died at the scene. Law enforcement officers then exchanged gunfire with the suspect, and he shot a second deputy in the leg. Additional officers from the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies responded and tracked the suspect to a cliff and set up a perimeter; however, the next morning a witness saw the suspect fleeing on foot with his weapon just north of the cliff. In the early morning hours of August 30, members of the Salt Lake SWAT Team and deputies from the U.S. Marshals Service responded to a call about a potential burglar with a rifle outside a residence in Kanab. Once the law enforcement authorities surrounded the suspect and identified themselves, the 23-year-old alleged shooter, a known drug user with a prior criminal record including violent crime, surrendered without further incident. He was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder, two counts of Aggravated Assault, Burglary, and Theft.

*****

Around 1 a.m. on January 5, a 37-year-old deputy sheriff with the Millard County Sheriff’s Department (MCSD) was killed during a felony traffic stop near Delta. Minutes earlier, a sergeant with the MCSD had witnessed an illegal drug deal involving two men. The sergeant pursued one of the men and requested that the veteran deputy sheriff, who had more than 5 years of law enforcement experience, follow the other man. She pursued the individual and requested backup. When the backup officers arrived about 3 minutes later, they found that the deputy had been shot twice with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. Although the victim deputy was wearing body armor, the ammunition exceeded the vest’s capabilities. One of the rounds fatally penetrated the right chest area and stopped at the back panel of her body armor; the other shot was to her neck. A third round missed the deputy. Law enforcement agencies including the Salt Lake City Police SWAT Team, the Utah County Sheriff’s Department, the MCSD, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation provided tactical and investigative assistance. In the early morning hours of January 6, a resident at a trailer park in Beaver, about 90 miles from the incident, saw the suspect sleeping in a shed and notified the Beaver County Sheriff’s Department. Officers arrested the suspect without incident. After his arrest, the suspect provided a full confession and furnished details about the incident. The 37-year-old suspect said that he shot the victim deputy without warning as she approached his vehicle. He then fled, disposing of his car and the weapon, which law enforcement later recovered. He traveled with an acquaintance to Salt Lake City, Provo, and Payson before stopping in Beaver. The suspect, a known drug dealer with a prior criminal record including drug and weapons violations, was charged with Aggravated Murder.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2011

Alabama

A senior police officer with the Anniston Police Department was shot during a premeditated ambush while pursuing a suspicious person shortly before 11 a.m. on August 24. When the 27-year-old officer, who had more than 2 years of law enforcement experience, approached a suspicious individual in an alley, the individual fled. The officer, who was wearing body armor, pursued the man on foot and yelled for an assisting officer to get the police vehicle. The individual ran around a corner of a residence and waited for the officer. As the officer rounded the corner, the individual fired a single round from a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking the officer in the front of the head. The victim officer was taken to the hospital where he died the next day. After officers searched a wooded area for several hours, they captured the 24-year-old suspect. He was arrested and charged with Murder and Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. A known user and possessor of drugs, the suspect was on parole at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record that included violent crime and drug violations.

Arizona

An officer with the Buckeye Police Department (BPD) was shot and killed, and another BPD officer was shot and wounded after conducting a traffic stop at 1 a.m. on May 1 in Phoenix. While completing an off-duty security shift at an outdoor facility, a 34-year-old officer, who had over 5 years of law enforcement experience, stopped a vehicle for reckless driving in the parking lot. The vehicle was occupied by three males. Another officer, a 37-year-old who had over 11 years of law enforcement experience, arrived to assist with the traffic stop and with language translation. After removing the occupants and determining that the vehicle would be towed, the veteran officers permitted the occupants to recover personal items from the vehicle. As the officers stood at the driver’s side observing the occupants’ activity through the tinted windows, one of the passengers circled behind them from the rear passenger side to the rear driver’s side. He then shot the 37-year-old officer in his lower back below his body armor and fatally in the back of his head with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The suspect then began to fire at the 34year-old officer, who returned gunfire while creating distance between them. During the exchange of gunfire, the officer was struck in his neck and in the front below his waist, which partially incapacitated him. The 27-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including violent crime and weapons violations, was struck once in the eye and once in the torso; he died at the scene as a result of his injuries. A second occupant of the vehicle received nonfatal wounds during the exchange of gunfire. He and the third occupant, who fled on foot during the altercation, did not participate in the attack on the officers. At the time of the report, the injured officer had not returned to work.

*****

Around 9 p.m. on October 28, a 26-year-old police officer with the Glendale Police Department was shot and killed while helping a probation officer at an apartment complex. The police officer, who had nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, was assisting the probation official at the residence of a probationer who allegedly wanted to turn in a firearm. The subject, the probation officer, and the police officer were conversing in front of the apartment complex when the subject produced a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun and began shooting the police officer. The victim officer was wounded in the upper and lower torso/back despite his body armor, in the arms/hands, and in the rear of the head. After mortally wounding the officer, the subject stole the officer’s service weapon and fled the scene in the officer’s police cruiser. Responding officers caught up with the subject when he crashed the cruiser less than a mile away from the shooting. The 20-year-old subject exited the vehicle to flee on foot but was confronted by the officers. He pointed the firearm at officers who responded with gunfire. The subject was critically wounded in the head and taken to a nearby hospital. The victim officer was also transported to the hospital where he died from the rear head wound in the early morning hours of October 29.

*****

On June 25, a sergeant with the Navajo Division of Public Safety, Tuba City, was killed while attempting to arrest a man during a domestic violence call. The 48-year-old sergeant was a veteran with more than 25 years of law enforcement experience. At 10:23 p.m., the sergeant and another officer responded in separate patrol vehicles to a domestic violence call at a residence in Kaibeto, a community within the Navajo Indian Reservation. They detained two brothers at the scene. The sergeant escorted one brother to his vehicle parked behind the residence, and the officer escorted the other brother to his vehicle parked in front of the residence. It was at this time the officer heard multiple gunshots coming from behind the house. The officer turned to find the sergeant returning gunfire at the direction of the residence. Upon arriving at the sergeant’s side, the officer saw a third man on his hands and knees with a pistol lying beneath him, several feet away from the sergeant. The man, the father of the two men who were being arrested, had fired a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun at the sergeant four times. Two of the rounds were deflected by the sergeant’s body armor, and two rounds circumvented the vest, one of which struck the sergeant in his upper back. The sergeant was transported to the hospital where he died the next day. The 48-year-old suspect was hit twice by the return fire and was also transported to a hospital. He was later charged with Homicide—Willful Killing of a Law Enforcement Officer with a Firearm and Use of a Deadly Weapon During a Crime of Violence. The alleged shooter was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record that included violent crime and police assault.

Arkansas

A 30-year-old patrol officer with the Trumann Police Department was shot and later died after attempting to make an arrest on April 12. Around 11:30 p.m., the officer stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation and verified an active warrant for the driver of the vehicle. The officer, who had nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, placed the driver in handcuffs. The officer was then advised by dispatch that the person sitting in the passenger-side backseat had an active felony warrant. According to an assisting officer, the patrol officer walked around to the back passenger door, and the suspect in the backseat began firing a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Both officers immediately tried to take cover. The patrol officer returned fire and hit the suspect. However, the suspect fired additional rounds, striking the patrol officer in the front of the head, neck/throat, front upper torso/chest, and arms/hands. The victim officer was transported to the hospital where he died early the next morning from the wound to the front of his head. The 37-year-old suspect, who had an extensive criminal history, was transported to a local medical center. He was arrested on April 20 and charged with Capital Murder, Attempted Capital Murder, Rape, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

California

An off-duty, unarmed deputy sheriff with the Marin County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in an unprovoked ambush shortly after midnight on July 19 in Petaluma. The 49year-old deputy, with more than 9 years of law enforcement experience, was trying to help a friend whose ex-boyfriend had recently threatened her and her family. The veteran deputy went to his friend’s residence sometime between 11:30 and 11:50 p.m. to offer assistance and guidance. About 20 minutes later, the deputy and his friend were informed that the ex-boyfriend had entered the property on foot. The deputy went outside to ask the ex-boyfriend to leave when the man produced a 10 mm semiautomatic handgun and shot the deputy twice at close range, striking him in the front upper torso/chest, the rear upper torso/back, and fatally in the front of the head. The ex-boyfriend found one of the residents in the house, held her at gunpoint, and threatened to shoot her if he did not locate his ex-girlfriend. The suspect forced his hostage outside and into a garage. While the ex-boyfriend was attempting to force the hostage into a vehicle, a resident in the house armed himself with a firearm and shot the ex-boyfriend once in the upper body and once in the lower body, killing him. The hostage and other residents were not injured. The 28-year-old ex-boyfriend was on parole at the time of the incident for making terroristic threats. He was known to use, deal, and possess drugs, and he had a prior criminal record that included violent crimes, drug violations, weapons violations, and police assault. Both the victim deputy and the suspect were pronounced dead at the scene.

*****

A 36-year-old police officer with the San Diego Police Department was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack around 5:30 p.m. on August 6. In an area of San Diego County, a man pulled into a drive-in restaurant and fired a shotgun at close range, nonfatally wounding a man who was sitting in a vehicle. The wounded man and the suspect did not know each other. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area and located the suspect’s vehicle. A short car chase ensued, but because it reached a high rate of speed, the chase was called off. Officials notified neighboring jurisdictions of the incident and provided a description of the vehicle. A few minutes later, the officer, who had just left a local restaurant, pulled up to a stop sign in a commercial area. The suspect pulled his vehicle alongside, and the driver fired two rounds from the 12-gauge shotgun out the passenger window into the officer’s vehicle. The rounds struck the officer, who was wearing body armor, in the side of his head. Witnesses came to the officer’s aid and radioed for help. However, the officer, who had 4 years of law enforcement experience, died at a local hospital the next day. After fleeing the scene, the suspect went to his apartment. When he left his apartment to return to his vehicle, he was met by law enforcement officers. As he raised his shotgun to point at the officers, they shot and killed the 23-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record.

*****

A 45-year-old Vallejo Police Department officer with more than 21 years of law enforcement experience was killed on November 17 while pursuing a bank robbery suspect. Shortly after 1:30 p.m., a man entered a bank wearing a full-face, lifelike latex mask. He approached a teller and told her to fill up two vinyl bank bags and not to speak because he had a gun. The teller gave the robber $3,596 in cash. The silent hold-up alarm was activated, and a security officer commanded the bank robber to stop, but he fled the building into the parking lot. A witness saw the suspect drive away in a vehicle and called police to report the suspect’s direction of travel. The veteran police officer was driving a marked patrol car toward the bank in response to the alarm when he saw the vehicle that matched the description and followed it. A high-speed pursuit of the suspect ensued. When the chase entered a residential neighborhood, the officer used a pursuit intervention technique, striking the rear side of the suspect’s car, causing it to spin and forcing it to a stop. The suspect fled the scene on foot, and the officer left his patrol car to follow him. An additional police officer had arrived during the car chase and was not far behind when he heard gunfire. The suspect had entered a backyard with a 6-foot-high wooden fence and waited for the first officer to enter the yard. Upon the officer’s arrival, the bank robber shot him three times. One round struck the officer’s gun holster, one was deflected from his upper back by his body armor, and the final round entered the officer’s lower back, below his protective vest, and exited his chest. Additional officers arrived, surrounded the backyard, and located the suspect who was still in possession of the .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun that he had used to ambush the officer. The veteran officer was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead as a result of the gunshot to his lower back. The 37-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including violent crime and weapons violations, was arrested and charged with Murder, Bank Robbery, Felony Evading, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

Colorado

On May 27, a 58-year-old former patrol officer with the Denver Police Department (DPD) died as a result of complications from a gunshot wound incurred while attempting to arrest three robbery suspects on March 29, 1985. The officer, who was 32 years old and had 7 years of law enforcement experience at the time of the incident, was assisting a detective at an apartment where he had located three suspects in a crime spree. A robbery victim had led the detective to the residence, and the DPD officer had been dispatched around 10 a.m. as backup. The three suspects had been arrested and handcuffed, and the detective had stepped outside to talk to the robbery victim. One suspect complained to the officer that his handcuffs were too tight. The officer, who was wearing body armor, loosened the handcuffs. This allowed the suspect to gain access to his own .38-caliber revolver and shoot the veteran officer in the face. The suspect then gained control of the officer’s service weapon and attempted to shoot the victim officer a second time. However, the officer’s weapon was equipped with a “magna trigger” which required a magnetic ring (which was worn by the victim officer) in order to fire. The suspect, believing the weapon to be defective, dropped it at the scene, and all three suspects escaped by leaping from the window. One suspect was injured in the jump, and she was apprehended when she was found hiding nearby. The other two suspects committed a carjacking, subsequently releasing that victim, who reported the carjacking and the suspects’ general location. They were found later the same day at a car dealership. The 30-year-old shooter was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault, Robbery, and Kidnapping. The other two suspects testified against the shooter, who was found guilty of the assault. The victim officer continuously struggled with serious health complications that arose from the gunshot wound to the brain that he sustained in this incident. He succumbed to his injuries nearly 26 years later.

*****

A 27-year-old patrol officer with the Limon Police Department (LPD), with more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, was shot and killed on March 9 while attempting to arrest a federal fugitive. Just after 6 p.m., the officer, along with other officers from the LPD and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, went to a residence in a mobile home park to look for the fugitive. Officers were told that the subject was not there and had not been seen for a week. After obtaining permission to search the house, the officer and his two colleagues began checking the trailer with their weapons drawn. The three officers found the suspect in a back bedroom, sitting on the bed with his hands covered. The officers gave the suspect several commands to show his hands. When the suspect did not comply, the first officer put his gun back in the holster and took out a nonlethal electronic control device (ECD) to incapacitate the suspect while the second officer kept his handgun drawn. As the first officer stepped around the second officer to fire the ECD, the suspect produced a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot the first officer in the upper arm. The bullet traveled through the armhole of the veteran officer’s body armor into his chest, fatally hitting his lungs and heart. The other two officers were trapped in the hallway next to the room in which the suspect remained armed for more than 4 hours while SWAT teams were deployed and, ultimately, rescued them unharmed. The 52-year-old suspect, who had prior convictions for violent crimes, took his own life with a shot to the chest.

Delaware

Around 12:15 a.m. on September 16, a 44-year-old sergeant with the New Castle County Police Department was stabbed, and later died, after attempting to arrest a man. The sergeant was one of several officers dispatched to Penn Acres following a 911 call about a theft from a motor vehicle. Apparently, the owner of the vehicle approached the suspect and a physical altercation ensued during which the suspect cut the victim on the arm with a knife then fled on foot. Responding officers established a perimeter in an attempt to apprehend the suspect. Shortly after taking a perimeter position, the sergeant, who had over 17 years of law enforcement experience, requested an updated description of the suspect. After dispatch broadcast the description, the veteran sergeant radioed that he was in a foot pursuit. Once he was close enough, he deployed the probes of his electronic control device into the fleeing suspect’s back. When the sergeant attempted to physically subdue the suspect, a close contact fight ensued on the ground. The suspect retrieved a fixed-blade knife (stolen from a motor vehicle just prior to the chase) from his pocket and stabbed the sergeant repeatedly. The sergeant, who was wearing body armor, sustained stab wounds to the rear of his head, his rear upper torso/back, the rear below the waist, his arms/hands, and his neck/throat. Despite his injuries, the victim sergeant remained in the fight and kept the suspect pinned. After assisting officers arrived, the victim sergeant stood up, walked a few feet, and then collapsed. He was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to the neck/throat injuries. After a lengthy struggle with assisting officers, the 32-year-old offender was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder, Possession of a Deadly Weapon During the Commission of a Felony, and Burglary. He had a prior criminal record, was on probation, and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

Florida

A 25-year-old officer with the Lakeland Police Department was shot and killed while investigating suspicious persons on December 18 around 10:10 p.m. The officer, with 1½ years of law enforcement experience, was on patrol when he noticed three suspicious individuals in a city park and reported by radio that he was going to stop and speak to them. Approximately 6 minutes later, a backup officer arrived at the scene and found the officer had been shot. She immediately reported the officer down by radio. Neighbors near the area reported to investigating officers that they heard a gunshot and saw several individuals running from the park. Responding officers located two suspects that fit the descriptions provided by witnesses. The two individuals were interviewed and provided detectives with a detailed account of the events that led to the shooting of the victim officer. They explained that the officer had engaged them in conversation and gained their consent to conduct a “pat down” for weapons and/or illegal drugs. During the pat down, a third individual produced a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot the officer fatally in the front of the head. After the shooting, everyone fled the park leaving the officer on the ground, unresponsive. The victim officer, who had been wearing body armor, was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead on December 19. A 19-year-old suspect, who was on conditional release and had a previous criminal record for police assault, was arrested early that same morning and charged with First-Degree Murder of a Police Officer with a Firearm.

*****

Two detectives with the Miami-Dade Police Department were killed while attempting an arrest shortly after 11 a.m. on January 20 in Miami. When a murder investigation revealed that the individual wanted for the crime could be in one of three places, four detectives went to one of the locations, the apartment duplex of the individual’s mother. One detective covered the west side of the duplex and another detective went to the east side of the duplex. Two detectives went to the front door, entered the residence with the individual’s mother, and stood in a narrow hallway talking to her. Suddenly, the man appeared out of a dark room, came down the hallway firing rounds from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and proceeded toward the front door and out of the residence. While standing in the hallway, the 44-year-old veteran detective, who had more than 22 years of law enforcement experience, was struck by a round that entered her front upper torso/chest area above her body armor. She also suffered a fatal wound to the side of her head. The other detective in the hallway managed to exit the apartment. Outside, the 41year-old detective who was covering the west side of the duplex heard the shots, left his position, and headed toward the front of the apartment. As the assailant exited the residence, he shot the detective at the front entrance. The veteran detective, who had more than 21 years of law enforcement experience, was wearing body armor, but a fatal round struck him in the side of his head. The alleged assailant continued down a walkway next to the residence where he was confronted by the detective who had been on the east side of the complex. The detective shot and killed the 23-year-old offender, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, drug violations, police assault, and weapons violations. The offender, who was on probation at the time of the incident, was acquainted with the victim detectives through a previous law enforcement relationship.

*****

On January 24, at 7:29 a.m., a K-9 officer from the St. Petersburg Police Department (SPPD) was killed and a deputy marshal from the U.S. Marshals Service of Tampa was injured attempting to arrest a fugitive at a local residence. At 7:43 a.m., a sergeant, also with the SPPD, was killed while leading a team to rescue the wounded officers. All three were veterans of law enforcement and were wearing body armor during the incident. At the time of their deaths, the K-9 officer was 39 years old and had more than 11 years of law enforcement experience; the sergeant was 48 years old with 21½ years of experience. At the time he was injured, the deputy marshal was 45 years old and had 21½ years of experience.

*****

Around 6:30 a.m., three members of a fugitive task force, including the 45-year-old deputy marshal, went to a residence seeking a fugitive, who was previously charged with Aggravated Battery and was wanted for Failure to Appear. The officers knocked repeatedly until the fugitive’s wife finally answered the door. Although she initially denied that her husband was home, she eventually agreed to let the officers in and reported that her husband was hiding in the attic and she was not certain if he was armed. Requested backup officers arrived, a perimeter was set around the house, and the 39-year-old K-9 officer and his dog searched the house but did not find the fugitive. Officers then decided to search the attic and found a covered opening in the hall ceiling. A detective pushed off the cover, banged on the ceiling, and commanded the fugitive to give up and come down. There was no response. After the deputy marshal scanned the attic with a lighted telescoping mirror, the K-9 officer used a step ladder to enter the attic and the deputy marshal followed. Each of them had their gun in hand. To help see, the K-9 officer set his flashlight on the attic floor and used the light on his gun. The deputy marshal used a light from his electronic control device (ECD). After more unanswered commands for the fugitive to show himself, the deputy marshal climbed down from the attic. Officers then heard the K-9 officer command the fugitive to show his hands. The deputy marshal climbed back up and saw the K-9 officer pointing his gun at the fugitive who was lying in the rafters, arms out, face down, with his feet closest to the officers, about 10-15 feet from the attic entrance. The deputy marshal also aimed his service weapon at the fugitive, who began backing up on his elbows and knees towards the officers. The deputy marshal transitioned to his ECD, the light of which illuminated the fugitive, who told the officers that they had him as he continued crawling backwards. As the K-9 officer removed handcuffs from his duty belt and bent over, the fugitive turned over. The K-9 officer commanded him to stop and the deputy marshal fired and activated his ECD into the fugitive’s shoulder and chest. The deputy marshal heard the men struggle and activated the ECD again as the fugitive yelled. Following a muffled gunshot, the deputy marshal activated the ECD a third time. The fugitive then fired three to four rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun; one round hit the K-9 officer in his face, fatally wounding him. As the deputy marshal transitioned back to his service weapon, the fugitive shot him twice, striking him in the front of his ballistic vest and below the waist. The deputy marshal fell through the attic entrance onto the detective on the ladder and then fell to the floor. As the fugitive began firing through the attic floor at the officers below, a patrol officer pulled the injured deputy marshal into a nearby bathroom to take cover. The other officers retreated from the house. More officers arrived, including the 48-year-old sergeant from the SPPD. Around 7:43 a.m., the sergeant and other officers entered the residence and moved towards the attic opening where the fallen K-9 officer’s foot was visible. The officers used semiautomatic rifles to cover the sergeant, who held a ballistic shield as he moved under the attic entrance toward the officers still in the bathroom. As the sergeant passed under the attic entrance, the fugitive shot him with the K-9 officer’s service weapon. The round hit the sergeant in the back but was deflected by his body armor. The fugitive fired two more rounds—one glanced the sergeant’s ballistic shield and the other struck the sergeant’s chest, above his protective vest, and traveled through his torso. The other officers fired into the attic, and the sergeant crawled from the hallway into a bedroom. Another officer got on the ladder and pulled on the K-9 officer’s foot but was unable to move him. The fugitive began firing at the officer, who fell off the ladder then took cover in the bathroom. There, the officer broke out the window and assisted the patrol officer in helping the injured deputy marshal outside. The officer then broke the bedroom window from the exterior and entered the bedroom where the injured sergeant was lying. When the fugitive began shooting in that direction, the officer blocked the door with a cabinet, preventing a clear shot into the bedroom. Officers removed the victim sergeant through the bedroom window. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead from the chest wound received from the suspect’s 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. After more than an hour of failed telephone negotiations with the fugitive, the SPPD’s Tactical Apprehension and Control (TAC) Team fired tear gas canisters into the attic and entered the house. Again, the fugitive began shooting through the attic floor. The officers returned fire, retreated, and discharged more tear gas into the attic. The TAC Team then entered a second time, and shot into the ceiling where they had heard movement in the attic, but away from the K-9 officer. During the cover fire, TAC Team members freed the K-9 officer, whose leg had been wrapped in wire and ductwork, and carried him outside. The victim K-9 officer, who was attended by a physician at the scene, was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. Around 11 a.m., heavy equipment was used to remove portions of the house and a robot was used to inspect the attic. The fugitive’s dead body was found with his handgun and the K-9 officer’s service weapon close by. Evidence indicated that the fugitive was justifiably killed by law enforcement. The 39-year-old shooter had a criminal history that included violent crime, police assault, and weapons violations. He was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

*****

An officer with the St. Petersburg Police Department was fatally shot while investigating a suspicious person on February 21. Just after 10:30 p.m., two officers responded to a call from a resident who observed a man holding a broken brick in his hand while walking in the resident’s backyard. The 46-year-old officer, with more than 25 years of law enforcement experience, circled the area in his cruiser and found the man near an intersection. The veteran officer parked near that location and exited his vehicle to approach the man. Investigators later determined that the officer had taken out his notepad as he approached the suspect. At 10:37 p.m., the other responding officer reported an exchange of gunfire and that an officer was down. The victim officer was lying on the pavement near his cruiser with wounds from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He had been struck in his front lower torso/stomach and fatally in his front upper torso/chest. The officer was transported to a local medical center where he was pronounced dead. The suspect, a 16-year-old with an extensive criminal history that included police assault, fled the scene but was identified and arrested the next day. He was charged with First-Degree Premeditated Murder of a Law enforcement Officer and is expected to be tried as an adult.

Georgia

Two senior police officers from the Athens-Clarke County Police Department were shot, one fatally, while investigating an alleged kidnapping on March 22 in Athens. Just before 1:30 p.m., a 43-year-old senior police officer, who had more than 18 years of law enforcement experience and was familiar with the suspect’s family, arrived at an apartment complex where the suspect’s brother resided. He observed and stopped a vehicle belonging to the suspect’s brother. Immediately, the suspect got out of the passenger side of the vehicle and approached the officer’s marked police car. The veteran officer had opened his door but not yet exited when the suspect shot him once in the side of the face and once in the chest with a 40caliber semiautomatic handgun. The suspect then walked out of the parking lot. A 34-year-old senior police officer, who had 7 years of law enforcement experience, arrived to assist. As he was sitting in his marked police vehicle, the suspect returned and approached on foot. He shot two rounds through the driver’s window, striking the 34yearold veteran officer in the side of the head and fatally in the front upper torso/chest. The bullet entered through the armhole of his body armor. The suspect then fled the scene. The 34-year-old veteran officer died at the scene, and the wounded 43-year-old officer was treated for his injuries at a local medical center. Authorities initiated an intensive manhunt involving more than 20 local, state, and federal agencies, and located the suspect 3 days later. After a 7-hour standoff during which he held nine people hostage, the 33-year-old suspect, who had an extensive criminal record, was apprehended and charged with Murder and Aggravated Assault. At the time of the report, the wounded 43-year-old officer had not yet returned to work.

*****

Around 3 p.m. on July 20, a 55-year-old deputy sheriff with the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while conducting a felony traffic stop in Jonesboro. Earlier in the afternoon, fugitive investigators with the sheriff’s office had located a man for whom they had arrest warrants for Armed Robbery and Aggravated Assault. After seeing the man get into the passenger seat of a vehicle in front of his apartment complex, investigators followed the vehicle out of the complex parking lot in their unmarked vehicle. As the investigators maintained surveillance of the vehicle, they radioed dispatch and requested a marked patrol vehicle to stop it. The 55-year-old deputy, a 12-year veteran of law enforcement, was the first to respond. He positioned his patrol vehicle directly behind the vehicle in which the suspect was riding and initiated a traffic stop. A second deputy, who was also driving a marked patrol vehicle, arrived on the scene to assist. When the first deputy exited his patrol vehicle, he crossed behind the vehicle in which the suspect was riding and approached the passenger-side door. The suspect exited the vehicle and fired at the deputy several times with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking the deputy in the left shoulder and in the abdomen below the deputy’s body armor. The shooter then fled the area on foot. The victim deputy was transported by ambulance to a regional medical center where he died that afternoon from the abdominal wound. The 17-year-old shooter, a known drug user with prior mental disorders and a criminal record including drug violations and weapons violations, was located and arrested the same day. He was charged with two counts of Murder, two counts of Aggravated Assault, Armed Robbery, and Possession of a Firearm or Knife During Commission of a Felony.

*****

A 47-year-old deputy sheriff with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack in Augusta on October 23. At 1:18 a.m., the off-duty deputy, who was still in uniform and on his way home from work, stopped to investigate a vehicle that was parked on the side of the road. Immediately, a male wielding a .223caliber semiautomatic rifle fired 47 shots at the deputy, a 17-year veteran of law enforcement. Although the deputy returned gunfire, he was hit with multiple shots in the neck/throat, front upper torso/chest, rear upper torso/back, front below waist, arms/hands, and fatally in the side of the head. The 26-year-old suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol and was involved in a domestic altercation just prior to the deputy’s arrival, turned the weapon on himself and committed suicide.

Illinois

On December 29 around 9 p.m., a 41-year-old police officer with the Chicago Police Department was killed during an armed robbery. The officer, who had over 9 years of law enforcement experience, was off duty but was working part-time as a security guard at a convenience store. Two men, both of whom wore dark face masks and displayed weapons, entered the establishment. The first suspect was armed with what appeared to be a semiautomatic firearm suspended by a strap over his shoulder. He walked straight at the officer, who was standing behind a service counter. The veteran officer announced his office as he attempted to draw his weapon and sought cover. However, the first suspect jumped up onto the counter and fired two rounds, one of which struck the officer in the stomach. The officer fired one round at the first suspect but missed. The wounded officer fell to the floor and as he was lying there, the second suspect reached over the counter and discharged three rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun into the victim officer’s back, fatally wounding him. The first suspect then reached under the victim’s body and removed the officer’s 9 mm semiautomatic service weapon. The suspects stole cash from the registers and ran to the alley where the third suspect was waiting in a car. About 1 week later, the second gunman, a 29-year-old male on conditional release, and the accomplice who drove the car, a 34-year-old male on parole, were both arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Murder with Other Forcible Felony. Both were known drug dealers and had prior criminal records for violent crimes and weapons violations. The second gunman also had a prior charge for police assault and knew the victim police officer through a previous law enforcement relationship. At the time of the report, the first gunman was known to law enforcement but had not been charged, and the officer’s weapon had not yet been recovered.

Indiana

Just after 9 a.m. on January 23, a 29-year-old patrol officer with the Indianapolis Police Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop. The officer, with more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, initiated a traffic stop and conducted an inquiry of a license plate; the response identified that the vehicle was reportedly stolen. During the stop, the veteran officer, who was wearing body armor, was shot at close range in the front upper torso/chest, in the front below the waist, and in the front of his head with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The 60-year-old suspect, who was on parole at the time of the incident and had an extensive criminal history that included police assault, left the scene but was located and taken into custody that afternoon. He was arrested and charged with Murder, Robbery, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by Serious Violent Felon. The victim officer died from his head wound on January 26.

*****

A 34-year-old patrol officer from the Terre Haute Police Department was killed on July 11 at 3:30 p.m. The veteran officer, who had more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, was supporting a U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in serving a warrant and was assisted by a K-9. The officer and the marshals were searching an apartment when the K-9 indicated a presence in a closet. Upon further inspection, a false wall was discovered in the closet that concealed the suspect. As officers were ordering the suspect out of the closet, the suspect fired his 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. Both the patrol officer and the K-9 were struck. The officer, who was wearing body armor, returned fire before he was fatally struck in the front of the head. Another officer fired at the 34-year-old male suspect, who had a prior criminal record and had assaulted police in the past. The suspect was struck four times by officer fire and subsequently committed suicide with a shot to the head.

Iowa

A 39-year-old sergeant with the Keokuk County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed in Sigourney on April 4 during a tactical situation involving a suspect reported to have mental problems and exhibiting violent and criminal behavior. The sergeant, a veteran of 11 years of law enforcement, met with the sheriff and chief deputy to discuss the situation before going to the suspect’s residence. The officers contacted the suspect to let him know they were approaching the house. Around 11:30 a.m., the sheriff approached the residence and asked the suspect to come out and talk. After no response, the sheriff returned to the two patrol vehicles and the chief deputy and sergeant. As the sheriff walked up to the vehicles, the sergeant called out “Gun!” Gunfire immediately followed. The sheriff, chief deputy, and sergeant took cover behind the farthest patrol vehicle. They assessed the situation and determined that the shots all came from the residence, but they could not locate the suspect. Responding units were told to remain at a distance for safety. The three officers, trapped behind the disabled patrol vehicles, fired suppression rounds at the house but could not retreat because of the lack of tactical cover. Although they were running out of ammunition, the officers decided they had to remain in place for the protection of the responding officers and the community at large. During a lull in gunfire, the suspect exited undetected from an unobserved area of the house. The suspect engaged in a close-range gunfire battle with the chief deputy as the sheriff and sergeant rotated around the vehicle for a better field of vision. During the tactical move, the sergeant, who was wearing body armor, was fatally shot in the head by the suspect with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. The sheriff then returned fire on the suspect, who briefly stopped shooting in order to take cover. Seeing that the sergeant was fatally wounded and that they were nearly without ammunition, the sheriff and chief deputy retreated under heavy fire. Shortly after, the Iowa State Patrol sniper/tactical team arrived and attempted negotiations over the telephone. The 53-year-old suspect, who had a criminal history including weapons violations, stated he would kill any officer who came to the house. A few minutes later, the suspect exited the residence with a rifle in hand, and the sniper unit fatally shot him.

Kansas

At 3:48 p.m. on December 9, a 46-year-old sergeant with the Atchison Police Department was shot and killed in an ambush. Earlier that day, the sergeant, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 24 years of experience, accompanied code enforcement officers to clean up a residence where an individual had been retrieving scrap metal without a license. As the officers and the cleanup crew were beginning to wrap up, a man, who was not involved in the cleanup effort, approached the sergeant and fired a single shot from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The sergeant was wearing body armor, but the round struck him fatally in the rear of the head. The 25-year-old suspect then committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. The suspect, who was on parole at the time of the incident, was known to have prior mental disorders and a criminal history that included violent crime and police assault.

Michigan

A 40-year-old police officer with the Detroit Police Department was wounded at 12:20 a.m. on June 5 during an arrest attempt and died from his injuries several days later. While the officer was on foot patrol, citizens told him that a vehicle was blocking an intersection and that the individual sitting on the vehicle’s trunk could be armed. As the officer approached, the individual got into his vehicle. The veteran officer, who had nearly 17 years of law enforcement experience, ordered the man out of the vehicle, but the man put it into gear and rapidly accelerated, steering it directly at, and intentionally striking the officer. The officer, who was wearing body armor, tried to get clear of the vehicle, but the impact threw him onto the street, and the offender drove over both of the officer’s legs. The offender then sped off and hit a parked vehicle. Several witnesses forcibly detained the offender and restrained him until another officer arrived. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital with multiple fractures to his legs and left hand. He succumbed to his injuries and died on June 11. The 30-year-old offender, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, was taken to the hospital with injuries but refused treatment. He was arrested and charged with Homicide.

*****

On April 18, a 35-year-old public safety officer with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call. At 11:18 p.m., KDPS officers were dispatched to a residential area for a report of shots fired. The first officer to respond encountered a man on a porch and asked him if he had heard any gunshots. When the man did not answer, the officer approached him, and he began firing at the officer with a handgun. The officer took cover behind a tree, called for assistance, and returned gunfire. The man then armed himself with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle and advanced on the officer, who retreated and continued to exchange gunfire. The officer then advised other responding officers via radio that the subject was now armed with a long gun and had fled between houses in the area. In response, the 35-year-old officer, who had more than 10 years’ law enforcement experience, approached from the south, exited his patrol vehicle, and cut through backyards on foot. When he came upon a wooden fence, the veteran officer climbed it, at which time he apparently encountered the subject, who shot him with the rifle. The fatal round exceeded the specifications of the victim officer’s body armor, striking him in his front upper torso/chest area. The assailant then fired a second shot into the back of the victim officer’s head. The 31-year-old assailant, who had a prior criminal record including police assault and weapons violations, turned the rifle on himself. He died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

*****

At 5:20 p.m. on January 17, a senior police officer with the Livonia Police Department was killed during an investigative activity as he was working undercover. The 48-year-old officer, who had 20 years of law enforcement experience, was a member of a surveillance unit watching an individual and his brother whom police believed were responsible for a number of home invasions. Members of the unit witnessed the pair committing a home invasion in Walled Lake. When officers tried to apprehend the men, one individual fled on foot with the senior police officer in pursuit. While the other officers were apprehending the individual’s brother, they heard gunshots. Officers immediately responded and found the veteran senior police officer and the individual both dead with gunshot wounds. It is believed that the victim officer, who was wearing body armor, chased the offender through a yard that was surrounded by a privacy fence. When confronted, the offender turned and fired five rounds from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the officer from close range. Although the officer’s body armor stopped a round to his back, he was struck in the thigh, hip, buttocks, and fatally in the side of his head. Despite his injuries, the officer was able to fire two rounds from his .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, both of which hit the 44-year-old offender, killing him. The offender, who was on probation at the time of the incident, was known to use and possess drugs. He also had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations.

*****

A 41-year-old police officer with the Walker Police Department (WPD) was struck and killed during a traffic pursuit while attempting to stop two bank robbery suspects on October 13 just after 11 a.m. Earlier that morning, two suspects robbed a bank in nearby Ravenna and fled in an SUV. Officers of the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Department, the Michigan State Police, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Department, the WPD, and the FBI pursued the suspects into Ottawa County. As the chase continued, the suspects drove westbound on an interstate at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour, firing a rifle at the pursuing cruisers and posing a serious threat to other motorists. In an effort to stop the dangerous high-speed chase, the WPD officer, a law enforcement veteran of nearly 17 years, parked his cruiser at a highway exit in Wright Township and left the vehicle to position a tire-deflation device in the roadway. As the suspects left the interstate, the officer, who was wearing body armor, ran from the approaching vehicle, but the driver swerved to hit him. The impact caused multiple injuries to the officer, resulting in his immediate death. The vehicle crashed, and the 36-year-old driver fled on foot with officers in pursuit. While continuing to fire on the officers and ignoring commands to drop his rifle, the driver was shot by return fire and justifiably killed at the scene. The 32-year-old suspect who was a passenger in the vehicle remained in the back seat firing his rifle at arriving officers. He also ignored verbal commands to drop the weapon and surrender, and was justifiably shot and killed.

Minnesota

At 8:30 a.m. on December 19, an officer with the Lake City Police Department was shot in a premeditated ambush. The 32-year-old officer, who had 11 years of law enforcement experience, and a backup officer responded to a domestic call at a residence. The veteran officer went to the front of the house, and the backup officer went to the rear of the house. As the officer approached the front door, a juvenile female came out; the officer told her to go to a safer area near his squad car. At that point, several gunshots were heard. Two shots went past the female, and one round from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun struck the officer, who was wearing body armor, at close range in the back of the head. The backup officer heard the gunshots and called to the victim officer with no response. Officers pulled the victim officer from the scene, and he was airlifted to a hospital for treatment. The 25-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, committed suicide in the residence. The victim officer succumbed to his injury on December 30.

Mississippi

A 50-year-old captain with the Grenada Police Department (GPD) was killed during a traffic pursuit around 8:55 a.m. on October 7. That morning, the Grenada County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) received a call from a woman who saw two men break into a building next to a church then leave in a vehicle. GCSO deputies en route saw the vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. However, the driver refused to stop, so the deputies pursued the vehicle and notified the GPD that they were headed towards the town of Grenada. The captain, a 25-year veteran of law enforcement, responded and parked his vehicle at the side of the highway. He exited his vehicle and was positioned near the trunk, perhaps to retrieve a tire-deflation device, when he was fatally struck by the suspect’s vehicle traveling approximately 100 mph. The suspect’s vehicle then crashed into a ditch. The victim captain, who was wearing a protective vest, suffered injuries to his front below the waist and to his front upper torso/chest. The 20-year-old driver of the vehicle had a criminal record that included violent crime and drug violations. His 41-year-old passenger also had a criminal record, which included charges for drug violations and police assault. Both men were arrested and charged with Capital Murder, Felony Fleeing, Burglary, and Possession of Stolen Property.

Missouri

A 28-year-old patrol officer with the Caruthersville Police Department was killed at 12:36 a.m. on August 16 during a felony traffic pursuit/stop. At 12:33 a.m., deputies with the Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Department began to pursue an individual who had attempted to set his stepfather and his stepfather’s house on fire before fleeing in his stepfather’s vehicle. To assist the deputies, the patrol officer, who had 4 years of law enforcement experience, and another officer deployed a tire-deflation device as part of a roadblock. One officer was sitting in his patrol car in the westbound lane; the 28-year-old officer was in his patrol car in the eastbound lane. The fleeing individual drove toward the officer in the westbound lane and clipped his patrol car before accelerating and driving directly toward the officer in the eastbound lane, striking his car in the driver’s side door, knocking it into an adjacent ditch. The victim officer suffered wounds to his entire body and was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies with the Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Department arrested the 29-year-old suspect at the scene and charged him with First-Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, First-Degree Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, First-Degree Assault, First-Degree Tampering with a Motor Vehicle, and Resisting Arrest/Detention/Stop. The suspect, who was known to deal and possess drugs, had a prior criminal record that included violent crime and weapons violations.

*****

A 34-year-old off-duty police officer with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department was shot and killed in an unprovoked ambush at 2:35 a.m. on April 24. When three patrons in a nightclub became disruptive and argumentative, club security escorted them out to the parking lot across the street. One of the patrons became further aggressive toward one of the bouncers, who pepper sprayed the man in defense. In an adjacent lot, a police officer working a second job as security at a restaurant observed the aggressive patron throw a punch at the bouncer, so he called 911 and requested assistance. The other club security staff in the lot intervened to separate the bouncer and the patron. Then one of the patrons fired several shots in the air from a 9 mm revolver and apparently reached down to the ground. When shots were fired, the bouncer ran back into the club to retrieve a weapon. At this time, another patron from the nightclub, who had not been involved in the argument in the parking lot and was later determined to be the off-duty police officer, attempted to confront the armed suspect and ordered him to drop the gun. However, the suspect refused to drop his gun, and he and the off-duty officer, who had nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience, exchanged gunfire. The off-duty officer fired at the shooter, who fell to the ground near the back of a pickup truck. After the first shooter fell, the bouncer came out of the nightclub, approached the parking lot, and fired several rounds from a 9 mm revolver at the off-duty officer whom he believed was the initial shooter. The off-duty officer then fell to the ground. The officer in the adjacent lot informed dispatch of the shooting, went to the nightclub’s lot, and began securing the scene. The victim officer was lying between two vehicles bleeding from an unknown location with his firearm near his side. Emergency personnel transported him to a local hospital, where he was treated for a fatal gunshot wound to his neck and one to his left arm; he died shortly thereafter. The 30-year-old male, who had a prior criminal record and had been justifiably shot by the victim officer, died at the scene. The 30-year-old bouncer, who had a non-law enforcement relationship with the victim officer, was arrested and charged with Second-Degree Murder.

