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Note: Occasionally, the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted Program is unable to publish summaries concerning some officers who are feloniously killed in the line of duty. These situations may stem from insufficient information, gag orders that are issued by the courts, or other unusual circumstances that may exist. Although written summaries of the deaths of 5 officers who were killed in 2011 are not included in this publication, all available information is included where applicable in the data tables.

AL | AZ | AR | CA | CO | DE | FL | GA | IL | IN | IA | KS | MI | MN | MS | MO | NJ | NY| NC | ND | OH | OR | PA | SC | SD | TN | TX | VA | WV | WI

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.

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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 34‑year-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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 49‑year-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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 41‑year-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.

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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.

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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.

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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 40­‑caliber 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 34‑year‑old 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.

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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.

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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 .223‑caliber 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.   

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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 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.

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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 .45‑caliber 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.

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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.

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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.        

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.  

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 25‑year-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 41‑year‑old 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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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