Latest casualty in War on Cops

[waltky]

San Diego officer killed in traffic stop...

Police officer shot dead during traffic stop in San Diego
29/07/2016

A San Diego police officer has been killed and another wounded in a shoot-out following a late-night traffic stop. A suspect was wounded and taken into custody shortly afterwards, and hours later police surrounded a home as they searched for a man described as a possible accomplice. Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman identified the dead officer as Jonathan DeGuzman, a 16-year veteran of the force who was married with two children. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Officer Wade Irwin, 32, underwent surgery after being shot and was expected to survive, Ms Zimmerman said. His wife was at the hospital during surgery.

San Diego police and other law enforcement stage near the scene of a shooting of two San Diego police officers near South 38th Street in San Diego Thursday night, July 28, 2016. The officers were shot in an incident in San Diego​

Both officers were wearing bulletproof vests and body cameras, and quickly called for assistance from other officers, Ms Zimmerman said. "It happened extremely quickly, very quickly," she added. "From the information that was put out that a stop was being made to that the officers called for emergency cover to when the other officers arrived on scene, we're talking very, very quickly, Seconds to a minute or so. Very quickly." The male suspect was captured in a nearby ravine and was being treated at a hospital on Friday. Police did not identify him but Ms Zimmerman said he was in a critical condition with a gunshot wound. Residents were ordered to stay in their homes throughout the night as San Diego police and officers from other law enforcement agencies scoured ravines and streets for other possible suspects. A helicopter hovered over the neighbourhood.

Around nine hours after the shoot-out, heavily armed police officers surrounded a house about half a mile away, one of them using a megaphone to urge a man to surrender. Authorities also detonated several devices at the scene that made deafening booms. Ms Zimmerman said a potential second suspect was holed up in the house and that information she did not describe led officers to the home. She told reporters she had worked with Mr DeGuzman before she was promoted to the police chief post in 2014. "I can tell you he is a loving, caring husband, father. Talked about his family all the time," Ms Zimmerman said. "I know him, and this is gut-wrenching. He cared. He came to work every day wanting to just make a positive difference in the lives of our community."

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Slain San Diego Police Officer Identified
July 29, 2016 - A traffic stop late Thursday night led to a shooting that killed Officer Jonathan DeGuzman and wounded Officer Wade Irwin and a suspect.

The slain officer has been identified as Jonathan DeGuzman, 43, a 16-year-veteran who was married with two children. The wounded officer was DeGuzman's partner, Wade Irwin, 32, who has been on the force for nine years. In a news conference at San Diego police headquarters, Chief Shelley Zimmerman said he is unconcious, but is expected to survive. One suspect in the shooting was shot and seriously wounded. He has not been identified. Meanwhile, San Diego police SWAT officers are storming a house, just half a mile from the shooting, after hours surrounding the house and calling for someone inside named "Marcus" to surrender. A police officer used a bullhorn to urge a man named Marcus to come out of a house on Epsilon Street just west of 41st Street.

The officer said, "We're not going anywhere. It has been a really long night. I'm worried about you. I haven't heard from you for a while. "I need to hear from you. You need to talk to me. Your sister ... is really scared. What should I tell her? It's not fair to have your sister so worried about you." Officers fired repeated gas bombs into the home, which had an armored SWAT vehicle in the driveway. A prisoner could be seen in the back of a patrol car. Police said a remotely controlled robot searched the house and found no one inside, but could not open a closet. A few moments later, the officer could be heard on the bullhorn saying, "Hey Marcus. We hear you coughing in there. Come on out." The standoff has been continuing for several hours.

Original Story

A traffic stop late Thursday night led to a shooting that killed a San Diego police officer and wounded a second officer and a suspect in Southcrest, where police searched for hours for other possible suspects. The names and service history of the male officers, both part of the department's gang suppression unit, were not released. The slain officer suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at a hospital despite life-saving efforts, San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman said early Friday. The wounded officer underwent surgery early Friday and was expected to survive. The male suspect, who had been shot, was being treated at a hospital, Zimmerman said. His name was not released. Police offered few details about how the shooting unfolded. The two officers had pulled over a vehicle about 11 p.m. somewhere in the area of Acacia Grove Way and 38th Street. Immediately after, they called for emergency cover.