*****

One deputy marshal with the U.S. Marshals Service of St. Louis was killed, another was wounded, and a detective with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department was also injured in an ambush at 7 a.m. on March 8. The trio, all of whom were wearing body armor, were part of a U.S. Marshals Services’ Fugitive Task Force and were executing an arrest warrant at a residence. After arriving at the home, knocking on the front door, and announcing their presence, members of the task force saw a man look out the front window. The man closed the window shade, but he did not open the door. Later, two children opened the front door, and task force members entered the residence. The team cleared the basement and first floor before proceeding to the second floor. When they went into the second-floor kitchen, the suspect opened fire on them with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The 48-year-old deputy marshal, a veteran of law enforcement with nearly 10 years of experience, fired one round from his .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, but he was shot in the back below the waist and fatally in the rear of his head. The 58-year-old detective was also hit, suffering wounds to his head and neck, but he was able to exit the kitchen with the rest of the team to regroup. The team then reentered the kitchen to remove the victim deputy marshal from the scene. In a second exchange of gunfire, a 31-year-old deputy marshal was shot in the leg. The 35-year-old suspect was also shot, and he died at the scene. He was a known drug dealer and had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, police assault, and weapons violations. The 48-year-old victim deputy marshal was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The injured detective later returned to duty.

New Jersey

A patrol officer with the Lakewood Police Department was killed in an unprovoked attack shortly after 4 p.m. on January 14. The 27-year-old veteran officer, who had more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, saw an individual at a condominium complex and contacted dispatch and other officers inquiring about the individual’s identity. While the officer was making the inquiries, the individual left the complex on foot. About two blocks from the complex, the officer saw the individual walking along the road. The officer, who was wearing body armor, pulled up alongside the individual and initiated a conversation with him through the open window on the driver’s side. The individual made a comment, reached into his pocket, and withdrew a .38-caliber revolver. The individual fired a round approximately 5 feet from the officer, who was still sitting in his car. The suspect then stepped toward the officer, reached into the patrol car, and fired two more rounds. Two rounds struck the victim officer in the head: one in the front of the head and the other fatally in the side of the head. A third round struck the victim officer’s neck just below his jaw line. The officer was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. At the time of the incident, the 19-year-old suspect had an active warrant for his arrest for weapons possession. He was known to use drugs and had a prior criminal record for weapons violations. The suspect was arrested in Camden 2 days later following an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, the New Jersey State Police, the City of Camden Police Department, and the Prosecutor’s Offices in Ocean and Camden Counties. He was charged with Murder, Possession of a Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and Possession of Prohibited Ammunition.

*****

Shortly after 3 a.m. on November 7, a 32-year-old detective with the Newark Police Department was shot and killed while attempting to stop a robbery in nearby Paterson. The detective, who was off-duty at the time of the incident, was in the parking lot of a local establishment crouched down next to a vehicle talking to a woman sitting in the driver’s seat. When a man began to rob the female, the 6-year veteran of law enforcement stepped in and attempted to pull out his own weapon. However, the subject forced the detective against the vehicle and fatally shot him once in the back with a .38-caliber revolver. The suspect then took the detective’s badge and fled the scene in a vehicle with a female accomplice. U.S. Marshals tracked the signal of a cell phone in the suspects’ possession to a hotel in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, where the pair was arrested on November 9. The 24-year-old male suspect had a prior criminal record that included drugs, police assault, and weapons violations; the 19-year-old female suspect had a prior criminal record for violent crime. They were later returned to New Jersey, where both were charged with Murder, Robbery, Possession of a Firearm for Unlawful Purpose, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. The detective’s badge was never recovered.

New York

A 24-year-old deputy sheriff with the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) was killed around 2 a.m. on June 7 during a tactical situation in response to a domestic dispute. At 9:45 p.m. on June 6, OCSO law enforcement officers were dispatched to a residence in Munnsville, where an individual armed with a shotgun was barricaded. The OCSO’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) and crisis negotiators initiated dialogue with the armed individual. After failed negotiations, the ERT used non-lethal ammunition in an attempt to subdue the subject who was in the garage area of the residence. As the deputy attempted to deploy an electronic control device to further incapacitate him, the subject retained control of the 12-gauge pump-action shotgun and fired at least two rounds. One round struck the deputy, who was wearing body armor, in the throat. Other law enforcement personnel at the scene returned fire, striking the subject multiple times. The victim deputy, who had more than 3 years of law enforcement experience, was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 40-year-old assailant, who had a prior criminal record, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, two counts of Attempted Aggravated Murder, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, and Harassment.

*****

A police officer with the Poughkeepsie Police Department was killed while attempting to make an arrest at 1:10 p.m. on February 18. The 44-year-old veteran officer, who had over 18 years of law enforcement experience, responded with other officers to a call about shots fired in the parking lot of a small business. Upon their arrival, officers encountered a male suspect armed with a small semiautomatic handgun. It appeared that the suspect was injured and that his weapon was not functional. However, the suspect fled on foot and officers pursued him. The officer ordered the suspect to drop his weapon, but he refused. The officer then returned his own weapon to the holster and approached the offender in an effort to subdue him. During this contact, the suspect gained control of the officer’s .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and fatally shot the officer once in the face. The suspect fired at another officer but missed. The 27-year-old suspect then shot himself in the head and died at the scene. Following the suicide, investigators discovered the suspect had killed his estranged wife as she sat in her vehicle before the officers had arrived. He had a previous criminal record that included drug violations, violent crime, and weapons violations.

North Carolina

Just before noon on December 8, a deputy sheriff with the Moore County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while attempting an arrest in Vass. The 58-year-old deputy, who had more than 37 years of law enforcement experience, went to a residence to investigate a report from a neighbor about trespassers at a home, which was in foreclosure and abandoned. He notified dispatch that he was at the home and asked dispatchers to check the license plate of a vehicle that was parked on the property. As the deputy approached the home, he met an individual who identified himself as the homeowner’s brother. The brother and the deputy entered the home and located the potential homeowner. The veteran deputy explained the reason for his presence and requested identification. The individual did not respond or make an attempt to comply with the deputy’s request; therefore, the deputy radioed for backup. The brother asked the individual where his identification was so that he could get it for the deputy, and the man stated that it was in his vehicle. At the deputy’s request, they all went outside. The individual and the deputy stood on the porch while the brother retrieved the identification from the vehicle. The brother provided the identification to the deputy, who relayed the information to the dispatcher. The deputy received notification over the radio that there was an outstanding warrant for child support for the individual. As the deputy removed handcuffs from his belt and informed the man that he was under arrest for a child support warrant, the man pulled a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from behind his back and fired twice, striking the deputy in the rear upper torso/back and fatally in the side of the head. The 33-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record and prior mental disorders, committed suicide by shooting himself once in the head. When the backup deputy arrived, he heard the two gunshots but did not see the incident.

*****

On June 9 around 7 p.m., a 38-year-old investigator with the Nash County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed during a tactical situation while attempting to serve First-Degree Murder warrants in Kinston. The 9-year veteran of law enforcement was working with a violent fugitive task force with the U.S. Marshals Service. Earlier in the day, the task force had arrived at an apartment building with a search warrant and searched an apartment there. They found and seized weapons, but did not locate the suspects for whom they were looking, so the officers left the scene. After further investigation, it was determined that the suspects were actually in the apartment building but located in a different apartment than the one they had searched. The team reconvened and returned to the building. The team took positions, with the investigator taking a position in a stairway above the apartment, and contact was attempted with the residents of the apartment. After a bit, the group decided to back out of the area and regroup. As the investigator descended the stairway and made his way into the corridor, he passed the front door of the apartment. At that time, a suspect inside fired through the door with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The investigator was struck three times: in the foot, in the thigh above the knee, and, fatally, in the rear left upper back through the armhole of his body armor. Four suspects, aged 26-, 18-, 17-, and 16-years-old, were subsequently arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder. The 18-year-old was also charged with a second count of First-Degree Murder. Each suspect, with the exception of the 16-year-old, had prior arrests.

North Dakota

A 56-year-old sergeant with the Bismarck Police Department was shot and killed while investigating a domestic disturbance call on July 8. When the sergeant, a nearly 36-year veteran of law enforcement, and other officers arrived on the scene around 10:40 p.m., the suspect was no longer in the area. As the officers attempted to locate the suspect on foot, the sergeant saw him in a van that was parked on the side of the roadway. He approached the van while giving verbal commands for the suspect to show his hands. When the sergeant was less than 10 feet from the van, the 52-year-old suspect fired a .45caliber semiautomatic handgun through the tinted back window, fatally striking the sergeant in the front upper torso/chest. Another officer in the area had heard the sergeant giving verbal commands and had made his way to the area. He shot at least four rounds into the van and one round struck the suspect in the head, incapacitating him. The suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol, had a prior criminal record and was on probation at the time of the incident. He was released from the hospital days later and charged with Murder and Terrorizing.

Ohio

A 40-year-old deputy sheriff with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack at a trailer park in Springfield around 11:48 a.m. on January 1. The deputy, who was a 12-year veteran of law enforcement, and a CCSO sergeant responded to a report of shots fired. After they arrived on the scene, the sergeant interviewed nearby residents while the deputy, who was wearing body armor, began gathering evidence and photographing the scene where the shots were allegedly fired. A man exited one of the trailers, produced a 12-gauge shotgun, and shot the deputy in the head. The sergeant heard the gunfire and ran to the area. He located the victim deputy, but was unable to get to her. The sergeant notified communications of shots fired and that an officer was down. Another deputy responded to the scene, and additional officers from multiple jurisdictions were called to assist. Approximately 12:40 p.m., officers were preparing to remove the victim deputy from the scene when the suspect began shooting at them. In an exchange of gunfire, a 32-year-old patrol officer with the German Township Police Department was struck in the arms/hands. He was taken from the scene to a local hospital for treatment. A short time later, the Fairborn Police Special Response Team (SRT) arrived with an armored vehicle, and the SRTs from the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) and the Springfield Police Division also responded. The SRTs removed the victim deputy from the scene, and she was transported to a local hospital where she later died. OSHP SRT members used tactical surveillance equipment to see that the suspect was lying face down in his trailer. An SRT medic entered the trailer to examine the suspect, but he could not find a pulse. The 57-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included police assault and weapons violations, had apparently died in the shootout with officers.

*****

A 61-year-old retired police officer with the Columbus Division of Police died on January 20, as a result of injuries sustained in an attempted arrest 31 years earlier. On December 18, 1979, the officer, who was 30 years old and had 8 years of law enforcement experience at that time, was on patrol in his cruiser. He observed two individuals who behaved in a suspicious manner. He turned around and began to follow them. Around 2:25 a.m., they entered a store and the veteran officer entered behind them. The first suspect responded to the officer’s request for identification, but the second refused and attempted to reach his right hand into his left front inside coat pocket. Not knowing what the second suspect was going to do, the officer grabbed his arm and pulled it back out of his coat. While the officer was doing this, the first suspect moved in from behind the officer and struck him in the face. The officer released his grip on the second individual, a struggle ensued, and the officer and first suspect fell to the floor. The officer reported that his gun fell out of his holster, and while he and the first suspect were struggling for possession of the gun, the officer was shot in the rear lower torso/back with a .38-caliber revolver by the second suspect, a 16-year-old male who was later determined to be under the influence of narcotics and alcohol. Both suspects fled the store on foot, but were tracked to one of the suspect’s residence where they hid in the attic. SWAT officers were summoned, and after tear gas was shot into the attic, both suspects surrendered. The shooter was tried as an adult, found guilty, and sentenced to 25 years in a correctional facility. The first suspect was tried as a juvenile and sentenced to the Ohio Youth Commission. The victim officer was retired from the Columbus Division of Police on disability and struggled with health consequences, including permanent paralysis below the waist. An autopsy confirmed that his death was a direct result of complications from his injuries.

*****

A 30-year-old patrol officer with the Sandusky Police Department was shot and killed on March 19 while attempting to make a traffic stop. Around 3 a.m., the officer, who had nearly 9 years of experience, was traveling in his patrol vehicle when he observed a man riding a bicycle without lights and attempted to stop him. When the officer moved his vehicle to block the bicycle’s path, the man turned the bicycle into a driveway and began riding on the sidewalk. The subject rode around the front of the patrol vehicle and returned to the street. The veteran officer activated his overhead lights and followed behind him. From the patrol vehicle’s camera, the man was heard asking the officer, “What did I do, man?” as he stopped his bicycle. The officer exited his vehicle as the man approached the back of the passenger side of the vehicle. The officer ordered the man to get his hands out of his coat, but the man drew a .38-caliber revolver and fired four shots at the officer. Then, as he walked around the back of the vehicle, he fired two more shots. The officer fell to the ground, but was able to return fire, striking the offender twice. The wounded offender ran from the scene and was found hiding a short distance away. The officer was wounded in the lower back, in his arm, and in his upper back. The officer, who was wearing body armor, was treated at a nearby hospital, but died from the wound to his upper back from a round that entered through the armhole of his vest. The offender was also treated for his injuries and later charged with Aggravated Murder, Having a Weapon While Under Disability, and Carrying a Concealed Weapon. The offender was known to police and had a prior criminal history including violent crime, murder, drug violations, police assault, and weapons violations. The night of the shooting, the offender was under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and the arresting officers found a bag of marijuana in his possession.

*****

Shortly after 2 a.m. on May 10, a 36-year-old sergeant with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office was killed during a felony traffic pursuit in Lebanon. The traffic pursuit began in Franklin and stretched for 12 miles across Warren County. During the pursuit, the suspect’s vehicle reached speeds in excess of 120 mph. He also drove directly into the path of oncoming deputies’ vehicles, causing the deputies to take evasive actions to avoid colliding head on. Near Lebanon, at an intersection of the highway on which the suspect was traveling, the sergeant parked his vehicle and attempted to deploy a tire-deflation device. When the vehicle approached the sergeant’s location, the driver veered off of the highway and struck the sergeant. The sergeant, who was wearing body armor, suffered multiple injuries and was killed instantly. Within seconds of the incident, additional units arrived at the scene and found the victim sergeant. However, they were unable to locate the suspect. Air support and K-9 units were brought in to assist with the search for the suspect. Around 6:15 a.m., K-9 units tracking the suspect helped a deputy locate the man and take him into custody. The 22-year-old suspect was charged with Murder, Involuntary Manslaughter, Aggravated Vehicular Homicide, Receiving Stolen Property, Failure to Comply with an Order or Signal of a Law Enforcement Officer, two counts of Felonious Assault, and two counts of Having Weapons While Under Disability. He also had a prior criminal record that included drug violations, violent crime, and weapons violations.

Oregon

On April 22, a 43-year-old police officer with the Eugene Police Department was shot and killed while attempting to make a traffic stop. Around 4:30 p.m., the veteran officer, who had more than 13 years of law enforcement experience, was riding home on his police motorcycle when a vehicle began to follow closely behind him. The officer tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver sped up. The officer then activated the lights on his motorcycle and began following the vehicle. He radioed for backup and in response, several units were en route to assist him. When the driver stopped behind other cars at a stoplight, the officer pulled up beside the driver’s window and signaled that she should pull the vehicle over. Witnesses reported that the driver then pointed a .38-caliber revolver at the officer and fired one shot. The bullet circumvented the officer’s body armor and entered his chest through the right armhole. Several bystanders came to the officer’s aid, but he died at the scene. The shooter fled in her car and was later pursued by other officers to a logging road. After a standoff, the 56-year-old offender was arrested and charged with Aggravated Murder and Elude by Vehicle. She was subsequently determined to be impaired by a severe mental illness.

*****

The 55-year-old police chief of the Rainier Police Department, a 20-year veteran of law enforcement, was killed with his service weapon while attempting to make an arrest on January 5. Approximately 10:45 a.m., the chief responded to a call from a local car stereo shop reporting a man would not leave the shop. Upon arrival, the chief found the subject sitting in the driver’s seat of a display vehicle parked inside the store’s showroom. When the subject refused to leave at the chief’s request, a physical altercation occurred. The chief was knocked to the ground and appeared to be injured. A store employee and two customers attempted to help the chief, and the reporting employee again called 911 for additional assistance. While the chief was lying on his back, the subject seized the chief’s service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and shot the chief once in the head at close range. The two customers and the employee fled the store, fearing the offender would also shoot them. Additional officers arrived on the scene and exchanged gunfire with the man. After he was wounded by return fire, the subject surrendered to law enforcement. The victim chief was flown via helicopter to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 22-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was treated for his injuries and released to law enforcement later that week. He was arrested and charged with Aggravated Murder.

Pennsylvania

On June 29, a deputy sheriff with the Berks County Sheriff’s Department was killed while on special assignment at 6:30 p.m. The 28-year-old deputy had 5 years of law enforcement experience and was part of a task force that was assembled to apprehend an individual at a home in Kempton. As task force members forced the individual from the home, he retreated to a wooded area behind the residence and scaled a steep hillside. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, and his K-9 pursued the subject and confronted him on top of the hill. The man fired two rounds from a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle; one round struck the veteran deputy in the front below the waist and a second round entered through the armhole or shoulder area of his body armor, fatally wounding him in the front upper torso/chest. The deputy was able to fire four rounds from his service weapon, but none of the rounds struck the suspect. Another officer then shot the suspect in the head, killing him instantly. The 25-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record and was known to have prior mental disorders.

*****

A 46-year-old patrol officer with the East Washington Police Department was killed and a second 46-year-old patrol officer was injured during a traffic stop on December 18. The first patrol officer, a 5½-year veteran of law enforcement, stopped a vehicle for an apparent traffic violation. During the stop, it was discovered that the driver had an expired registration and no insurance for the vehicle. The second officer, a 21-year veteran of law enforcement, arrived to assist. After both officers decided to impound the vehicle, they approached the vehicle and asked the driver to exit. The driver emerged from the vehicle with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and immediately shot the first officer, who was wearing body armor, in the front below the waist. The driver then fired at the second officer, striking him in the right hand. When the second officer fell to the ground, the driver turned back to the first officer who lay wounded on the ground and shot him in the side of the head, killing him. The second officer exchanged gunfire with the shooter with his left hand, then retreated to a safe area and called for assistance. The suspect fled to his residence nearby. Within an hour, law enforcement officers had set up a perimeter around the house. After several hours, a police tactical team deployed tear gas into the home. The 58-year-old suspect fired a round from the window before officers saw him exit the rear door of the house armed with a shotgun. A tactical team sniper justifiably shot and killed him.

*****

A patrol officer with the Freemansburg Police Department was killed while responding to a disturbance call just after 5 p.m. on August 11. The 31-year-old patrol officer, who had more than 9 years of law enforcement experience, was dispatched to a neighborhood dispute. Shortly after arriving, he requested backup. The assisting officer arrived to find the veteran patrol officer using his electronic control device (ECD) to hold off two dogs that were poised to attack him. The assisting officer instructed the patrol officer to shoot the dogs with the ECD. Immediately, the patrol officer, who was wearing body armor, was struck in the back of his head by a blast from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, and he fell to the ground. The assisting officer then spotted the assailant who had been standing in close proximity of the victim officer but just outside of the assisting officer’s view. Apparently, the assailant’s weapon had jammed after the blast. The assisting officer repeatedly ordered the assailant to drop his weapon and surrender. Eventually, the assailant complied and was taken into custody. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The 46-year-old assailant, who had a prior criminal record including drug violations and weapons violations, was charged with Criminal Homicide. He was also acquainted with the victim officer through a prior law enforcement relationship.

South Carolina

On December 20 around 9:20 p.m., a 33-year-old public safety officer with the Aiken Department of Public Safety was killed and a 27-year-old public safety officer was wounded while investigating a suspicious person as a follow up to an earlier incident. The 27-year-old officer, who had 2 years’ law enforcement experience, and the 33-year-old officer, who had nearly 7 years’ law enforcement experience, were accompanied by another officer. After they stopped a vehicle in the parking lot of an apartment complex, a man exited the vehicle, went to the rear of his car, and began talking to the three officers. The suspect suddenly removed a .38-caliber revolver from his pocket and shot the 27-year-old officer in the chest. Although the officer suffered blunt force trauma, his body armor stopped the round. The suspect then shot the 33-year-old veteran officer in the stomach, also causing him blunt force trauma when the round hit his body armor. The shooter fired another round, striking the veteran officer in the side of the head. The veteran officer died the following day as a result of his injuries. The 19-year-old shooter was shot and wounded by other law enforcement officers. He was arrested and charged with Murder and Attempted Murder. He had a prior criminal record with a history of violent crimes and weapons violations.

*****

A 29-year-old deputy sheriff with the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) was shot in an unprovoked attack in Clinton around 11:30 p.m. on July 13; he died on July 14. After deputies arrived at the scene of an apparent domestic-related homicide in Fountain Inn, they were notified that the suspect was believed to be in Kingsborough Circle. Deputies responded to that location but were then advised that the suspect had returned to his home in Clinton. The LCSO was also informed that there were several people in the suspect’s yard and that the suspect was inside the house. A deputy, who had 1½ years of law enforcement experience, traveled to the suspect’s residence along with a Laurens County investigator and three Clinton Department of Public Safety (CDPS) officers. After the deputy arrived at the suspect’s house, he exited his vehicle and was in the process of telling the people in the yard to leave the area when the suspect appeared in the front doorway and shot at him with a .357-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The deputy was struck in the chest by a round that entered through the armhole or shoulder area of his body armor. He fell, then regained his footing and called for help on his police radio. The deputy made his way to cover behind a CDPS vehicle. Additional officers who had just arrived at the scene attempted to treat his wounds while other officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The suspect was wounded in the shootout, and officers were able to take him into custody. The victim deputy was taken to a local hospital where he died. The 39-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime and was under conditional release at the time of the incident, was charged with Murder, Use of a Weapon During the Commission of Violent Crime, and five counts of Attempted Murder.

South Dakota

Two officers were killed and one officer was injured while investigating suspicious persons on August 2. Around 4:20 p.m., three officers from the Rapid City Police Department who were on patrol received information that persons were drinking alcohol while walking down the street. A 38-year-old police officer with 4 years of experience arrived in a marked police unit and made contact with four individuals. Minutes later, a 27-year-old patrol officer with 3 years of law enforcement experience arrived on a bicycle and a 28-year-old police officer with 6 years of law enforcement experience arrived in a marked police unit. During the initial contact, three of the individuals cooperated, and the officers were able to confirm their identities. These individuals were told they were free to leave. The patrol officer was standing next to the fourth individual who was being uncooperative, providing false information, and had an open container with alcohol. Minutes later, the suspect pulled a concealed .357-magnum revolver from his waist area and began shooting at the officers. He first shot the 27-year-old officer fatally in the front upper torso/chest, just left of his body armor, immediately incapacitating him. He aimed next at the 38-year-old officer, who was wearing body armor, and shot him in the face. This officer was able to recover and fire one round before falling back to the ground. The suspect then moved toward the 28-year-old veteran officer. During this exchange of gunfire, the officer was able to return fire and shot 14 rounds from his .40-caliber handgun before collapsing in the street from a fatal shot to his front upper torso/chest just left of his body armor. The 22-year-old suspect, who was incapacitated during the shooting, was struck twice and later died from his injuries. He had an extensive criminal record including police assault. It was later determined that he was under the influence of narcotics and alcohol at the time of the incident.

Tennessee

A 51-year-old sergeant with the Chattanooga Police Department was shot and killed, and a 46-year-old police officer was wounded while responding to a robbery in progress about 10:25 a.m. on April 2. Two police officers responded in separate vehicles to a silent alarm at a local pawn store. They parked their vehicles in front of the store but out of sight of the store’s glass doors and windows. The officers went to the front glass doors and spotted the gunman at the counter. The gunman saw them and opened fire through the doors. Both officers retreated to their patrol cars for cover. As the 46-year-old officer, who had 10 years of law enforcement experience, went to the trunk of his car to get his rifle, the suspect came to the glass doors, opened one of them, and began firing. The veteran officer was hit in the upper back; however, the bullet did not penetrate his body armor. Both officers exchanged gunfire with the shooter, who retreated into the shop. Moments later, most of the employees exited a side door. The suspect exited the same side door and jogged down an alley headed towards the rear of the building. At this time, the sergeant, a 27-year veteran of law enforcement, arrived in his marked patrol vehicle behind the suspect. The suspect turned and fired one round through the passenger side windshield of the sergeant’s vehicle. The sergeant struck the suspect with his vehicle; the suspect hit the hood and landed against the windshield, crushing it in. The sergeant stopped his vehicle and the suspect rolled off, knocking the .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun from his hand. The suspect got up and ran, and the sergeant exited his vehicle and chased after him. As the suspect rounded a street corner, the sergeant deployed an electronic control device (ECD) and fired two darts at the suspect’s back. The ECD did not affect the suspect because he was wearing body armor. The suspect continued running, and according to a witness, he unzipped his jacket and pulled out a second weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The sergeant, who was also wearing a protective vest, drew his service weapon, and a gun battle ensued between the two men who were separated by less than 8 feet. As the sergeant attempted to reload his weapon, he was hit in the front of the head and died instantly. The suspect was hit in his chest, but his protective armor prevented any of the rounds from penetrating his body. He was also believed to have gunshot injuries to his groin area, but they did not incapacitate him. The suspect was walking away as the two officers who had first responded came upon the victim sergeant. The suspect shot at the officers, who returned fire, striking the back of his neck and his body armor. He dropped his weapon, tried to continue walking, but collapsed to the ground. The officers approached the suspect and handcuffed him. The 25-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with Felony Murder, First-Degree Murder, three counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder, and Aggravated Robbery. The officer injured in the first moments of the incident was transported to the hospital due to blunt trauma where the bullet impacted his body armor. He was later released and has since returned to duty.

*****

On June 6 around 7 a.m., a 27-year-old patrol deputy with the Dickson County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in an unprovoked attack as he was on patrol and stopped at the scene of a vehicle crash. The deputy, with almost 6 years of law enforcement experience, was driving his patrol vehicle when the driver of a truck that had pulled in behind him at an intersection accelerated into oncoming traffic and passed the marked patrol vehicle. The driver of the truck pulled alongside the vehicle in front of the deputy and turned sharply into the vehicle, forcing it to the curb. The veteran deputy, who was wearing body armor, pulled his patrol vehicle over between the two vehicles, activated his lights, and began to report the accident over his radio. His report stopped in midsentence as the driver of the truck exited his vehicle and began shooting a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the deputy as he sat in his patrol vehicle. The shooter fired a total of 11 rounds, striking the deputy in the front of the head, as well as the hood and windshield of the deputy’s vehicle and a nearby house. Before suffering the fatal wound, the deputy drew his weapon, and fired one round at the suspect but missed. It was subsequently learned that the shooter was the estranged husband of the woman driving the other vehicle, and that she had a restraining order against him. After shooting the deputy, the man walked to the car in which the woman was now cowering on the floor, and he began shouting at her to look at him. The 27-year-old shooter, who had a prior criminal record of violent crime, then committed suicide with a single shot to the head. The woman called 911 as a nearby witness to the crime tried to render aid to the deputy. Backup officers and emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene. The deputy was transported to a local medical center where he died from his wound the next day.

*****

On July 3, a 39-year-old patrol officer with the Memphis Police Department was killed while responding to a disturbance call at a downtown hotel. Around 7 p.m., Memphis Police Department officers arrived at the hotel after a shooting was reported. Officers were told that the victim of the shooting was on the eighth or ninth floor of the hotel. The officers climbed the stairwell in groups of three or four, searching for the victim and the shooter. When they reached the eighth floor, several officers exited the stairwell to search the floor. The patrol officer, who had 8 years of law enforcement experience, continued to climb the stairwell. On the tenth floor landing, the officer, who was wearing body armor and had his gun drawn, encountered the suspect. Officers in the stairwell below heard a single gunshot and found the veteran officer lying wounded in the stairwell between the ninth and tenth floors. He had been fatally shot in the right side of his head with a .38-caliber revolver. While some of the officers transferred the victim officer to the ninth floor elevator lobby, other officers located the suspect higher up in the stairwell. After a struggle, the officers took the suspect into custody. The 22-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder and Aggravated Assault.

*****

On May 2, a 56-year-old captain with the Wartburg Police Department died from injuries he received while attempting an arrest on April 23. At 12:17 a.m. on the day of the incident, the captain, a 23-year veteran of law enforcement, and another officer were dispatched to a domestic violence call at an apartment. Because the subject had a history of evading arrest and a court order to stay away from the area, the captain went to the back window of the apartment, and the other officer went to the front door. Although the woman who came to the front door refused to unlock it and stated that the suspect was not there, the officer could see the suspect, who ran to the back of the apartment. When the woman finally unlocked the door, the officer entered the residence. As the officer was halfway through, he heard the captain yelling, so he ran out the front door and went to the back of the apartment. The victim captain was at his patrol unit holding his left arm and appeared to have a dislocated shoulder. He stated that a struggle had ensued with the suspect during which the suspect hit him several times and knocked him down before fleeing towards the end of the apartment complex. The officer called for medical assistance and backup. The victim captain was transported to a hospital for injuries to his front upper torso/chest and the rear of his head. The 29-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including police assault, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Domestic Assault, Resisting Arrest, Failure to Appear, Violation of Probation, Aggravated Criminal Trespassing, and Felony Evading Arrest. He was on probation at the time of the incident and knew the victim captain through a law enforcement relationship. The victim captain died 9 days later.

Texas

Around 10:40 p.m. on July 8, a 36-year-old officer with the Beaumont Police Department was killed while attempting to stop a vehicle involved in a high-speed chase. The suspect had fled from the scene of a domestic dispute in a vehicle, leading officers on a chase that reached speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. In addition to the driver’s disregard for numerous traffic laws, the vehicle was observed traveling with the headlights turned off, posing a great threat to public safety. In an effort to stop the suspect, the veteran officer, with 10½ years of law enforcement experience, had parked in a turning lane on the suspect’s expected route and had exited his vehicle to deploy a tire-deflation device. Witnesses reported that as the suspect’s vehicle approached the officer’s parked patrol vehicle, beside which the officer was standing, the suspect steered his car into the patrol vehicle. The violent impact of the vehicles caused fatal injuries to the victim officer. The 30-year-old suspect was transported to the hospital where he was expected to recover from injuries he suffered in the collision. He was arrested and charged with Capital Murder.

*****

A 48-year-old sergeant with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office was killed in San Antonio in an unprovoked attack on May 28 shortly after 2 a.m. The veteran sergeant, with more than 25 years of law enforcement service, was called to assist at a scene where shots had been fired. Driving a marked patrol vehicle en route to the scene, the sergeant stopped at a red light. At that time, a man in a truck pulled up next to the patrol car and began shooting into the door and window of the sergeant’s vehicle. The shooter fired at least 40 rounds from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle. More than 20 shots went through the door and window striking the sergeant in the chest, neck, and fatally in the side of his head. The suspect then fled the scene in his truck. The sergeant died before he could be transported to a hospital. A multi-jurisdictional task force made up of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers was formed to investigate the incident and locate the suspect. Eight days after the shooting, a 41-year-old man was arrested at his residence without incident. A rifle seized at the man’s home was determined to be the weapon that was used to shoot the veteran sergeant. It is suspected that the man was intoxicated and on prescription antidepressant medication at the time of the incident. He had a prior criminal record and convictions, including police assault and weapons violations. The suspect was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer.

*****

A 54-year-old deputy sheriff with the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while transporting a prisoner in New Boston at 1:30 p.m. on April 18. The deputy, who had 21½ years of law enforcement experience, transferred a prisoner in a marked transport van from a mental facility to a secure area in the basement of the county courthouse for a hearing at 1 p.m. At the hearing, the judge ordered that the prisoner be returned to the mental facility. Because he was a mental health patient, the prisoner was not restrained during the transport or the hearing. Shortly after the hearing, the veteran deputy evidently permitted the prisoner to exit the vehicle, and the prisoner overpowered her. He apparently took the deputy’s .38-caliber service revolver and fired one fatal round into the side of her head. The 21-year-old alleged shooter then took the transport van and left the scene. Around 2:30 p.m., deputies at the courthouse discovered the victim deputy’s body in the basement where she was pronounced dead. Just before 3 p.m., law enforcement officers arrested the suspect near Ashdown, Arkansas. He was still in possession of the transport van and the deputy’s service weapon. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, drug violations, police assault, and weapons violations, was charged with Capital Murder.

*****

On April 23 around 3:45 p.m., a 31-year-old deputy sheriff with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) was shot and killed during a tactical situation that resulted from answering a domestic violence call. The deputy, who had more than 3 years of law enforcement experience, was assisting in the investigation of an anonymous call to the Venus Police Department (VPD) reporting that a male had assaulted a female and was possibly armed. The first deputy, along with two other JCSO deputies and an officer from the VPD, arrived at the residence. The first deputy requested that officers position themselves away from the residence for safety. When the officers approached the residence, the first deputy and the VPD officer checked a parked truck for weapons, and the other two deputies knocked at the door. A woman in the residence advised them that the suspect was in a shed at the end of the house. The deputies tried the door to the shed, but it appeared to be locked. They identified themselves as deputies and asked the man they believed to be inside to come out. One deputy and the officer asked the woman if they could open the door, and she gave consent. One of the deputies pulled the door open. Inside a man was sitting against the wall to the left of the door, his hand hidden in a recess in the studded walls. The deputies ordered the man to show his hands. The suspect replied in a desperate voice that he could not. The suspect then began shooting a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The first deputy pushed another deputy back to the left to keep him from getting hit and leaned forward in an attempt to push away the subject’s gun. The first deputy then backed up and moved left to right as the suspect began firing faster. The deputy was struck in the neck and fatally in the front upper torso/chest when a bullet entered the armhole of his body armor, and he fell in front of the door to the shed. A second deputy stepped in front of the body, shielding it and began to fire at the suspect. The third deputy returned gunfire as well, as the suspect continued shooting. The 47-year-old suspect fell and officers ceased firing and handcuffed the wounded suspect, who subsequently died from his injuries. Officers on the scene performed CPR on the victim deputy until backup officers and emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene; however, the deputy died from his injuries.

Virginia

Four deputy sheriffs with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office were shot, two of them killed and two injured, in an ambush after 3 p.m. on March 13 in Vansant. Earlier that day, a salvage yard owner called 911 concerning an attempted theft. The business owner had blocked the suspect’s car, and when salvage workers approached the suspect, he fled into the woods. In response, a 25-year-old deputy, who had over 6 years of law enforcement experience, and a 32-year-old deputy, who had over 10 years of law enforcement experience, arrived to take the report and process the scene. At 3:06 p.m., the 25-year-old deputy advised dispatch that he and the other deputy had shots fired upon them and that both were wounded and taking cover at a nearby residence. The 25year-old deputy, who was wearing body armor, was hit in his arms/hands and in the rear lower torso/back when a round exceeded his vest’s specifications. The 32-year-old deputy, who was also wearing body armor, was struck in the rear of his head, his front upper torso/chest, and his rear upper torso/back when gunshots exceeded his vest’s specifications. Multiple units responded to the shooting, including a 46-year-old deputy with over 7 years of law enforcement experience who tried to assist another deputy in evacuating the wounded veteran deputies. However, the suspect fired additional shots from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle around 3:30 p.m., striking the 46-year-old veteran deputy in the front upper torso/chest. The rounds exceeded the specifications of the deputy’s body armor and he was killed. When more units responded, an investigator drove a car as a shield while the sheriff, a trooper, and a 41yearold deputy made a second attempt to evacuate the wounded deputies around 3:55 p.m. The 41-year-old deputy, a veteran law enforcement officer with more than 10 years of service, was covering the rescue group with his rifle when he observed the suspect in the woods. With the sheriff’s approval, the deputy, who was wearing body armor, fired at the suspect. The suspect returned fire, fatally wounding the deputy in the front of his head. Over the next hour and a half, more law enforcement arrived to assist in the suspect’s apprehension. When he emerged from the woods to the road, the suspect was talking on a cell phone with his back to law enforcement officials. They approached the suspect and ordered him to put his hands up. Slightly after 5:30 p.m., following numerous commands, the suspect ended his call and turned toward law enforcement as he pulled a semiautomatic pistol and pointed it at the officers. Immediately, two officers fired upon the 52-year-old suspect, justifiably killing him at the scene. At the time of the report, one of the injured deputies had returned to duty, and the other injured deputy had not returned.

*****

On December 8, a 39-year-old officer with the Virginia Tech Police Department was killed in an unprovoked attack. Shortly after noon, the officer, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor, initiated a traffic stop in front of a campus building. He returned to his police vehicle and sat inside using a mobile device to issue a ticket to the driver. About 12:15 p.m., a man approached the officer’s car and fired a single shot from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun through the open driver’s side window. The round struck the officer below his ear and caused a fatal injury to the back of his head. Witnesses reported the suspect was not associated with the traffic stop that had occurred minutes earlier. The shooter was observed using a firearm with his left hand, and was wearing a coat and hat. Additional officers immediately responded to the scene, searching for the suspect based upon the description of the clothes he was wearing. A deputy from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was driving through a parking lot on campus when he saw a man walking, but the man was not wearing the coat and hat matching the shooter’s description. The deputy turned his vehicle around in order to stop and question the man. When the deputy located him, he was lying in the parking lot with a single gunshot wound to his forehead. In his left hand, the injured man was holding the same gun used to shoot the officer. The deputy kicked the weapon away and secured the suspect with handcuffs. The 22-year-old shooter died at the scene from the self-inflicted gunshot wound. A backpack was later found behind some greenhouses near the lot where the officer was killed. The backpack contained the coat and hat described by witnesses, along with other items that were directly linked to the shooter.

West Virginia

On February 16, a 24-year-old deputy marshal with the U.S. Marshals Service of Clarksburg was shot and killed, and another deputy marshal and a supervisory deputy marshal were shot and injured while involved in a tactical situation around 8 a.m. in Elkins. Surveillance of a residence began about 6 a.m., as law enforcement officers prepared to serve a federal arrest warrant for a man wanted on charges of Possession with Intent to Distribute Crack Cocaine and Unlawful User in Possession of Firearms; officials also planned to search the residence. About 2 hours later, five deputy marshals and a West Virginia state trooper knocked on the front door, announced their presence, and requested entry into the home. After several unsuccessful attempts to have the occupants answer the door, the deputy marshals and the trooper decided to use a battering ram to breach it. Once the door was forced open, four deputy marshals and one trooper entered. The fifth deputy marshal remained on the porch securing the battering ram, and two additional deputy marshals, a second state trooper, and a task force officer from the Fairmont Police Department secured the perimeter of the residence. Inside the foyer, deputy marshals and the trooper issued verbal commands demanding that any occupants come out with their hands up. Instead, they were met with gunfire from behind a closed door down the hallway directly in front of them. The suspect fired five rounds from a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, fatally striking the 24-year-old deputy marshal, who had nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, in the lower neck area above his body armor and in the front of his head; he died at the scene. The second deputy marshal, a 33-year-old veteran of law enforcement with over 11 years of experience, endured gunshot injuries to the front of his head, rear upper torso/back, arms/hands, and rear below the waist even though wearing body armor. The supervisory deputy marshal, a 41-year-old veteran of law enforcement with over 20 years of experience, suffered gunshot wounds in the front lower torso/stomach when a round entered below his body armor, as well as injuries to the front below the waist and his arms/hands. A trooper and a deputy marshal inside the residence saw the suspect in the hallway and returned fire, justifiably killing him. The 50-year-old assailant had a prior criminal record, including drug violations and weapons violations, and he was known to possess and deal drugs. Following the shootings, the scene was secured. The wounded deputy marshal and the wounded supervisory deputy marshal have since returned to duty.

Wisconsin

Shortly before 6 a.m. on March 20, two patrol officers with the Fond du Lac Police Department were shot, one of them killed, in an unprovoked attack while investigating a report of sexual assault. The 28-year-old officer who was killed had nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, and the 33-year-old veteran officer who was assaulted and injured had more than 9 years of experience. Around 5:45 a.m., a 911 call came in reporting a sexual assault. The victim had left her residence where she said the attack occurred. She explained that the offender was her ex-boyfriend and landlord, and they lived in a side-by-side duplex, with entry to both sides through the basement. The victim was worried about her young child and believed the offender might harm the child as a result of her report. Several officers, including the 33-year-old officer, went to search the victim’s home. After searching the home and not finding anyone, officers decided to search the offender’s side of the duplex out of concern for the child. The officers announced themselves from the basement and then searched the first floor of the offender’s home without incident. They found the staircase to the second floor and again identified themselves as police. As the officers were walking up the L-shaped stairway, the suspect began firing on them with a .308-caliber semiautomatic rifle, hitting the 33-year-old officer twice in the chest, penetrating his body armor. He fell onto the officers behind him and was helped out of the residence. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. Officers called for backup and several more law enforcement professionals arrived, including the 28-year-old officer. The officer parked at an intersection northeast of the offender’s duplex, exited his squad car, and walked along the wall of a bar located within view of the offender’s location. The offender fired the same rifle from his home more than 50 feet away, hitting the officer in the stomach. When the officer fell forward with his head raised, the offender fired a second bullet. This bullet exceeded the specifications of the officer’s body armor and entered the top of his vest, fatally wounding the 28-year-old officer in the chest. The officer died at the scene. The 30-year-old offender, who had a history of violent crime, drug violations, and police assault, continued to shoot at officers and squad cars surrounding the scene and eventually committed suicide.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2012

Alabama

Shortly after 4 p.m. on November 23, a 47-year-old deputy sheriff with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) was killed, and a 44-year-old BCSO sergeant was injured while handling a person with mental illness in Fairhope. Emergency medical personnel summoned the veteran deputy, who had approximately 18 years of law enforcement experience; the veteran sergeant, who had more than 16 years of law enforcement experience; and a third officer to a residence to check on the welfare of a man inside. Outside the residence, the man’s mother told the three law enforcement officers she was concerned that her son, who had previous involuntary commitments to custodial mental health facilities, was dead inside the residence. She also told the officers her son did not have access to firearms. The officers walked onto the back porch and knocked on the door. The man spoke to the officers through the door and called dispatch. The dispatcher confirmed the people on the porch were officers and told the man to step outside to speak to them; then the man ended the call. The officers repeatedly asked him to come outside so he could be checked by medical personnel. The officers also asked the man if he had any weapons, to which he answered “no.” Several times during the conversation, the man became irritated, but then calmed down. After nearly half an hour, the man fired on the officers through the back door with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. He fired a total of 10 rounds, striking both the deputy and the sergeant. The victim deputy, who was standing closest to the door, was killed when he was struck in the front upper torso/chest by a round that entered through the armhole of his protective vest and traversed his chest cavity. He was also struck in the front below the waist and in his center chest with a round deflected by his body armor. The victim sergeant was struck in the front upper torso/chest by a round that was deflected by his body armor, in his left arm/hand, and in the front below the waist. All three officers returned fire and the 53-year-old offender, who was known to use drugs and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, died at the scene. At the time this summary was written, the injured sergeant had not returned to duty.

*****

On February 3, around 4 p.m., a 36-year-old police officer with the Mobile Police Department was fatally wounded while transporting a prisoner to jail. The prisoner was being held on robbery charges. The officer, who had nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, removed his duty weapon from the holster, as required by jail policies, and left it on the front seat of the patrol unit. (The officer’s back-up weapon and rifle were also in the patrol unit.) While in transit, the prisoner had secretly removed his handcuffs. When the officer escorted the prisoner from the patrol unit, the prisoner produced a knife and stabbed the officer in the rear upper torso/back above his body armor, and fatally in the neck/throat. During the attack, the unarmed officer dropped the keys to his patrol unit. The 24-year-old prisoner escaped in the victim officer’s patrol unit, crashing through the closed doors of the controlled entry port of the jail, and was pursued by law enforcement officers. The prisoner abandoned the patrol unit and, using the victim officer’s duty weapon and two back-up weapons, engaged in a gunfight with law enforcement officers. During the gunfire, the prisoner was justifiably killed. The offender had a prior criminal record including violent crime and drug violations. The victim officer was pronounced dead at a nearby medical center.

Arizona

A deputy sheriff with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) was gunned down while investigating a suspicious person at 4:14 a.m., on January 8 in Anthem. About 25 minutes earlier, another deputy responded to a burglary alarm at a business, where he found a smashed window and an open door. The 50-year-old deputy, a veteran with more than 20 years’ law enforcement experience, was one of three deputies who arrived about 10 minutes later to assist. After clearing the inside of the office, three of the deputies began talking to a business representative who had come to the scene. The fourth deputy began searching the parking lot area to the east and south of the business and observed a minivan with an Illinois license plate. A check of the plate through the MCSO dispatch revealed the vehicle was registered to an Illinois resident and had not been reported stolen. One of the deputies approached the vehicle and observed a man inside lying on his back under a blanket on a mattress with his head towards the rear of the minivan. The veteran deputy then drove his patrol vehicle within 15-20 feet of the driver’s side of the minivan with his emergency lights activated. The deputy exited his patrol vehicle and approached the driver’s side sliding door of the minivan while the other deputy took a position to the rear of the vehicle. When the deputy knocked on the window, the man inside sat up and put his hand on the door trim inside. Although the deputy announced the presence of law enforcement and gave numerous commands for the man to show his hands, the man forcefully opened the sliding door, turned toward the deputy and began firing a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle, striking him in the right arm/hand and in the front lower torso/stomach below his body armor. The victim deputy managed to move himself away from the direct line of fire to a nearby curb as the other deputy returned fire with his service weapon. An exchange of gunfire ensued between the two, during which the deputy reloaded, returned fire, and struck the suspect. The two deputies at the burglary scene responded, one on foot (as he notified dispatch of shots fired) and the other in his patrol vehicle. Both deputies responding to the gunshots did so directly into the suspect’s line of fire. The deputy onsite reloaded a second time and continued exchanging gunfire with the suspect until the suspect fell from the minivan’s sliding door and onto the ground. The man regained his grip on his weapon and resumed firing at all three deputies. The deputy who responded on foot joined the deputy at the rear of the minivan and engaged the suspect with his service weapon as both commanded the suspect to “let go of the gun.” Ultimately, the suspect released the weapon and one of the deputies approached and kicked the rifle away from him. As that deputy covered the suspect, the other two deputies began performing CPR on the victim deputy and advised dispatch an officer was down. Emergency fire and medical personnel responded, as well as other surrounding law enforcement officers. The victim deputy was transported to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to the injuries sustained in the incident. The 30-year-old suspect, who had a criminal history with a prior conviction, was pronounced dead at the scene, justifiably killed by law enforcement. An investigation of the individual revealed he had murdered two people in Sedona two days earlier with the same weapon he had used during this incident.

California

On April 12, around 11 a.m., a 53-year-old deputy sheriff with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed in an ambush while attempting to serve a civil eviction notice in Modesto. The veteran deputy, with 17 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at an apartment building with another deputy and a locksmith in order to evict the resident of one of the apartments. After repeatedly trying to contact the resident without success, the deputy directed the locksmith to drill the lock of the apartment’s front door so they could gain entry. The locksmith knelt in front of the door and began drilling the lock, pausing briefly when he thought he heard movement inside the apartment. When nothing further was heard, he resumed drilling. Just as the locksmith resumed his work, the suspect shot several rounds in rapid succession through the door with a 7.62x39 mm automatic rifle. The locksmith was struck once in the front upper torso/chest and fell, mortally wounded. The deputy was struck five times in the front lower torso/stomach and the front upper torso/chest with rounds that penetrated his body armor, and once, fatally, in the side of his head. The second deputy, who was standing just west of the front door returned fire and then retreated to a corner of the apartment building and called for help on his radio. In a short time, more than 150 law enforcement officers from local, state, and federal agencies responded to the heavily populated residential area and began evacuating people to safety. The suspect barricaded himself in his apartment and refused all attempts at communication. Information was provided indicating the suspect, who had prior military training, was heavily armed with high-powered weapons, armor-piercing ammunition, explosives, body armor, and a gas mask. He also had a cinder block bunker in his residence. For six hours, law enforcement officers attempted to negotiate an end to the standoff. During attempted negotiations, a fire started in the building, which burned for the next four hours and completely demolished the entire structure. After the fire was extinguished, a crime scene investigation began. The 45-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was eventually located barricaded in the bathroom. An autopsy determined the suspect died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Colorado

On June 24, just after 8 p.m., a 32-year-old patrol officer with the Denver Police Department was killed after responding to a disturbance call. The veteran officer, who had nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience, was working with several other officers in an overtime capacity in a city park. The officer responded on foot to a disturbance in the park and was fatally wounded in the side of her head by a man who fired four rounds from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The 21-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder. The suspect had a prior criminal record, which included weapons violations.

Florida

A 52-year-old deputy sheriff with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed at 11:12 a.m. on March 6 while investigating robbery suspects. Moments after a couple was reported to have stolen items from a hotel and then struck an employee with their sport utility vehicle (SUV) while fleeing the scene, the veteran deputy, who had more than 9 years of law enforcement experience, located the SUV on a dead-end street. The deputy parked and exited her patrol vehicle and approached the suspects’ vehicle. She described the male driver and female passenger to dispatch and requested backup because the driver was not complying with her verbal commands. Video footage from the deputy’s patrol vehicle showed the driver opening and closing the door. As the deputy continued her approach, the driver slowly moved the SUV forward, ignoring the deputy’s commands to stop. When he did stop, the driver opened the door wider than before and asked the deputy if she was going to shoot him. With her weapon holstered, video showed the deputy approached the SUV, opened the door, and was met with a series of gunshots from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, which appeared to come from the driver’s side. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, immediately fell to the ground with injuries to her front upper torso/chest, arms/hands, and a fatal wound to the front of her head. The driver shut the door and both suspects fled in the SUV. The couple stopped in a nearby neighborhood where the passenger allegedly committed a burglary in an occupied residence. Law enforcement officers found the suspects in their SUV parked at the residence where the burglary had just occurred. A vehicle pursuit followed, and both suspects were subsequently apprehended and arrested. The 22-year-old driver, who had a prior criminal record including violent crime, drug violations, police assault, and weapons violations, was charged with First-Degree Premeditated Murder of Law Enforcement Officer, Robbery, Flee/Attempt to Elude High Speed, Resisting Law Enforcement Officer with Violence, Possession of Weapon by Convicted Felon, Failure to Appear, and six counts of Probation Violation. The 19-year-old passenger, who also had a prior criminal record, was charged with First-Degree Felony Murder, Robbery with Deadly Weapon, and Warrant—Sale of Controlled Substance.

*****

On February 16 at 6:22 p.m., a detective with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office was killed and another detective was injured while investigating a drug-related matter in Middleburg. Working as part of a narcotics unit, detectives responded to a residence reportedly housing a methamphetamine lab. When one of the detectives knocked on the front door and announced the unit’s presence, a suspect stepped from behind the door and fired rounds from a .357-magnum revolver. A 35-year-old veteran detective, who had 9 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor, was fatally struck in the front of the head. The other veteran detective, a 37-year-old who had 11 years of law enforcement experience and was also wearing body armor, was wounded in the arms/hands and the front upper torso/chest. The 36-year-old offender, who was a known drug dealer and had a prior criminal record, which included violent crime, police assault, and weapons violations, retreated into the residence and fled through the back door. Still in possession of the revolver, the offender was met by other law enforcement officers, who justifiably shot and killed him as he tried to elude capture. The wounded detective recovered from his injuries and was able to return to duty.

Georgia

A police officer with the Clayton County Police Department died on December 18 after attempting an arrest around 2:45 p.m. the previous day at a motel in Stockbridge. The 24-year-old officer, who had less than 1 year of law enforcement experience, was the second officer to arrive at the motel on a disturbance call. The first officer on the scene spoke to a motel employee who explained that a couple continued to occupy a room two days past the scheduled check-out day, and the female occupant had become irate when asked to vacate the premises. The employee also reported the furniture in the room appeared to be damaged. When the second officer arrived on the scene, the officers made contact with the couple. The first officer asked to look inside the room to verify the furniture was damaged. The couple (who denied causing furniture damage) agreed but reported there were three pit bulls in the room. At the first officer’s request, they secured their pit bulls. The woman went inside the motel room with the first officer, and the man stayed outside with the second officer. After surveying the damage to the motel room, the officer emerged and indicated the couple should be placed under arrest. The first officer then walked behind the man and attempted to handcuff him. The man began to pull away, and the second officer grabbed the man’s left arm to try to pull the arm behind his back so he could be handcuffed. The man tried to grab the first officer’s electronic control device (ECD), but the officer took it and ordered the man to the ground. The man did not comply with the officer’s order, so the officer deployed the ECD. The man cried out and began running away. The second officer, who was wearing body armor, ran after the suspect and radioed dispatch, advising he was chasing a suspect. The chase led to a narrow area between the back of a building and a retaining wall, where the suspect stopped and fired two rounds at the second officer from a .357-caliber semiautomatic handgun, fatally striking him in the neck/throat. The first officer then fired his weapon several times, killing the 41-year-old suspect. The suspect, who was on parole and under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record including violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations.

Kansas

Just after 6 p.m. on December 16, a corporal and an officer with the Topeka Police Department were killed while investigating a suspicious person/circumstance. A 50-year-old corporal, who had 8½ years of law enforcement experience; a 29-year-old officer, who had 1½ years of law enforcement experience; and a third officer were dispatched to a grocery store to investigate a vehicle possibly being used in a narcotics activity. Upon arriving, they found a tan sedan with three occupants inside, two females and one male. The officers parked their patrol unit behind the vehicle and asked the female driver to come outside to the rear of the vehicle to speak with them. One officer went to stand near the patrol unit to radio dispatch and run the driver’s information for wants or warrants. The other officer and the corporal, both wearing body armor, stood between the patrol unit and the vehicle and spoke with the female driver. Suddenly, the male occupant of the vehicle exited the rear driver’s side door, turned towards the officer and the corporal, and shot the officer at close range in the front of the head with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, causing him to fall to the ground. The suspect fired another round, striking the corporal in the side of the head. Both the victim officer and the victim corporal died from their wounds. The suspect then got into the driver’s seat of the vehicle as the remaining officer returned fire. The suspect fled, driving over the victim officer’s body as he left. Dispatchers broadcasted an “attempt to locate” notification, and the tan sedan was found a short time later behind the residence of the suspect’s parents. The house was cleared, but the suspect was not inside. Later that night, a citizen reported the suspect was hiding in an apartment. A perimeter was set around the apartment, and negotiators attempted to contact the suspect but were unsuccessful. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s SWAT team deployed tear gas into the apartment, and the 22-year-old suspect came out holding a handgun to his head. He made aggressive movements towards the SWAT team and was justifiably killed by law enforcement officers. The suspect had a prior criminal record including violent crime and weapons violations.

Kentucky

A 31-year-old deputy sheriff with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was fatally wounded while investigating suspicious persons/circumstances just before 2 a.m. on November 14. The deputy radioed dispatch to report he would be out of his patrol unit to investigate a vehicle parked in the middle of a road; he provided the suspect vehicle’s registration plate information. Less than one minute later, the deputy radioed dispatch advising shots had been fired and he had been hit. The suspect fled the scene. The deputy was found with a gunshot wound in the front upper torso/chest and a fatal wound in the front lower torso/stomach from a .22-caliber revolver. The veteran deputy, who had more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, died during surgery later that morning. The 49-year-old suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol and who had a prior criminal record, was apprehended by officers from the Kentucky State Police and the Campbell Police Department later that morning. He was subsequently charged with Murder.

Massachusetts

On June 4, a patrol officer with the Springfield Police Department (SPD) was killed after responding to a domestic call just after 1 p.m. The 55-year-old veteran officer, who had nearly 36 years of law enforcement experience, was dispatched to an apartment to escort a woman’s boyfriend to remove his belongings from her residence. Earlier that day, the woman had obtained a restraining order against her boyfriend. The officer, the woman and her young child, her aunt, and the boyfriend went down a hallway and climbed stairs to the top floor where the woman lived. As the woman opened her door, the boyfriend forced the woman inside and quickly closed the door, leaving the officer and the aunt in the hallway. The officer tried to force the door open, and he and the aunt heard the woman pleading with her boyfriend and then heard a gunshot. The aunt ran from the top floor, and as she fled, she heard more gunshots and a scuffle. The aunt hid in an alcove at the bottom of the stairwell and asked a tenant in a nearby apartment to call the police. The aunt then heard someone come down the stairs and leave the building. A witness saw a man walk from the building to a vehicle while holding or concealing something to the front of his pants. Calls were made to 911, and responding law enforcement officers found the victim officer on the top floor landing with several gunshot wounds. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor, had been shot with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun at close range in his arms/hands, front upper torso/chest, and fatally in the front of his head. Officers found the woman inside the apartment with a gunshot wound to the face. Both victims were taken to a local hospital where the officer was pronounced dead at 1:31 p.m. The woman underwent surgery and was in stable condition after the incident. The aunt provided information to law enforcement officers about the suspect, who was in his mid-30s, and about the suspect’s vehicle. Officers found his vehicle parked in front of the apartment building, and the suspect was slumped over the steering wheel with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the front upper torso/chest and a 9 mm handgun on the floor between his feet. Officers checked for a pulse and began first aid. The suspect was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:46 p.m.

Michigan

A 39-year-old officer with the West Bloomfield Police Department (WBPD) was fatally wounded during a tactical situation around 11 p.m. on September 9. About an hour earlier, seven officers with the WBPD responded to the residence of a man who was distraught over financial, personal, and legal issues. He had retreated to a second floor bedroom and fired a single gunshot. Officers and family members made several attempts to call the residence, but the man did not answer. For nearly an hour, officers remained outside of the residence, but did not see the man or hear any sounds coming from inside. Believing the man may have committed suicide or be in need of medical attention, officers decided to enter the house. The officers established a safety perimeter around the house, and medical personnel waited nearby. A team of five officers entered the house in single file behind a ballistic shield. Officers identified themselves and expressed their intentions to help the man. When they approached the upstairs bedroom door, the man fired multiple rounds from a 9 mm automatic handgun through the door and walls. At least one round was stopped by the shield. However, another round struck an officer, who was wearing body armor, in the front of his head. The other officers removed the victim officer from the house and took him to paramedics waiting outside. The veteran officer, who had nearly 14 years of law enforcement experience, was rushed to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly before midnight. The offender remained barricaded inside the house and engaged in extensive and repeated exchanges of gunfire with law enforcement officers over the next 20 hours. He refused all attempts by law enforcement to communicate with him. Construction equipment was eventually used to knock down a significant portion of the wall in the upper level bedroom where the man was believed to be located. Officers then used a robot camera to view inside the bedroom, where they saw the offender dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. Further investigation revealed the 50-year-old offender had no known criminal history, but was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

Mississippi

On May 1 at 11:15 a.m., a 37-year-old investigator on detective duty with the Pearl Police Department was killed during a tactical situation. The investigator, who had more than 3 years of law enforcement experience, was with four detectives to serve a search warrant at an apartment complex. The detectives, believing the suspect was not home at the time of the search, had the apartment manager open the door to the apartment. The suspect was hiding in the shower stall in a back bathroom. The detectives entered the bathroom and instructed the suspect to show his hands. When the suspect did not comply after several commands, a detective made a move for his electronic control device. The suspect then began shooting at the detectives, and an exchange of gunfire ensued. The investigator was shot with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun in the neck/throat and fatally in the side of his head. A veteran detective, who was 44 years old and had 10 years of law enforcement experience, was shot in the arms/hands and in the front below the waist but survived the attack. Another detective injured his arm during the incident. A helicopter was dispatched to the scene, where emergency rescue personnel tried to resuscitate the victim investigator without success. The victim investigator was airlifted to the hospital and pronounced dead. The 30-year-old suspect, who was on probation at the time of the incident, had a criminal history, which included police assault, drug violations, and weapons violations. He was justifiably killed at the scene.

Missouri

A 31-year-old deputy sheriff with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) was fatally wounded in an ambush shortly after 2 a.m. on December 15. The deputy, who had 3 months of law enforcement experience, was one of two deputies who responded to a call to assist emergency medical services (EMS) personnel treating an unconscious woman lying in the front yard of a residence in Mineral Point. When the two deputies arrived, they observed a paramedic and a woman attempting to aid the unconscious woman. The paramedic told the deputies a man at the scene ran into the nearby wood line when they arrived; the woman assisting the paramedic reported the man was her brother. After the deputies helped load the patient into the ambulance, the other woman began walking towards her residence. As the deputies followed her to gather additional information about the unconscious woman, a gunshot was fired from in front of them. The deputy at the rear took cover by the driver’s side of the patrol vehicle, but the deputy behind the woman fell to the ground. Realizing his colleague had been shot, the other deputy advised the EMS personnel to stay in the ambulance and radioed dispatch to report shots had been fired and an officer was down. The deputy tried to locate the shooter when a second gunshot knocked the driver’s side rear-view mirror off of the patrol vehicle. He ducked and heard another gunshot that shattered the passenger side window. He then observed two officers with the Potosi Police Department moving toward his location. The woman, who had run into the woods to talk to her brother after the first gunshot, came to the side of the patrol vehicle and told the deputy that her brother was the shooter. She said she had tried to physically take the firearm away from him, but was unsuccessful. She also reported her brother had previously dug holes in the wooded area to hide in the event someone was looking for him. During this time, one of the officers moved to the victim deputy and dragged him to the driver’s side of the patrol vehicle. Unable to find a pulse, the officer began performing CPR on the victim deputy. A sergeant with the WCSO arrived and, along with the deputy, provided cover as the two officers carried the victim deputy to the back of the ambulance. The victim deputy, who was wearing body armor, was taken to a local hospital where he died later that day from a gunshot wound to his neck/throat from a 12-gauge bolt-action shotgun. Around 5 p.m., law enforcement officers captured the 30-year-old suspect. He was charged with First-Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. The suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol and on probation at the time of the incident, had prior mental disorders. He was a known drug user with a prior criminal record, which included violent crime and weapons violations.

Nevada

A former deputy sheriff with the Elko County Sheriff’s Office died January 17 as the result of injuries sustained during an investigative activity nearly three decades earlier. At 9 a.m. on June 26, 1982, the 26-year veteran of law enforcement responded to the scene of a traffic accident at a rest stop in Jackpot. When the then 48-year-old deputy arrived at the scene, he spoke with the driver of one of the vehicles and asked him for his driver’s license. The deputy returned to his patrol vehicle and used his radio to report that the man appeared disoriented and to request an ambulance be sent to the location. The deputy then went to the front of his vehicle and began to write an accident report. Witnesses said the man went to speak to the deputy, and when the deputy turned to him, the man shot the deputy at point-blank range in the side of the head with a .22-caliber revolver. After the victim deputy fell to the ground, the offender stood over him and fired another round, but it missed. The offender then took the victim deputy’s handgun and started firing both firearms at witnesses. He approached one of the witnesses in an attempt to steal his vehicle. In response to the offender’s actions, the witness and his brother returned gunfire on the offender. Both the victim deputy and the offender were taken to a local hospital where the offender died the next day. The victim deputy was in a coma for a period of time after the shooting, and although he awoke from the coma, he was never able to return to work due to the gunshot wound to his head. According to the victim deputy’s death certificate, the injuries received during this incident were considered a contributing factor to his death, which occurred approximately 29½ years later.

New Hampshire

On April 12, the 48-year-old chief of police of the Greenland Police Department was killed, and four detectives from other agencies were wounded during a tactical situation conducted as part of the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force (DTF). At 6:20 p.m., the DTF, tasked with executing a search warrant, forcibly entered a residence after several knock-and-announce attempts were ignored. Immediately upon entry, the team was met with gunfire from a man who was armed with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and a .357-magnum handgun. Four detectives were injured, including a 34-year-old detective with more than 7 years of law enforcement experience from the Rochester Police Department (wearing body armor and injured in the front upper torso/chest), a 31-year-old detective with 10 years of law enforcement experience from the University of New Hampshire Police Department (wearing body armor and injured in the arms/hands), a 34-year-old detective with nearly 10½ years of law enforcement experience from the Newmarket Police Department (wearing body armor and injured in the neck/throat), and a 32-year-old detective from the Dover Police Department (injured in the front upper torso/chest). Other detectives returned fire to provide security for the wounded detectives allowing them to retreat and receive treatment. After the initial volley of gunfire, the chief of police, a veteran of law enforcement with 26 years of experience, was wearing body armor, but was fatally shot in the front of the head by the 29-year-old suspect. A standoff ensued, and the body of the suspect was recovered hours later in the basement of the residence, where he had killed his girlfriend and then committed suicide. The suspect, who was on conditional release and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, had an extensive criminal history. At the time this summary was written, at least three of the injured detectives had not returned to duty.

New York

On December 24 at 5:36 a.m., a 43-year-old lieutenant with the Webster Police Department was killed in an ambush while responding in his capacity as a volunteer fireman to a report of a house and vehicle on fire. Within seconds of arriving at the scene, the firefighters were ambushed by a concealed individual who was firing rounds from a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle. The lieutenant realized what was happening and shouted to the other firefighters advising shots were being fired. As firefighters were being wounded, the off-duty lieutenant, who had 19 years of law enforcement experience, exited the fire truck from the passenger side and, now acting in the capacity of a law enforcement officer, traveled on foot in the direction of the shooter. During this advance, the veteran lieutenant was fatally shot in the front of the head. Due to the continuing threat to first responders, it was nearly an hour before a medic could safely assess the victim lieutenant’s condition. After the threat area was secured, the victim lieutenant was transported to a medical examiner’s office where he was pronounced dead. The 62-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, which included murder, committed suicide at the scene.

North Carolina

Just after 11 a.m. on July 17, an off-duty master police officer with the Lumberton Police Department (LPD) was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a suspect who had outstanding warrants. The 32-year-old officer was driving his personal vehicle when he spotted the suspect riding in the passenger seat of a vehicle. The officer knew the individual was wanted for outstanding warrants. The officer called for assistance and followed the vehicle as it pulled into a convenience store. The driver entered the store, leaving the suspect sitting in the vehicle. The officer, who had more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, pulled up alongside the passenger side of the suspect’s vehicle just as an LPD patrol vehicle pulled behind the suspect’s vehicle at an angle. Both the off-duty officer and the responding officer exited their vehicles at the same time. As the responding officer began to approach from the back of the vehicle, he heard shots. The suspect had apparently produced a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot the victim officer in the side of the head, the neck/throat, and fatally in the front upper torso/chest. The responding officer called for backup, drew his weapon, and kept the suspect at gunpoint until additional officers arrived. The 27-year-old suspect knew the victim officer through a previous encounter with law enforcement and was on supervised release from previous criminal convictions at the time of the incident. He was taken into custody and charged with First-Degree Murder.

*****

A 23-year-old deputy sheriff with the Watauga County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed while answering a domestic call around 12:50 a.m. on July 26. After 911 received an open-line call (the caller did not speak) from a residence, the deputy, who had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, responded with another deputy to the residence from which the call was made. A woman at the residence told the deputies the man there had been drinking. The man emerged in the doorway of the mobile home holding a firearm, and the deputies ordered him to drop his weapon. He threw down the weapon, which turned out to be a toy gun. The man then went back inside and returned holding a 12-gauge shotgun. He jumped down from the trailer and walked toward the deputies, who backed up about 15 feet toward the patrol unit to create space. The man fired his weapon, striking the 23-year-old deputy, who immediately returned fire. The victim deputy, who was wearing body armor, was wounded in the neck/throat, arms/hands, and suffered a fatal wound to the front of the head. The second deputy on the scene also returned fire, justifiably killing the 32-year-old suspect. The suspect had a prior criminal record and was determined to be under the influence of narcotics as well as alcohol.

Ohio

On January 23, a former police officer with the Akron Police Department died as the result of a gunshot wound received while conducting an armed robbery investigation. At 3:20 a.m. on April 10, 1965, the officer, who was 25 years old and had almost 2 years of law enforcement experience at the time of the incident, was with another officer and a police reserve officer when they stopped a vehicle during their investigation. Shortly thereafter, both officers and the reserve officer were found shot and lying on the pavement. The three victim officers were transported to the hospital, where one officer was pronounced dead and the other officers were treated. Although these two officers survived, their injuries were permanently disabling. The 25-year-old suspect, who had an extensive criminal history including violent crime and weapons violations, was arrested. Since one officer died on the day of the incident, the suspect was charged with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and was sentenced to life in prison. The former police officer who survived the initial attack continuously struggled with serious health complications of long-term quadriplegia due to the gunshot wound to the neck/throat that he sustained. According to the chief medical examiner, the injuries received during the incident were considered a contributing factor to his death, which occurred nearly 47 years later.

Pennsylvania

A 40-year-old police officer with the Philadelphia Police Department was shot before 6 a.m. on August 18 in an attempted robbery. Upon finishing his shift, the veteran officer, who had more than 19 years of law enforcement experience, left his precinct in plain clothes and began walking toward a bus stop a few blocks away. According to investigative reports, two males approached the off-duty officer and attempted to rob him. Before the officer could retrieve his service weapon, one of the men shot the officer at close range with a .40-caliber handgun, mortally wounding him in the front upper torso/chest. The two men then fled the scene. At 5:52 a.m., law enforcement officers responded to a radio call of a “male down on the highway.” Pedestrians at the scene directed officers to the victim officer, who was lying on the pavement by an empty lot. Responding law enforcement officers observed the victim had been shot and identified him as a police officer. A medic unit transported the victim officer to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:23 a.m. Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of a 23-year-old suspect on August 24 and a 19-year-old suspect on August 28. The 23-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including drug violations, weapons violations, and police assault, was on parole at the time of the incident. He was charged with Murder, Criminal Conspiracy, Robbery, Violation of Uniform Firearms Act (VUFA)–Former Convict, VUFA–No License, Theft–Unlawful Taking, Theft–Receiving Stolen Property, Possession of Instrument of Crime, and VUFA–On Streets. The 19-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was known to law enforcement as a drug dealer/possessor. He was charged with Murder, Possession of Instrument of Crime, Robbery, Firearms Carried without License, and Carrying Firearm in Philadelphia.

*****

On September 13 around 5:40 p.m., a 34-year-old patrol officer with the Plymouth Township Police Department was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a suspect who had previously been involved in an automobile accident. After crashing his vehicle, the driver abandoned it and fled on foot to a nearby bike trail. The officer, who had 5 years of law enforcement experience, and his K-9 partner, chased the suspect, who shot at them with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The veteran officer, who was wearing body armor, was fatally struck in the front of the head. The K-9 was wounded in the right hip. The 44-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record, which included weapons violations and police assault. The suspect, who was on probation at the time of the incident, turned the handgun on himself and committed suicide. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The K-9 survived its injury.

Puerto Rico

An agent with the Police of Puerto Rico, Bayamon, was killed in a drug-related incident on August 14 around 3:30 p.m. The 45-year-old veteran agent, who had nearly 16 years of law enforcement experience, went with four other agents to conduct a planned drug raid. The team travelled to an abandoned house where they suspected drug activity was occurring. The agents exited their vehicle and went to the house where they found a man in possession of controlled substances. The agent identified himself as a law enforcement officer and gained control of the man. Suddenly, another man appeared with an unknown caliber handgun and shot the agent in the front of his head and in his rear upper torso/back. Both suspects escaped to a wooded area outside the residence. Paramedics arrived to assist, but the victim agent died from the head wound while at the scene. The suspects were located and arrested a short time later. The 26-year-old suspect was charged with First-Degree Murder and weapons violations. The other suspect was charged with Homicide, drug violations, and weapons violations.

*****

An off-duty agent with the Police of Puerto Rico, Hatillo, was ambushed as he drove his personal vehicle through a neighborhood at 10:20 p.m. on June 26. The 37-year-old agent, who had nearly 14 years of law enforcement experience, was fired upon by three individuals with various caliber handguns. Seventeen rounds were fired at the veteran agent, fatally striking him in the left side of his front upper torso/chest. The suspects knew the victim agent from previous law enforcement encounters. A 25-year-old suspect known to use, deal, and possess drugs, was arrested on October 2 and charged with First-Degree Murder and Weapon Possession. At the time this summary was written, the two other suspects remained at large.

*****

A 40-year-old sergeant with the Police of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, was shot and killed on January 1 while conducting a traffic stop. Just after 9:30 a.m., the veteran sergeant, who had 19 years of law enforcement experience and who was wearing body armor at the time of the incident, was in the process of issuing a traffic citation when he was shot twice in the side of his head with an unknown caliber handgun. The partially completed citation and the pen were found at the scene. A witness, who was driving by the incident, saw a male suspect walking from the area of the vehicle and shooting a handgun towards the victim sergeant. At the time this summary was written, the offender remained at large.

*****

A police officer with the Police of Puerto Rico, Patillas, was killed at 1:45 a.m. on January 18 while responding to a burglary in progress. The 54-year-old officer, a veteran of law enforcement with 23 years of experience, and his partner responded to an alarm at a gasoline station. When the officers arrived, a shooting ensued between the officers and two suspects. The victim officer was shot in the arms/hands and fatally in the rear upper torso/back by a suspect using a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, which was fired at close range. One of the suspects, a 28-year-old male, was wounded in the exchange of gunfire. He was arrested, taken to a hospital for treatment, and later charged with Murder, Burglary, and Firearm Law Violation. At the time this summary was written, the second suspect remained at large.

*****

A 34-year-old agent with the Police of Puerto Rico (POPR), Toa Baja, was slain while responding to a robbery in progress on November 7 at 8 p.m. As two armed individuals exited a store they had just robbed, two agents cut them off. One individual fled toward the highway, and one agent chased him. The other individual ran to the back of a nearby store with the other agent in pursuit. The second man hid inside the store, but the second agent, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience, found him and pulled him outside. After the two had exited the main door of the store, the robber pulled a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from his pants pocket and fired four rounds at the agent, striking him in the neck/throat above his body armor and in the side of his head. The robber then ran away, and the other agent, who saw that the victim agent was wounded, administered first aid and called state and municipal emergency medical personnel. Responding paramedics transferred the victim agent to a hospital where he was treated for his injuries; however, he succumbed to a gunshot wound he received in the side of his head. Personnel with the POPR and the Institute of Forensic Sciences conducted an extensive investigation and identified the suspect through a video and photograph. The 28-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, which included violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations, was arrested on November 8. He was charged with First-Degree Murder, Possession of a Firearm, and Robbery. Two other individuals were also arrested in connection with the robbery.

South Carolina

A 48-year-old master corporal with the Aiken Department of Public Safety was fatally shot while investigating suspicious persons/circumstances around 7:40 a.m. on January 28. The 28-year veteran of law enforcement responded to the scene of a report of a suspicious vehicle. When the corporal arrived and exited her patrol vehicle, a man in the suspicious vehicle fired three rounds at her from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The victim corporal was shot in the front upper torso/chest, but the round was deflected by her body armor. She was also shot in the neck/throat and fatally in the rear of her head. The victim corporal was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The offender led responding law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase, but was able to escape. Authorities learned the vehicle had been reported stolen and believed that the owner was the suspect’s father. The vehicle was subsequently located in Batesville-Leesville about 30 miles from the scene of the shooting. The suspect was arrested there a short time later. During further investigation that same day, the suspect’s pregnant girlfriend was found shot to death inside the apartment they shared in Augusta, Georgia. The 26-year-old suspect, who had a criminal history, which included violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations, was charged with Felony Murder and Possession of a Weapon During Violent Crime.

Tennessee

A 32-year-old detective with the Memphis Police Department was killed and another 32-year-old detective was wounded on December 14 during a tactical situation. At 8 a.m., a team of detectives entered through the front door of a residence to execute a search warrant. The detectives announced their presence and encountered a male subject. As that subject was being taken into custody without incident, the detectives came under fire from another man who was hiding in a bedroom and shooting a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. One detective was struck and wounded in the front below the waist; he was removed from the scene and taken to the hospital. As another detective, a 9½-year veteran of law enforcement, turned to engage the suspect, she was fatally struck in the rear upper torso/back when a round entered through the armhole of her body armor. During the exchange of gunfire, the 21-year-old offender fired 10 rounds and was shot twice; he was taken to a medical center for treatment. The suspect was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder.

Texas

At 2:20 a.m. on April 6, a 40-year-old senior police officer with the Austin Police Department was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call. The veteran officer, who had nearly 17 years of law enforcement experience, was dispatched to a major retail store in reference to an intoxicated male who was reportedly “wandering around” inside the store. The first to arrive, the senior police officer met with one of the store’s night managers who went with the officer to approach the man near the produce section. When the officer told the man he needed to speak with him, the man ran towards the store’s exit. The officer chased the suspect and tackled him near the exit. During the struggle, the suspect produced a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun and fired three rounds behind his back, one round striking the officer in the front upper torso/chest, which was protected by his body armor, and another round fatally wounding the victim officer in the neck/throat. Two store employees subdued the suspect and took the handgun away from him. Another employee used the victim officer’s radio and called for help, stating the officer had been shot. Responding officers and emergency medical personnel attempted CPR on the victim officer, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. The 24-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, which included drug violations, was arrested and charged with Capital Murder. He was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time of the incident.

*****

A sergeant with the Bellaire Police Department was killed after a traffic stop and pursuit shortly before 9 a.m. on December 24. The 53-year-old veteran sergeant, who had more than 27 years of law enforcement experience, was on patrol in his marked patrol unit when he noticed a vehicle matching the description of one that had been used in area robberies a few weeks earlier. The sergeant followed the vehicle and observed the driver exceeding the posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour. The sergeant initiated a traffic stop and ordered the driver to exit his vehicle, but the driver sped off. The sergeant called for backup, and a high-speed chase ensued during which the suspect hit a truck. The driver of the truck began pursuing the suspect as well, at times obscuring the sergeant’s view of the suspect’s vehicle. After approximately ¾ of a mile, the suspect pulled the vehicle into a parking lot of an automobile body shop in Houston and came to a stop after striking a dumpster. The pickup truck pulled into the lot, followed by the sergeant. The sergeant exited his patrol unit, again ordered the suspect to get out of his vehicle, and then began to struggle to gain control of him through the partially open driver’s door. The owner of the body shop approached the vehicle in an attempt to assist the sergeant. The patrol unit’s dashboard camera showed that the sergeant struggled with the driver for about 30 seconds until the driver retrieved a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun from inside the vehicle and fatally shot the sergeant at close range in the front of the head. The suspect then exited the vehicle and fatally shot the body shop owner in the front upper torso/chest. The suspect pointed his firearm at the driver of the pickup truck, but additional law enforcement officers arrived at the scene. The suspect fired on them, then fled on foot. One officer stayed on the scene to assist the victims while other law enforcement officers pursued the 21-year-old suspect in a running gunfight, during which the suspect was shot twice. Officers located the suspect, who had a prior criminal record, a few minutes later hiding under a building about a block away. He was taken into custody and charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Murder. The victim sergeant was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

*****

Shortly after 12 noon on August 13, a 41-year-old constable with the Brazos County Constable’s Office was killed during an ambush as he was delivering an eviction notice in College Station. Two officers with the College Park Police Department (CPPD) were wounded in the shootout that followed. Several 911 calls came in from the area indicating there was an active shooter, including calls reporting an officer down. One eyewitness caller said he watched an officer exit his vehicle and approach a residence on foot when a man came outside of the residence and shot the officer. The victim officer turned out to be the constable, who had 18½ years of law enforcement experience. The veteran constable had been shot with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun in the rear upper torso/back, the front lower torso/stomach, and fatally in the rear of his head. While on the phone, the caller reported the shooter was firing in his direction and appeared to have shot a woman in her truck, whose vehicle rolled out into the street after she was struck with gunfire. During this time, several law enforcement officers responded to the area, including the two CPPD officers. The officers and bystanders were forced to take cover behind vehicles and stay in place due to the suspect’s gunfire. A 54-year-old CPPD officer, with 31 years of law enforcement experience, commanded the suspect to put down his weapons. The suspect refused and fired in the direction of the veteran officer, hitting the vehicle the officer was using as cover. At some point during the confrontation, the officer, who was wearing body armor, was struck by gunfire in the rear upper torso/back. Additional officers from other law enforcement agencies arrived on the scene and began setting up a perimeter. A 24-year-old CPPD officer, with nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, was also wearing body armor and seeking cover behind a vehicle when he was struck in the front below the waist and the rear below the waist. The wounded officer was evacuated from the scene. As responding officers made efforts to reach the woman who had been shot in her truck, they learned another individual had also been shot and killed. After law enforcement officers gained tactical advantage from a backyard gate and saw the armed suspect, they fired their weapons and wounded him. They advanced toward the suspect and fired again when it appeared he was reaching for a weapon. The advancing officers gave orders to the 35-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, to show his hands and he complied. He was then placed into custody and removed from the scene. The shootout lasted less than 30 minutes. A protective sweep of the suspect’s residence revealed several weapons near the front door, including 7.62 mm rifles and the .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The suspect later died from his wounds. Both of the wounded CPPD officers recovered and returned to duty.

*****

A 29-year-old patrol officer with the El Paso Police Department was attacked while in an off-duty capacity on September 25. Just before 5 p.m., the officer noticed three unknown suspects vandalizing his personal vehicle, which was parked in front of his residence. One of the suspects scratched the vehicle with a piece of metal as he walked by. The officer exited his residence to confront the suspect about damaging the vehicle. The three suspects ignored the officer, so he got in his vehicle and followed them. The officer, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, exited his vehicle, identified himself as a law enforcement officer, and attempted to begin an investigation of the vandalism. One of the suspects, a 17-year-old with a prior criminal record, stepped in the middle of the conversation and struck the officer in the face with his fist. The suspect then grabbed the officer around his knees and caused him to fall to the ground and hit his head on the concrete. Though the officer was unconscious, the suspect beat the victim officer multiple times in the face and head, and then the suspects fled. The victim officer suffered a fractured skull, hemorrhaging, and multiple facial fractures due to injuries obtained to the front, side, and rear of his head. The victim officer succumbed to his injuries 10 days later on October 5. The suspect was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Evading Arrest/Detention.

*****

A 26-year-old patrol deputy with the Reagan County Sheriff’s Office was fatally wounded as he responded to an alley to investigate a suspicious person at 6:20 p.m. on August 1. The off-duty deputy, who had more than 5 years of law enforcement experience, found a man seated in the backyard of a residence in Big Lake. The veteran deputy parked his patrol vehicle and, as he walked in front of the vehicle towards the man, the man fired one round from a .223-caliber bolt-action rifle from a distance of more than 50 feet. The round struck the deputy in the rear lower torso/back. The injured deputy ran east from the scene while calling for backup on his portable radio. Witnesses saw the 42-year-old offender follow the deputy for a short distance before returning to the residence. The deputy was able to tell emergency medical personnel and responding officers the offender’s name before he succumbed to his wound. The officers entered the offender’s residence, but exited when the offender began firing his weapon. The offender remained barricaded in the residence until late the next morning when he surrendered to SWAT officers after an unsuccessful attempt to commit suicide. The offender, who was a known drug user and had a prior criminal record including police assault, violent crime, and weapons violations, died six days later from his self-inflicted injury.

Utah

On January 4, a 30-year-old master officer with the Ogden Police Department (OPD) was shot during a tactical situation around 8:40 in the evening, and succumbed to his injuries the next day. Five other law enforcement officers were shot during the same incident in which the suspect ambushed the officers. The officers, who were serving a drug-related warrant as part of the Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force, identified themselves as law enforcement and entered the suspect’s residence with a search warrant. An OPD master officer, a 36-year-old veteran of law enforcement with more than 14 years of experience, was attempting to clear a bathroom when the suspect shot the officer, wounding him in the side of the head with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The injured officer and other officers returned gunfire, injuring the suspect. The officers managed to rescue the injured 36-year-old officer from the bathroom area. The suspect then began exchanging gunfire with another OPD master officer who had been providing cover for the rescue of the injured officer. This master officer, a 30-year-old with 7 years of law enforcement experience, ran out of ammunition and called, “I’m out!” to the other officers. The suspect then advanced on the 30-year-old veteran officer. A third OPD master officer, a 33-year-old with 7 years of law enforcement experience, positioned himself to assist the 30-year-old officer who was out of ammunition. The 33-year-old veteran officer was shot by the suspect’s gunfire in the front of the head and the front lower torso/stomach below his body armor. As the 33-year-old officer fell, the suspect turned to the 30-year-old officer and shot him in the front upper torso/chest, front lower torso/stomach, front below the waist, arms/hands, and in the rear upper torso/back. The wounded suspect also shot three more officers as they attempted to rescue the 30- and 33-year-old OPD master officers. The three additional officers who were injured included a 29-year-old OPD officer with nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience (wounded in the front of the head, arms/hands, and above his body armor in the neck/throat), a 35-year-old Weber County Sheriff’s Office sergeant with more than 10 years of law enforcement experience (wounded in the rear upper torso/back, front lower torso/stomach, and arms/hands), and a 37-year-old Roy Police Department (RPD) officer with nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience (wounded below his body armor in the rear below the waist). Eventually, the injured officers were able to escape the residence as the suspect shot at them from the front doorway. The suspect then retreated to a rear bedroom and reloaded his handgun magazines. After a subsequent exchange of gunfire with responding law enforcement officers who were positioned in the backyard of the residence, the 37-year-old suspect (who had been shot four times) was arrested and charged with Aggravated Murder, seven counts of Aggravated Attempted Murder, Marijuana Cultivation, and Possessing a Dangerous Weapon. At the time this summary was written, only the RPD officer had returned to duty.