Other officers were in the area and arrived swiftly. They found the two officers suffering from gunshot wounds to the upper torso. The critically injured officer was rushed to a hospital in a police vehicle. "Despite heroic efforts by officers on scene and heroic efforts by doctors to save his life, I'm heartbroken to report they were unable to save him, and he is deceased," Zimmerman said outside Scripps Mercy Hospital, where the mood was tense and somber. Outside the main entrance, some officers could be seen hugging one another. Others stood stoically, guarding the hospital doors. Zimmerman escorted several people into the hospital. Zimmerman later said she had gone to the home of the slain officer and notified his wife, two children and extended family members who were at the home. "It is extremely difficult, but something you have to do," Zimmerman said, joined by other department leaders. "There's nothing that prepares you to do that." The wife of the critically injured officer was beside him at UC San Diego Medical Center as he underwent surgery, Zimmerman said.

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[waltky]

Wonder if the suspect has died?...

Ukraine Police Officer Spit on by Suspect Dies
August 1, 2016 - Kiev Police Officer Arina Koltsova was arresting a suspect with tuberculosis when he spit on her.

A police officer in Kiev, Ukraine has died after she contracted a deadly disease after a suspect spit in her face during an arrest earlier this year. Officer Arina Koltsova was arresting a suspect on New Year's Day when the man -- who had tuberculosis -- spit on her, according to The Daily Mail.

Officer Arina Koltsova​

Officials said that the 35-year-old officer was unaware that she had been infected and remained untreated until she collapsed at work. She was diagnosed with the infectious lung disease and was forced into treatment. Koltsova underwent chemotherapy and was being fed food through an IV drip before her death. Her on-duty partner, Officer Mikhail Kindrakevich, said in a statement that the chemotherapy caused her to become severely undernourished.

Koltsova died on July 25 and was buried in Kiev two days later. "This is an irreplaceable loss for the whole of Kiev police, fond memories of Arina will remain in our hearts forever," the Kiev Police Department said in a statement. Tributes have flooded in for Kolsova, who was well-known in the Ukrainian capital after pictures of her good looks circulated online.

Ukraine Police Officer Dies After Suspect Spit on Her | Officer.com

 

[waltky]

DOJ releases report on police killed in the line of duty...

DOJ releases report on officers killed in the line of duty
August 10, 2016 The Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced its report Deadly Calls and Fatal Encounters, which was produced by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) and funded by the COPS Office and provides analysis of 684 cases involving line-of-duty deaths over a five-year period (2010-2014).

The purpose of this report is to identify the situations that present officers the most risk and make recommendations to enhance officer safety. For example, this report found that calls related to domestic disputes and domestic-related incidents resulted in the highest number of officer fatalities. The study also concluded that there are high risks associated with traffic stops.

“As President Obama has repeatedly stated, ‘Officers deserve to go home at the end of their shifts,’” said COPS Office Director Ronald Davis. “This invaluable report is designed to help us understand the risk that law enforcement officers face and to help us develop best practices to reduce officer fatalities.”

The report provides three steps that law enforcement agencies can immediately implement: encourage officers to slow down when responding to calls (specifically, Officer Needs Assistance calls), wear seatbelts, and wear issued body armor.

The COPS Office, headed by Director Ronald Davis, is a federal agency responsible for advancing community policing nationwide. Since 1995, the COPS Office has invested more than $14 billion to advance community policing, including grants awarded to more than 13,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to fund the hiring and redeployment of more than 127,000 officers and provide a variety of knowledge resource products including publications, training, and technical assistance. For additional information about the COPS Office, please visit www.cops.usdoj.gov. Deadly Calls and Fatal Encounters, is available here: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund: Deadly Calls and Fatal Encounters.