Washington

A park ranger with the Mount Rainier National Park Service (NPS) was shot and killed around 10:40 a.m. on January 1, while she was assisting another ranger who was making a traffic stop. Shortly before the incident, a man drove his vehicle past a checkpoint set up to ensure vehicles were four-wheel drives or equipped with chains due to the poor road and weather conditions in the park. The ranger who was operating the checkpoint planned to meet another ranger at a safe area to conduct a traffic stop. The ranger from the checkpoint followed the suspect’s vehicle while a 34-year-old ranger, who had 11 years of law enforcement experience, came from the opposite direction. The 34-year-old veteran ranger positioned her vehicle to block the roadway and turned on the emergency lights. After the two rangers had blocked in the man’s vehicle, the man exited his vehicle and began shooting a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle at them. The rangers backed up and attempted to move a safe distance from the line of fire, their vehicles bouncing off of the snow banks in the process. The ranger from the checkpoint radioed dispatch indicating “shots fired” and successfully escaped the scene. An NPS maintenance employee had parked about 400 feet above the traffic stop to divert oncoming traffic and witnessed the entire incident. He reported the other ranger’s vehicle slammed into a snow bank as she was maneuvering away after the shots had been fired. The employee went to her vehicle and found the ranger had been struck by the gunfire. Because the vehicle was still in gear and the doors would not open, he broke the passenger side window in order to check on her. One of the rounds fired had penetrated her body armor, wounding her in the front upper torso/chest. The victim park ranger received a fatal gunshot wound to the front of her head. The 24-year-old suspect fled on foot and was found dead in a creek within the park on January 2. The suspect’s cause of death was determined to be accidental drowning and hypothermia. The suspect had a prior criminal record and was found to be under the influence of alcohol and narcotics at the time of the incident.

*****

Just before 1 a.m. on February 23, a 44-year-old trooper with the Washington State Patrol, Bremerton, requested information on a vehicle during a traffic stop in Gorst. When dispatchers could not make further contact with the trooper, a deputy sheriff was sent to investigate and found the veteran trooper, who had 16 years of law enforcement experience and who was wearing body armor, along the roadside with a single gunshot wound to the front of his head from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The victim trooper was transported to a nearby hospital and confirmed dead. About four hours after the shooting, the vehicle in question was found abandoned a few miles from the scene. Investigators learned the owner of the abandoned vehicle had obtained a ride to a friend’s property in a nearby town. As a SWAT team surrounded the friend’s property a gunshot was heard coming from a trailer. A female exited the trailer and told the SWAT team the 28-year-old suspect had shot himself. The female also indicated the suspect had said he shot “a cop.” The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital and later died of his self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was a known drug dealer with a prior criminal record, which included drug violations, violent crime, and police assault. The suspect was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

West Virginia

On February 18 at 1:40 a.m., a 41-year-old sergeant with the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) was fatally wounded while waiting in his emergency vehicle to assist with traffic pursuit already in progress. Shortly before 1 a.m., West Virginia State Police investigated a hit-and-run collision. Granville law enforcement officers located the suspect’s vehicle and stopped the driver approximately 20 minutes after the hit-and-run incident. Deputies from the MCSO arrived shortly after the traffic stop and made contact with the driver, who appeared to be intoxicated. When deputies asked him to exit his vehicle, the driver accelerated and fled the scene. Deputies pursued the suspect north from West Virginia into Pennsylvania. The MCSO sergeant, who had 10½ years of law enforcement experience, anticipated the driver might use the interstate to escape and waited in his emergency vehicle at the side of the road. The suspect fled to the interstate and entered southbound back towards West Virginia near where the veteran sergeant was parked. The driver ran his vehicle into the sergeant’s vehicle causing fatal injuries to the sergeant. The victim sergeant was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 35-year-old suspect was charged with Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Homicide by Vehicle While Driving Under the Influence, Criminal Homicide, Manslaughter of a Law Enforcement Officer, Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement Officers, and Driving Under the Influence. The suspect had a prior criminal record, including violent crime and drug violations.

*****

A corporal and a trooper with the West Virginia State Police, Clay County, were fatally wounded while preparing to transport a DUI suspect around 8 p.m. on August 28. The 42-year-old veteran corporal, who had nearly 17 years of law enforcement experience, was patrolling an interstate in a marked cruiser with the 26-year-old trooper, who had approximately 1½ years’ law enforcement experience. Following a report of a person driving a pickup truck in an erratic manner, the officers spotted the vehicle stopped in a “park and ride” lot just off the interstate. (It was later revealed that the vehicle had been reported stolen earlier in the day, but it had not yet been entered into the National Crime Information Center at the time of the incident.) The driver, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time, was taken into custody. With hands cuffed in front of him, the suspect was placed in the back seat of the cruiser while the corporal and trooper searched his vehicle. When they got back in the cruiser (which was not equipped with a prisoner barrier), the suspect produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun he had hidden in his groin area. He shot the victim corporal twice in the rear of the head and the victim trooper in the neck/throat above his body armor. The suspect then unlocked his handcuffs, removed the victim corporal’s .45-caliber handgun, and exited the cruiser. About this time, a tow truck the victims had requested arrived. The suspect shot the tow truck driver in the arm with the victim corporal’s .45-caliber service weapon and fled the scene. The tow truck driver called for assistance and law enforcement officers from the Roane County and Clay County Sheriff’s Departments as well as the Spencer Police Department responded. The tow truck driver, who was later treated for his wound and released, indicated the direction the suspect had fled and the officers began to search for him. As several deputies approached a ditch line, the suspect fired on them from a concealed position. A 43-year-old Roane County deputy, with nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, was struck in both arms. The victim deputy was also struck in the front upper torso/chest and rear upper torso/back, but his body armor prevented the rounds from penetrating his torso. The officers returned gunfire at the 22-year-old suspect and justifiably killed him. The suspect had a prior criminal record, which included violent crime, drug violations, and police assault. The victim corporal was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident; the victim trooper and the victim deputy were taken to a medical center by helicopter. The victim deputy underwent surgery for the wounds to his arms and survived his injuries. However, the victim trooper died three days later from the wound to his neck/throat.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2013

California

On January 15 just after 11:30 a.m., an officer with the Galt Police Department was killed while investigating a suspicious person/circumstance. The 35-year-old officer, who had more than 3 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a residential burglary. At the residence, a witness pointed out an individual walking on railroad tracks nearby. The officer drove his marked patrol unit parallel to the railroad tracks and stopped when he reached the subject. The officer, who was wearing body armor, exited his patrol unit and approached the individual. Almost immediately, a struggle ensued. The officer radioed that he was engaged in a struggle with a subject. The officer’s partner could see the struggle from the site of the burglary and drove to the scene. As the partner officer exited his vehicle, he saw the 30-year-old man shoot the officer in the side of the head with a .38-caliber revolver. The suspect took cover behind the victim officer’s patrol unit, firing rounds at the partner officer. The suspect then ran, keeping the vehicle between himself and the partner officer. The partner officer retrieved his rifle, took aim at the suspect, and commanded the suspect to stop. The suspect suddenly stopped moving, turned the handgun on himself, and committed suicide. The victim officer was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.

*****

Within a week’s time in February, two law enforcement officers were killed and two were wounded as a result of two related incidents. On February 7, a police officer with the Riverside Police Department (RPD) was shot and killed, and another RPD police officer was shot and wounded during an ambush at 1:35 a.m. The 34-year-old veteran officer who was killed had 11½ years of law enforcement experience, and the 27-year-old officer who was wounded had 2½ years of law enforcement experience. While the officers were stopped at a traffic light in a marked patrol vehicle, an individual pulled his vehicle alongside the officers, exited it, and began firing multiple rounds from a semiautomatic rifle into the passenger compartment of the patrol vehicle. The offender then returned to his vehicle and fled the scene. The veteran officer was struck by rounds in the neck/throat, front upper torso/chest, and fatally in the side of his head. The second officer was wounded in his front upper torso/chest and arms/hands. Both officers were wearing body armor; however, their protective vests failed. The officers were transported to a nearby hospital where the veteran officer was pronounced dead just after 2 a.m. The second officer survived his wounds. The 33-year-old suspect was a former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer who had been fired in 2009. During the investigation, authorities discovered that the suspect posted a manifesto on a social media page on February 4 documenting his grievances against the LAPD and his intention to kill specific officers and their families. The suspect was wanted in the February 3 murder of two family members of a retired LAPD officer, a February 6 kidnapping, and a February 7 attempt to kill an LAPD officer that occurred prior to the shooting of the RPD officers. During this time, a massive search effort was underway, and protection details were assigned to potential targets. After killing the RPD officer and wounding that officer’s partner on February 7, the suspect remained at large until 5 days later. Around 12:30 p.m. on February 12, during a tactical situation involving the suspect in Barton Flats, a detective with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department (SBCSD) was killed, and a SBCSD deputy sheriff was wounded. The detective and the deputy, along with many other law enforcement officers, were attempting to apprehend the suspect. The 35-year-old detective was a veteran with 15 years of law enforcement experience, and the 26-year-old deputy was a veteran with nearly 6 years of law enforcement experience. Earlier in the day, two civilians entered a rental cabin where the suspect had been hiding. The suspect fled from that location in the civilians’ vehicle. The SBCSD detective and the SBCSD deputy responded separately to radio traffic advising that the suspect had carjacked another civilian and was now driving a different vehicle. While searching for the suspect’s vehicle, authorities focused their attention on an area near another vacant vacation cabin. Both the detective and deputy arrived at the scene and exited their vehicles. They took cover behind a vehicle while devising a plan to capture the suspect. When the officers stepped out from their positions of cover, the suspect fired at them with a .223-caliber rifle. The detective was shot in the front lower torso/stomach, the front below the waist, and fatally in the neck/throat. The deputy was shot and wounded in the front head, the front below the waist, and the arms/hands. The deputy survived his injuries. Both officers were wearing body armor. The suspect barricaded himself in the cabin, which was quickly surrounded by law enforcement. The suspect initiated a gun battle with deputies; during the standoff, he committed suicide.

*****

A 38-year-old detective and a 51-year-old sergeant with the Santa Cruz Police Department were killed while attempting an arrest around 3:25 p.m. on February 26. The detective, a 10-year veteran of law enforcement, and the sergeant, a 28-year veteran of law enforcement, went to the residence of a man to obtain a statement concerning a sexual assault in which the man was reported as a suspect. On February 22, the suspect had been arrested for public intoxication at the residence of a co-worker. Reportedly, the suspect had been out with a group that night, including the co-worker. The suspect parted company with them, but ended up back at the co-worker’s residence and refused to leave. The officers who responded that night jailed the suspect for 5 hours and then released him. The following day, a woman who had been at the residence reported that the man had sexually assaulted her during the incident that led to his arrest for public intoxication. The detective and the sergeant followed up on the accusation on February 26. About 2:50 p.m., the officers arrived at the suspect’s residence and knocked on the door, but no one answered. Looking through a window, the officers saw someone inside. The sergeant identified himself as a law enforcement officer, and the detective attempted to call the suspect’s phone twice, but the man did not answer. Shortly after 3 p.m., the officers noticed a man outside the residence that appeared to be the suspect. They questioned the man, determined he was not the suspect, and returned to the suspect’s residence. About 3:15 p.m., the sergeant observed a man inside the residence. The man remained inside, but began to talk to the officers through the windows and doors. The man asked if the officers were going to arrest him. The officers told him several times they wanted to get his account of the events from February 22. At 3:18 p.m., the detective lost sight of the man and she expressed concern that they may need another police unit. The officers continued to talk with the suspect, who remained inside the residence. The officers eventually told the suspect he was under arrest and instructed him to come outside. After about 5 minutes, when the suspect did not exit, the officers walked to the back of the house on opposite sides of the residence and ended up on opposite sides of the back door. The sergeant looked through a window and saw the suspect heading to the back of the house. The sergeant informed the detective that the suspect was going to the back door. Seconds later, the man exited the back door with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and fired two rounds at the detective. The first round struck the detective in her arms/hands, and the second round hit her in the front of the head, killing her instantly. The suspect then turned toward the sergeant and fired three times. The sergeant attempted to dive for cover but was fatally wounded by rounds that struck him in the rear lower torso/back. The suspect walked up to the sergeant and fired three more rounds into the rear of his head. The suspect took the sergeant’s firearm from its holster, walked over to the detective and shot her in the side of the head. The man also took the detective’s firearm from its holster and left the scene in the sergeant’s unmarked vehicle. Shortly after 3:25 p.m., several residents in the nearby area called 911 to report hearing gunshots. Responding officers arrived at the scene within minutes and found the victim officers. The officers cleared the residence and surrounding area to ensure the suspect was not there, then established a perimeter and searched house-to-house for the suspect. An officer at the scene noticed a man attempting to hide behind a fence that ran between a neighboring residence and an apartment complex. The officer engaged the man and asked him to show his hands. The man did not show his hands to the officer, and the officer could not see him completely behind the fence. Other officers recognized it was the suspect hiding at the fence. Additional officers arrived and took up positions at the entrance of the apartment complex. The suspect turned and ran toward the driveway of the apartment complex and fired at officers from handguns he was carrying in each hand. Four officers fired back at the suspect as he attempted to take cover behind a cinderblock wall. Hit by several rounds, the man fell to the ground. As the suspect reached his hand into a bag he was carrying, an officer shot him in the head, justifiably killing the suspect. Further investigation revealed that the suspect owned one of the handguns he was carrying and the other one belonged to the victim detective. The 35-year-old suspect, who was on probation at the time of the incident and had a criminal record that included violent crime and weapons violations, was also found wearing the victim sergeant’s body armor under a sweatshirt. The investigation also revealed that the suspect knew one of the victim officers through a previous law enforcement encounter.

Florida

A 42-year-old corporal with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed on August 5 while investigating a domestic dispute in Port Charlotte. Just after 8 p.m., the veteran corporal, who had 21 years of law enforcement experience, was the first to respond to a domestic disturbance call. A man in an apartment told the 911 operator that his parents were arguing, and he believed his father hit his mother. The operator talked to the mother. She said everything was fine, but when the woman left the call, the line remained open and the operator heard loud arguing in the background. At one point, the 911 operator asked the initial caller if there were any weapons or firearms in the apartment. The man replied yes, but said the weapons were all locked in a safe. Just before the corporal arrived at the scene, the dispatcher advised him about the weapons in the safe, relayed the report that no one was armed, and informed the corporal that there was a physical altercation in progress between the two men in the residence. The corporal knocked on the front door of the apartment and announced his presence by shouting, “Open up! Sheriff’s office!” The corporal requested emergency traffic only on the radio and asked communications to advise the complainant, who had called 911 earlier from the residence, to let him in. As the corporal opened the apartment door, rounds were fired from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from the top of the stairway. One round hit the corporal in the front upper torso/chest above his body armor. He retreated and radioed, “Shots fired.” Responding officers moved the injured corporal to a safe location and provided CPR. He was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 49-year-old offender, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, committed suicide at the scene.

*****

On February 28 at 9:30 a.m., a sergeant with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office was killed after he attempted to stop a driver for a traffic violation in Fort Pierce. The 35-year-old veteran sergeant, who had more than 12 years of law enforcement experience, tried to make contact with the driver. The driver stopped briefly, then fled in his vehicle; the sergeant gave chase in his police unit. Without warning, the driver slammed on his brakes and came to a sudden stop. The sergeant, who was wearing body armor, swerved around and brought his police unit to a stop slightly in front of the vehicle. The driver exited his vehicle, armed with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, and ran behind the sergeant’s police unit. The sergeant put his vehicle in park and opened his door, but before he could exit the police unit, the driver shot the sergeant four times. The sergeant was instantly incapacitated, suffering a fatal wound to the side head, as well as injuries to the neck/throat, front upper torso/chest, and arms/hands. The 25-year-old assailant fled in his vehicle, but uniformed patrol officers pursued him. He was apprehended a short time later. The assailant was charged with First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Aggravated Assault with a Firearm Against a Law Enforcement Officer, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Aggravated Fleeing/Eluding.

Indiana

Around 2 a.m. on September 20, a patrol officer with the Indianapolis Police Department was fatally wounded while responding to a domestic call. Moments earlier, the 41-year-old veteran officer, who had nearly 6 years of law enforcement experience, was the first officer to arrive at the apartment from which a neighbor in the complex had heard cries for help and had contacted the police. The officer knocked on the door, but no one immediately answered. Unknown to the officer, a man inside was holding his ex-girlfriend at gunpoint in the front room and had been doing so for the last 3 hours during which he had physically and sexually assaulted her. The woman’s baby was also in the apartment in a bedroom. Upon hearing the officer knock at the door, the suspect ordered the woman to the floor and looked out the peep hole in the door. As the woman crawled to the hall by a bedroom and began screaming for help, the man moved against the wall behind the front door. At that time, the veteran officer radioed dispatch and other officers that he was going to have to force entry. When the officer forced the door open, the woman began screaming that the man was behind the door. Immediately, the suspect stepped from behind the door and shot the officer at close range with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The officer fell to the floor in the center of the room and exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The officer fired eight rounds and the offender fired seven rounds, one of which entered the officer’s front upper torso/chest through the armhole of his body armor. A second police officer entered the unit and shot the suspect who fell to the floor in the doorway. Additional officers arrived and tended to the victim officer until he was transported to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his wound. Gunshots from the second officer justifiably killed the suspect, who was on parole and under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. In addition, the 24-year-old offender was known to use, deal, and possess drugs, and he had a prior criminal record that included weapons violations and drug violations.

Iowa

On September 13, a 37-year-old police officer with the Rockwell City Police Department was shot and killed during a tactical situation around 1:40 a.m. The veteran officer, who had 14 years of law enforcement experience, was with other officers attempting to serve an arrest warrant for assault at the suspect’s house. On September 8, the suspect had allegedly assaulted his mother causing severe injury. Prior to that, the offender was the primary suspect of several ongoing criminal mischief investigations. On September 12, around 9:30 p.m., law enforcement officials were alerted that the suspect was at his residence. Due to increasing concerns about the individual’s mental health, the Regional Tactical Team (RTT) served the arrest warrant. The RTT arrived at the suspect’s residence at approximately 11:30 p.m. and announced their presence. For 2 hours, the individual refused to come to the door. Around 1:40 a.m., the officer was assigned to use a pike pole to break out the bedroom window and remove the curtain blocking the view into the bedroom. As the officer was breaking the window, the individual fired one round from a .223-caliber bolt-action rifle from the bedroom doorway. The round entered above the victim officer’s body armor, pierced his neck/throat, traveled into his front upper torso/chest, exited his chest wall and re-entered his arm/hand. The officer was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The suspect refused to surrender to the remaining team members. The Iowa State Patrol Tactical Team arrived on the scene at approximately 5 a.m. The 32-year-old suspect surrendered, without further incident, at 5:30 a.m. When officers entered the residence after the suspect’s surrender, they discovered a large amount of ammunition prepared at the bottom of a stairwell. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record including violent crime and drug charges, was charged with First-Degree Murder, Assault Causing Bodily Injury, and Fourth-Degree Theft.

Kentucky

On May 25 between 2 a.m. and 2:40 a.m., an off-duty officer with the Bardstown Police Department was ambushed while attempting to remove debris from a roadway. The 33-year-old officer, a veteran of law enforcement with 7 years of experience, finished his shift at 2 a.m. and was on his way home. The officer was still in uniform and wearing body armor when he exited his marked patrol vehicle to clear debris from an exit ramp. Someone fired a 12-gauge shotgun striking the officer. He suffered a fatal wound to the front of the head, as well as wounds to the side of his head and front upper torso/chest. Civilians found the slain officer around 2:40 a.m. and notified authorities. At the time this this incident was reported to the FBI, the unknown assailant remained at large.

Louisiana

A sergeant with the Chitimacha Tribal Police Department was killed and two deputies with the St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office (SMPSO) were injured while investigating a suspicious person/circumstance shortly after 10 a.m. on January 26 in Charenton. The 52-year-old veteran sergeant, who had more than 15 years of law enforcement experience, received a call for assistance at 10:06 a.m. The request indicated a man was walking on the street carrying a gas can and a weapon, possibly firing the weapon at others. Nearby, a mobile home was on fire. The sergeant arrived on the scene in his patrol unit at 10:14 a.m., and pulled in near two deputies in a patrol unit from the SMPSO. The suspect had fired on the deputies in the patrol vehicle, and one of the deputies was backing the patrol vehicle away from the area. The sergeant and the deputies, who were all wearing body armor, stopped on the roadway, exited their vehicles, and exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was armed with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. During the exchange, all the officers were struck by rounds. The sergeant sustained injuries to the head, neck/throat, rear below the waist, and arms/hands. The suspect was also injured by gunfire. The wounded sergeant attempted to seek cover, but the suspect approached him and fired more rounds. The sergeant died at the scene from a fatal wound in the front of his head. Both SMPSO deputies were injured in the shooting and have since returned to duty. The wounded suspect was taken into custody without further incident. Prior to officers arriving on the scene, the suspect is believed to have set a mobile home on fire, threatened individuals, and discharged his weapon randomly. After firefighters extinguished the mobile home fire, investigators discovered the remains of an elderly male in the residence. The 48-year-old suspect, who was under conditional release at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record including violent crimes and police assault. The suspect had a previous law enforcement relationship with the sergeant, and was known to suffer from a mental illness. Following treatment for his wounds, the suspect was charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder, two counts of Attempted First-Degree Murder, and Arson.

Maryland

On August 28 at 5:21 a.m., a 36-year-old police officer with the Baltimore County Police Department was fatally wounded during a tactical situation in Catonsville. The tactical unit was serving a no-knock search and seizure warrant, which authorized officers to enter the residence without first knocking and announcing their presence and intention. The veteran officer, with more than 13 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner were the first team to enter the residence of a suspect wanted for attempted murder. Once inside, the officers loudly announced, “Police search warrant.” The officer’s partner noticed a subject rolling from the living room couch and scurrying on his hands and knees toward the kitchen. The officer pursued the subject and was able to pin him down on the kitchen floor with his ballistic shield. While the officer was securing the fleeing subject, his partner noticed a second subject at the top of a stairway and asked to see her hands. The subject’s hands were empty, and the partner turned to enter the kitchen where he heard gunfire. A third subject, who was hidden in a utility room adjacent to the kitchen, had opened fire with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking the officer already in the kitchen three times in his protective vest and once, fatally, in the rear lower torso/back just below his body armor. Although he was mortally wounded, the victim officer was able to fire seven rounds with his service weapon in the direction of the offender. The victim officer’s partner also fired his weapon, striking the 25-year-old offender once. The offender had prior arrests for Assault and Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute; he later died at an area hospital.

Massachusetts

A police officer with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Police was shot and killed in an ambush at 10:37 p.m. on April 18. The 27-year-old MIT officer had just over 1 year of law enforcement experience. As he sat in his marked patrol vehicle, one of two men approached the patrol vehicle and fired five rounds at the officer with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking him in the neck/throat and fatally in the front of his head. The 26-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including violent crime, died in a separate incident. The 19-year-old suspect was arrested the next day and charged with Murder, Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, four counts of Assault to Murder, two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Attempt to Commit a Crime.

Michigan

A trooper with the Michigan State Police, Hart Post, was fatally shot while conducting a traffic stop at 6:20 p.m. on September 9 in Sherman Township. The 43-year-old veteran trooper, who had 14 years of law enforcement experience, stopped a vehicle that contained two occupants. As the trooper approached the driver’s side of the vehicle, the driver fired a single shot with a .357-caliber revolver, striking the trooper in the front of his head. The trooper, who was wearing body armor, was instantly incapacitated. The offender and his passenger fled. Approximately 4 minutes later, a passerby found the trooper and called 911. The trooper was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he died as a result of the gunshot wound to his head. Meanwhile, the offender and his passenger went to a family member’s house and secured a ride to a location they had visited earlier in the day to look at a vehicle for sale. The offender and his passenger stole the vehicle and then transferred the weapons and other belongings to the stolen vehicle. The offenders’ original vehicle was then driven from the scene by a third party, but was recovered a short time later during a traffic stop. About 2 hours after the shooting, troopers discovered the suspects at a gas station approximately 20 miles away from the scene of the incident. When one trooper attempted to contact the offender in the gas station parking lot, the man ignored him and entered the store, where he ran to the back. He emerged from the rear of the store brandishing a handgun. After a short foot chase, during which the 19-year-old offender continued to ignore verbal commands, the trooper fired two rounds and struck him once in the knee. The man was arrested and charged with Murder of a Peace Officer, Motor Vehicle-Unlawful Driving Away, Felony Firearm Violation, and Carrying a Concealed Weapon. The passenger, who was the offender’s wife, was also arrested. The offender later stated that he knew he was going to shoot the trooper as soon as he was pulled over because he did not want to go to jail—he had a suspended driver’s license and there were weapons in his vehicle.

Mississippi

On April 4, a detective with the Jackson Police Department was shot and killed while interviewing a homicide suspect around 5:45 p.m. at police headquarters. A camera inside the interrogation room captured the incident on video. During his interview with two detectives, a homicide suspect became belligerent and engaged one of the detectives in a struggle. The 40-year-old detective was a veteran of law enforcement with nearly 18 years’ experience. As the two fell to the floor, the suspect managed to get the detective’s service weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The other detective in the room fired a shot that missed the suspect. Then her service weapon malfunctioned, so she ran from the room to summon help. As the struggle continued, the suspect shot the detective once, rose to his feet, and fired three more rounds at the detective. The rounds hit the victim detective in his arms/hands and mortally wounded him in the front upper torso/chest. The 23-year-old assailant, who had a prior criminal record that included violent crime, then committed suicide by shooting himself twice in the head.

*****

A sergeant with the Tupelo Police Department (TPD) was killed and a TPD officer was wounded while responding to a robbery in progress at a local bank around 3:20 p.m. on December 23. Both were veterans of law enforcement; the 38-year-old sergeant had more than 8 years of experience and the 27-year-old officer had 5 years of experience. Shortly after 3 p.m., a man wearing a face mask and armed with a handgun entered a bank. The man placed a wedge in the front door to prevent it from closing before entering the tellers’ area through an employees-only door. The man directed the bank tellers to back away as he filled a black bag with cash from the tellers’ drawers. An undisclosed amount of money was taken. The suspect then exited through the same employee door, stopped to retrieve the wedge used to prop the front door open, and fled from the bank’s parking lot in a gray sedan. The sergeant and the officer responded to the alarm at the bank and to a report that the suspect had fled in a white sport utility vehicle (SUV). While en route to the bank, the officers observed a white SUV stalled in traffic and stopped to address the driver. While the officers talked to the driver of the SUV, the suspect exited his gray sedan that was stopped behind the white SUV and fired six rounds at the officers with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The sergeant fired his service weapon, but was fatally wounded when the suspect fired a round that entered through the armhole/shoulder area of the sergeant’s body armor and pierced his front upper torso/chest. The officer was also struck, and injured in the back of the head. The suspect re-entered his vehicle and fled the scene. At this time, the suspect’s identity and whereabouts were unknown. Law enforcement officials released bank surveillance photos of the suspect and the vehicle to the public. As the investigation developed, the suspect was linked to an attempted bank robbery in Atlanta, Georgia, that had occurred earlier the same day. The bank robbery in Atlanta had been unsuccessful, but the suspect had robbed a customer at an ATM in the vestibule of the bank before fleeing in a gray sedan. On December 26, the FBI established a tip line for the case and announced a financial reward was available for information leading to the identification and capture of the subject. On December 28, the suspect attempted to rob another bank in Phoenix, Arizona. As officers responded to the call, the suspect immediately engaged the first uniformed patrol officer on scene by firing his weapon at the patrol vehicle while the officer was still inside. A second responding officer shot and justifiably killed the suspect. Further investigation revealed that the suspect committed all three robberies in Atlanta, Tupelo, and Phoenix. The 40-year-old suspect, who was on probation at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the injured officer had not returned to duty.

New York

As a result of complications from injuries sustained on December 5, 2006, a police officer with the Buffalo Police Department died on February 2, 2013. At the time of the incident, the 41-year-old veteran officer, with 6 years of law enforcement experience, was responding to a disturbance call with her law enforcement partner just after 9 p.m. When they attempted to question an 18-year-old subject, he produced a .38-caliber revolver and fired five rounds. The victim officer was shot in the front upper torso/chest and in the neck/throat above her body armor, paralyzing her and causing complications that resulted in her death. Her partner also sustained a nonfatal gunshot wound to the head area. The suspect was arrested and charged with Attempted First-Degree Murder and Criminal Possession of Weapon.

Texas

A 31-year-old sergeant investigator with the Burleson County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) was fatally shot while executing a narcotics warrant on December 19 near Somerville as part of the BCSO’s SWAT team. The 10-year veteran of law enforcement had obtained information that an individual was conducting a marijuana growing operation inside his residence. The sergeant secured a search warrant which contained a no-knock provision. At 5:50 a.m., officers entered the residence not knowing that their presence had been compromised. The sergeant led the entry team into the house and was met with gunfire. The sergeant, who was wearing body armor, was struck three times with rounds from a .308-caliber semiautomatic rifle in his front upper torso/chest, the front lower torso/stomach, the rear upper torso/back, the front below his waist, and fatally in the side of his head. Officers retreated from the residence and sought cover. The officers shouted orders from outside the residence, and the 28-year-old suspect surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident. The suspect later advised that he retrieved his rifle when he heard noises made by the team before they entered the residence. The suspect informed investigators that he heard his girlfriend scream and saw a person dressed in black and armed with a rifle enter his residence. He denied any knowledge that the person was a law enforcement officer and claimed not to have heard officers make any type of announcement before or while entering. The suspect had a prior criminal record including drug violations and weapons violations. Evidence suggested he was a marijuana user and dealer. The suspect was charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Possession of Marijuana. A grand jury indicted the suspect on a Possession of Marijuana charge, but failed to find probable cause to indict the suspect on the Capital Murder charge.

*****

Around 10:45 a.m. on June 28, a 38-year-old sergeant with the Hood County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) was fatally wounded while responding to a disturbance call. Approximately 10:30 a.m., the HCSO dispatched units to a residence in Granbury. A suspect awaiting trial on sexual assault charges was outside of the residence of his alleged victim. A protective order had previously been filed against the suspect, and the owner of the residence contacted the sheriff’s office for assistance. The veteran sergeant, who had nearly 7 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene first. He exited his vehicle and ordered the man to come to the patrol unit. When the suspect reached the vehicle, he produced a .45 caliber revolver and shot the sergeant, who was wearing body armor, in the rear and side of his head. The suspect then fired at the alleged victim’s family members standing on the front porch of the residence. The home owner retrieved his firearm from inside the residence and fired at the suspect as he drove away in his van, shattering at least one of the van’s windows. A deputy arrived at the scene and found several people gathered around the sergeant’s vehicle. A man approached the deputy and told him that the sergeant had been shot. The deputy located the sergeant lying on the ground unconscious, but breathing, and requested an ambulance. The people gathered there provided the deputy with the name of the suspect and a description of his van. The deputy relayed the descriptive information over the radio to local law enforcement. The sheriff and a lieutenant with the HCSO were in a marked vehicle headed toward the scene when they noticed a van matching the description of the suspect’s vehicle headed in the opposite direction. They turned around and activated their vehicle’s lights and sirens. Before they caught up to the van, units with the Granbury Police Department and Texas Highway Patrol also pulled behind the van with their lights and sirens activated. The sheriff and lieutenant were followed by another police vehicle driven by a deputy from Hood County. The suspect continued onto a street that led to the city hall parking lot, where he parked the van. The officers stopped and exited their vehicles, each using their vehicle or a nearby concrete wall for cover. The suspect exited the van and began firing at the officers with a rifle. Officers returned gunfire, but from the suspect’s reaction, it appeared to the sheriff that he was wearing protective gear. The sheriff shot the suspect in the head, and he fell to the ground. The 49-year-old offender died at the scene. He was under supervision at the time of the incident and had a criminal record that included violent crime. The victim sergeant was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, where he died the next day from the wound to the side of his head.

*****

A police officer with the Killeen Police Department (KPD) was fatally wounded and another officer was injured during a tactical situation on July 13. At 11:40 p.m., a resident at an apartment complex called 911 to report a man causing a disturbance. The caller said the man exited his apartment with a weapon, walked to the pool area, threatened people in the pool, and returned to his apartment. Officers arrived at the apartment complex and found a male inside his apartment holding a rifle in a threatening manner. At 11:56 p.m., the Tactical Response Unit was deployed to the scene. Tactical officers were attempting to speak to the man when he fired a shot. Then the man came to the door with his hands up, but he failed to come outside. The officers attempted to take the man into custody, but he backed into his apartment, armed himself with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle, and began shooting at the officers. A 32-year-old officer with nearly 5 years of law enforcement experience was struck in the rear upper torso/back, in the arms/hands, and fatally in the neck/throat area. The officer was wearing body armor, but the rounds exceeded the vest’s specifications. He succumbed to his injuries on July 14. A 33-year-old officer with more than 10 years of law enforcement experience was struck and injured in the front below the waist. The KPD SWAT team returned fire and killed the 24-year-old assailant, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the wounded officer had not returned to duty.

*****

A 31-year-old officer with the San Antonio Police Department died on December 20 from a gunshot wound he sustained while responding to a robbery in the early morning hours of December 8. The veteran officer, who had more than 7 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor, was parked in his patrol vehicle on a highway ramp south of the location of a reported robbery when the suspect vehicle with two occupants passed him. The officer followed the vehicle and advised dispatch that he would wait for back up before he attempted to stop the suspect vehicle. When there were several patrol vehicles behind him, the officer turned on his emergency lights in an attempt to stop the fleeing vehicle. The suspects accelerated to speeds up to 100 miles per hour. During the chase, at least one of the suspects began shooting at the officer’s vehicle. Approximately 2:10 a.m., the suspect vehicle slowed down, reducing the space between the officer’s vehicle and the suspects’ vehicle. One suspect fired a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, striking the windshield of the officer’s pursuing vehicle. The round passed through the windshield and struck the officer in the front of his head. The officer’s vehicle veered off the road and came to a stop in trees and brush. His fellow officers stopped pursuit in order to render aid to the victim officer. The officer died as a result of his injury 12 days later. After shooting the officer, the suspects continued to flee. They were eventually pursued by officers of the Poth Police Department, who exchanged gunfire with both occupants of the vehicle. The suspects got out of the vehicle and fled into some brush. The suspects did not comply with commands to show their hands, so a K-9 service dog was released. Subsequently, a 32-year-old male who was a known drug dealer with a criminal record that includes police assault, drug violations, and weapons violations, was arrested along with a 28-year-old female. Both were charged with Capital Murder, Aggravated Robbery, and Evading.

*****

On June 14, a 30-year-old police officer with the Texarkana Police Department was fatally injured while responding to a disturbance call. Shortly before 1 a.m., the officer, a 6-year veteran of law enforcement, was dispatched to a parking lot where a fight was reported and a large crowd had gathered. The officer was wearing his patrol uniform, including body armor. Moments later, after exiting his patrol unit, the officer was struck by a vehicle. He received severe injuries to the rear and side of his head, as well as to the front below the waist and front upper torso/chest. A 21-year-old man suspected of driving the vehicle that struck the officer was arrested later that day and initially charged with Aggravated Assault Against a Public Servant. The officer was flown to a hospital where he died from his injuries on June 15.

*****

A deputy sheriff with the Upton County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO) was killed while investigating a suspicious person around 11:15 p.m. on October 2 in McComey. The 37-year-old deputy, a veteran with 14 years of law enforcement experience, and a second UCSO deputy responded to a report that a suspicious vehicle had been parked at a convenience store for more than 4 hours. The deputies approached the vehicle and found the driver asleep at the wheel. The deputies woke the driver and asked for his identification, then returned to their police units. When the deputies ran the vehicle’s license plate, it was listed as stolen. As the deputies returned to the suspect, the suspect exited the vehicle and fired rounds at close range from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. An exchange of gunfire ensued, during which one deputy was fatally wounded in the front upper torso/chest. The second deputy did not sustain any injuries. The 51-year-old suspect, who was injured by gunfire, was arrested and charged with Capital Murder and Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer with a Deadly Weapon. The suspect had a criminal record that included violent crime, police assault, drug violations, and weapons violations. He was on parole at the time of the incident.

Utah

Just before 6 a.m. on September 1, a 32-year-old sergeant with the Draper City Police Department was fatally wounded during an ambush. The sergeant, a veteran with nearly 10 years of law enforcement experience, was returning to the police station to turn in paperwork at the end of his shift when he noticed a disabled vehicle parked at an odd angle. The sergeant stopped his marked patrol vehicle to offer assistance. When he rolled down the window to speak with a male subject, the man produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and shot the sergeant. The round entered the armhole of the sergeant’s body armor and struck him fatally in the front upper torso/chest. The victim sergeant accelerated his patrol vehicle while the suspect continued to fire at him, shooting out the sergeant’s back window. Before the sergeant lost control of the vehicle, hit a nearby tree, and lost consciousness, he was able to use the radio to call out, “Shots fired!” The suspect also allegedly shot his female companion. The 35-year-old suspect had a criminal record including arrests for drug violations. He was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. He was charged with Aggravated Murder, Attempted Aggravated Murder, and Discharge of Weapon by Restricted Person.

West Virginia

The sheriff with the Mingo County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) was shot and killed in an ambush as he sat in his marked vehicle in a parking lot eating lunch shortly after noon on April 3. A man approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and engaged the 59-year-old veteran sheriff, who had more than 7 years of law enforcement experience, in a conversation. The man then produced a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol and fired twice, striking the sheriff once in the front of the head and once in the side of the head, killing him instantly. The 37-year-old offender then fled the scene in a vehicle he had parked nearby. A short time later, a corporal in the MCSO encountered the offender in a nearby community. The corporal forced the offender to stop his vehicle. When the offender produced a weapon, the corporal fired his duty weapon and struck the offender nine times. The offender was airlifted to a nearby hospital and survived his wounds. He was known to suffer from a mental illness, had a prior criminal record, and was reported to have had a previous non-law enforcement relationship with the victim sheriff. The offender was charged with First Degree Murder.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2014

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2015

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 .45caliber 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.

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.

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 .40caliber 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 .270caliber 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.

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.

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 .40caliber 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.

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.

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.

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.

Officers Feloniously Killed, 2016

Alaska

Just after midnight on October 16, a 34-year-old sergeant with the Fairbanks Police Department was shot and fatally wounded while investigating a suspicious person. The veteran sergeant, who had nearly 12 years of law enforcement experience, was responding to a call of shots fired at a hotel. As the sergeant contacted an individual in the area, the man pulled out a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and fired seven rounds at the sergeant. The sergeant returned fire with his service weapon. At some point, the victim sergeant fell over a curb, and both the sergeant and the suspect ran out of ammunition. The suspect then stomped on the victim sergeant, took his service weapon, and drove off in his patrol unit. The victim sergeant, who was wearing body armor, was shot in the front of the head, the front upper torso/chest, and in the front below his waist. The victim sergeant’s patrol unit was later found a few blocks from the hotel. After two days of investigation, a 29-year-old was arrested without incident on October 18. He was charged with First-Degree Murder, two counts of Second-Degree Murder, First-Degree Motor Vehicle Theft, Second-Degree Theft, two counts of Tampering with Evidence, Second-Degree Misconduct Involving Weapons, and Third-Degree Misconduct Involving Weapons. The suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record including a weapons violation. The sergeant was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on October 28.

Arkansas

On August 10, around 7:40 a.m., a corporal with the Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) was shot and killed in an ambush (entrapment and premeditation). The 66-year-old corporal, who was a veteran of law enforcement with 20 years’ experience, was part of a team of six officers that had been dispatched with regard to a 911 call from a man who reported his son had stolen some tools and pulled a gun on him. At 7:08 a.m., the officers arrived at a rural residence to find the suspect on the porch with a rifle, which he pointed at the officers before retreating into the residence. The officers noted the suspect was wearing some type of ballistic vest, and they began to take perimeter positions at the residence. (It was subsequently revealed the suspect was agitated because he was due in court later that day on a Petition to Revoke a Suspended Sentence.) At 7:16 a.m., officers reported to dispatch the suspect was firing on them from within the residence. Additional officers, representing various agencies, arrived to assist. At 7:39 a.m., the suspect shot the corporal in the neck/throat above his body armor as he was seeking cover behind the rear corner of a mobile home located approximately 125 feet from the suspect’s residence. (The round traveled through the mobile home and struck the buttstock of the deputy’s rifle before striking him.) Five more officers reported to the scene to help extract the wounded corporal. The additional officers also came under fire from the suspect, and the chief of police of the Hackett Police Department (HPD), a veteran of law enforcement with 13 years of experience, was hit as he was exiting his cruiser more than 300 feet away from the suspect. The 42-year-old chief, who was wearing body armor, sustained a gunshot wound to the head. While still under fire, members of the arriving group extracted the wounded chief from the scene. At nearly the same time, members of the SCSO SWAT team were able to locate the wounded corporal at a rear corner of the residence and take him to the emergency medical area. Both wounded officers were taken to a nearby hospital where the chief was treated and released for his head wound, and the corporal was taken to surgery. The corporal succumbed to his wounds later that afternoon. Meanwhile, the suspect refused negotiations and continued shooting at officers until he finally surrendered to authorities just before noon. After the suspect was taken into custody, officers found explosives, nine firearms, and a stockpile of ammunition, which included an estimated 20,000 rounds for the .223-caliber semiautomatic handgun the suspect allegedly used to kill the victim corporal. The 34-year-old suspect was charged with Capital Murder; five counts of Attempted Capital Murder; four counts of Battery in the First Degree; two counts of Possession of a Firearm by Certain Persons; Killing an Animal Used in Law Enforcement; Criminal Mischief; and Failure to Appear. He has a prior criminal record which includes a violent crime, weapons violation, and drug law violation. The wounded chief has since returned to duty.

Arizona

Shortly after 3 p.m. on May 18, a 34-year-old officer with the Phoenix Police Department was shot in an ambush (entrapment and premeditation) and later died. Around 2:30 p.m., a man placed a 911 call about a burglary. The man said his son had broken into his residence and stolen a gun. He also said he received a text from his son that stated he would shoot it out with the police if they were called. The caller also reported his son was under the influence of narcotics. The officer, a law enforcement veteran of nearly 12 years, was among seven officers who gathered near the suspect’s home. They observed a vehicle with tinted windows in the driveway matching the description the father provided for the suspect’s vehicle. The officers, in marked police units, converged on the home to set up a perimeter. The suspect, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the vehicle in the driveway, fired a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun at the first officer to exit his vehicle. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor, was shot in the back of the head and in the rear below his waist. He immediately dropped to the ground. The other officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect until he ceased firing. The 20-year-old offender, who had no known criminal history, died at the scene. Two officers went to the aid of the victim officer. They placed him in a police vehicle and removed him from the area. The victim officer was then taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he died early the next day from the gunshot wound to the back of his head.

*****

At 1:30 p.m. on November 8, a 50-year-old police officer with the Show Low Police Department (SLPD) was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call. Earlier that morning, the officer, who was a veteran of law enforcement with nearly 20 years’ experience, responded to a local motel where staff had reported patrons acting suspiciously and had requested their removal. The officer initially responded with his commander; however, they were unable to locate the subjects, so the officers left the motel. Ninety minutes later, motel staff called a second time and advised that the subjects had returned, and one of them was in the lobby. The officer and the commander returned to the motel along with an SLPD chief. The commander was advised that one of the subjects had run upstairs into the bar area. The officer encountered the subject leaving the back of the bar. When the commander and the chief arrived at the back of the bar, the man produced a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun and pointed it at them. The officers ordered the individual to drop his weapon. The man put the handgun away and was complying with the officers’ commands when he suddenly fled from the officers with his hands in the air. The commander and the chief chased the man around one side of the building as the officer ran around the opposite side. During the chase, the man again pointed the handgun at the commander and the chief before disappearing from sight. The officer, who was coming around the opposite side of the building, encountered the subject. The man fired 9 rounds; one fatally struck the victim officer, who was wearing body armor, in the front of his head. The commander heard the gunshots and discovered the victim officer on the ground. The suspect fled, but the chief stayed with the victim officer as the commander radioed information regarding the suspect’s description and last known direction. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Information led officers to a cabin in Lakeside where the suspect was holding a hostage. The first officers on the scene saw the suspect pointing a gun to a young female’s head. Officers surrounded the cabin and attempted to negotiate with the suspect. The suspect refused to cooperate and sporadically fired rounds from inside the cabin in the direction of the officers, striking police vehicles. Ultimately, officers turned the scene over to the Department of Public Safety’s SWAT team. After several hours of negotiations, SWAT team members attempted to apprehend the suspect. The suspect exchanged gunfire with the SWAT team and was justifiably killed. Officers recovered the 15-year-old hostage and transported her to the hospital. The 36-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and drug law violation.

California

A 53-year-old sergeant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was shot and killed while responding to a burglary in progress around 12:30 p.m. on October 5 in Lancaster. The veteran sergeant, who had 29 years of law enforcement experience, was wearing his body armor when he responded to the call. The subject fired five rounds from a .38-caliber revolver and struck the sergeant in the front upper torso/chest and fatally in the front of his head. Additional responding officers exchanged gunfire with the 27-year-old subject, who was wounded and taken into custody. The man was on parole and under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. He was charged with Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, Robbery, and Kidnapping. He had a criminal history which included a violent crime, drug law violation, and weapons violation.

*****

A 50-year-old deputy sheriff with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) was killed while investigating a suspicious person in Hughson on November 13. At 8:25 a.m., the deputy, a 19-year veteran of law enforcement, was patrolling the area in a marked police unit when he radioed dispatch and provided the license plate number of a suspicious vehicle he was about to pull over. Moments later, dispatchers advised that the vehicle had been reported stolen and the suspect was possibly armed and dangerous. When the deputy failed to respond to several radio calls, dispatchers requested assistance from units in the area. Another SCSO deputy arrived and found the victim deputy lying on his back on the ground. The victim deputy, who was wearing body armor, had been shot at close range in the side of his head and in his neck/throat. His electronic control weapon was beside his hand in the “off” position—it had not been deployed. The responding deputy found two shell casings from a .45caliber semiautomatic handgun beside the victim deputy and radioed to report an officer was down and the stolen vehicle was gone. Additional officers and emergency services personnel arrived, and first aid was administered. The victim deputy was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased as a result of the fatal wound to the side of his head. Crime scene investigators found the suspect’s driver’s license on top of the laptop in the victim deputy’s patrol vehicle. Approximately 10 minutes after dispatch was radioed about the victim deputy, they received a 911 call about a home invasion in Ceres. The resident advised that a man had forced his way into his home and announced police were looking for him because he had killed his own family. The suspect brandished a firearm, stole the resident’s vehicle, and fled. Dispatchers issued an updated statewide alert for the suspect and information regarding the latest stolen vehicle. When responding officers arrived, the victim of the robbery had sketched a picture of the robber that officers recognized to be the man wanted for shooting the victim deputy. A helicopter was called in to search for the suspect and the stolen vehicles. The stolen vehicle that was used to flee the shooting scene was found near the area of the home invasion. At 12:34 p.m., officers from the Lindsay Police Department (LDP) contacted the Stanislaus County dispatch and advised they had responded to an armed robbery at a market that involved the suspect in the shooting. The armed robbery was in Lindsay, which is approximately 2½ hours south of Hughson. After the suspect left the market, he attempted to rob a citizen, but the person fought him off and called 911. Officers from the LPD responded to the scene and located the suspect, who surrendered. At the time of his arrest, the suspect possessed a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun from which two rounds had been discharged from the magazine. The 37-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder by Shooting from a Motor Vehicle, Burglary, Taking a Motor Vehicle without Owner’s Consent, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The suspect, who was known to use and possess drugs, had a previous criminal record and convictions, including charges for a violent crime, weapons violation, and drug law violation.

*****

Just after 1 p.m. on October 8, two police officers with the Palm Springs Police Department were shot and fatally wounded in an ambush (entrapment and premeditation). A third officer was shot and injured. A 63-year-old police officer, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 30 years’ experience, was dispatched to a residence where a woman’s son was allegedly causing a disturbance. A 27-year-old police officer, with nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, also responded. When they arrived at the scene, the suspect threatened to shoot the officers through the door. After a request for backup, two additional officers came to assist. One of the four officers attempted to gather further information from the suspect’s parents outside the residence, and the other three officers approached the front doors (which included a screen door and a solid door behind). As the 63-year-old veteran officer attempted to open the screen door, someone inside yelled, “Don’t do it, don’t do it!” The suspect then fired rounds from a .223-caliber rifle through the front door. As the three officers ran for cover, the 27-year-old officer was hit by gunfire and fell to the ground. The officer who was talking to the suspect’s parents took cover at the south side of the residence and radioed that an officer was down. The officers went to retrieve rifles from their patrol units. The 63-year-old officer’s head was bleeding, but he also attempted to get his rifle. In the process, he was struck by gunfire and immediately fell to the ground. One of the other two officers, a 35-year-old veteran with 6 years’ law enforcement experience and wearing body armor, was also struck by gunfire and wounded in the rear below his waist (right calf and left hip area). The wounded 35-year-old officer and the other backup officer continued to exchange gunfire with the suspect. Two more officers arrived and assisted in removing the downed officers from the scene. These officers were transported in patrol units to paramedics staged a block away, and then to the hospital. Both victim officers succumbed to their wounds that day. The 27-year-old police officer had been shot below the waist and fatally in the rear lower torso/back with a round exceeding her body armor’s specifications. The 63-year-old officer had been shot in the front of his head, the side of his head, and fatally in the front upper torso/chest where a round entered through the shoulder area of his body armor. The 35-year-old officer was also transported to a local hospital where he was treated for his wounds. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, he had not returned to duty.

After shooting the officers, the suspect barricaded himself inside the residence. The SWAT team from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department was called to the scene. Several hours passed without any communication. A search warrant was obtained, and the SWAT team sent a robot inside the residence to locate the suspect, who was believed to be hiding in the attic. When the SWAT team was unable to locate anyone inside, they deployed tear gas into the residence. The suspect, who was wearing body armor, climbed out of a bedroom window. He did not comply with the SWAT team’s commands and was shot with nonlethal ammunition before being apprehended. The 26-year-old suspect was on probation at the time of the incident and was known to use drugs. He was taken to the hospital, but soon released to law enforcement. The suspect was charged with two counts of Murder and three counts of Attempted Murder. He had a prior criminal record which included a murder, drug law violation, weapons violation, and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge.

*****

A 43-year-old police officer with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) was killed and a 32-year-old police officer with the SDPD was wounded shortly before 11 p.m. on July 28, while investigating a suspicious person. The pair were in their patrol unit when they saw two males in the middle of a street walking away from each other. One of the men was carrying a white plastic bag with something solid inside. The 43-year-old police officer, a veteran of law enforcement with nearly 16 years of experience, stopped the patrol unit slightly behind the man with the bag. The 32-year-old officer, a veteran of law enforcement with 9 years of experience, exited the passenger’s side of the patrol unit and asked the man where he lived. The man turned and fired at the 32-year-old officer, who was wearing body armor, with a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. A round struck the officer in the neck/throat and he fell onto his back near the passenger side at the rear of the patrol unit. The assailant continued to fire his weapon while advancing on the other officer, who was still sitting in the driver’s seat. The assailant entered the patrol unit’s open door on the passenger’s side and shot the 43-year-old officer at close range in the rear of his head, his front upper torso/chest, and his arms/hands. The victim officer was wearing body armor, but a round entered through the armhole or shoulder area of the vest. The injured officer outside of the vehicle was able to draw his service weapon and fire on the fleeing assailant, striking him with one of the rounds. Responding officers found the 43-year-old victim officer slumped over in the driver’s seat. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The other injured officer was taken by ambulance to a local hospital and suffered a collapsed lung. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the injured officer had not returned to duty. Officers located the 52-year-old assailant later on the day of the incident. He was arrested and charged with Murder, Attempted Murder, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The assailant, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, drug law violation, and weapons violation, was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

Colorado

A 40-year-old deputy sheriff with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office died on February 10, from wounds he suffered while responding to a disturbance call two days earlier. Shortly after 11 a.m. on February 8, the veteran deputy, who had 14 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a report of a subject firing a gun. The deputy located the subject, approached him, and advised him that he was being detained. The subject attempted to pull away, so the deputy deployed his electronic control weapon. The device completed its cycle, but the subject was still able to fire multiple rounds at the deputy with a .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The victim deputy, who was wearing body armor, was struck several times, including in his arms/hands and the front of his head. The suspect fled on foot as backup deputies arrived at the scene. The deputies rendered aid to the victim deputy until emergency medical services arrived and transported him to a local hospital. Law enforcement apprehended the suspect within the hour. The victim deputy succumbed to his injuries two days later. The 17-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and drug law violation, was arrested and charged with Attempted Second-Degree Homicide and Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender. At the time of the incident, he was on probation and under the influence of narcotics.

*****

On February 24 at 9:30 a.m., three officers with the Park County Sheriff’s Office were shot during a tactical situation to serve an eviction notice. A 35-year-old corporal, who was a 13-year veteran of law enforcement, was killed; and a captain and a master patrol deputy were both injured during the incident. As the officers attempted to serve the eviction notice, the offender fired on them with a .45-caliber semiautomatic rifle. The corporal was fatally wounded when a round entered his front upper torso/chest through the armhole or shoulder area of his body armor. The 51-year-old captain was struck in the side of his head and the 43-year-old master patrol deputy was shot multiple times in the front lower torso/stomach and in the front below his waist. Both of these officers were 21-year veterans of law enforcement, and both were also wearing body armor. The captain and the deputy were transported to the hospital and treated for their injuries. The 59-year-old suspect was justifiably killed at the scene. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the captain was back to work, but the deputy had not yet returned to duty.

Georgia

A 30-year-old patrol officer with the Eastman Police Department was shot and killed on August 13 while investigating a suspicious person. Around 9:30 p.m., the Dodge County 911 center received a call reporting that a man on the street who was selling drugs had pulled a gun on another man. The veteran patrol officer, who had more than 6 years of law enforcement experience, was dispatched to the call. A few minutes later, the officer called back to say he had observed a subject fitting the description of the alleged drug dealer. The officer activated his lights and exited his patrol unit as he gave verbal commands to the suspect to walk toward the vehicle and place his hands on it. Immediately, the suspect shot the victim officer in the front upper torso/chest with a 9 mm handgun. Responding officers found the victim officer on the ground beside his patrol unit, but no sign of the suspect. The victim officer was taken to a nearby medical center where he died from his wound later that night. Agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) responded to the scene. Subsequently, witnesses identified the suspect from video recorded by the patrol unit’s dashboard camera. Eyewitnesses told investigators they heard shots and saw the suspect flee the scene with a gun in his hand. It was later learned that the suspect was hiding in one of the houses that were canvassed by GBI that evening, but the residents did not answer the door. On August 14, the GBI secured a murder warrant for the suspect. On August 15, the suspect was found hiding in the trunk of his sister’s car, as she and her boyfriend were allegedly driving him to Florida. All three were arrested. The 24-year-old suspect was charged with Murder. He had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and was on probation at the time of the incident.

*****

At 5:30 p.m. on November 6, a 41-year-old sergeant and a 39-year-old deputy sheriff with the Peach County Sheriff’s Office were fatally wounded while answering a disturbance call in Byron. The sergeant was a veteran of law enforcement with nearly 17 years of experience; and the deputy was a veteran with 13 years of law enforcement experience. The officers first spoke with the residents who had called 911 and had reported their neighbor threatened them with a firearm while they were riding their 4wheeler. The sergeant and deputy then went to the neighbor’s residence and spoke with him. After a brief conversation, the sergeant advised the man he was under arrest. The man pulled a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun from under the right side of his shirt and shot the sergeant and the deputy at close range. Both officers were wearing body armor at the time of the incident. The sergeant was fatally wounded in the front of the head and the deputy was wounded in the front lower torso/stomach, in the front below the waist, and fatally in the front of his head. The original complainant heard gunshots from the neighboring residence and again called 911. Three Byron Police Department (BPD) units responded and the suspect fired a rifle at them. The BPD officers returned fire and the suspect was struck and apprehended. The victim sergeant succumbed to his injuries that day, and the victim deputy died on November 8. The 57yearold suspect was charged with two counts of Murder and three counts of Aggravated Assault. He had a prior criminal record including a violent crime.

*****

At 11:30 a.m. on February 11, a 50-year-old major with the Riverdale Police Department was shot while assisting with a drug-related no-knock search warrant. As the Clayton County Drug Task Force and the Clayton County Police SWAT team were executing the warrant at an apartment in Riverdale, the major, a law enforcement veteran with 25 years of experience, observed an individual running from the apartment. He exited his patrol unit and ran diagonally to intercept the fleeing individual. When the major encountered the individual at the end of another building, the 24-year-old subject fired four rounds from a handgun, striking the victim major in the front below the waist, rear below the waist, arms/hands, and fatally in the front lower torso/stomach. The suspect was in possession of a .38-caliber revolver and a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun; the investigation did not determine which weapon was used to fire the fatal shot. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, drug law violation, and weapons violation, was justifiably killed during the ensuing chase. The victim major was transported to a local hospital where he died.

Indiana

A deputy sheriff with the Howard County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) was fatally wounded, and an HCSO corporal was injured on March 20 during a tactical situation that occurred at 12:40 a.m. in Russiaville. The 26-year-old deputy, who had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, and the 34-year-old corporal, a veteran with nearly 10 years of law enforcement experience, reported to a residence with four other officers to serve a search warrant and an arrest warrant. The officers knocked on the door of the residence and announced themselves before entering. As they entered, the deputy and the corporal located the subject of the warrants locked inside a bedroom. The two officers tried to open the bedroom door but were met with gunfire from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and a .357-caliber revolver. The suspect fired nine times, and each officer was struck by one round from the handgun. The deputy was fatally struck in the front below the waist, and the corporal was hit in the rear below the waist. The victim officers, who were wearing body armor, returned fire but were unable to subdue the suspect because he was hiding behind a furnace. The gunfire ceased when the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The victim officers were taken to an area hospital, where the deputy died. The corporal recovered from his injury and has returned to service. The 25year-old suspect was on probation and under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. He was a known drug user and dealer, and had a prior criminal record including a drug law violation and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge.

Iowa

A 24-year-old police officer with the Urbandale Police Department (UPD) was shot and killed in an ambush (entrapment and premeditation) just after 1 a.m. on November 2. A short time later, a 38-year-old sergeant with the Des Moines Police Department (DMPD) was killed in a similar attack. While the UPD officer was on patrol, dispatchers received reports of shots fired. The UPD officer had not been dispatched to an incident nor had he contacted dispatchers with any type of self-initiated activity. Civilians found the victim officer, who had 1 year of law enforcement experience, sitting in his patrol vehicle. He had fatal gunshot wounds to the side of his head, as well as wounds to the front upper torso/chest from rounds that penetrated his body armor—the rounds exceeded the vest’s specifications. Minutes later, in Des Moines, the DMPD sergeant was killed in a similar attack as he sat in his patrol vehicle. The victim sergeant, a 15-year veteran of law enforcement, suffered wounds to the front of his head, neck/throat, front upper torso/chest, rear upper torso/back, and arms/hands. Rounds also penetrated the victim sergeant’s body armor because they exceeded the vest’s specifications. Investigators discovered approximately 27 rounds were fired at the victim officer, and about 30 rounds were fired at the victim sergeant. All of the rounds came from a 5.56 mm semiautomatic rifle. Investigators quickly identified a suspect, who was captured in a nearby county a few hours after the shootings. The 46-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder. He had a prior criminal record, which included a violent crime, but had no known relationship with either victim officer.

Louisiana

A police officer and a corporal from the Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD) and a deputy sheriff with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office (EBRPSO) were killed on July 17 in Baton Rouge during an ambush (entrapment and premeditation). A sergeant and a corporal, both with the EBRPSO, and an officer with the BRPD were also injured. Approximately 8:40 a.m., the BRPD received a call about an individual carrying a rifle near a shopping plaza. (Louisiana had a gun law allowing open carry at the time.) Authorities planned to question the individual, but had no known cause to take him into custody. Minutes after the call, a 41-year-old police officer and a 32-year-old corporal from the BRPD, and a 45-year-old deputy with the EBRPSO arrived near the shopping plaza behind a building next to a gas station. The individual spotted them from at least 50 feet away and began shooting at them with a .223-caliber semiautomatic rifle. The BRPD corporal, who was a veteran of law enforcement with 10 years’ experience, was struck in the front of the head and in the front upper torso/chest. The rounds exceeded the specifications of the body armor the victim corporal was wearing, penetrating the vest and killing him instantly. Rounds also struck the BRPD officer, who had 9 months of law enforcement experience. The rounds also exceeded his body armor’s specifications, penetrating his vest and wounding him. The injured officer was able to crawl behind the building. The EBRPSO deputy, who was a veteran with more than 24 years of experience in law enforcement, ran to the victim officer’s aid. The assailant then stepped from around the corner of the back of the building and shot the EBRPSO deputy, wounding him. The victim deputy fell to the ground, but was able to fire 13 rounds from his .40caliber semiautomatic handgun. None struck the assailant, who then killed the deputy. The victim deputy had wounds to the front, rear, and side of his head; neck/throat; front upper torso/chest; rear upper torso/back; front below his waist; and rear below his waist. The victim deputy was wearing body armor, but rounds entered above his vest. The injured BRPD officer moved a bit, and the assailant shot him twice more, killing him. His wounds were in the side of his head and in his front upper torso/chest. By this point, a second BRPD officer arrived and had pulled up in front of the building. The assailant shot and wounded him; however, details of his injuries were not known at the time of this report. The suspect then retreated toward his vehicle, using businesses and nearby woods for cover. He opened fire on a 41-year-old corporal with the EBRPSO, a veteran with nearly 18 years of law enforcement experience, who had just returned to his patrol unit to run the license plate of the suspect’s vehicle. The corporal was struck and wounded in his arms/hands, in the side of his head, and in the front lower torso/stomach. He was wearing body armor, but a round entered below the vest. The suspect then shot at a 57-year-old EBRPSO sergeant, who was also wearing body armor and was a 23-year veteran of law enforcement, wounding him in the arms/hands. Officers from the BRPD SWAT team arrived. Using the patrol vehicles as cover, a member of the SWAT team fired from approximately 100 yards away and killed the 29year-old suspect. The suspect had a prior criminal record. A subsequent investigation revealed that the suspect intended to attack the BRPD headquarters, which was nearby, and continue to kill officers. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, neither the injured EBRPSO corporal nor the EBRPSO sergeant had returned to duty.

*****

A detective with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office died shortly after 1 p.m. on June 22 after he was shot while investigating a suspicious person in Harvey. The 50-year-old detective, a veteran of law enforcement who had more than 9 years of experience, came into contact with a man at an intersection at 12:21 p.m. A struggle ensued. The assailant produced a .38-caliber revolver and fired three rounds before fleeing the scene on foot. All three rounds struck the victim detective in the rear upper torso/back. The detective radioed for help, and responding officers found him on the ground. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The 19-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a weapons violation, was arrested a short time later. He was charged with First-Degree Murder and Aggravated Assault with a Firearm.

Maryland

On February 10, two Harford County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) senior deputies were shot and killed while investigating a suspicious person. The first senior deputy, a 52-year-old veteran of law enforcement with 30 years’ experience, responded just before noon to a 911 call concerning a wanted person located inside a local restaurant. He arrived at the restaurant and radioed dispatch that he was about to approach the subject. A few minutes later, another HCSO deputy arrived at the scene and discovered that the senior deputy, who was wearing body armor, had been shot in the front of the head with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The deputy alerted dispatch that an officer was down. Numerous units from the HCSO and other jurisdictions converged on the area and attempted to locate the suspect. A witness to the incident informed the deputies the suspect had fled on foot in the direction of a nearby residential complex. The deputies searched the area around the complex, and shortly after noon, spotted the suspect sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked in the parking lot of the complex. The deputies exchanged gunfire with the suspect. During the exchange, the second senior deputy, a 43-year-old law enforcement veteran with 16 years of experience, was struck in the front lower torso/stomach and fatally in the rear below the waist below his body armor. Both senior deputies were transported to an area hospital where they were pronounced deceased. The 68-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was also struck during the exchange of gunfire and died at the scene.

Massachusetts

A 42-year-old patrol officer with the Auburn Police Department was fatally wounded during a traffic stop shortly before 12:30 a.m. on May 22. Later that day, during the subsequent search for the suspect, a 43-year-old trooper from the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) in Framingham was shot and injured. At 12:25 a.m., the veteran patrol officer, who had nearly 8 years of law enforcement experience, radioed he had initiated a traffic stop. He reported he ran a check on the vehicle’s license plate, but the plate came back as belonging on a different vehicle. Minutes later, he yelled over the radio “shots fired,” then, “I’m hit.” Two officers responded within minutes and found the wounded officer near his vehicle, which was still running with its emergency lights activated. The two officers administered aid until an ambulance arrived at the scene. The victim officer, who had been wearing body armor, was taken to a local hospital where he died a few hours later from a gunshot wound from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He had been wounded in his rear lower torso/back below his protective vest. Dispatchers sent out a “be on the lookout” call for the vehicle and accompanying license plate, and the same information was shared with the public. About 10 a.m. the same morning, a man contacted the Oxford Police Department to report a vehicle matching the description, but with no license plate. The caller saw the driver of the vehicle enter a nearby residence. Members of the MSP Fugitive Apprehension Section and the MSP Drug Unit, Worcester Narcotics Unit, began surveillance on the address around 10:30 a.m. Early in the afternoon, members of the MSP Tactical Team positioned an armored response vehicle in front of the address and tried to negotiate with the suspect in an attempt to get him to surrender peacefully. Using infrared technology, the tactical team determined the suspect had tunneled from the residence into an adjacent living space of the duplex, and they believed the man was on the second floor. After 4 hours of attempting to negotiate with the suspect, members of the tactical team entered the duplex and searched for the suspect. When members of the team reached the second floor, the suspect exited the closet of a second-floor bedroom and fired 9 rounds at the team members with his handgun, striking the 43-year-old MSP trooper in his arms/hands. The trooper was a veteran of law enforcement with more than 11 years’ experience and was wearing body armor at the time of the incident. The suspect continued firing until his ammunition ran out. Team members returned fire, wounding the suspect. The 35-year-old suspect was apprehended and taken to a local hospital where he died of his injuries. He had been on probation and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. He also had a prior criminal record, which included a violent crime, drug law violation, weapons violation, and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge. The wounded trooper was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery. He has since returned to duty.

Michigan

Around 6:30 p.m. on November 22, a 29-year-old police officer with the Wayne State University Police Department (WSUPD) was fatally wounded during an investigative activity in Detroit. The officer, a law enforcement veteran with over 5 years’ experience and who was wearing body armor, was on patrol when he advised the dispatcher he was conducting a street investigation and requested backup. Another WSUPD officer arrived at the scene minutes later and found the victim officer lying in the street in front of his patrol unit. The victim officer had a gunshot wound to the side of his head from a .38caliber revolver. The assisting officer immediately notified dispatch an officer was down and he needed assistance. Additional units arrived at the scene, and officers placed the victim officer in a patrol vehicle and transported him to a local hospital, where he died the following day. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the offender had not been identified, and the case remains under investigation.

Mississippi

Shortly after midnight on February 20, a 44-year-old agent with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (MBN), Greenwood District, was shot and killed during a tactical situation. The agent, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 22 years of experience, responded to a residence where a man had threatened law enforcement and was barricaded inside. The agent was accompanied by the Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) SWAT team including a 39-year-old veteran trooper with more than 9 years of law enforcement experience, a 38-year-old veteran lieutenant with 16 years of law enforcement experience, and a 35-year-old veteran corporal with more than 7 years of law enforcement experience. Around 5 p.m. the previous day, a family member called 911 to report a domestic incident at the location. Law enforcement arrived and learned the man’s wife and young child were barricaded in the residence with him. Officers began negotiations with the man, but he refused to release his wife and child. Sometime after midnight, following several hours of negotiations, the SWAT team developed a plan to enter the residence. Two groups of SWAT members attempted to enter: one through the front door and one through the side door. The lieutenant’s team successfully entered the residence through the side door and was met with gunfire. The lieutenant was in the living room of the house when he was struck with a projectile and injured. The group, which included the MBN agent and the MHP SWAT team trooper and corporal, attempted to enter through the front door, but it was barricaded. The suspect used a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle to shoot at the officers as they stood on the front porch. The MBN veteran agent was fatally wounded in the front upper torso/chest by a round that entered above his body armor. He was pronounced deceased at the scene. The MHP SWAT team trooper, lieutenant, and corporal were each struck in the front of their bodies below the waist, but survived their injuries. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, none of the injured SWAT team members had returned to duty. The 45-year-old suspect, who was under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident, was justifiably killed by law enforcement. He was known to suffer from a mental illness and had a prior criminal record which included a violent crime.

Missouri

A 55-year-old deputy sheriff with the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Department died on July 4, from injuries he sustained approximately 8 months earlier while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances in Bonne Terre. Just before 9:30 a.m. on October 27, 2015, the veteran deputy, with 23 years of law enforcement experience, had finished delivering some civil processes when he noticed two trucks parked on a dirt road near a creek. The county had recently experienced burglaries and vandalism in the area, and the location was frequently used for illegal dumping. The deputy decided to stop and investigate. He spoke first with a man standing near the larger of the two trucks before he moved around and spoke with a male and female at the front of the smaller truck. The pair told the deputy that approximately 30 minutes earlier, they had taken a small pickup truck down the dirt road, and it had gotten stuck in sand near the creek. The man called his friend (who had the larger pickup truck) for help. They said the friend came and pulled out the small truck, but now the small truck would not start. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, did not see a tow chain and at one point during the contact, the small truck did start. The deputy asked the couple with the small truck for identification. The female provided her identification, but the male said he did not have any. The deputy told the man to walk with him to his patrol vehicle so he could write down the man’s identifying information. The man complied and began to follow the deputy. When the pair reached the front driver’s side of the patrol unit, the man ran away from the officer toward the larger pickup truck which belonged to the other man. The officer began chasing the man and radioed dispatch advising them he was in a foot pursuit. No one was in the idling larger truck, and the man jumped in and began driving the truck toward the officer. The deputy yelled for the man to stop and when he did not, the deputy drew his weapon and fired seven rounds at the windshield of the truck. The man did not stop, instead he accelerated toward the officer, who was standing in the middle of the road. The deputy moved to his right to get out of the way, but the man steered the vehicle toward him, striking the deputy with the vehicle before fleeing. The victim deputy flew through the air and landed approximately 4-5 feet from the edge of the road. He fired his weapon at the truck as it drove away. The victim deputy contacted dispatchers and provided a description of the truck and the direction of travel. Emergency personnel arrived and transported the injured deputy to a local hospital. Later that day, officers responded to a call of a vehicle driving erratically and discovered it was the stolen truck. A pursuit ensued and ended in a rural area approximately 30 minutes away. The suspect abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot. Assisting officers arrived on scene and began searching the vehicle; there were bullet holes in the hood and windshield. The 48-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a drug law violation and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge, was arrested the day after the incident and charged with Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer.

*****

Shortly after 5 a.m. on October 6, a 33-year-old police officer with the St. Louis County Police Department responded to a disturbance call in Green Park. When he arrived at the location, the officer, who had nearly 4 years of law enforcement experience, noticed the subject sitting in the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked across the street from the reported address of the disturbance. Upon initial contact, the subject fired one shot from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and struck the officer, who was wearing body armor, in the front of the head at close range. Another police officer was arriving on scene when he heard the gunshot and observed the 33-year-old officer on the ground. The responding officer fired several rounds at the suspect, who then pointed the handgun at the responding officer and shouted that he had a gun. The responding officer continued to fire on the suspect, striking him several times and ending the threat. The 33-year-old wounded officer was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The 18year-old suspect was also taken to a local hospital where he was treated for multiple gunshot wounds to his arms. The man was charged with First-Degree Murder, two counts of Armed Criminal Action, and Second-Degree Attempted Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. The suspect was a known possessor of drugs and had a criminal history including a drug law violation.

New Mexico

On August 12 around 3:40 p.m., a 33-year-old patrol officer with the Hatch Police Department was fatally wounded while making a traffic stop. The officer, who had more than 2 years of law enforcement experience, had stopped a vehicle with three occupants. As the officer approached the vehicle from the passenger side, one of the occupants shot the officer with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun in the neck/throat above his body armor. A second officer pursued the vehicle as it sped from the scene. At one point in the subsequent chase, the suspects’ vehicle stopped at a rest area and one of the suspects carjacked a second vehicle, shooting the car’s owner in the process. Eventually, all three suspects were apprehended. Two of the men were wanted in connection with a murder in Ohio. In addition, 62 grams of methamphetamine were found in the suitcase of one of the suspects. The 38-year-old man who allegedly shot the victim officer was charged with Murder, Possession of a Firearm, Firing Weapon, and Carjacking. He was under the influence of narcotics and on probation at the time of the incidents and had a prior criminal record which included a murder. The victim officer was airlifted to a nearby hospital where he died later that day.

New York

Shortly before 3 p.m. on November 4, a 41-year-old sergeant with the New York Police Department was shot and fatally wounded, and a 30-year-old sergeant was shot and injured during a traffic pursuit and stop. Earlier in the day, around 11:20 a.m., a man forced his way into his estranged wife’s apartment, displayed a firearm, and attempted to forcibly remove their 3-year-old son from the residence. A resident of the home attempted to calm the man for approximately 3 hours before convincing him to leave the premises without the child. Once the man was gone, the woman called 911 and reported the incident. The 41-year-old sergeant, a veteran of law enforcement with nearly 19 years of experience, and another officer began searching for the suspect’s vehicle using details provided by dispatchers. The sergeant and the officer, in a marked police vehicle, spotted the suspect’s vehicle and followed it. The sergeant provided their location to dispatch, allowing other police units to converge on the area. The suspect attempted to evade the pursuing officers by turning onto a succession of streets, but responding officers eventually blocked the suspect’s path with their police vehicles. To avoid the blockade, the suspect attempted a U-turn. However, another police vehicle collided with the rear of the suspect’s vehicle, causing him to lose control and strike a parked dump truck. With the suspect’s vehicle trapped between the dump truck and a police vehicle, responding officers attempted to take him into custody. The sergeant and the officer exited their police vehicle and, along with other officers, approached the suspect’s vehicle. The sergeant, who was wearing body armor, approached the driver’s side of the suspect’s vehicle with his service weapon drawn. Without warning, the suspect shot the sergeant in the left side of the head at close range with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The suspect fired two more rounds and struck the 30-year-old sergeant, who was also wearing body armor, once in the front below his waist. The 30year-old sergeant, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 9 years of experience, sustained a graze wound to his left leg. Other officers returned fire, justifiably killing the suspect. With the suspect down, officers requested emergency medical services for the injured officers. Both sergeants were transported to a local hospital where the 41-year-old sergeant succumbed to his wound. The other sergeant was treated for the injury to his leg and released. The 35-year-old suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. He had a prior criminal record which included a drug law violation and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the injured sergeant had not returned to duty.

North Carolina

A 38-year-old patrol officer with the Shelby Police Department (SPD) died on September 12 from wounds he suffered during a tactical situation two days earlier. Just before 12:30 a.m. on September 10, the veteran officer, who had more than 12 years of law enforcement experience, was conducting surveillance of a residence to locate the subject of an outstanding warrant for armed robbery. An SPD sergeant aiding with the surveillance from his patrol unit noticed a vehicle leaving the residence and attempted to follow it. The officer, who was still at the surveillance site, informed the sergeant over the radio that the vehicle had returned to the residence. Officers conducting a traffic stop on a nearby street heard gunshots and responded to the area. The officers discovered the unresponsive victim officer, who was wearing body armor, face down on the ground with two gunshot wounds to the front upper torso/chest from a .38-caliber revolver. Both rounds entered above the victim officer’s vest; one entered the right upper chest, and one entered near the collarbone. The trajectory of the rounds suggested that the suspect fired the shots while standing over the officer. A witness confirmed the officer attempted to tackle the suspect, and the suspect fired approximately five rounds from the revolver at the officer while the officer was on the ground. During the struggle, the officer fired one round from his service weapon and struck the suspect; however, the officer’s service weapon malfunctioned as he attempted to fire a second round. Investigators at the scene discovered the victim officer’s flashlight and a magazine from his handgun. A backpack and several items belonging to the suspect were also found at the scene. The victim officer was transported to an area hospital where he succumbed to his wounds two days later. The 23-year-old suspect was arrested 700 miles away in Rhode Island on September 14 and charged with First-Degree Murder. A known drug user, the suspect had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, weapons violation, and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge.

North Dakota

A 33-year-old patrol officer with the Fargo Police Department died on February 11 from wounds he suffered while responding to a domestic violence call the previous day. On February 10 just after 7 p.m., officers arrived at the location referenced in the call. As they established a perimeter around the residence, someone inside opened fire on the officers. The SWAT team responded and alerted neighbors to go to their basements because an armed man in his home was firing on police. At 9:26 p.m., police broadcast an “officer down” call. The patrol officer, a 6-year veteran of law enforcement who was wearing body armor, had been located and had a single gunshot wound from a rifle in the front of his head. Officers continued to hear gunshots, but could not determine the suspect’s location inside the residence. Early the next day, police rammed the west side of the structure with an armored truck and deployed robots to gain entry to the residence. The 49-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a previous murder, had died at some point during the standoff. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the suspect’s cause of death was still unknown. The wounded officer, who had been transported to an area hospital, died the next morning.

Ohio

A 54-year-old police officer with the Columbus Division of Police was fatally wounded during a tactical situation that began late in the evening on April 9 and lasted into the next day. The veteran officer, who had 27 years of law enforcement experience, was part of a SWAT team assigned to execute an arrest warrant for a man who was wanted for aggravated arson. The individual was suspected of starting a fire inside the home of his estranged wife. The SWAT team arrived at the residence and approached the front door. One of them knocked on the door, but did not receive an answer. Officers confirmed that vehicles at the rear of the residence belonged to the subject and verified he was inside the residence. Officers with the negotiation team attempted to communicate with the man over a loudspeaker. They advised him he was under arrest and needed to come out, but he refused to leave the residence. Two SWAT members entered the basement in an attempt to turn off the power to the house. The man heard the officers beneath him, and he started shooting through the floor at them. One of the officers later realized that one of those rounds traveled through his vest, narrowly missing his neck. A SWAT officer then drove an armored vehicle to the rear of the residence. He parked the vehicle and stood, wearing body armor, in the open hatch behind the turret with his rifle pointed toward the residence. Around 2:30 a.m. on April 10, the suspect fired a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun out his back bedroom window in the direction of the armored vehicle. One of the rounds struck the victim officer above his left eye as he stood in the vehicle’s open hatch. Officers removed the victim officer from the armored vehicle, and he was taken to a local hospital. A short time later, the house started burning. After a standoff which lasted several hours, members of the SWAT team arrested the suspect. The victim officer died at the hospital on April 12 from the gunshot wound to the front of his head. The 44-year-old suspect was charged with Aggravated Arson, two counts of Aggravated Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, four counts of Felony Assault, and four counts of Attempted Murder.

*****

At 10:45 p.m. on January 17, a 34-year-old patrol officer with the Danville Police Department (DPD) was killed in an ambush (entrapment and premeditation). Around 11:20 p.m., a caller advised 911 dispatch that an individual had threatened to kill a cop, and Danville officers were in danger. Dispatchers then attempted to contact the DPD patrol officer several times on his radio and phone, but were unable to reach the veteran officer, who had 12 years of law enforcement experience. Officers responded to the parking lot of the Danville Municipal Building and observed an officer’s hat on the ground and blood on the yellow parking blocks. In the same area, officers located the body of the missing officer. The victim officer, who had been wearing body armor, had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the rear of the head from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The victim officer’s vest and duty belt, along with his 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, had been removed and were unaccounted for. The victim officer’s cruiser was also missing. Officers drove around the area searching for the victim officer’s cruiser but were unable to locate the vehicle. They searched the municipal building and cleared it of possible threats, but did find more blood, as well as the officer’s cell phone still in the office. The DPD chief and another officer drove to the officer’s residence (two blocks from the suspect’s house) to pick up the victim officer’s life partner and transport her to a safe location. Around this time, dispatch advised officers a fire had been set at a house, which turned out to be the residence of the suspect’s ex-girlfriend. The officers reported to a house near the ex-girlfriend’s residence to observe. The officers saw the suspect moving around inside the ex-girlfriend’s house. A short time later, the ex-girlfriend exited her house followed closely by the suspect. The DPD chief exited the neighbor’s residence and shouted commands for both individuals to get on the ground. The exgirlfriend immediately complied, but the suspect fled on foot into the fenced area of a nearby football field. The suspect unsuccessfully attempted to scale the fence and briefly disappeared from the chief’s sight. Moments later, the suspect reappeared and, with his hands in the air, began walking toward the chief. The chief ordered the suspect to get on the ground, and this time, the suspect obeyed. The chief held the suspect at gunpoint until backup arrived and secured the suspect in handcuffs. At that time, the chief noticed the victim officer’s vest and service weapon underneath the bleachers. The 32-year-old suspect, a known drug user and dealer who was under supervision at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, drug law violation, weapons violation, and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge. He was arrested and charged with Aggravated Murder, Death of a Specified Law Enforcement Officer, Firearm Law Violation, Grand Theft, and Grand Theft of a Motor Vehicle.

Oregon

A 39-year-old sergeant with the Seaside Police Department (SPD) was fatally shot on February 5, while attempting an arrest. Around 9:20 p.m., the veteran sergeant, who had nearly 13 years of law enforcement experience, and another SPD officer attempted to arrest a subject who was wanted on a felony parole violation warrant. The subject resisted arrest and failed to comply with the officers’ commands to show his hands. The officer used an electronic control weapon to immobilize the subject, who fell to the ground. While on the ground, the subject fired one round from a .380-caliber semiautomatic handgun, which he had concealed in his jacket. The round struck the sergeant in the front lower torso/stomach below his body armor. The other officer returned fire, striking the suspect. Additional officers arrived on the scene, handcuffed the suspect, and removed the concealed handgun from inside the suspect’s left jacket pocket. The sergeant was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injury. The 55-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record, which included a violent crime, weapons violation, drug law violation, and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge. The suspect was a known drug user and was under the influence of narcotics and alcohol at the time of the incident. He was also transported to an area hospital where he died.

Pennsylvania

On November 10, approximately 3:20 a.m., a 52-year-old Canonsburg Police Department (CPD) patrol officer was killed, and a 47-year-old CPD patrol officer was injured, while responding to a domestic violence complaint. The 52-year-old officer, a nearly 8-year veteran of law enforcement, exited his vehicle and walked toward the residence as the 47-year-old officer, a veteran with over 22 years of law enforcement experience, arrived as backup. The 52-yearold officer was shot at from a second floor window with a .30-06 bolt-action rifle and was struck in the front below the waist and fatally in the front lower torso/stomach when the round entered below his body armor. The victim officer was able to fire 15 rounds at the suspect. While still in the patrol vehicle, the assisting officer, who was also wearing body armor, was wounded when one round entered between the side panels of his protective vest and struck him in the rear lower torso/back. A responding CPD sergeant arrived and saw the 52-year-old patrol officer on the ground. He drove his vehicle through the line of fire near the fallen officer and moved the officer partially into the vehicle. A Peters Township Police Department (PTPD) sergeant and a Cecil Township Police Department sergeant arrived to assist the CPD sergeant in getting the 52-year-old victim officer into a patrol vehicle and driving him to a hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The CPD sergeant then drove another patrol vehicle through the line of fire to assist the 47-year-old victim officer. The sergeant put the officer into the vehicle and drove him to an ambulance which was located further down the road. The 47-year-old victim officer was transported to a local hospital and was later flown to another hospital for surgery. The PTPD sergeant maintained cover for the other officers. The subject shot at the remaining officers and also fired upon a vehicle parked along the street in front of the residence. It was later discovered the subject had previously loaded the vehicle with gasoline, propane, and acetylene tanks. Although struck at least twice, the vehicle did not ignite. Many local departments, including a SWAT team, arrived and surrounded the residence. Due to the previous explosive device, a robot was used to make entry into the residence where more propane tanks and a lit acetylene torch were discovered. The suspect’s wife was found deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. The 47-year-old subject was found dead. He had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the 47-year-old CPD victim officer had not yet returned to duty.

*****

A 23-year-old trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Huntingdon Station, was shot and killed while conducting investigative activity around 6:20 p.m. on December 30. In response to a woman’s complaint that her ex-boyfriend had violated a Protection From Abuse (PFA) court order, the trooper, who had 1 year of law enforcement experience, went to the man’s residence to question him. According to the complaint, the man had allegedly left several gifts inside the woman’s vehicle at her place of employment, which violated the no-contact clause of the PFA order. The trooper, who was wearing body armor, entered the residence, began questioning the man, and then asked him to step outside onto the porch to discuss the matter further. According to the subject’s mother, who was in the residence at the time, the man asked the trooper if he could get a cigarette from his bedroom before they went outside. The man went to his bedroom, and the trooper met him in the hallway as he came out. They proceeded to exit the residence, first the trooper and then the man, with the man’s mother following behind. As they exited, the man’s mother saw her son pull a weapon from his waistband area, and she yelled at him. The trooper turned, and the subject shot the trooper in the head with a .32-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The victim trooper was fatally wounded in both the front and rear of his head. The subject’s mother then fled the scene with her boyfriend, who had been in the basement and reported the shooting. The subject later fled the scene on foot before authorities could apprehend him. Around 9:45 a.m. the next day, as members of the PSP Special Emergency Response Team were clearing the crime scene, members of the PSP Troop G worked to clear nearby structures and found the subject hiding in an unoccupied camper approximately ¼ mile from the scene. Upon making verbal contact with the suspect, troopers could not get him to comply with their commands. When the suspect made a move to come out of the camper toward the troopers with a firearm in his right hand, he was justifiably killed. The 32-year-old offender, who was on probation at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record which included a violent crime.

South Carolina

Just before 12:30 p.m. on March 18, a 28-year-old patrol officer with the Greenville Police Department made contact with a subject, during an investigative activity, in reference to his involvement in an ongoing firearm investigation. The patrol officer, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, was alongside another officer as they made field contact with the subject. The officers were familiar with the man from previous encounters, including an arrest. As the officers began to question the subject, he fled. Both officers pursued the subject and as the 28-year-old patrol officer rounded the corner of a residence, the subject fired seven rounds from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, striking the officer five times. The victim officer was wounded in the front upper torso/chest (the round entered through the armhole or shoulder area of his body armor), his arms/hands, the front below his waist, and fatally in the side of his head. The accompanying officer radioed for assistance and began CPR. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The suspect fled the scene and responding officers established a perimeter. Two citizens provided information about the direction in which the subject fled, and a detective located him a short time later with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The 17-year-old suspect was declared dead at the scene and was found to have a prior criminal record including a violent crime, weapons violation, and drug law violation. He was a known drug dealer, user, and possessor, and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

Tennessee

Around 2 p.m. on August 9, a 35-year-old special agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was shot and killed while working a drug-related undercover operation in Jackson. The agent, a veteran with nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience, was with a confidential informant preparing to buy an ounce of cocaine for $975 from a suspected drug dealer. During the course of the attempted buy, the suspected drug dealer produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and fatally shot the victim special agent in the rear upper torso/back in an apparent attempt to rob him of the money. The 23-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, weapons violation, and drug law violation, was arrested and charged with First-Degree Felony Murder.

*****

A 32-year-old officer with the Maryville Police Department (MPD) was shot and killed on August 25, as the result of an ambush (entrapment and premeditation). The 9-year veteran officer was responding to a domestic disturbance call with a deputy sheriff from the Blount County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO). The officers arrived at the residence around 3:40 p.m., and a man met them as they were exiting their patrol unit and told them his son was on the premises, armed, and had tried to shoot him. Within a few minutes, shots were fired as the suspect apparently opened fire on his father and the two officers. The BCSO deputy radioed to dispatch shots had been fired and advised the MPD officer had been shot. The victim officer was fatally struck in the neck/throat above his body armor by a round from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Shortly after the victim officer was shot, the suspect emerged from the garage basement of the residence and began walking toward his father, the MPD victim officer, and the BCSO deputy with his firearm pointed at his own head. A second BCSO deputy, who had arrived on the scene, observed the armed suspect walking rapidly towards the three men. This deputy discharged several rounds at the suspect in hopes of stopping his advance on the others. As the second BCSO deputy fired rounds, the first BCSO deputy left his position and tackled the suspect. The 44-year-old suspect was immediately disarmed and taken into custody. The victim officer was taken to a nearby medical center where he died later that day. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was charged with Criminal Homicide, two counts of Aggravated Assault, and two counts of Aggravated Assault (Prior to Law Enforcement Officer Arrival).

*****

A 46-year-old patrol officer with the Memphis Police Department was killed on June 4 in an unprovoked attack. Shortly before 10 p.m., officers had responded to a shooting at a restaurant and found two men critically injured. While the officers were on the scene, a second call was received regarding a shooting about two blocks away from the first incident. Soon after, a uniformed officer made visual contact with the suspect of both shootings. The suspect was in a stolen vehicle; a high-speed chase began and reached well over 100 miles per hour. The suspect was headed toward a crowded intersection known for its foot traffic. The 46-year-old officer, a veteran with nearly 18 years of law enforcement experience, heard the radio transmission regarding the chase. He ran to the intersection and was clearing the street of pedestrians when he was fatally struck by the suspect’s speeding vehicle. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor, suffered multiple injuries. The officer was taken to a local hospital where he died. The suspect continued to flee until he crashed the vehicle. A brief foot pursuit and struggle followed, which resulted in responding officers using an electronic control weapon on the 21-year-old suspect. The suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and weapons violation, was arrested and charged with First-Degree Murder, Vehicular Homicide, three counts of Criminal Attempt First-Degree Murder, Reckless Driving, Theft of Property ($10,000 to $60,000), and Intentionally Evading Arrest in a Motor Vehicle.

Texas

Five law enforcement officers were killed and 11 were injured in an ambush (entrapment and premeditation) shortly before 9 p.m. on July 7 in Dallas. Officers from the Dallas Police Department (DPD) and the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department (DART PD) were working traffic control for a protest march in downtown Dallas. A senior corporal and two officers with the DPD were stationed at a roadblock at an intersection. After the marchers passed them, a man sitting in a vehicle nearby opened fire on the officers with a 5.45x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. All three law enforcement officers were fatally wounded. The 48-year-old senior corporal, a 14-year veteran of law enforcement, sustained injuries to his front lower torso/stomach, front below the waist, arms/hands, and fatally, to his front upper torso/chest. A 40-year-old veteran officer who had nearly 9 years of law enforcement experience was wounded in the front lower torso/stomach, front below waist, arms/hands, and mortally in the front upper torso/chest. The third victim officer, who was 32 years old and a law enforcement veteran with 6 years of experience, was shot in the front lower torso/stomach and fatally in his front upper torso/chest. Both the 40-year-old and the 32-year-old victim officers were wearing body armor, but the rounds exceeded their vests’ specifications. The subject continued firing his weapon, wounding several other DPD officers and two civilians. From the opposite direction, a veteran officer with the DART PD shot at the subject, striking him with three rounds; however, the subject turned and opened fire at him from close range. The 43year-old DART PD officer, who had 13 years of law enforcement experience and was wearing body armor, was shot in the front upper torso/chest, rear upper torso/back, front lower torso/stomach, rear below his waist, front below his waist, and fatally in the side of his head.

Additional officers arrived at the scene, including members of the Dallas County Community College Police Department. They exchanged gunfire with the subject, who wounded more officers. The man entered a building in a nearby college and moved up to the second floor. From a window on the second floor, the subject fired at officers below. A 55-year-old sergeant with the DPD was struck in the front upper torso/chest, front lower torso/stomach, front below waist, and arms/hands. The veteran sergeant, who had nearly 27 years of law enforcement experience, died from wounds to the front upper torso/chest from rounds that penetrated his body armor because they exceeded the vest’s specifications.

Officers who had followed after the man into the building and up to the second floor chased him through several long hallways, at times exchanging gunfire, until the subject stopped and waited in a tactical position. After hours of failed negotiations, officers used an explosive device and the 25-year-old suspect was killed. The suspect had no known criminal record and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident.

*****

A 45-year-old patrol officer with the El Paso Police Department died from injuries he sustained in an unprovoked attack on March 10. Around 3:15 p.m., the patrol officer, a veteran of law enforcement who had 16 years of experience, was on his police motorcycle stopped at a red light behind two other vehicles. Without warning, a vehicle rammed his motorcycle from behind and continued into the vehicles in front of the motorcycle. The force of the crash threw the patrol officer over the vehicle in front of him and onto the tailgate of the lead vehicle. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor at the time of the incident, and the driver of the vehicle that hit him were taken to a local hospital. The vehicle’s driver was treated and released. On March 14, the victim officer died from the multiple injuries he received. Investigators later learned the driver had deliberately rammed the officer’s motorcycle. Police filed a warrant for his arrest. On March 23, officers with the Merkel City Police Department arrested the 45-year-old offender and charged him with Capital Murder and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle; the vehicle he used in the attack belonged to the offender’s sister and he had taken it without her permission. The offender was a known drug user and had a prior criminal record which included a violent crime and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge.

*****

On March 1, a 29-year-old senior police officer with the Euless Police Department (EPD) was killed after responding to a disturbance call with possible shots fired. Just before 3 p.m., two officers were dispatched to the call at a local park. The 29-year-old EPD officer, a veteran with more than 7 years of law enforcement experience, was on patrol and responded to the call as an additional unit. As the officer, who was wearing body armor, approached a creek in the park, the suspect opened fire with a .45-caliber semiautomatic weapon. The officer was struck in the front of the head. The suspect then began firing at the other two officers on scene. The officers encouraged the suspect to surrender, but instead, he positioned himself beside of the motionless victim officer and continued to fire. Additional officers arrived with sniper rifles and observed through their scopes that the victim officer appeared to be gravely injured. One of the officers fired two rounds at the suspect with the scoped rifle. The suspect stopped shooting and assisting officers were then able to safely respond to the injured officer and suspect. The senior police officer succumbed to his injury later that day. The 22-year-old suspect had been justifiably killed. The suspect was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, drug law violation, weapons violation, and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge.

*****

A 50-year-old detective with the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) was shot and killed in an ambush (entrapment and premeditation) in front of police headquarters around 11:45 a.m. on November 20. Moments prior to the incident, the detective, a veteran of law enforcement who had nearly 21 years of experience, had stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on the street in front of the police department. As the detective sat in his patrol unit handling matters associated with the traffic stop, a vehicle pulled up behind him. A man exited the vehicle, ran up to the passenger-side door of the patrol unit, and fatally shot the detective in the back of his head with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The subject then reached in and fired a second shot into the side of the victim detective’s head before retreating to his vehicle and fleeing the area. The SAPD used surveillance video from its building to request assistance from the community in identifying the vehicle and its owner. The next day, the SAPD received a tip on the suspect’s identity. Working with the U.S. Marshal’s Service, authorities tracked the suspect’s telephone and found his last call was to his girlfriend. In response to information about the suspect’s identity, his girlfriend’s identity, and a description of the girlfriend’s vehicle, authorities spotted the vehicle that afternoon at a nearby gas station. Soon after, SAPD SWAT officers conducted a tactical vehicle stop as the suspect and his girlfriend were leaving the gas station. Officers apprehended the suspect, who had a prior criminal record which included a violent crime, weapons violation, and drug law violation. The 31-year-old offender was arrested and charged with Capital Murder. During a custodial interview, the man confessed to shooting and killing the detective.

Utah

Shortly before 10 a.m. on January 17, a 44-year-old officer with the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake was shot and killed while investigating a traffic accident, and a 51-year-old officer was injured while attempting an arrest. The 44-year-old officer, an 18-year veteran of law enforcement, reported to the location of the accident where at least one man had fled the scene. The officer, who was wearing body armor, located a potential suspect and informed dispatch he was going to make contact with the man. Minutes later, the 51-year-old officer, a 32-year veteran of law enforcement, arrived on scene with two other officers and discovered the first officer on the ground with a gunshot wound to the front of his head from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The victim officer’s service weapon was still in its holster. The three officers followed footprints to a nearby residence where they located the suspect standing in the front yard. The officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, and the second victim officer, who was also wearing body armor, was struck in the front below the waist and rear below the waist (in both legs). During the exchange of gunfire, the suspect was also struck and justifiably killed at the scene. Both victim officers were transported to a nearby hospital, where the 44-year-old officer succumbed to his injury. The 51-year-old officer recovered from his injuries, but at the time the incident was reported to the FBI, he had not yet returned to duty. The 31-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, weapons violation, and drug law violation. He was on parole at the time of the incident.

*****

A 25-year-old police officer with the West Valley City Police Department was killed on November 6, when he was intentionally struck by a vehicle while he was responding to an ongoing traffic pursuit. At 3:25 a.m., the officer, who had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, responded to assist other officers who were pursuing a stolen vehicle. The officer, who was in radio contact with the pursuing officers, pulled his patrol unit over to an area on the roadway approximately ½ mile ahead of the fleeing vehicle. With visual confirmation of the oncoming vehicle, the officer walked into the roadway and deployed a tire deflation device into the intended path of the car. As the officer, who was wearing body armor, exited the roadway to a position of cover, the suspect steered the vehicle into the opposite lane, then into a turning lane, and struck the victim officer with the vehicle. The suspect briefly continued to drive, dragging the officer until the vehicle left the roadway and came to a stop in an open area on the roadside. The three occupants of the stolen vehicle fled on foot towards an adjacent residential community. Responding officers located the suspects in the neighborhood shortly after the incident. The victim officer sustained fatal injuries. The 15-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record which included a violent crime. He was charged with Murder with Gang Enhancement, Vehicle Theft, Failure to Stop at the Command of a Law Enforcement Officer, and Obstruction of Justice.

Virginia

Around 2:40 p.m. on March 31, a 37-year-old trooper with the Virginia State Police, Hanover Detachment, was shot and killed while investigating a suspicious person. The trooper, who was a veteran of law enforcement with 14 years’ experience, was participating in training to conduct drug interdiction at a bus terminal in Richmond. As he talked with a man standing just inside the front doors, the man pulled out a .40caliber semiautomatic handgun and shot the trooper several times in the front upper torso/chest at close range. The man continued firing his weapon, and troopers who were nearby returned fire. The man was injured in the exchange of gunfire, and troopers were able to place him under arrest. He continued to be combative with the arresting officers as well as emergency personnel who tried to render him aid. Both the victim trooper and the subject were taken to a local hospital, and both died later that day. The 34-year-old subject had a prior criminal record which included a murder, weapons violation, drug law violation, and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge.

*****

Shortly after 5:30 p.m. on February 27, a 28-year-old police officer with the Prince William County Police Department (PWCPD) was mortally wounded, and two other PWCPD officers were injured while responding to a domestic disturbance call placed by a woman. A 31-year-old veteran officer, with more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, arrived at the residence and asked the man about the whereabouts of his wife, who had placed the call. The man advised his wife was no longer there and then he attempted to close the door; however, the officer blocked the door with his foot and tried to force his way into the residence to investigate. Moments after the initial contact, a 33year-old veteran officer, who had nearly 10 years of law enforcement experience, and the 28-year-old officer, who was in training with 3 months of law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene to assist. During the veteran officers’ attempt to force open the door, the suspect retrieved a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle and opened fire from the partially opened door. All three officers were wearing body armor, but their close proximity to the door gave them no response time. The 31-year-old victim officer was struck in the front below his waist, and the 28-year-old victim officer was struck in her rear upper torso/back by gunfire, which entered the armhole/shoulder area of her body armor, and in the rear below her waist. These two victim officers dragged themselves to vehicles parked nearby where they took cover and radioed for assistance. The third victim officer, the 33-year-old, was unable to move more than 10 feet from the door due to his injuries. He had been shot in his front upper torso/chest, the front below his waist, and his arms/hands. Responding officers provided field trauma treatment on all three victim officers before they were transported to a nearby trauma center via helicopter. The 28-year-old victim officer succumbed to the injury she received to her rear upper torso/back while in surgery. The two veteran officers survived their injuries. Meanwhile, the suspect surrendered after being challenged by additional responding officers and was taken into custody. During a subsequent security sweep of the residence, the suspect’s wife was located in an upstairs bedroom deceased after being shot multiple times with a handgun. Allegedly, the suspect knew his wife had contacted law enforcement during their verbal altercation, and he shot her with his handgun. He then staged his rifle at the front door and waited for police to arrive. The 32-year-old suspect was arrested and charged with Capital Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer, First-Degree Murder, two counts of Malicious Wounding of a Law Enforcement Officer, and two counts of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. He had a prior criminal record which included a violent crime. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the two surviving officers had not returned to duty.

Wisconsin

On October 29, just before 11 p.m., a 33-year-old deputy sheriff with the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office was shot and killed in an ambush (entrapment and premeditation) in Conrath. The veteran deputy, who had 10 years of law enforcement experience, noticed a vehicle driving erratically in a field of crops. The deputy drove his patrol unit into the field and attempted to contact the driver of the vehicle. As the deputy approached, the suspect drove further into the crops. The deputy activated his patrol unit’s overhead lights and radioed for backup. The vehicle was approximately 160 yards away when the driver turned it around and faced the deputy’s patrol unit. Without warning, the driver fired six rounds from a .25-06 bolt-action rifle at the deputy. All six rounds hit the deputy’s patrol unit. One of the rounds entered the vehicle and fatally struck the deputy in the front of his head. Another round exceeded the specifications of the deputy’s body armor and hit him in the front lower torso/stomach. Unable to reach the victim deputy on the radio, dispatchers called for backup. The responding deputies arrived at the field and located the victim deputy in his patrol unit. Before the deputies could extract him, the suspect began shooting at them from his nearby residence. The deputies retreated and waited for the SWAT team to arrive. When the SWAT officers arrived, they removed the victim deputy from his patrol unit. During the ensuing 12-hour standoff, the suspect occasionally fired upon the SWAT officers. Eventually, the SWAT officers took the 43year-old suspect into custody. The suspect, a known drug possessor and user, was under the influence of narcotics and was on probation at the time of the incident. He had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, drug law violation, and an assaulting an officer/resisting arrest charge. He was arrested on October 30 and charged with First-Degree Intentional Homicide and Attempted First-Degree Intentional Homicide.

Summaries of Law Enforcement Officers Assaulted and Injured with Firearms or Knives/Other Cutting Instruments
Selected Incidents, 2013 to 2016

Officers Assaulted and Injured, 2013

Florida

An officer with the Miami-Dade Police Department survived injuries sustained on October 29 while investigating a suspicious person who appeared to be starting a fire at a gas station. At approximately 7:16 p.m., the veteran officer, who had 21 years of law enforcement experience, observed a man trying to pour gasoline onto an unopened underground gasoline valve access port. The officer pushed the emergency button to shut off the pumps and deployed an electronic control device, striking the subject once. The subject produced a knife and stabbed the officer repeatedly. After struggling on the ground, the subject lost control of the knife but produced a screwdriver and continued to stab the officer. During the attack, the officer removed his service weapon from its holster and fired the weapon, striking and killing the offender. Despite multiple injuries to his front upper torso/chest, arms/hands, and a deep puncture wound to the right thigh, the officer was able to get out from under the subject and call for backup. Additional officers arrived on the scene to assist the victim officer. After the 51-year-old offender was identified, it was determined he had a prior criminal record that included the violent crimes of murder and police assault, as well as drug violations, and weapons violations. The victim officer was taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery. The officer eventually was able to return to duty.

Michigan

A trooper with the Michigan State Police (MSP), Oak Park Post, survived an assault with a firearm around 3:20 a.m. on February 11 while responding to a robbery in progress in Detroit. Throughout the night, two individuals allegedly had been posing as police officers and had committed a string of armed robberies and carjackings. They had also allegedly shot some of their victims. Recent radio communication conveyed that two troopers had spotted a vehicle matching the description of one of the carjacked vehicles, and the occupants matched the descriptions of the armed suspects. Upon seeing the troopers, the suspects abruptly pulled over and fled on foot. In response, at least 13 MSP troopers, an MSP K-9, and several Detroit Police Department (DPD) officers established a three-block perimeter in the neighborhood. MSP and DPD units coordinated efforts to restrict traffic, canvas streets in pairs, and clear vacant buildings in groups of four. After the K-9 lost the track in a vacant lot, an abandoned house nearby was determined to be a likely hideaway. Four troopers and the K-9 entered the structure and cleared the ground floor. However, when they began to clear the second level, two of the troopers came under fire. One of the troopers, a 13-year veteran of law enforcement who was wearing body armor, saw a flash from a bedroom facing the stairwell and then realized that he had been hit in the lower left leg. Both the 37-year-old victim trooper and his partner returned fire, took cover, and then established verbal contact with each other. The second trooper yelled for the subject to show his hands and drop his weapon, a .38-caliber revolver, but the subject did not comply. Upon hearing the exchange of gunfire and radio communications, MSP troopers and DPD officers who were at area perimeter points tightened the perimeter to the outside of the residence. One trooper with an M-4 rifle and two DPD officers entered and provided cover at the top of the stairwell for the wounded trooper and his partner. However, as the injured trooper and his partner moved toward the stairwell, a shot came from the bedroom where the subject was hiding. The troopers and officers returned fire, but the wounded trooper and his partner were forced to retreat back to the room. Covering officers continued to announce their presence and demand that the subject surrender.

Meanwhile, officers outside observed a second subject climb out of an upstairs window and jump from a lower roof onto the ground; MSP troopers and DPD officers immediately took him into custody. Inside, law enforcement heard a weak voice come from the bedroom where the subject was hiding. When troopers again demanded his surrender, two gloved hands appeared, but the subject’s full body was not visible. The trooper and officers on the stairs entered the room under the cover of the trooper with the M-4 rifle and, after a brief struggle, secured the subject. Led by his partner, the victim trooper limped down the stairs, and then was carried by his partner to an emergency medical services unit that transported him to a local hospital. At the abandoned house, the 38-year-old subject from the upstairs and the 36-year-old subject who had been apprehended outside, both of whom had prior convictions for violent crime and weapons violations, were arrested and charged with Armed Robbery, Carjacking, Assault with Intent to Murder, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Weapon Felony Firearm. Additional charges for the 38-year-old were Weapon Felony Firearm; those for the 36-year-old were Conspiracy to Resist Arrest, Resisting and Obstructing (R & O) Causing Severe Impairment, R & O Causing Injury, eight counts of R & O, and Second-Degree Felony Firearm. The wounded trooper has since recovered from his injuries and returned to his duties.

New Hampshire

On August 5 at 11:40 p.m., a patrol officer with the Conway Police Department was injured while handling a person with a mental illness. The 27-year-old officer, who had more than 1 year of law enforcement experience, responded to a residence after dispatchers received a 911 hang-up call. The dispatcher advised that the caller stated he did not trust himself, and then the call was disconnected. Upon arriving at the residence, the man who answered the door informed the officer that he had not called 911 but his adult son may have called. The subject’s mother told the officer her son was outside and very intoxicated. She led the officer into the house, downstairs into the basement, and out to the backyard. The officer observed the subject sitting in a chair crying with his head between his legs. While the officer was questioning him about the 911 call, the man sat up, took a knife from his sweatshirt pocket, and stated, “I cannot take this anymore.” The officer ordered the subject to put the knife down and called for dispatchers to have another unit respond to the location. After the officer again gave orders for the subject to drop the knife, the subject, using his right hand, put the knife to his own throat and began to draw it across his neck. The subject’s mother started to walk toward the subject to stop him, but he ordered her to stay away. The officer, who was wearing body armor, grabbed the man’s right hand and took him to the ground. Once on the ground, the officer gave a final order for the subject to drop the knife, and the subject responded, “I hope you have had some good training if you’re going to get this away from me.” The officer then used chemical spray on the man in an attempt to disarm him; however, the spray seemed to have no effect. While the officer was on top of the subject, the man’s father attempted to assist the officer in removing the knife from his son’s hand. The officer was able to pry the knife away from the subject and throw it off to the side. The officer then secured the suspect in handcuffs, placing his hands behind his back and double locking the cuffs. The officer sustained minor cuts on his left hand during the struggle. While waiting for backup, the subject’s mother told the officer that her son had remarked earlier that he wanted the police to come so they could end it all. After additional officers arrived, medical personnel evaluated the 30-year-old subject. The subject was transported to the police department where officers completed a suicide evaluation and charged the subject with Resisting Arrest or Detention and Second-Degree Assault. After the booking process, the victim officer went to the hospital and was treated for the cuts on his hands and returned to duty. The subject was known to use drugs, had a prior criminal record that included drug convictions, and he was under conditional release at the time of the incident. In an interview the next day, the man stated he was depressed and had been drinking alcohol that night after fighting with his girlfriend. He told the officer he wanted to kill himself and tried to cut his throat using a knife but was unsuccessful. When he called 911 and the officer arrived, the subject reported he had no intention of cutting the officer, but he wanted the officer to shoot him.

New Jersey

At 8:42 a.m. on August 15, two detectives with the Trenton Police Department were injured by gunfire while investigating a domestic violence incident. A 46-year-old detective from the Special Victims Unit (SVU) and a 53-year-old detective from the Homicide Unit (HU), both veteran detectives with over 19 years and over 32 years of law enforcement experience, respectively, were escorting a domestic violence victim back to her residence. They planned to meet a third detective, from the Crime Scene Unit (CSU), at the residence. Upon arrival, the detectives parked their unmarked police vehicle opposite the victim’s residence. Several hours earlier, the suspect had attacked the victim, destroyed some of her belongings, and fatally stabbed her dog. He also called the victim after the initial incident and threatened her. When the third detective reached the scene, the detectives and the victim approached the front of the residence where the victim pointed out evidence in some trash cans. The detectives stopped to examine the evidence when the suspect emerged from within the residence. The victim identified the suspect and said, “He is right there. Arrest him.” Before the detectives could react, the suspect opened fire with a .38-caliber revolver. The HU and SVU detectives were struck. The HU detective was hit in the front lower torso/abdomen and rear lower torso/back and the SVU detective was hit in the front lower torso/abdomen and in his arms/hands. The SVU detective was knocked to the ground; while on the street, he observed that the suspect had exited the porch of the residence and was headed directly toward him, continuing to fire. The wounded SVU detective drew his service weapon and fired at the suspect, striking him. The suspect fell to the ground, sat back up, and again raised his revolver in the direction of the detective. The SVU detective again fired at the suspect, striking him a second time. The suspect fell to the ground again, and this time dropped his weapon. During the exchange of gunfire, the wounded HU detective made his way back to his vehicle and radioed for backup and medical assistance. The wounded SVU detective, with assistance from the CSU detective, subdued and handcuffed the suspect. At 9:02 a.m., the 23-year-old suspect, who was known to use and possess drugs and had prior arrests for violent crime, weapons violations, and drug violations, was pronounced dead at the scene. The SVU detective has since recovered from his injuries and returned to duty. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the HU detective had not returned to duty.

Pennsylvania

A 37-year-old patrol officer with the Northampton Township Police Department is back to duty after surviving a shooting incident during an investigative activity shortly after 6 p.m. on April 18 in Holland. The officer, a 14-year veteran of law enforcement, responded to a call of shots fired. The dispatcher indicated that the suspect had left the scene and provided a description of the suspect’s vehicle. Another officer relayed the likely identity of the suspect, a man already known to law enforcement. Once in the area, the officer saw the suspect’s vehicle headed north near a local shopping center, and he advised other units of its location. Suddenly, the suspect’s vehicle stopped, and the driver exited with a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. He fired three rounds at the officer who was seated in his patrol vehicle. The officer, who was wearing body armor, was hit in the arms/hands and the front upper torso/chest. Still in his patrol vehicle, he reported shots fired, and returned fire. As he exited his vehicle to take cover behind it, the officer continued to return fire. The suspect returned to the front seat of his vehicle, and apparently attempted to reload his weapon. The officer continued to return fire from behind his patrol vehicle. When the suspect no longer fired back, the officer believed he had struck the suspect; however, he maintained cover behind his patrol vehicle. Responding officers set up a perimeter and cleared the shopping center. Officers approached the suspect vehicle, where they found the 50-year-old suspect fatally wounded, slumped over the steering wheel. The officer was taken to a local hospital for treatment. An investigation of the initial shooting that prompted the shots fired call revealed the suspect had shot and killed his estranged wife at that location. The suspect had a criminal record that included violent crime. He was on conditional release at the time of the incident.

South Carolina

A deputy sheriff with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department survived being shot while responding to a disturbance call at 1:30 p.m. on February 26 in Columbia. The 45-year-old veteran deputy, who had more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, was patrolling in her marked vehicle when a woman with blood on her face flagged her down. The deputy pulled her vehicle into a nearby drugstore parking lot and then exited to speak with the woman. The woman reported she had been assaulted and described the male attacker. The deputy radioed for an ambulance and informed dispatchers of the situation. The deputy returned to her patrol vehicle and began searching for the suspect around a nearby gas station. While driving, the deputy noticed a suspicious-looking man standing between two parked buses. As the deputy stopped her vehicle, the subject, who fit the description of the assailant, came out from between the two buses and began to run toward the deputy. The deputy, who was approximately 6 feet from the subject, attempted to use an electronic control device on him, but the device malfunctioned. The subject began to run away and the deputy radioed that she was in a foot pursuit, and responding officers joined in the chase. At one point, the subject turned and fired a handgun at one of the pursuing officers, who responded by firing two rounds. Fearing for the other officer’s safety, the deputy fired three rounds from her service weapon, but the subject continued to flee. The pursuit led to an apartment complex where officers set up a perimeter. A K-9 was called in to track the subject. As the K-9 was tracking, a woman came around a corner of the complex and told officers the person they were looking for was in her apartment. The deputy radioed the information to dispatchers, and additional officers arrived at the scene. The subject then fled the apartment through the back door. As he was running, the subject began blindly shooting at the deputy with his right arm extended backward. The deputy immediately felt pain in her front upper torso/chest beneath her body armor. The victim deputy was able to fire 12 rounds at the suspect, killing him. The deputy checked herself for injuries and found a bruise underneath her body armor. She was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment. She was released and has since returned to duty. The 24-year-old offender had a criminal history including violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations.

Texas

On September 19, at 10:32 p.m., a patrol officer and a corporal with the Selma Police Department survived injuries sustained while responding to a disturbance call. Dispatchers had received two calls indicating that a man was dragging a screaming woman into a residence. The 28-year-old patrol officer, who had just over 1 year of law enforcement experience, and the 47-year-old veteran corporal, who had nearly 14 years of law enforcement experience, both responded in separate patrol units to the address. The patrol officer was the first one on scene and talked to a woman who was the owner of the residence. The woman and her husband had just arrived at the residence moments before and did not have any knowledge of the disturbance. She invited the patrol officer inside where he encountered the homeowners’ son and his wife. The wife was sitting in the living room on the sofa and appeared to be injured and in pain. The homeowner took her young grandchildren upstairs. Moments later, the corporal arrived and joined the patrol officer in the living room. The male subject began shouting at the officers to leave, and his wife began asking the officers to help her. When the patrol officer moved toward her to provide assistance, the male subject fired four rounds at the officers from a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The patrol officer, who was wearing body armor, was shot at close range one time and sustained injuries to the front and the side of her head. The corporal, who was also wearing body armor, was shot in the front below his waist. The corporal was able to return fire, striking the male subject twice. Other officers responded to the residence and took the suspect into custody. The 33-year-old suspect was charged with two counts of Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer and Aggravated Assault on Family. He had a prior criminal record which included violent crime and police assault charges. The patrol officer and the corporal were hospitalized for their injuries, and at the time this incident was reported to the FBI, neither had returned to duty.

West Virginia

Both a deputy sheriff and a sergeant with the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department (NCSD) survived wounds sustained while responding to a disturbance call in Beaver and participating in the tactical situation to address the subsequent standoff at the residence. At approximately 9:21 a.m. on July 6, two NCSD deputies responded to a caller who reported that a man who was on the porch of a neighboring residence was armed with a shotgun and had threatened the caller’s husband. When the deputies arrived at the scene and exited their patrol vehicles, they found the subject still sitting on his porch with a shotgun. The deputy used his public address system to direct the subject to put away the gun. The subject instead retreated into the house. The second deputy went to the rear of the patrol vehicle to get a shotgun as the first deputy drew his service weapon. The subject came back outside and the deputy ordered him to hold up his hands and step off the porch. The subject held up his hands and shook his head, before retreating into the house a second time. The deputy was seeking cover near a garage, when the subject fired from inside the residence. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, was hit in the left leg, but managed to take cover at a neighboring residence. The victim deputy advised his partner that he had been hit, and his partner radioed for help as he continued to cover the residence and give commands for the offender to surrender. More officers and emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene. The victim deputy, who survived his wounds and has since returned to duty, was taken to the hospital. The additional officers surrounded the house, and a 3½-hour standoff with the barricaded offender began. The sheriff continued to use a loud speaker to communicate and had a member of the man’s family try to contact him, but the offender did not respond. The man continued to shoot at officers from the back of the residence. He moved to the front of the residence and fired a shotgun at an NCSD sergeant, wounding him in the front of his head (face) and shoulder. The offender shot again at the sergeant, hitting his body armor in the front upper torso/chest area. The sergeant was transported to the hospital, was treated, and survived his wounds. The offender continued to periodically fire towards the officers, and tear gas was introduced into the residence. After an hour with no shooting or movement, the West Virginia State Police used a robot to break a window in an attempt to check the status of the offender. The offender began to shoot again from the front of the residence. Soon after, more tear gas and pepper gas were introduced into the residence. The subject finally exited through the back door. The 84-year-old offender was carrying a shotgun and did not respond to verbal commands to put the weapon down. Instead, he pointed the shotgun at the officers, who justifiably killed him.

Wisconsin

A 28-year-old officer with the Oshkosh Police Department returned to duty after being injured with a cutting instrument while conducting an investigative activity. The incident began at 4:15 p.m. on October 9 when the officer, a veteran with more than 5 years of law enforcement experience, was interviewing a suspect who had successfully eluded the officer during a traffic stop 4 days earlier. The suspect was also on probation, and a warrant had been issued for his arrest due to a probation violation. The officer, along with his partner, had been searching for the suspect at several locations and finally found him at his mother’s residence. A man answered the door in his underwear and the officers identified him as the suspect they were seeking. The officers asked to speak with him, and the suspect allowed the officers to come inside while he finished dressing. The three men then went back outside, and the suspect sat on the porch steps while officers questioned him about the incidents that had occurred days earlier. After a discussion, the suspect eventually admitted to taking a car without the owner’s consent, eluding police, and later hitting a telephone pole. He told officers he fled from police because he didn’t have a driver’s license, was currently on probation, and had been drinking alcohol. At that point, the suspect asked police if he could go inside the residence to get a drink. The victim officer later stated because of the suspect’s cooperativeness, the officers agreed and followed the suspect inside where he got a glass of water. The three men again returned to the porch area, and the suspect sat on the porch steps. The suspect talked to the officers for another 10-15 minutes about the previous incidents. The suspect requested more water, and the officers refused the request. The officers told the suspect that he was under arrest. Both officers reached for the man to handcuff him. The officer’s partner ordered the man to put his hands behind his back. The officer grabbed the suspect by his wrist/forearm, and immediately the man began to pull away. The suspect jumped off the steps, onto the ground, and struck the officer in the right side of his face with the drinking glass, shattering it and cutting the victim officer’s face and neck; then he attempted to run away. Both officers regained hold of the suspect, and the victim officer radioed dispatch for assistance as a violent struggle ensued that brought all three men to the ground. The officers were ordering the suspect to stop resisting when the suspect began to grab the victim officer’s duty belt in an apparent attempt to take the officer’s service weapon. The officer covered his weapon with both of his hands to prevent the suspect from taking it while alerting his partner of the suspect’s actions. The victim officer shouted for his partner to use the electronic control device (ECD) to subdue the suspect. While the officer’s partner was restraining the suspect, the victim officer managed to remove his ECD from his duty belt and deploy it into the suspect’s side on his bare skin. The suspect continued to fight the officers and attempted to dislodge the ECD’s wires. The victim officer repositioned the ECD onto the suspect’s calf and administered a stun, but it had no effect. The officer discarded the ECD and positioned himself on top of the suspect, who was lying face down on the ground. To create a distraction and attempt to stop the man from resisting, the officer struck the suspect in the face and used his forearm on the back of the suspect’s neck to pin him down. More officers arrived at the scene and assisted in getting the suspect handcuffed while the victim officer attended to his wounds. The suspect continued to resist after he was handcuffed and unsuccessfully attempted to bite the partner officer’s hand. The victim officer sustained significant wounds to the side of his head, neck/throat, and arms/hands from the drinking glass. An ambulance was requested, and the officer was transported to the hospital where he received 13 facial stitches. Medical personnel attended to the 19-year-old suspect at the scene for a bloody nose. He was taken to the hospital and cleared for admission to jail. The suspect, a known drug user and possessor who was on probation at the time of the incident, had prior violent crime and drug-related charges. The suspect was charged with Battery to a Law Enforcement Officer, Resisting Arrest–Felony, Attempting to Disarm a Law Enforcement Officer, First-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, Knowingly Fleeing a Law Enforcement Officer, Operating a Motor Vehicle without Owner’s Consent, and Substantial Battery.

*****

A 33-year-old deputy sheriff with the Taylor County Sheriff’s Department (TCSD) survived a shooting that occurred at 5:30 p.m. while he was conducting an investigative activity on September 8. The deputy, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 9 years of experience, arrived at the residence of a woman in Westboro to investigate a restraining order violation. In spite of an active restraining order against her former boyfriend, the woman reported she had received multiple calls and text messages from him. After confirming the calls and messages were from the former boyfriend, the deputy drove to the subject’s address and parked his patrol vehicle on the street about 50 feet from the back of the residence. The deputy contacted the subject through the closed and locked front door and informed the subject of the complaint against him. The subject acknowledged the violation and asked if he was going to be arrested. The deputy affirmed that he was and requested several times that the man exit the residence. Each time the subject refused to come out. The conversation continued for approximately 10 minutes, and the subject became more agitated as time passed. The subject told the deputy that the deputy would need to obtain a warrant in order to take him into custody. He then stated he was going to commit suicide and retreated into the back portion of the residence. The deputy attempted to use his portable radio to request assistance, but was unable to make contact with dispatch. The deputy was still standing at the front door when he saw movement inside. The suspect fired one round from a .22-caliber lever-action rifle through the glass in the front door. The round grazed the left side of the deputy’s face, injuring the side of his head. The deputy ran to a nearby outbuilding and residence and took cover. Again, the deputy tried to contact dispatchers but was unsuccessful. Around that time, dispatch requested backup to respond to the location because they could not make contact with the deputy. The deputy could hear the radio traffic and was aware that additional officers were en route to the location, but he was unable to transmit the circumstances. All attempts to contact dispatchers were unsuccessful, so the deputy ran to his patrol vehicle and attempted to get inside. The suspect fired four or five more rounds at the deputy from an open window of his residence. Several of the rounds shattered the windows of the patrol vehicle and one round struck the deputy below his body armor in the front lower torso/stomach. The deputy drove his patrol vehicle approximately a half mile away, where he was able to radio dispatch and warn responding officers about the situation. When medical personnel arrived, the deputy was treated for his injuries and eventually air lifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital. During this time, the suspect fled his residence on foot, retrieved a firearm that he had hidden inside the wall of a dilapidated neighboring residence, and returned to his primary residence. Officers with the TCSD and several other area agencies responded to the scene. At approximately 8:30 p.m., a TCSD detective made telephone contact with the suspect and attempted to negotiate his surrender. The suspect ended the telephone contact several times within the next half an hour and reported he was going to shoot himself. Shortly after 9 p.m., the 27-year-old suspect complied with negotiators, exited his residence unarmed, and was taken into custody. The suspect, who was on probation, had a prior criminal record and convictions including violent crime and drug violations. He was a known drug user and under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. The suspect was charged with First Degree Attempted Homicide, Possession of a Firearm—Contrary to Injunction, Possession of a Short-Barreled Shotgun, and Bail Jumping—Felony. The victim officer was later able to return to duty.

Officers Assaulted and Injured, 2014

California

A police officer with the San Bernardino Police Department survived a gunshot wound he received while investigating a suspicious person and circumstance shortly after 2 a.m. on August 22. The 31-year-old veteran officer, with 6 years of law enforcement experience, was in his patrol vehicle with a trainee officer when they observed five people near a car in a residential area at the end of a dead-end street. As the officers approached the group, one individual began to move away. The veteran officer told the trainee officer to make contact with the group of four individuals while he tried to contact the individual who was moving away from the area. Shortly after, the trainee officer heard a gunshot. When he looked in the direction of the officer, the trainee officer saw the veteran officer on the ground. The officer, who was wearing body armor, had been struck from close range with a round to the side of the head from a .38-caliber revolver. The individual then began to fire at the trainee officer, who retreated behind a car. The trainee officer returned fire, and a round struck the assembly of the suspect’s 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle, rendering it incapable of firing. The suspect then used the .38-caliber revolver to continue firing at the trainee officer. In a gun battle that lasted approximately 1 minute, the trainee officer’s rounds struck the 38-year-old suspect several times; the suspect later died from his injuries at a hospital. The trainee officer was not injured during the exchange of gunfire. The suspect, who was on probation, was under the influence of narcotics and alcohol at the time of the incident. His criminal history includes murder and weapons violations. The suspect was a documented gang member who was known to have made statements about wanting to kill a law enforcement officer. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the injured veteran officer had not returned to duty.

Colorado

Two police agents with the Lakewood Police Department (Lakewood PD) survived injuries sustained on July 5 during a premeditated ambush. Around 9:40 p.m., Lakewood PD dispatch received two 911 calls from a female who reported she was in the process of separating from her husband, who was making suicidal comments. The caller stated her husband possessed several firearms, and he told her if she called the police, there would “be a battle.” She also reported that her husband sent a text message to her son threatening to kill him. Shortly before 10 p.m., a male caller contacted 911, identified himself by first name, and provided the same address as the female caller. The caller advised there was a “guy out front with a gun ready to kill a bunch of people.” When dispatch asked the man for his exact location, he said, “I’m the guy with the gun.” The caller told dispatchers that he had three guns, and he was outside his home in the back of his pickup truck. Police agents were dispatched to the scene; the first to arrive approached the residence from the west. The 32-year-old veteran agent, who had more than 8 years of law enforcement experience, turned off his patrol vehicle’s headlights and prepared to stop approximately four houses west of the man’s residence. However, before his vehicle came to a stop, the suspect fired his 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle and struck the agent, who was wearing body armor, in the front upper torso/chest and the arms/hands. The agent exited his patrol vehicle while it was still moving. The vehicle continued traveling east, unmanned, until it struck a truck in the suspect’s driveway and came to rest in the suspect’s front lawn. The agent radioed for assistance and applied a tourniquet to his wounded arm. Other agents arrived and assisted in moving the injured agent to a safer location west of the scene. From there, he was transported to a local hospital. Shortly after the first agent was shot, a second agent parked her patrol vehicle east of the suspect’s residence and attempted to approach on foot. The suspect fired another round from the same weapon and struck the 28-year-old agent, who was wearing body armor, in the front below the waist (leg). The agent, who had more than 1 year of law enforcement experience, collapsed onto the sidewalk. Other agents arrived and assisted her to a safer location. She was also transported to a local hospital. After shooting the agents, the suspect exited his truck and walked out into the street. He called 911 again, apologized to dispatch, and said, “I hit that cop, and now it’s too far.” The suspect explained to dispatch that he was walking in the middle of the road, and he “has to die now.” Dispatch advised the suspect to speak to the agents. The suspect responded, “I just shot one. They’re going to have to kill me.” The suspect ended the call by providing his exact location, informing dispatch that he was far away from the scene, and instructing the dispatcher to get help for the wounded agents. Another agent heard about the incident on the radio and responded to the scene. He parked his patrol vehicle nearby and took cover behind a fire truck. When the fire truck moved, the agent saw the suspect walking in the middle of the street and carrying a .44-caliber revolver. The agent ordered the suspect to drop his weapon multiple times, but the suspect did not comply. Instead, the suspect raised his revolver and pointed it at the agent. The agent fired several rounds with his service weapon, striking the suspect once in the chest. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital. The 54-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record with a conviction, was charged with two counts each of Attempted First-Degree Murder and First-Degree Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer as well as Felony Menacing. In an interview the next day, the suspect explained that he wanted to die but was concerned his wife would not receive the life insurance payout if his death were ruled a suicide. For that reason, he wanted to provoke the police into shooting him. The wounded veteran agent has since recovered from his injuries and returned to his duties. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the other wounded agent had not returned to duty.

Michigan

About 1:20 p.m. on August 28, a 46-year-old patrol officer with the Sebewaing Police Department was assaulted with his service weapon while handling and transporting a prisoner in Hampton Township. The veteran officer, who had more than 21 years of law enforcement experience, went to a residence to pick up a youth who was the subject of a juvenile detainer. The officer planned to transport him to a juvenile detention center in another county. At the residence, the officer handcuffed (double locked) the juvenile’s hands in the front and placed him in the backseat of the vehicle. When they arrived at the detention center, the officer exited the vehicle and opened the rear door. The juvenile, who was able to slip one of his hands out of the handcuffs, attacked the officer and attempted to grab the officer’s service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic revolver. The officer, who was wearing body armor, attempted to maintain control of his weapon; as they struggled, the handgun discharged. The officer was hit in the arms/hands. The juvenile gained control of the weapon, and the officer took cover behind parked vehicles at the detention center. The juvenile ran a short distance across the parking lot, then stopped and shot himself in the head. Both the officer and the juvenile were taken to a local hospital where the juvenile died a short time later. The veteran officer was treated for his gunshot wound and released. The 16-year-old offender was a known drug user and was on probation at the time of the incident. He had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime and a prior conviction. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the officer had not returned to duty.

Minnesota

At 9:56 p.m. on February 24, a 34-year-old deputy sheriff with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was injured by gunfire while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances in Alexandria. The veteran deputy, who had 11 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a call from a homeowner who reported a vehicle had been parked in their driveway for an unusually long period of time. The officer arrived at the residence and pulled his squad car into the driveway behind the suspicious vehicle. The temperature was below zero, and the driveway was icy and lined with 1 to 2 feet of snow. The deputy observed the vehicle had a dealer license plate and relayed this information to dispatchers. After exiting his squad car, the deputy, who was wearing body armor, approached the suspicious vehicle and spoke with two occupants, a male in the driver’s seat and a female in the passenger’s seat. Both occupants claimed to have no identification with them, but they provided the deputy with their full names and dates of birth. The deputy went back to his squad car and searched the names via his computer; he located the female’s driver’s license information but not the male’s. As he returned to the vehicle, the deputy noticed the driver’s side window was rolled almost completely down, and the man had repositioned himself with his upper torso twisted and parallel to the driver’s side door. The deputy thought the change in position was unusual; however, he reasoned that the driver may be attempting to stay warm. As the deputy talked to the occupants while at the driver’s window, he saw a flash and realized he had been shot. The male driver had fired a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun and struck the victim deputy in his front upper torso/chest. The deputy immediately retreated to his squad car while returning fire. The suspect started moving his vehicle down the driveway toward the complainant’s residence but veered to the side and got stuck in the snow. After reaching his squad car, the deputy backed the vehicle to the end of the driveway and over the road, where he also got hung up in the snow. The deputy continued to see flashes coming from the suspect’s vehicle and heard what he believed to be rounds striking the trees behind him. At this time, the victim deputy retrieved his rifle but did not fire because he did not have a clear target. He also radioed dispatchers and advised he had been shot and requested backup. Shortly thereafter, deputies and officers from the surrounding area arrived, but they could not immediately locate the suspect or his female passenger. It was later verified that after the suspect’s vehicle got stuck in the snow, the suspect fired more rounds at the deputy before he and the woman left their vehicle and tried to enter the complainant’s residence. However, when the homeowners brandished their own firearms, the subjects ran away. Hours later, responders in a helicopter and SWAT teams found the suspects several hundred yards from the residence, both dead from gunshot wounds. Further investigation revealed the man had first killed the woman, who was later found to be his girlfriend, then turned the gun on himself in an apparent murder-suicide. None of the rounds fired by the victim officer had hit the subjects. Toxicology reports on the man and woman revealed that they were both under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. The 24-year-old male suspect had a prior criminal record, including drug violations, and he had been convicted previously. It was later learned the two subjects had been involved in numerous other crimes in the previous 48 hours, including the burglary of a veterinary hospital where controlled substances were stolen. The wounded deputy recovered from his injuries and has returned to duty.

*****

A 47-year-old deputy sheriff with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office (Hennepin County SO) was assaulted while handling a person with a mental illness in Medina at 12:38 p.m. on December 4. Officers with the Medina Police Department (Medina PD) arrived at a residence in response to a man who reported his son was suicidal. The man told officers his son had a knife, was wearing body armor and a helmet, and had talked about “suicide by cop.” The Medina PD officers heard movement in nearby woods and searched the area, assisted by a K-9 unit from the Plymouth Police Department and the deputy from the Hennepin County SO. Officers found the subject standing in thick brush and holding a machete upward towards them. The officers instructed the man to drop the machete, but he refused. The veteran Hennepin County SO deputy, who had more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, was approximately 10 feet away from the man and saw he was wearing body armor, just as the man’s father had warned. The deputy deployed an electronic control device, striking the subject in the back of his legs. Shouting an obscenity, the man charged at the deputy and swung the machete. Using a baton, the deputy, who was wearing body armor, attempted to block the attack but was wounded in his arms/hands. The man continued to swing the machete at the deputy until another officer shot him. He was taken into custody and then to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. The 23-year-old man, who had a prior criminal record that included police assault and drug violations, had been convicted previously. He was charged with Second-Degree Attempted Murder and First-Degree Assault. The victim deputy has recovered from his injury and has returned to duty.

*****

A deputy sheriff with the Norman County Sheriff’s Office has returned to work after being assaulted around 8:30 a.m. on April 15 while investigating a suspicious person in Ada. The 26-year-old deputy, who had 3½ years of law enforcement experience, was dispatched to check a suspicious vehicle parked along a local highway. After identifying the driver and a passenger in the vehicle, the deputy was informed that the passenger had an active warrant in a neighboring county for Failure to Appear. The deputy took the passenger, who was the brother of the driver, into custody and notified the driver where his brother was being taken and the amount for his bail. The deputy then told the driver he was free to go. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, walked back to his patrol unit to clear the scene. When he reached for the door handle, he was struck in his rear upper torso/back with a round from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, knocking him to the ground. As the deputy stood up, the driver of the vehicle fired at him again, and a round struck his portable radio on his front upper torso/chest. The deputy took cover behind his patrol unit as the 19-year-old suspect continued firing. The deputy returned fire, striking the rear window of the suspect’s vehicle. The deputy fired several rounds, emptying his weapon. As he reloaded, the suspect drove off. The deputy was then able to get into his vehicle and radio for assistance. The injured deputy remained on the scene until other officers arrived. The suspect was located approximately 2 hours later at a vacant farm a few miles away. He was arrested without incident and charged with First-Degree Attempted Murder, two counts of Receiving Stolen Property, and Bringing Stolen Goods into the State.

New Jersey

On November 18, two veteran patrol officers with the Ridgewood Police Department (Ridgewood PD) sustained injuries while handling a person with a mental illness. Shortly after 2 p.m., the two officers, a 42-year-old with nearly 15 years of law enforcement experience and a 33-year-old with nearly 9 years of experience, responded to a disturbance call from a residential mental health center. When officers arrived on scene along with a Ridgewood PD sergeant, a case worker explained a resident was agitated and had insinuated that he might burn down the center. The case worker explained to the officers he had called an operator at the local psychiatric emergency screening program and requested a screener to evaluate the resident. However, the operator advised the case worker that screeners were not available at that time and suggested he call the police instead. The officers located the resident in his bedroom on the second floor and explained the reason they were called. When the resident became agitated once again, the officers suggested that they escort him to the hospital for an evaluation. While the two officers continued to speak to the resident, the sergeant again contacted the emergency screening program. An operator confirmed that no one was available to come to the center to provide a screening. The operator also told the sergeant that following a previous violent crime, a superior court placed the resident on Krol Status (i.e., the superior court was monitoring his mental health treatment). The operator then recommended to the sergeant that the resident be transported to the hospital for an evaluation. Meanwhile, the resident was making threats and arguing with the two officers. The sergeant informed the operator that the resident’s condition was worsening and that he would transport him to the hospital as recommended. The sergeant then requested backup and an ambulance. The sergeant explained to the resident he was to be taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Initially, the resident refused and stated that he would fight the officers. The two officers continued to talk to the resident and eventually convinced him to comply. At that time, another officer and a member of Ridgewood Emergency Services arrived; they all escorted the resident to the first floor. Before exiting the center, the sergeant told the resident that he needed to search him for hidden weapons. Once again, the resident became very agitated and refused to be transported. The sergeant advised the resident that a weapon search was standard procedure and requested his cooperation. The resident refused to comply, clenching his fist and taking a combative stance. The 42-year-old officer moved in and attempted to grab the resident, who reached into his left pocket and pulled out a folding metal knife with the blade open. When the resident raised the knife into the air, the 33-year-old officer, who was wearing body armor, joined the scuffle. Both officers grabbed the resident’s arm as they wrestled to control him. The resident swung the knife at the 33-year-old officer’s head, slicing the officer’s hat. During the struggle, the 33-year-old officer received a puncture wound on his arms/hands, and the 42-year-old officer received a laceration on his arms/hands. The officers pulled the 55-year-old resident to the ground, disarmed him, and placed him in handcuffs. The resident remained combative as he was immobilized and placed on a stretcher. He was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital for an evaluation. The resident had a prior criminal record including police assault, a violent crime, weapons violations, and drug violations, and he had been convicted previously. The resident was charged with Aggravated Assault. Both officers were taken to a local hospital where they were treated and released. They have recovered from their injuries and have returned to their duties.

New York

On May 24, just after 5:30 a.m., a police officer with the Poughkeepsie Police Department (Poughkeepsie PD) was assaulted and injured while answering a disturbance call. The 36-year-old veteran officer had more than 7 years of police experience and was wearing body armor at the time of the incident. She was flagged down by a passing motorist who reported that a man was screaming at cars and blocking traffic several blocks away. At the same time, another Poughkeepsie PD officer was dispatched to the area for the same disturbance. He arrived first, and the man immediately confronted the officer while he was still in his vehicle. The officer pulled his patrol vehicle away from the man to create some distance. At that time, the officer who had been flagged down arrived and opened the door to exit her patrol vehicle, but the man ran at her before she could get out. He began slashing her with a box cutter, wounding her on the front of her head, her neck/throat, and on her arms/hands. The victim officer unsuccessfully attempted to fire her electronic control device. The other officer on the scene witnessed the situation and drew his duty weapon. The offender persisted, who was now on top of the victim officer in her patrol vehicle. The officer fired his weapon. The offender then pulled the victim officer out of her vehicle, and both fell to the ground where he continued his assault. The victim officer’s patrol vehicle was still in gear and rolled past her as she struggled with the offender on the ground. The other officer continued firing at the suspect until his service weapon was empty. The offender was wounded, and the victim officer, though injured, freed herself from under him. She got to her feet and managed to stop her rolling patrol vehicle. After securing it, the victim officer exited the vehicle and collapsed on the curb. Bystanders provided assistance. The suspect, who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time, rolled onto his back and continued the slashing motion with the box cutter. The officer returned his weapon to his holster and handcuffed the suspect. The entire incident was recorded by multiple cameras in the area. The 27-year-old assailant, who later died of the gunshot wounds, had no prior criminal record.

Ohio

A 44-year-old police officer with the Hamilton Police Department survived an ambush that occurred shortly after 7 a.m. on February 15. The veteran officer, who had 16 years of law enforcement experience, responded to 911 calls reporting shots fired. As the officer drove his marked police vehicle to the area of the report, he noticed a subject standing in the street with a rifle. The officer, who was wearing body armor, stopped his vehicle approximately three to four car lengths from the subject and radioed dispatch to convey what he saw. The subject walked toward the sidewalk, between parked cars. The officer exited his vehicle, drew his weapon, and took cover behind a car. He then ordered the subject to drop his weapon. The subject opened fire on the officer with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle. One round went through the windshield and the back window of the car, striking the officer in the front of his head and grazing his scalp. The subject started to yell, but the officer could not understand what the subject was saying. (Witnesses later reported that the subject was yelling for the officer to shoot and kill him.) While the officer was bleeding from his wound, he stood up from behind the car and fired two shots, both striking the subject in the upper torso. The victim officer radioed dispatch to request help for his head wound and to advise that the suspect was down. The officer remained behind the cover of a car with his weapon drawn. Another officer arrived and located the injured officer who pointed in the direction where the suspect was located about 25 yards away. The assisting officer saw the man lying on his back on the sidewalk. The rifle was on the ground beside the subject, and a pistol was in his waistband. The officer ordered the suspect to roll over on his stomach, but he did not respond. Medical personnel arrived on scene and assisted the officer and the suspect. The victim officer was airlifted to an area hospital where he was treated for his injuries. The 18-year-old suspect was pronounced dead at the scene, justifiably killed by the injured officer. Officers processing the crime scene found the suspect had a total of 225 rounds of ammunition on his person. Further investigation located three suicide notes at the suspect’s residence and multiple computer searches related to mass shootings, suicide, and weapons. Toxicology reports confirmed that the suspect, who had a prior criminal record and convictions, was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. The officer who was shot has since recovered from his wound and has returned to duty.

Texas

A 30-year-old patrol officer with the El Paso Police Department survived injuries he sustained in an ambush with a firearm just before 9 p.m. on October 20. As the officer walked back to his patrol unit after completing a traffic stop, another vehicle pulled up beside the officer and paused. The driver of the vehicle fired four rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, yelled an obscenity at the officer, and drove away. The victim officer, who had nearly 2 years of law enforcement experience, fell to the ground. He used his police radio to advise he had been shot and drew his service weapon in case the offender returned. Several motorists, including the driver of the vehicle the officer had initially pulled over for the traffic stop, rendered first aid to the victim officer. He was hit twice and suffered injuries to his arms/hands and his front upper torso/chest when a round entered between the side panels of his body armor. Law enforcement officials issued a description of the suspect’s vehicle, which was connected to a murder hours later. From that connection, officials determined the identity of the driver who allegedly shot the patrol officer. Around 11 a.m. the following day, law enforcement responded to a call for shots fired behind a local business. There they found a 30-year-old male, who was identified as the suspect, dead from an apparent suicide. The offender had a prior criminal record and was on probation at the time of the incident. Subsequent comparison of the shell casings from the scene of the officer shooting and shell casings from the scene of the offender’s suicide showed a match. At the time this report was written, the victim officer had not returned to duty.

*****

Around 3:15 p.m. on May 12, police officers with the Greenville Police Department were dispatched to a residence on a domestic disturbance call. During the incident, a 50-year-old veteran officer with 29 years of law enforcement experience was injured with a knife. Two officers initially responded to the scene of the domestic disturbance and found a man in the yard of the residence. He explained he had called the police because his roommate was “off his medication” and had punched him. Dispatchers had warned the officers that the suspect may be armed with a knife, and the roommate confirmed he was. The officers began walking toward the residence as the suspect came around the west side of the house. One of the officers knew the suspect, and it was clear the suspect disliked that officer. Because of the suspect’s hostility, the other officer took over interviewing the suspect about the situation. The suspect admitted that he punched his roommate in the head saying it was “because he wouldn’t give me a cigarette.” The officer told the suspect she needed to search him for weapons, and the suspect reluctantly agreed. The suspect was unarmed, and the officer began to pull his arms around to handcuff him. The suspect spun around, took an aggressive stance, and backed away from the officers. One officer pulled out his electronic control device (ECD), and the other officer told the suspect to stop or her partner would use the ECD. The suspect indicated he didn’t care if they did and continued backing away. The first officer told her partner to discharge the ECD, but the suspect turned and fled

The officers called for backup as they chased the suspect, who forcefully threw a large piece of wood with a steel latch at them. The object missed the officers, and the suspect retreated into the house. The officers secured both the front and rear of the residence as other officers arrived to assist. One of the initial officers on the scene spoke with a K-9 officer and told him the suspect was not concerned about the threat of an ECD, but he might respond to a K-9. By this time, several officers were on the front porch. One tried the front door and found it to be unlocked. They called to the suspect to come out. When he did not respond, one officer opened the door and found the suspect standing at the foot of a nearby staircase holding a knife. Officers instructed the man to drop the knife or they would use an ECD on him. (The K-9 was also ready to be deployed.) The suspect then threw the knife at the officers. The handle grazed the head of one officer and struck a 50-year-old veteran officer (who was wearing body armor) in the front of the head, causing a large gash on his chin and profuse bleeding. Officers deployed three ECD cartridges on the suspect with minimal effect, but he surrendered after the K-9 subdued him. The suspect, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, continued to struggle after he was handcuffed and taken to the front yard to receive medical assistance. The suspect was subsequently transported to the hospital to have the K-9 bite treated. The victim officer, who was in shock, was also taken to the hospital where he received 11 stitches for the cut on his chin. The 26-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and drug violations, and he had been convicted previously. The suspect was charged with Assault Causing Bodily Injury—Family Violence; two counts of Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer; and Resisting Arrest, Search, or Transport, with a Deadly Weapon. The injured officer has since returned to duty.

Utah

A 49-year-old police officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department (Salt Lake City PD) survived injuries sustained while conducting an investigative activity on July 5 at 12:30 a.m. The injured officer was a veteran with 5 years of law enforcement experience. Earlier in the evening, a woman attended a fireworks display in a local park. While at the park, she realized that her cell phone was missing and probably stolen. She tracked the cell phone using GPS technology and drove to an address that was the likely location of her cell phone. The woman called police to report the stolen phone and to provide information regarding its probable location. A Salt Lake City PD officer met with the woman and her companion near the address of the residence where she suspected her phone to be. The officer and the woman agreed that she and her companion would stay in their vehicle parked away from the residence while the officer went to investigate. The officer would return and inform her of the status of her cell phone. The officer who spoke with the victim met the veteran officer at the residence indicated by the cell phone’s GPS signal. Upon arriving, the officers noted a party taking place, so they stood on the sidewalk and began a conversation with the individuals standing just inside the yard, which was surrounded by a short fence. When one of the officers asked to speak with the homeowner, a man came forward claiming he owned the residence. The officers explained they were investigating a possible cell phone theft. They told the homeowner that the phone’s GPS tracked the device to his residence. The homeowner denied knowledge of a stolen phone, said he needed to speak with his friends, and began speaking in a language the officers could not understand. To gain more information, one officer asked the homeowner and surrounding individuals if anyone had been at the local park for fireworks earlier; no one answered. The officer then asked the homeowner for his name and identification. The man refused to give his name or to provide his identification and told the officers twice to wait while he spoke with the other individuals present. After the officer insisted the subject provide identification, the homeowner said the officer “was on his property,” and he “knew his rights.” During the verbal confrontation with the homeowner, a 16-year-old male pulled out a cell phone, flashed its light in the officers’ direction, and said he was recording the incident. He and several other individuals instructed the homeowner not to cooperate. As the crowd became more agitated, one of the officers radioed for backup; however, his ear bud had been knocked loose, and he could not hear the dispatcher’s response. He then requested that the homeowner move away from the crowd, outside the fence, so they could speak in the driveway. As the homeowner walked out to meet the officers, several subjects followed. Officers directed the people to stand at a distance, but at least two subjects used cell phones to record video within an arm’s length of the officers’ faces, temporarily blinding them with the phones’ lights. One officer spoke with the homeowner while the veteran officer attempted to separate the angry and visibly intoxicated crowd that surrounded the officers on three sides. Because the 16-year-old male continued to be disorderly and ignore the officers’ orders to back up and stop shining the light directly in their faces, one officer tried to separate him from the crowd. The male was impeding the investigation, and the officer attempted to place the male in handcuffs but was unable to keep control of the subject’s arms. During the struggle, the officer noticed the homeowner, who was being vocal and appeared to be intoxicated, advancing on him from behind. The officer turned and blocked the homeowner, who fell backwards into the street. As the officer turned to check the position of the veteran officer, he saw the veteran officer was involved in a physical altercation with several men and women. He also witnessed the 16-year-old male make physical contact with the veteran officer from behind. Unbeknownst to the officer at the time, the 16-year-old male had removed the veteran officer’s folding pocket knife from his front pocket and stabbed the veteran officer in his rear lower torso/back, below his body armor. The officer ran to the victim veteran officer’s aid and attempted to knock the 16-year-old male suspect off balance, but the suspect locked his arms around the assisting officer, and they both fell to the ground. The suspect began to kick and punch the assisting officer. After a brief struggle, the suspect ran into the crowd. At that time, an additional officer and two detectives arrived to help regain control of the crowd. However, several of the subjects involved, including the 16-year-old male suspect, were headed toward the entry of the residence. Concerned the subjects were going to retrieve weapons, the officer pursued them and ordered the 16-year-old suspect to stop. When the suspect began to run, the officer grabbed his shirt as the suspect entered the screen door, pulling the officer inside. There, the suspect and two other men began to punch the officer and tried to push him out of the house. The backup officers entered the home to assist. During the struggle, officers used electronic control devices on two subjects to subdue and handcuff them. Meanwhile, medical personnel were summoned for the victim officer who sustained a stab wound from the knife that remained lodged in his rear lower torso/back below his body armor. The victim officer was admitted to a local hospital for his injuries. Once the scene was secure, an officer located a cell phone in the possession of the 16-year-old suspect that matched the description of the stolen phone. Further investigation revealed the phone belonged to the woman who reported it stolen. A 46-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record and conviction, was arrested and charged with Riot, Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, and Interference with Arresting Officer. The 16-year-old male was arrested and charged with Disarming a Law Enforcement Officer, Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, and Fleeing. The suspect had a prior criminal record including police assault, weapons violations, and drug violations, and he had been convicted previously. Both suspects were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. In addition, several other subjects from the scene were also taken into custody. The wounded veteran officer has since returned to duty.

Washington

A patrol sergeant with the Duvall Police Department was shot on September 15 while investigating a suspicious person and circumstance. The 42-year-old veteran sergeant, with 10 years of law enforcement experience, responded with other officers to a call at 10:45 p.m. concerning an individual shooting paint balls. Officers located the individual in a church parking lot. The man had unloaded a large amount of paintball supplies on the grounds of the church. When the individual spotted officers, he got in his vehicle and tried to flee. The sergeant, who was wearing body armor, parked his patrol vehicle to block the exit, got out of the vehicle, and prepared to contact the man. The individual was able to maneuver around the sergeant’s vehicle and fire five rounds from a semiautomatic handgun. One of the rounds struck the sergeant in the front below his waist (upper left thigh). The sergeant returned fire, shooting nine rounds from his 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, none of which hit the offender. The individual fled in his vehicle, and the victim sergeant and a backup officer pursued him in their vehicles. When other patrol units arrived, the victim sergeant returned to the church parking lot for medical evaluation. Additional officers continued to pursue the suspect’s vehicle for 20 to 30 more minutes, during which the individual continued to fire on pursuing officers. No officers were hit, but several patrol cars were damaged. Officers used a tire deflation device, which disabled the individual’s vehicle and resulted in a standoff with officers that lasted for several hours. The suspect repeatedly displayed a weapon during the standoff. Officers fired at and struck the individual many times with less-than-lethal munitions and were eventually able to take the suspect into custody without serious injury. The 47-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record, was arrested and charged with two counts of First-Degree Assault. A subsequent investigation revealed several firearms in the suspect’s vehicle as well as thousands of rounds of ammunition, several paintball guns, and hundreds of rounds of paintball ammunition. The injured sergeant was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated and released. He has since returned to duty.

*****

Just after 8 p.m. on June 19, a 31-year-old police officer with the Port Orchard Police Department (Port Orchard PD) was assaulted and injured while attempting an arrest. The officer, along with two other Port Orchard PD officers, were attempting to locate a suspect who had a felony warrant from another state for Child Molestation and misdemeanor warrants for Assault, Assault-Domestic Violence, and Malicious Mischief-Domestic Violence. The officers located the suspect inside a bar. Two of the officers entered the bar, one of whom was the 31-year-old officer who had 1½ years of law enforcement experience. The third officer stationed himself in an alley near the bar’s back door. The suspect, who worked as a disc jockey in the bar, requested that he be permitted to shut down the music system. As the man moved toward the stage, he grabbed a knife and fled out the back door. The two officers pursued the man on foot. The pursuit continued into the alley where the suspect turned to confront the officers. Both officers discharged their electronic control devices (ECDs), but the ECDs had no effect. The suspect lunged at the 31-year-old officer, who was wearing body armor, with the knife extended. The officers fired their service weapons, striking the suspect. However, before he was hit, the individual was able to stab the 31-year-old officer in the front below the waist (just above the left kneecap). The victim officer justifiably killed the offender at the scene. The 36-year-old offender had a prior criminal record including a violent crime, drug violations, and weapons violations. He had also been convicted previously. The victim officer recovered from his injuries and returned to duty.

Officers Assaulted and Injured, 2015

Arizona

A police officer with the Phoenix Police Department was attacked when he responded to a domestic disturbance call at 7:33 a.m. on March 11. The 47-year-old veteran officer, who had more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a call of a man and woman arguing in public. The officer tried to initiate contact with the pair; however, both subjects ignored him. As the officer turned to check on traffic, the male subject rushed at the officer. The suspect stabbed the officer in the front upper torso/chest with a knife that had a 12-inch blade, piercing the officer’s body armor and causing a puncture wound of more than an inch. The suspect then ran back to the woman, who was his pregnant girlfriend, and began to stab her. The officer fired one round at the suspect from his .45caliber semiautomatic handgun, but missed. The suspect released the woman, and she fled. The officer still had the suspect at gunpoint and gave the man verbal commands to drop his weapon and get on the ground. The suspect threw the knife into the street but refused to get on the ground. The suspect charged the officer again, and the officer fired another round that struck the suspect in the chest. The suspect still refused to get on the ground and began to walk around erratically. As additional officers arrived, the suspect continued to disobey verbal commands. The officers eventually subdued the suspect with a conductive energy device and took him into custody. The 33-year-old suspect was charged (due to a prior incident and this incident) with First-Degree Murder During a Crime, two counts of First-Degree Premeditated Murder, First-Degree Burglary, and Kidnapping (Ransom/Hostage). He had a prior criminal record including police assault, a violent crime, and a drug law violation. The victim officer has since recovered from his injury and returned to duty.

*****

On April 18 at 4 p.m., a police officer with the Phoenix Police Department was shot while handling a person with a mental illness. The 34-year-old officer, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 7 years’ experience, was one of the officers who responded to a city park. Dispatchers had received a call from a person at the park who said he was sitting in a van and that men were pointing guns at him from bushes and houses in the area. Officers who arrived in the area made contact with the subject who appeared to be paranoid and delusional. The subject was in the driver’s seat and told the officers that he believed various people (including the police) were out to kill him, so he locked the doors and refused to exit. Officers used their equipment to conduct a search and electronically located an existing mental health order on the subject. They planned to remove the man from the vehicle and take him to a local mental health facility. One officer shot pepper spray through an opening in one of the vehicle’s windows while another officer, who was wearing body armor, broke out the passenger window. The subject pulled a semiautomatic handgun from behind his back and fired at the officer who had broken the window’s glass, striking the officer in his front upper torso/chest. The officer also suffered an eye injury (front head). Another officer fired at the subject, justifiably killing him. The subject was later discovered to have a history of a mental illness and a prior criminal record. The victim officer had not returned to duty at the time this incident was reported to the FBI.

California

Around 8:30 p.m. on August 1, two senior deputies with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) sustained gunshot wounds while responding to a tactical situation. Prior to the senior deputies’ encounter, a suspect allegedly held three individuals at gunpoint in a cabin and threatened to kill them. When the individuals escaped, the suspect stole an ATV/UTV and drove to a cabin in another area. There, he allegedly used a shotgun to murder a man, stole two handguns and an SUV vehicle, then fled the scene and traveled northeast before the vehicle he was driving became disabled. KCSO SWAT officers tracked the suspect to a property where he fired a revolver at deputies. The 40-year-old senior deputy, who had nearly 14 years of law enforcement experience, suffered wounds to his arms/hands. He was transported to a hospital for treatment. The 41-year-old senior deputy, who had nearly 18 years of law enforcement experience, sustained shrapnel injuries to the side of his head (right ear). Both of the veteran deputies were wearing body armor. KCSO SWAT officers returned fire, but the suspect escaped into the wilderness. An intensive manhunt ensued. Two weeks later, the suspect was located and justifiably killed when he pulled a firearm on officers. The 34-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record that included police assault and a violent crime. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the 41-year-old senior deputy had returned to duty, but the 40-year-old senior deputy had not returned to duty.

*****

At 12:30 p.m. on February 24, a 37-year-old police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was assaulted with a knife while handling a person with a mental illness. Earlier that morning, a subject with a diagnosed mental illness and a history of threatening to cut herself with a knife locked herself inside her apartment. A social worker and the subject’s therapist arrived at the subject’s apartment at 9:30 a.m. and requested that she open her door so they could see that she was all right. The social worker and the therapist tried unsuccessfully to get the subject to open her door until around 11 a.m. At that time, they contacted the LAPD for assistance. Initially, two officers arrived and attempted to convince the subject to open her door. When they were unsuccessful, they called for assistance, and a sergeant and six more officers arrived. The officers tried repeatedly for nearly an hour to get the subject to open her door. The sergeant finally gave the order for the officers to breach the subject’s door shortly before noon. The officers disabled the deadbolt and the door knob. The veteran officer, who had 10 years of law enforcement experience, attempted to push the door open, but the subject stood on the other side of the door and pushed back against him. Another officer attempted to pry the door open with a crowbar, while the veteran officer continued to push on the door. The subject had a large knife in each hand and slashed the veteran officer, who was wearing body armor, on the right forearm as he pushed the door open. Instead of entering the apartment, the officers allowed the door to close, and they stepped back. They radioed for the SWAT team to assist and, while waiting for the SWAT team to arrive, made further requests to the suspect to exit her apartment. The SWAT team arrived and repeatedly directed the suspect to exit her apartment and submit to arrest. The suspect refused, and the ensuing standoff lasted nearly 6 hours. During that time, officers evacuated the suspect’s neighbors from their apartments and obtained the necessary warrants to arrest the suspect and search her residence. The officers contacted the suspect’s son who eventually persuaded her to exit her residence at 5:20 p.m. The victim officer was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for the wound on his arm and released. The 59-year-old offender, who had no prior criminal record, was charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Law Enforcement Officer and Resisting a Law Enforcement Officer. The wounded officer recovered from his injuries and returned to duty.

*****

A 39-year-old officer with the Merced Police Department (MPD) was shot during a traffic pursuit and stop on February 28 at approximately 2:30 a.m. The officer, along with another MPD officer, had arrived on the scene of a traffic stop involving two men. Just prior to the officers’ arrival, the driver of the vehicle had failed to immediately stop when officers had signaled him to do so, and assistance had been requested. The officer, who had more than 9 years of law enforcement service, walked to the passenger side of the vehicle. He noticed that the passenger had his hand concealed. The officer asked the man to show his hand, and the man did not immediately comply. After a moment, the man revealed he had a .38-caliber revolver and fired on the officer. Rounds struck the victim officer in his hand and his body armor (in the front lower torso/stomach). The driver of the vehicle then sped away with the passenger, and the other officers pursued the vehicle. Later, the driver wrecked the car in a nearby alley, and both the driver and passenger fled on foot. The 30-year-old suspect was found wounded during a yard-to-yard search, and the firearm used to assault the victim officer was located nearby. He was taken into custody. The suspect was on probation at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record, including murder, a violent crime, police assault, a weapons violation, and a drug law violation. He was charged with Attempted Homicide of a Law Enforcement Officer, Prohibited Person with Firearm, Gang Enhancement, and Violation of Probation. Officers also arrested the driver at a nearby residence. The victim officer had not returned to duty at the time of this report.

Georgia

On October 27 at 11:40 p.m., a corporal and a patrol officer with the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department (SCMPD) were shot and wounded during a traffic stop. The 43-year-old veteran corporal, who had more than 7 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner stopped a vehicle after it failed to yield at an intersection and pulled out in front of their patrol vehicle, nearly causing a collision. The corporal approached the driver’s side of the vehicle, while his partner approached the passenger’s side. The corporal asked the driver for his driver’s license. The driver stated that he did not have his license with him, so the corporal ordered the driver to turn off the vehicle and hand over the keys. The corporal explained that he would place the keys on the vehicle’s roof just long enough to obtain and verify the driver’s information. The driver hesitated to hand over the keys, so the officer quickly took them. The driver continued to exhibit anxious behavior while the corporal was writing down his information, so the corporal asked him to exit the vehicle in order to check him for weapons. About this time, a second patrol vehicle arrived to provide backup. A 27-year-old SCMPD patrol officer, who had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner got out of the patrol vehicle. The patrol officer approached the driver’s side of the vehicle and stood behind the corporal as his partner walked toward the passenger’s side. The corporal opened the driver’s side door to allow the driver to exit the vehicle as he had requested. The driver did not comply and started inching toward the vehicle’s center console. When the corporal noticed the driver reaching into the console, he repeatedly commanded the driver to put his hands where the corporal could see them. The driver did not comply and continued reaching into the console, so the corporal leaned into the vehicle’s open door. With his left hand, the corporal grabbed the driver’s left arm while drawing his service weapon with his right hand. The driver suddenly exited the vehicle and fired a .38caliber revolver in the direction of the corporal and the patrol officer, who were both wearing body armor. Both officers were struck in the front below the waist—the corporal in the left hip and the patrol officer in the right hip. When the suspect attempted to flee, three of the four officers returned fire. The 25-year-old suspect was fatally wounded. The suspect had a prior criminal record that included police assault, a violent crime, and a drug law violation. The victim corporal and victim patrol officer were transported to a local hospital for treatment. Both officers recovered from their wounds and returned to duty.

Michigan

A 45-year-old corporal with the Detroit Police Department was wounded during a tactical situation on May 23. Around 7 a.m., police were called to a residence where shots had been fired. When officers arrived, emergency medical services were already on the scene, and personnel were tending to a female victim. A suspect had fired shots into a residence, and glass from a broken window caused a wound to the woman’s chest. Several members of the woman’s family told officers that the suspect fled to another residence where he was holding his wife and children hostage at gunpoint. The woman’s family members began to get into their cars to go to the suspect’s location. Fearing an active shooter incident, officers went to the residence where the suspect was reported to be and stopped the victim’s family members from entering. Officers saw a man lean through a broken front window of the residence and point a pump-action shotgun at them, advising them to back up. The officers cleared the area, and additional responding units set up a perimeter that included the area near the residence. They also established a command post in a nearby street. Several times, the man leaned out of the broken window or the front door, sometimes holding a handgun, before quickly going back into the residence. Then, a young female exited the front door carrying a small child, and officers guided them to the nearby command post. Approximately 30 minutes later, the front door opened again, and a young male who was carrying another small child exited the residence; they were also directed to the command post. Sometime later, a SWAT team arrived and took over the scene. At 10:29 a.m., the suspect exited the house, jumped off the porch, and fired two shots from a pump-action shotgun at officers. The corporal, a 15-year veteran of law enforcement who was wearing body armor, was wounded in the front of his head. Officers returned fire, striking the suspect. Medic teams on site attended to the victim corporal and the suspect. The 25-year-old suspect was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, justifiably killed by officers. The victim corporal has since returned to duty.

*****

At 10 a.m. on November 16, a police officer with the Detroit Police Department was shot while assisting another officer who was attempting an arrest. The 28-year-old officer was a veteran of law enforcement with 7 years of experience. Officers were dispatched to a park to investigate a possible stolen vehicle. Officers located the vehicle in a field with a male and female in the backseat. After noticing the officers’ presence, with all the vehicle doors locked, the male removed a handgun from his waistband, concealed it under the driver’s seat, and then moved from the backseat of the vehicle up to the driver’s seat. Officers ordered the male to open the door, but he refused and requested the officers call a supervisor. The officers requested backup and a supervisor. After backup officers arrived, the male continued to disregard the officers’ orders. The female then opened the rear door and exited the vehicle. The male shut and locked the door behind her to prevent the officers from entering the vehicle. He started the engine and quickly accelerated the vehicle causing it to spin. He continued driving and exited the park. Additional officers began to pursue the vehicle until the male pulled into the driveway of a residence and exited the vehicle. The officers pursued the suspect on foot until he tripped over a fence in the backyard of the residence. The 43-year-old suspect began shooting at the officers with a 9 mm handgun, and officers returned fire. The victim officer, who was wearing body armor at the time of the incident, was struck in the front below the waist (lower leg). The suspect was also wounded and subsequently arrested. The suspect had a prior criminal record including murder, a violent crime, a weapons violation, and a drug law violation. He was charged with Assault with Intent to Murder, Felon in Possession, Fleeing and Eluding, and a Felony Firearm Law Violation. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital for treatment to his wound, from which he has recovered and returned to duty.

*****

A 29-year-old patrol officer with the Flint Township Police Department was shot while investigating suspicious persons and circumstances near a local hotel around 10:30 p.m. on January 23. The officer, who had 2 years of law enforcement experience at the time, was sitting in his marked patrol vehicle when he noticed two men in a van pull into a hotel across the street. He ran the van’s license plate number and learned that the van was registered to a man who had three outstanding arrest warrants. The officer drove into the hotel’s parking lot and saw the van was now backed up to the door of a hotel room, and the two individuals were unloading items from the van into the room. The officer parked his vehicle, got out, and approached the driver. He asked the man if he was the owner of the van; the man said he was. The officer told the man that he was under arrest, and he attempted to take him into custody. However, the man resisted and pulled away from the officer, who sent out a call for backup via his portable police radio. As the two struggled, the officer’s right arm became tangled with the subject’s left arm. Then, the officer, who was wearing body armor, heard two gunshots and felt a burning sensation in his left arm and the left side of his chest. Realizing he had been shot, the officer disengaged from the subject, took cover in an adjacent lot, and notified responding officers that he had been shot. The suspect, armed with a .40-caliber semiautomatic handgun, approached the open door of the van and fired additional rounds at the officer but missed. The suspect then got into the van and drove through the parking lot. At the same time, officers from the Swartz Creek Police Department (SCPD) arrived at the scene. The first SCPD officer pulled his vehicle into the parking lot and drove through a snow bank to position himself behind the van. The second SCPD officer stopped his vehicle behind the first SCPD officer’s car. The suspect stopped the van, put it in reverse, and rammed the first SCPD officer’s vehicle. Then, the suspect exited the van and fired at the first SCPD officer who was still seated in his car. The first SCPD officer returned fire, striking the man several times. The second SCPD officer exited his vehicle and sought cover behind it as the suspect started shooting at him. After being shot, the offender eventually fell to the ground, and officers arrested him. The 55-year-old man was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He was charged with two counts of Assault with Intent to Murder, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Possession of a Weapon by a Felon, Assaulting/Resisting/Obstructing a Law Enforcement Officer—Causing Serious Bodily Injury, and Attempting to Kill a K-9. The victim patrol officer was also taken to a local hospital for treatment to his wounds, including the one to his chest that had been covered by the officer’s protective vest. The wounded officer has since returned to duty.

Nevada

A patrol officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was wounded during an unprovoked attack at an apartment building shortly before noon on December 17. The 52-year-old veteran officer, who had more than 18 years of law enforcement experience, was in a walkway between two apartment buildings attempting to locate a suspect in a domestic disturbance call. While at that location, the officer was approached by an individual (unrelated to the call he was answering) who began yelling “Why are you trying to kill me?” Before the officer, who was wearing body armor, could respond, the individual fired three rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. One round struck the officer through his left arm and into his front upper torso/chest. The officer, who was also wounded in the rear upper torso/back, was able to fire two rounds from his service weapon. Neither round struck the suspect, who fled the scene. The injured officer was taken to a local hospital in serious but stable condition as other officers established a perimeter. Meanwhile, the suspect called his employer and told him his vehicle had broken down and asked him for a ride. The employer agreed and picked the suspect up at a nearby gas station. The pair drove to the employer’s residence where they stayed the rest of the afternoon. An investigation led officers to the suspect’s location. As a SWAT team was preparing to deploy, they saw a vehicle leave the employer’s residence. Officers covertly followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. They took the suspect into custody without incident. The 38-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record involving a drug law violation, was arrested and charged with Attempted Murder on a Law Enforcement Officer with a Deadly Weapon (Firearm), Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer with a Deadly Weapon (Firearm), Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer with Substantial Bodily Harm (Firearm), and Discharging a Firearm at/into an Occupied Structure. The employer was completely unaware of the events leading to the suspect’s request for a ride. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the injured officer had not returned to duty.

New Mexico

A 30-year-old agent with the Roswell Police Department was shot while assisting with a drug-related special assignment around 8:40 p.m. on July 31. The veteran agent, who had more than 5 years of law enforcement experience, was part of the Chaves County Metro Narcotics Task Force (CCMNTF). Agents with the CCMNTF, along with the FBI, were conducting a long-term investigation of a drug trafficking organization. Agents received information that the main subject of the investigation had arranged to meet an unknown methamphetamine supplier from Arizona in the parking lot of a restaurant in Roswell. Agents also learned that another individual, a close associate of the main subject, had traveled to Albuquerque with the subject earlier that morning. According to the information, the pair would be returning to Roswell later in the evening to acquire the methamphetamine from the supplier. Because of information gleaned from their long-term investigation, the agents had prior knowledge that the associate of the main subject reportedly possessed multiple firearms and was a heavy methamphetamine user. While traveling to the restaurant, the agents spotted the subject and his associate at a gas station. The agents continued to the meeting place and set up surveillance in and around the restaurant’s parking lot. Eventually, the vehicles belonging to both the subject and the supplier arrived. The main subject who arranged the meeting exited his vehicle and approached the supplier’s vehicle. Multiple agents approached both vehicles on foot, made verbal contact with the subject and the supplier, and ordered the associate, who was in the passenger seat of the subject’s vehicle, to show his hands. By this time, the associate already had his car door open and, without warning, fired two rounds from a .45caliber revolver in the direction of the agents located at the rear of the vehicle. The second round struck the victim agent, who was wearing body armor, in the front lower torso/stomach. The victim agent fired two rounds from his service weapon at the suspect before falling to the ground; however, both rounds missed the suspect. Other agents fired into the front passenger area of the vehicle, striking and justifiably killing the suspect. The victim agent was transported to a local hospital where he was treated and released a few hours later. The round that struck the victim agent had not penetrated his body armor. The 34-year-old suspect had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime and a drug law violation. He was a known drug user, dealer, and possessor, and he was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident. The main subject of the investigation and the supplier were taken into custody, uninjured. Subsequent searches of the vehicles revealed a second firearm in the main subject’s vehicle and several pounds of methamphetamine in the supplier’s vehicle. The victim agent recovered from his injury and returned to duty.

Pennsylvania

A 31-year-old trooper with the Pennsylvania State Police, Chambersburg, was shot and wounded in an ambush involving entrapment and premeditation around 8:20 p.m. on July 17 in Chambersburg. Two troopers responded for the second time within 2 hours to a report of gunfire at a local trailer park. When they arrived at the address, they saw the owner of the trailer standing on his porch holding a rifle. The troopers ordered the man to put the rifle down. However, the man shot at the troopers with his .30-30-caliber lever-action rifle, and the troopers returned fire. One of the troopers was struck in the front below his waist (right leg). The subject retreated into his trailer as he continued to shoot at the troopers, and they continued to return fire. The victim trooper, who was wearing body armor and had 1 month of law enforcement service, was able to take cover and apply a tourniquet to his leg. Additional troopers arrived at the scene and set up a perimeter. The troopers removed the victim trooper from the scene and took him to a safe area to await transport to a local hospital. The troopers called out to the subject. The subject responded that he was bleeding and could not move. An entry and arrest team entered the trailer and took the 44-year-old man into custody. The suspect had a history of a mental illness and was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. After he was treated at a hospital for his wounds, the subject was taken to jail and charged with two counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person, two counts of Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, and eight counts of Aggravated Assault. The man also had a prior criminal record that included police assault. The victim trooper required surgery to remove shrapnel from his leg; he has since returned to duty.

Tennessee

A 28-year-old police officer with the Germantown Police Department was injured with a cutting instrument while handling a person with a mental illness on January 8. At 7:41 p.m., the police officer, a veteran with 5 years of law enforcement experience, and his partner responded to a report of a suicidal individual. The dispatcher advised the officers that the subject had a knife, and she was threatening others. When the officers arrived at the residence, a family member requested that the officers go upstairs where a woman was threatening her mother with a kitchen knife. When they arrived upstairs, they saw that the subject was outside a bathroom where she had her mother cornered. The officer’s partner announced they were police and commanded the woman to drop the knife, but she used an expletive and refused to drop it. The woman ignored multiple requests to disarm, while her mother took the distraction as an opportunity to try to slam the door to the bathroom to further block the attack. In response, the woman kicked the door open again and swung the knife toward her mother. Her mother dodged the knife, but the woman pulled the knife back, preparing to swing again. Due to the imminent danger, the officer’s partner grasped the hand holding the knife and took the woman to the ground to prevent her from stabbing her mother. The officer, who was wearing body armor, took the woman’s other hand and began the handcuffing process. The woman actively resisted and managed to stab the victim officer in his arms/hands with the knife before his partner was able to remove the knife from the woman’s hand. The victim officer’s partner handed the knife to another officer who had arrived at the scene. The woman continued to resist and kick the officers. More officers arrived at the residence, and it took four of them to secure the woman and place her into the patrol unit. The victim officer was treated for a laceration to his upper left arm and was able to return to duty. The 32-year-old woman was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Domestic Assault, and Resisting Arrest. She had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime and police assault. The woman’s family reported she had a history of depression and suicidal tendencies and had not been taking her medications.

Texas

On January 17 at approximately 4 a.m., an officer with the Fort Worth Police Department was assaulted with a knife during a traffic stop. The 29-year-old officer, a veteran with 7 years of law enforcement experience, observed a vehicle run a stop sign at an intersection and then turn without activating a turn signal. The officer used his overhead lights and initiated a traffic stop. The officer exited his patrol vehicle and made contact with the driver. The driver handed the officer a Texas identification card and stated he did not have insurance on the vehicle. The officer returned to his patrol vehicle to check for warrants and discovered the driver had multiple outstanding arrest warrants. The officer requested assistance and intended to arrest the driver for the outstanding warrants. The officer returned to the stopped vehicle and asked the man to exit and walk back to the patrol vehicle. The man exited, turned away from the officer, and began walking quickly toward the patrol vehicle. The man’s hands were concealed inside his jacket, and his pace and tense body language indicated that he might flee. The officer grasped the man’s left elbow and forearm in an escort hold and prepared to handcuff the man. The man ignored the officer’s instructions to put his hands on the hood of the patrol vehicle and continued walking. The officer placed one handcuff on the man’s left wrist, and the man spun around counterclockwise and used his right hand to strike the officer in the left rib cage area approximately three times. The officer continued to struggle with the man and noticed a knife in his right hand. The officer then realized the man had been attempting to stab him when he had been struck in the rib cage, but the knife could not penetrate his body armor. The man continued to try to free his right arm and ignored the officer’s verbal commands. The officer warned he would shoot the man if he did not drop the knife. The man continued to struggle; the officer placed his firearm, a .40caliber semiautomatic handgun, against the man’s left lower back and fired two rounds. The man fell, and the officer, still holding the handcuffs, fell on top of the man straddling him near the waist. The officer attempted to get up to create a safe distance between them, but the man sat up and stabbed the officer twice in the left thigh with the knife. The officer realized the man was still attempting to injure or kill him, and the officer fired two more rounds, hitting the man. The officer then looked down and realized the knife was embedded in his thigh. He pulled the knife out and used his handheld radio to call for help. He then fell to the ground while keeping his firearm pointed at the subject. Backup officers and medical units arrived a short time later. The 27-year-old subject had been justifiably killed by the victim officer. The subject was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident and had a prior criminal record for a violent crime, a weapons violation, and a drug law violation. The officer recovered from his injuries and returned to duty.

*****

A 43-year-old veteran sergeant with the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD), who had more than 18 years of law enforcement experience, survived a premeditated ambush at 7 p.m. on January 29. About 6:15 p.m., the FWPD received several 911 calls in reference to an audible panic alarm at a residence. Because one of the individuals at the residence had been involved in a prior aggravated assault with a firearm, the FWPD’s computer-aided dispatch system sent an automatic hazardous location notification to officers. The officer who responded to the call checked the exterior of the residence and did not see anything unusual. The officer returned to his vehicle to wait for backup. Two sergeants, riding together, arrived to assist. The officer and two sergeants walked to the front door and spoke to the homeowner who said she wasn’t sure why the panic alarm was going off. She indicated she and her son were the only ones in the house, and no assistance was needed from the police department. She reported she would attempt to get the alarm turned off. The officers left the residence and returned to their usual duties. Around 6:45 p.m., FWPD dispatch received a 911 call from the same homeowner who reported that her 40-year-old son had locked himself in his bedroom, and she was unable to make contact with him. She was concerned her son may be having a medical emergency, and she was unable to open his bedroom door to check his condition. Four police officers and an ambulance were dispatched to the residence. The two sergeants who had responded to the earlier call volunteered to return to the residence. Once again, dispatch issued an automatic hazardous location notification. In addition, one of the responding officers informed the other officers that he also had knowledge of prior incidents at the residence involving the homeowner’s son. The two sergeants and four officers arrived at the residence shortly before 7 p.m. in fully marked patrol vehicles wearing standard police uniforms. The ambulance parked away from the residence and awaited notification that it was safe to approach. Two officers and a sergeant stayed in the front yard while the veteran sergeant and two of the officers walked to the front door of the residence. The homeowner met them there and repeated the situation involving her son to the officers. When officers asked her if her son had any weapons, the homeowner responded she was not aware of any. The homeowner led the veteran sergeant and the two officers to her son’s bedroom and knocked on the closed door. She called her son’s name, but he did not respond. One of the officers went outside the residence and looked through the bedroom window to check on the man’s condition. She was unable to see anything through the window, and then remained outside with the sergeant and two officers stationed in the front yard. Back inside the residence, the remaining officer knocked loudly on the man’s bedroom door, while the veteran sergeant announced that they were police officers and asked the man to open the door. The man did not respond, so the officer forced the door open with his knee. The sergeant and the officer could see the man lying on the bed across the room, covered with a bed sheet. The man asked the officers, “What’s going on?” As the sergeant began to tell the man why the officers were there, the man fired four rounds at the officers from a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. The veteran sergeant was standing just outside the bedroom doorway, and at least two of the rounds struck him in the front below the waist and in the arms/hands. The other officer returned fire and justifiably killed the suspect. The suspect, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime. The injured veteran sergeant survived his injuries and later returned to duty.

Virginia

A 36-year-old patrol officer with the Richmond Police Department was shot in the arms/hands while responding to a disturbance call shortly before 5:30 p.m. on August 5. The officer, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 8 ½ years of experience, was dispatched with other officers to a report of an individual flashing a firearm. The officers turned into a nearby alley where they saw a person matching the description of the individual with the firearm. Upon exiting the vehicle, one of the officers asked the individual his name, and he replied. The officer also saw a handgun in the right side of the individual’s waistband. When the officer asked the individual to come over, the individual asked if he was under arrest. The officer said no, and the individual began running down the alley. Officers pursued; the first officer, who had spoken to the individual, veered around a parked car. The second officer stayed behind the individual, who fell on some gravel. The officer, not anticipating the individual’s fall, ran past him a slight distance before stopping. The officer, who was wearing body armor, turned to face the individual and reached for his conductive energy device. At the same time, the individual rose, produced a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and fired a single shot at the officer at close range, striking him in the arms/hands (left arm). The victim officer, who was known to the suspect through a prior law enforcement relationship, fell to the ground, and the suspect began to run down the alley in the direction they had just come from. As the suspect ran, he continued to fire at the officers. The victim officer, despite his wound, was able to get on his knees and fire a shot at the suspect with his service weapon, but missed. The victim officer then held his fire to avoid hitting the pursuing officer. The pursuing officer continued to chase the suspect, who had turned as he ran away and shot at both officers. The pursuing officer fired back at the suspect with his handgun until the suspect made a turn around a wooden fence and shed. When the officer regained sight of the suspect, he was on the ground near a fence; the suspect did not respond to the officer’s commands. When other officers arrived, they placed the suspect in handcuffs and called for an ambulance. The 20-year-old suspect, who was on probation at the time of the incident and was known to use and deal drugs, had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime and a weapons violation. He was justifiably killed by the pursuing officer during their exchange of gunfire. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital in a police vehicle. He has since returned to duty.

West Virginia

On January 1, a lieutenant and a patrol officer with the Lewisburg Police Department were both shot during a traffic stop at 4:20 p.m. The 36-year old veteran lieutenant, who had 15 years of law enforcement experience, and the 20-year-old patrol officer, who been on the job for 1 month, were both wearing body armor when they stopped a man driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen by a law enforcement agency in Texas. The father of the man the officers had stopped was traveling with him in a second vehicle, a truck. The father pulled in at the scene of the traffic stop and fired on both officers with a .38-caliber handgun. One of the officers returned fire and struck the suspect in the leg. The suspect’s son fled the scene in the truck his father had been driving. During the encounter, both officers received lacerations to their heads--the lieutenant to the rear of his head and the patrol officer to the front of his head. The patrol officer was also struck in the rear lower torso/back, but the officer’s protective vest prevented a potentially lethal injury. The suspect’s son later abandoned the truck and continued to flee on foot, but officers located him in nearby woods and apprehended him around 5:40 p.m. It was later determined that the 54-year-old suspect who shot the officers had traveled with his son from Texas to West Virginia. Officers investigating the incident found two deceased adult bodies, a male and a female, concealed under a mattress in the back of the truck, along with two dead dogs and other related evidence. The truck was registered in North Carolina to the male murder victim. Both murder victims had been reported as missing persons in North Carolina. Allegedly, the suspect killed the victims at their home in North Carolina, burned the couple’s home, and stole their truck. The suspect was charged with two counts of First-Degree Murder, two counts of Attempted Murder, and two counts of Malicious Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer. The suspect had a prior criminal record that included a violent crime, a drug law violation, and a weapons violation. He was on conditional release at the time of the incidents. Both victim officers were treated for their injuries and returned to duty.

Officers Assaulted and Injured, 2016

Arkansas

On January 9 around 10 p.m., a 39-year-old patrol officer with the Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) was wounded during a robbery in progress. The officer, a 9-year law enforcement veteran, was off duty but was wearing his police uniform as he worked in a security role at a local restaurant. The officer was eating in the bar area out of view of the front door, when three men, their faces partially covered by their jacket hoods, entered the restaurant. One of the men pointed a .32-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the customers in the lobby area and ordered the restaurant manager to take him to the safe. The other two suspects did not appear to be armed, but began to grab other employees and force them to the back of the restaurant. A customer alerted the officer, who stood up and drew his firearm. The armed suspect saw the officer and fired one round, striking the officer in the front upper torso/chest above his body armor. The armed suspect and another suspect fled toward the front door with the victim officer in pursuit. When the victim officer reached the foyer, he fired several rounds at the two suspects as they neared the front door. The victim officer pursued the two men out into the parking lot where he fired additional rounds at the armed suspect. The suspects crossed the parking lot then split up and ran in different directions, so the victim officer ceased firing. The victim officer never saw the third suspect, and it is not known how he exited the building. The victim officer reloaded his service weapon and returned to the restaurant where he checked the employees and customers for injuries. He assessed the restaurant for remaining threats, then radioed the LRPD and advised that the restaurant had been robbed and shots had been fired. He described the two suspects, provided information on their last known directions of travel, and reported he had been wounded and needed assistance. Backup LRPD officers arrived and secured the crime scene. Emergency services transported the wounded officer to a nearby medical center for treatment. He was released the next afternoon and has returned to duty. The three suspects were all identified and located through civilian tips, interrogation, and self-confessions provided during the investigation. The unarmed suspect who fled the restaurant through the front door was located on January 9 when LRPD officers responded to an emergency call at a residence. The suspect had sustained a gunshot wound to the buttocks and explained he had been shot during a dispute over a woman. After further investigation, officers determined the suspect had participated in the robbery at the restaurant and had been shot by the victim officer. The man was transported to an area hospital where he was treated for his wound. He was released from the hospital on January 18 and subsequently arrested. The man was charged with Aggravated Robbery, Criminal Attempt to Commit Capital Murder, First-Degree Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, and six counts of Aggravated Assault. Officers located the armed suspect, a 20-year-old who had a prior criminal record, on January 10. He was arrested and charged with Criminal Attempt to Commit Capital Murder, Aggravated Robbery, six counts of Aggravated Assault, and First-Degree Battery. The suspect who exited the building without being seen was arrested on January 11. After a civilian tip, he was located at a residence, and officers deployed tear gas to prompt his exit. He was charged with Aggravated Robbery, Criminal Attempt to Commit Capital Murder, First-Degree Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer, and six counts of Aggravated Assault.

Arizona

A 57-year-old detective with the Kingman Police Department was wounded during a tactical situation around 9:45 a.m. on September 29. The 17-year veteran of law enforcement was among a group of detectives serving a search warrant at the residence of a man who was being investigated regarding a stolen firearm. The detectives were confronted by the subject at the front door of his residence. He was armed with a .38caliber revolver at his right side, and detectives ordered the man to drop his weapon. The man refused and replied several times, “Shoot me . . . just shoot me.” After about 30 seconds, the man raised his firearm in the direction of the detectives and fired four rounds. Two of the detectives returned fire, striking the 53-year-old suspect four times and killing him instantly. One of the detectives was shot at close range in the front upper torso/chest and also in the arms/hands. The victim detective was wearing body armor, but a round entered through the armhole or shoulder area of the vest. He has since recovered from his wounds and has returned to duty. The suspect had a prior criminal record including a violent crime and drug law violation. He was also a known drug dealer and user.

*****

Just after 2 a.m. on May 7, a deputy sheriff with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Department was injured in an ambush (entrapment and premeditation) incident in Tempe. The 38-year-old deputy, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, was participating in a task force addressing driving under the influence (DUI). While out with the task force, he saw a motorist commit a traffic infraction. The deputy activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop. The deputy, who was wearing body armor, made contact with the occupants of the vehicle and returned to his unmarked patrol unit to conduct a records check. He exited his patrol unit, and as he was approaching the suspect vehicle again, he heard gunshots and felt pain in his leg. Two rounds from a .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle struck the victim deputy in the rear below his waist. As he took cover behind his patrol unit, he looked in the direction of where the shots were fired and saw a moving vehicle, but was unable to get a license plate number. He radioed to dispatchers he had been shot and needed assistance. While responding officers were en route, the injured deputy placed a tourniquet on his leg to slow the bleeding. The victim deputy was transported by ambulance to a local hospital. An investigation led to a 51-year-old suspect. On May 10, detectives went to the suspect’s residence where he asked the officers to go inside with him to continue the conversation. Officers followed the suspect down a hallway to a bedroom. As soon as the suspect entered the bedroom, he picked up a .308caliber rifle, and turned it on himself. He fired one round into his head, instantly killing himself. Officers conducted a search warrant of the residence and found a weapon matching the caliber of the weapon used to shoot the victim deputy and documentation from a DUI arrest the suspect had received on May 6, just a few hours before the incident. The suspect, who was under the influence of alcohol at the time he shot the victim deputy, had a prior criminal record. The injured deputy recovered from his injuries and has returned to duty.

California

On the morning of January 12, a 24-year-old officer with the San Bernardino Police Department was assaulted and injured while responding to a traffic pursuit. The officer, with 2 years of law enforcement experience, responded to assist another officer who was attempting to pull over a vehicle that did not signal before a turn. The driver would not yield, and a 3-mile chase ensued. During the pursuit, a license plate check revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen. The suspect stopped the vehicle and fled on foot through the backyard of a residence, throwing a handgun aside as he ran. The officers chased the suspect until the assisting officer tackled him. The suspect refused to surrender or follow verbal commands and repeatedly struck the assisting officer with his fists. At one point, the suspect stabbed the victim officer, who was wearing body armor, in the arms/hands with a cutting instrument (scissors). The officers then administered empty-hand techniques to control the suspect, who was finally subdued and taken into custody. The 28-year-old suspect, who was on parole and had a prior criminal record, including a violent crime, weapons violation, and drug law violation, was charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Law Enforcement Officer, Grand Theft Auto, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Felony Evading.

*****

Just after 11 p.m. on July 25, a 34-year-old Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer was shot while investigating a suspicious person. The 7-year veteran officer was patrolling on foot with his partner when they encountered a group of young men loitering around a park bench. One of the men, armed with a handgun, took off running through the neighborhood. The officers initiated a foot pursuit, and in the course of the chase, gunfire was exchanged. One of the officers, who was wearing body armor, was shot in the arm by a round from the suspect’s 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. A second LAPD cruiser arrived on the scene, and two more officers joined the exchange of gunfire. The 18-year-old suspect, who was on probation at the time of the incident, continued to point his weapon at officers and was subsequently shot and killed by the officers. The wounded officer has since returned to duty.

Georgia

A Valdosta Police Department patrol officer was ambushed (entrapment and premeditation) while responding to a call at 8:13 a.m. on July 8. The 50-year-old officer, a veteran of law enforcement with 10½ years of experience, responded to a call for service at an apartment complex regarding a burglarized vehicle. The officer arrived, met the vehicle owner, and spoke to him briefly. The man turned to walk away, as if to show the officer the location of the vehicle, but quickly turned and shot three rounds at the officer with a .38-caliber revolver. The officer was struck twice. One round hit the body armor he was wearing and another round entered below the armor striking him in the front lower torso/stomach area. As the man fired, the officer removed his firearm from its holster and took cover behind a vehicle in the parking lot. The man retreated, as if to also seek cover. The officer fired three rounds from his service weapon. One round struck the man in the head and he fell to the ground. The officer then radioed he had been shot, and other law enforcement officers responded to his location. The wounded officer and the responding officer handcuffed the 22-year-old offender. On July 15, the offender was charged with three counts of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime, and Criminal Attempt to Commit Murder. He had a prior arrest for a violent crime. At the time of this publication, the injured officer had not returned to duty.

Michigan

Around 11:45 a.m. on February 19, a 48-year-old police officer with the Bay City Department of Public Safety (BCDPS) was shot and wounded while assisting in a tactical situation. Earlier that morning, a BCDPS task force learned a subject had violated his conditional release bond the previous day. Around 10 a.m., three BCDPS officers in unmarked vehicles began physical surveillance of the suspect’s residence. At approximately 10:30 a.m., the suspect came outside the residence to greet a male visitor. The man and the suspect both entered the residence. Slightly more than an hour later, the officers saw the man and the suspect leave the residence. Both men got into their vehicles, the man drove away first, and seconds later the suspect followed. Both vehicles turned onto another street, where a uniformed BCDPS officer in a fully marked patrol unit was positioned to enact a traffic stop on the suspect. One of the plainclothes officers joined the uniformed officer at the side of the road, where the uniformed officer ordered the suspect to exit his vehicle. However, the suspect disregarded the order and sped away. The two officers ran back to the marked patrol unit, and a vehicle chase ensued. The officer in the passenger’s seat notified dispatch of the pursuit, as the suspect led the officers back to his residence. The suspect parked his vehicle in his driveway, jumped out, and ran toward a basement window on the north side of the house. The plainclothes officer exited the patrol unit and continued the chase on foot. When the suspect reached the basement window, he broke the glass and attempted to dive inside. However, he got stuck halfway through the opening with his right arm and right leg still outside the window. The officer grabbed the suspect’s arm and attempted to pull him back outside. During the struggle, the uniformed officer arrived to assist. When the suspect’s arm slipped from the plainclothes officer’s grasp, the suspect fell into the basement, and the officer stumbled backward. The uniformed officer covered the window and ordered the suspect to come out. The plainclothes officer then ran back to the patrol unit, which was parked in the driveway, to turn off the vehicle’s siren. As he was running, he heard a single gunshot coming from the basement. After turning off the siren and starting back toward the basement window, the officer heard several more gunshots coming from the west side of the residence. He took cover at the corner of the street and saw that the uniformed officer had taken cover behind the front wheel located on the driver’s side of the patrol unit. He then noticed another one of the plainclothes officers had arrived to assist and had been struck in the rear lower torso/back with a round from the suspect’s 9 mm semiautomatic handgun. The wounded police officer, a veteran of law enforcement with more than 22 years of experience, had taken cover behind the rear wheel located on the driver’s side of his unmarked vehicle. Both the uniformed officer and the wounded plainclothes officer were trapped behind their vehicles with no escape routes from the suspect who had barricaded himself inside the residence. At that time, four additional BCDPS officers arrived on the scene. The initial plainclothes officer obtained a department-issued AR15 rifle from the arriving officers and positioned himself to cover the officers who were still unable to move from their locations. Officers from other local agencies and the Michigan State Police Emergency Support Team also responded to assist. The suspect committed suicide several hours later. The 38-year-old man, who was known by law enforcement to deal drugs, had a prior criminal record including charges for a police assault, weapons violation, and drug law violation. The victim officer was treated at a nearby hospital for his injury and has since returned to duty.

Nebraska

At 11:45 a.m. on March 21, a 47-year-old veteran patrol officer with the Omaha Police Department, who had 25 years of law enforcement experience, was assaulted by a man with a knife during a drug-related situation. Earlier, a man whose vehicle was being impounded in front of his residence confronted an officer who was completing the impound report and waiting for a tow truck. When the man engaged the officer in a verbal disagreement, the officer advised him to go back inside his residence. After the suspect went inside, the officer observed that a baggie appearing to contain methamphetamine had fallen out of the man’s pocket and was lying on the ground. The officer then advised the dispatcher to send additional officers. When additional officers arrived, the man came out of his residence and began yelling at them. The officers, one of whom was the 47-year-old veteran officer, went to speak to the man and arrest him for the suspected narcotics which had fallen from his pocket. However, the man ran into his residence and officers followed. As the officers attempted to arrest him, he resisted and produced a kitchen knife. A struggle ensued, during which the suspect cut the veteran officer on his gloved hand (the knife penetrated the glove). Another officer used an electronic control weapon to subdue the suspect, and the suspect was taken into custody. The 32-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record and was under the influence of narcotics at the time of incident, was arrested and charged with Second-Degree Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Use of Weapon to Commit a Felony, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. The victim officer sustained a minor puncture/laceration to his hand and finger and was treated at the scene by medics. He has since returned to duty.

Nevada

A deputy sheriff with the Storey County Sheriff’s Office was injured while handling a person with a mental illness on January 2 just before 4:30 p.m. in Virginia City Highlands. The 44-year-old deputy, who had more than 1 year of law enforcement experience, responded to a call of a suicidal subject with a knife. The deputy radioed for backup, parked his patrol unit, and approached the residence on foot because of heavy snow. As the deputy neared the residence, he heard an argument from within the house. When he knocked on the door of the residence and announced himself, the deputy heard a man inside the house making violent threats toward him. The deputy convinced the subject’s wife to exit the house; however, she came outside barefoot and, due to the deep snow, was forced to remain near the house. As he approached the wife, the deputy heard the sound of a bolt being racked in a rifle. Then, from within the house, the subject announced he was going to kill the deputy. Without further warning, the suspect fired 13 rounds at the deputy with a 7.62x39 mm semiautomatic rifle from a first-floor window. One round struck the deputy, who was wearing body armor, in the rear lower torso/back and knocked him to the ground; however, his protective vest prevented a potentially lethal injury. The suspect’s wife, who was standing near the deputy, was struck in the left leg by bullet fragments. The victim deputy regained his footing and fired six rounds from his service weapon into the window where the suspect had been shooting. The deputy then repositioned himself near the rear of the residence. Several minutes later, the suspect, wounded in his right arm and upper torso by flying glass, gave up and exited the house. As the deputy approached, the suspect once again became aggressive, and the deputy used his electronic control weapon twice to immobilize the suspect. The deputy handcuffed the suspect and took him into custody. The 51-year-old suspect, who had a prior criminal record including a drug law violation, was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. He was arrested and charged with Attempted Homicide, Battery with a Deadly Weapon Causing Injury, Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, and Domestic Battery. The victim deputy has since recovered from his injury and returned to duty.

*****

Shortly after 10 p.m. on February 25, a 32-year-old deputy sheriff with the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office was shot and wounded while responding to a robbery in progress in Silver Springs. Around 9:30 p.m., the veteran deputy, who had nearly 9 years of law enforcement experience, parked his marked patrol unit near a local casino to watch for a vehicle that had been reported as stolen at gunpoint by five males in a nearby town about an hour earlier. The deputy noticed a vehicle matching the description of the stolen vehicle pulling into the casino’s parking lot. Using binoculars, the deputy watched four or five male subjects exit the vehicle and saw two or three of the subjects enter the casino. The deputy drove his patrol unit to the casino parking lot and parked behind the suspected stolen vehicle. He checked the vehicle’s license plate number with dispatch and confirmed the vehicle was in fact stolen. The deputy noticed two of the male subjects standing beside the vehicle and radioed for backup. The deputy exited his patrol unit with his service weapon drawn and shouted multiple times for the subjects to put their hands up. The subjects disregarded the deputy’s commands, turned toward each other, and continued talking. Suddenly, one of the subjects produced a .38-caliber revolver and fired three rounds at the deputy. One of the rounds struck the victim deputy, who was wearing body armor, in his arms/hands. The victim deputy took cover behind his patrol unit and, a short time later, relocated to a new position of cover beside his vehicle. From there, he observed the suspects crouching beside the stolen vehicle. The deputy emerged and fired seven rounds from his service weapon toward the armed suspect. The armed suspect fell to the ground, as the second suspect fled a short distance on foot, then also fell to the ground. As he reloaded his service weapon, the victim deputy notified dispatch that shots had been fired. He informed dispatch two suspects were down and he himself had been hit. The armed suspect, who was under the influence of narcotics at the time of the incident, then committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. With the armed suspect no longer a threat, the victim deputy advanced to the second suspect and placed him in handcuffs. The 19-year-old deceased suspect had a prior criminal record including a violent crime. The wounded deputy recovered from his injuries and has returned to duty.

New York

On April 10 around 11:30 a.m., a Rotterdam Police Department (RPD) patrol officer was assaulted while responding to a call concerning a man with a mental illness. The 43-year-old officer, a veteran with 18 years of law enforcement experience, and a sergeant also with the RPD were dispatched to check the welfare of a mentally ill man. The man’s mother called and said her son was damaging property inside her residence. The man was a military veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and had not been taking his medication. Due to the nature of the call, the sergeant requested a Schenectady County Sheriff’s unit also be dispatched. The three officers arrived and spoke with the man’s mother outside of the residence before attempting to contact the man. The mother stated her son had a knife in each hand and was making stabbing motions at her. As the three officers approached the residence, the sergeant and the sheriff’s deputy had their electronic control weapons (ECWs) drawn. The officer also had his service weapon ready. The sergeant called for the man to come out from the front doorway. After receiving no response, the sergeant entered and began searching for the man, calling to him throughout the residence. The sergeant and the officer located the man in a first floor bedroom hiding behind a door. The sergeant noticed a knife on a dresser inside the room. He reached in, grabbed the knife, and threw it down the hallway. The officer called out for the man to drop any weapons he had, but he verbally refused. The sergeant pushed open the door, pinning the man between the door and the wall. The officer continued to order him to drop any weapons and come out. The man then pushed the door, knocking the sergeant backward into the hallway, almost completely closing the door. Then, with a knife in his hand, the man forced open the door and stabbed at the sergeant. The sergeant deployed his ECW, but it had no effect. (It was later determined only one probe struck the man.) The man then turned to the officer and began stabbing at him, striking him in the rear of his head with the knife blade, leaving a 5-inch laceration which later required stitches. The victim officer fired three rounds at the man. One round struck him in the head and a second round struck him in the chest, rendering him incapacitated as he fell to the floor. The sergeant, who was not injured, began chest compressions on the assailant as the victim officer called for an ambulance which was staged in the area. The 30-year-old man, who has a prior criminal record, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Oklahoma

On December 8 around 9:30 p.m., a 53-year-old Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) sergeant was assaulted during a traffic stop. The veteran sergeant, with nearly 18 years of law enforcement experience, stopped a vehicle after the driver committed a traffic violation. The man driving the vehicle was a known local gang member. The sergeant approached the vehicle and realized the driver was using his cell phone, telling someone he had been stopped by the police and was giving his current location. During the course of the traffic stop, the sergeant returned to his police unit and was headed back to the man’s vehicle when he heard gunshots and realized the rounds were directed toward him. Four officers who had just arrived on the scene took cover behind their vehicles. They saw a person running from the location of the gunfire, through a field, toward a nearby apartment complex. The sergeant, who was wearing body armor, felt a burning sensation and realized he had been wounded in his arms/hands when a round from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun grazed his wrist. He then located a spent projectile in his jacket pocket. The offender discharged a total of six rounds, two of which struck a police vehicle. A search was conducted, but the shooter was not apprehended. A firearm and spent shell casings were collected along with other evidence. Further investigation determined the driver of the stopped vehicle had been talking on the cell phone with another gang member. Subsequent interviews revealed three known gang members were in a nearby apartment at the time of the incident. OCPD officers arrested two gang members on December 12. A 27yearold gang member was charged with five counts of Shooting with the Intent to Kill. He had a criminal history including a violent crime, drug law violation, and weapons violation, and was on supervised probation at the time of the incident. Details regarding the second arrest were not available at the time this incident was reported to the FBI. The injured sergeant has returned to duty.

Pennsylvania

A 33-year-old police officer with the Philadelphia Police Department was shot and injured in an ambush (premeditation and entrapment) around 11:40 p.m. on January 7. The veteran officer, who had 5 years of law enforcement experience at the time of the incident, was on patrol when a man wearing a long white garment approached his vehicle and fired 12 rounds from a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun in his direction at close range. The officer, who was wearing body armor, stopped his vehicle and exited. He then exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The victim officer was struck three times in the arms/hands. Two officers, who were also on patrol nearby, responded to the gunshots. They saw the officer exchanging gunfire with the suspect, who ran off and appeared to be removing the white garment as he ran. The officers followed in their vehicle, shouting out to the man to stop and get on the ground. The suspect complied, lying on the ground with his arms outstretched in front of him. Officers exited their vehicle and placed the man under arrest. One of the officers located a firearm wrapped in a white garment not far from the scene. The 30-year-old suspect was taken to a local hospital and treated for wounds he received in the exchange of gunfire with the victim officer. He was charged with Attempted Murder, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer, Firearms Law Violation-Former Convict, and Firearms Law Violation-No License. His prior criminal record included a violent crime and weapons violation; he was on probation at the time of the incident. The victim officer was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for his wounds. As of the time of this report, the officer had not returned to duty.

Texas

At 10:37 p.m. on June 23, a deputy sheriff with the Comal County Sheriff’s Office was shot while handling a person with a mental illness in Bulverde. The deputy, who had more than 4 years of law enforcement experience, responded to a residence where a man reportedly had a firearm and was suicidal. The caller was a family member and said he believed the man intended to attempt “suicide by cop.” When the 35-year-old deputy, along with three officers from the Bulverde Police Department (BPD), pulled up to the residence, they saw a man walking around with a firearm in his hand. The deputy and officers drew their weapons and ordered the man several times to put down the weapon, telling him they were there to help. The man walked into the street in front of the deputy’s patrol unit and began to walk toward the vehicle with the firearm in his hands. He then raised his arms and fired the .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun at the officers. The deputy returned fire with his rifle. One round from the assailant’s weapon struck the deputy, who was wearing body armor, in the front lower torso/stomach below his body armor. The victim deputy took cover at the back of his patrol unit, and he and responding BPD officers continued to return fire, striking the suspect several times. The victim deputy was taken by ambulance, then by helicopter, to a hospital for treatment. The deputy recovered from his injuries and has since returned to duty. The 22-year-old suspect, who also was taken to a hospital, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault Against a Law Enforcement Officer.

*****

Just before 7 p.m. on January 2, a 49-year-old sergeant with the Denton Police Department was assaulted while handling a person with a mental illness. The 20-year veteran sergeant was one of three officers who were dispatched to a local hotel to deal with a 911 caller who was incoherent and agitated, using methamphetamine, and armed with a knife which had a blade approximately 3 to 4 inches long. The caller repeatedly told dispatchers he had “committed crimes and hurt people.” The officers, who obtained a room key from management, spent some time speaking with the subject and trying to get him to open the door. A fourth officer, who was certified to use an electronic control weapon (ECW) arrived on the scene. When all attempts to get the man to come out of the room failed, the officers prepared to use the master key and a two-prong fork tool to disable the swing arm deadbolt lock. The door was unlocked, and the sergeant, who was wearing body armor, was operating the two-prong fork tool on the deadbolt when the subject thrust the knife through the narrow opening, striking the sergeant in the arms/hands. The fourth officer deployed the ECW on the suspect’s hand, and though only one prong hit, it was enough to cause the suspect to drop the knife. The officers forced the door open, and a second burst from the ECW made contact with the suspect’s chest. Officers were able to subdue and handcuff him. The 38-year-old suspect was taken to the city jail where he was placed in a restraint chair and incarcerated. The suspect, who had no reported prior criminal history, said he had been doing methamphetamine since the day before. The injured sergeant returned to duty after this incident.

*****

A 33-year-old Baytown Police Department officer, a veteran with nearly 10 years of experience in law enforcement, was injured while responding to a robbery in progress shortly before 7:30 a.m. on April 11. As an employee at a check-cashing business was preparing to open the front door, a man approached, pointed a firearm at her, and ordered her to let him inside. As she opened the door, the employee pushed a portable panic button she was carrying. Once inside the business, the offender forced her to open interior doors, providing the employee an opportunity to enter a distress code into the alarm system. He restrained her with zip ties and told her to open the safe. When she hesitated, the offender sprayed her with gasoline and threatened to set her on fire. A second offender arrived at the door, and when the first offender had her open the door for him, she grabbed the keys to her vehicle, rushed outside, and tried to enter her vehicle as the two men attacked her. The officer arrived on the scene, and the employee broke free from her attackers and ran toward the officer, who was exiting his patrol unit. The two offenders began firing their weapons, one of which was a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, with many of the 15 rounds striking the officer’s vehicle and shattering the window and windshield. The officer, who was wearing body armor, was injured on the front and side of his head by shards of glass. The officer and the employee moved to the rear of the patrol unit, and the officer returned fire. A round struck one of the offenders in the leg, and he fell to the ground. The other offender tried to pull the wounded offender away, but was unable to do so and fled the scene on foot. Other officers arrived and took the 47-year-old wounded offender into custody. The wounded offender, who had a prior criminal record including charges for a violent crime, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault on a Public Servant and Aggravated Robbery. The offender who fled discarded his outer clothing, handgun, and a two-way radio nearby. At the time this incident was reported to the FBI, the second offender had not been captured. The injured officer has returned to duty.

Virginia

On April 26 at 6:30 p.m., a 30-year-old deputy sheriff with the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office sustained a gunshot wound while responding to a domestic call in Chatham. The deputy, who had more than two years of law enforcement experience, and another deputy responded to a call from a man who stated his son shot his cell phone. The man explained he was currently located outside his residence, and his armed son was inside the home. While en route to the scene, dispatch alerted the deputies the son had fired a second round from the door of the residence. The deputies arrived and saw the father of the suspect standing outside near a truck. They exited their patrol units and approached the father. As the deputies drew closer, the son stepped out of the house with a 12-gauge shotgun and fired a round toward the ground near the tire of a second vehicle parked in the driveway. The deputies and the father took cover behind the truck. The deputies ordered the suspect to drop his weapon and instructed the father to move to a safer location away from the residence. The suspect opened the main front door, but left the storm door closed. While the deputies were focused on the front door, the suspect fired a round toward them from the home’s front window. A round from the shotgun struck the victim deputy, who was wearing body armor, in the side of his head. The deputies reported the situation to dispatch and requested backup. Multiple officers responded to the scene and, using a police vehicle as a rolling barricade, removed the deputies from their position of cover behind the truck. The injured deputy was transported to a local hospital where doctors removed the round from his head. Meanwhile, officers established a perimeter around the suspect’s residence, evacuated nearby homes, and requested assistance from the SWAT team. After several hours of negotiations and the use of tear gas, the suspect exited the residence and surrendered to SWAT team members at 12:30 a.m. on April 27. The 37year-old suspect was taken into custody and charged with Attempted Murder and Causing Bodily Injury to a Law Enforcement Officer/Fire/Rescue Person. He had a prior criminal record including charges for a police assault and drug law violation. The wounded deputy recovered from his injury and has since returned to duty.