DOJ releases report on officers killed in the line of duty

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Ark. Sheriff's Deputy Succumbs to Wounds
August 10, 2016 - Sebastian County Sheriff's Deputy Bill Cooper died Wednesday afternoon after he and Hackett Police Chief Darrell Spells were shot by a gunman.\

A Sebastian County, Arkansas Sheriff's deputy has died after he and a police chief were shot and wounded Wednesday morning. Deputy Bill Cooper and Hackett Police Chief Darrell Spells responded to a family disturbance around 7:15 a.m. near the intersection of Highway 253 and Boone Road when the shooting occured, according to KFSM-TV.

Deputy Bill Cooper​

Both law enforcement officers were taken to Sparks Hospital in Fort Smith where Cooper was taken off life support Wednesday afternoon and was pronounced dead at 1:15 p.m. Spells was reportedly grazed by a bullet to his head and was treated and released shortly after 10:30 a.m.

After a manhunt that lasted for about an hour, the suspect -- identified as Billy Monroe Jones -- was found barricaded inside a home on 4722 Highway 253 before officers were able to talk him into coming out of the home peacefully with his hands up. He has since been booked into the Crawford County Jail. Officials said that Jones had negative feelings toward law enforcement officers.

Arkansas Sheriff's Deputy Succumbs to Wounds | Officer.com

 

[yiostheoy]

This will all spawn a new type of serial killer -- Negroes.

Negroes rarely become serial killers. But in this case being filled with rage and a terrible resolve, we could be seeing more of them.

 

[waltky]

Tennessee Undercover Agent Killed during an undercover drug operation...

Tennessee Undercover Agent Shot and Killed
August 10, 2016 - Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Special Agent De'Greaun Frazier was shot to death Tuesday afternoon during an undercover drug operation.

A former Millington police officer who left the department earlier this year to join the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation was shot to death Tuesday afternoon during an undercover drug operation in Jackson, Tennessee. Authorities identified the agent as De'Greaun Frazier, who becomes the first TBI officer killed in the line of duty in that agency's history. Frazier, who lived in the Cordova area, was a police officer with the University of Memphis from 2006-2010. He then joined the Millington Police Department in 2010 and remained there until his February resignation. Frazier was also a reserve officer with the Shelby County Sheriff's Office. According to TBI Director Mark Gwyn, Frazier was in the car with an informant and another man conducting an undercover drug purchase. The other man, sitting in the back seat, pulled a gun in a robbery attempt and shot once, striking Frazier, Gwyn said. Frazier, 35, was pronounced dead at Jackson-Madison County Hospital. The suspect was captured nearby. "Agent Frazier was exactly what we look for in a TBI agent: hardworking, enthusiastic and dedicated to making Tennessee a better place to live," Gwyn said. "We are deeply saddened by his death and will work aggressively to investigate this case to the fullest."

Millington Public Safety Director Gary Graves said Tuesday that Frazier had been assigned to several divisions, including investigations and the canine unit. He also served with the local Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force. "This is very, very rough," Graves said. "With all of the police shootings that have gone on, it affects the officers. But this one was close to home." Millington Police Insp. Rita Stanback got to know Frazier during his six years with the department, she said Tuesday, adding that Frazier had long wanted to work for the TBI. "We'd talk about the job that he did. He loved doing police work. He always wanted to climb the ladder. TBI was one of the jobs that he talked about doing. He would take any kind of training that he could get that would help move forward. He wanted to work for TBI, to be a TBI agent," she said. "Even though he's gone, he wasn't forgotten. He's still a part of our family here."

Special Agent De'Greaun Frazier​

Millington Insp. Reggie Fields said Frazier leaves behind a wife and two young children. "He was at my office about two weeks ago, and he was showing us new photos of the latest child in his family. That child was less than a year old," Fields said. "Dee Frazier was the best of the best." State Sen. Mark Norris, R-Collierville, said he was briefed on the incident before the TBI press conference. "We mourn this terrible loss," Norris said in a statement. "West Tennessee has lost one of her own. Agent Frazier gave his life in the line of duty doing what our crime fighters do every day -- risking their lives to keep us safe. He has not died in vain. The war on drugs continues, and we will redouble our efforts to win."

Around 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jackson resident Candice Washington, 34, said she heard about four shots from Brianfield Cove and fell to her kitchen floor. When she got up, she looked out and saw a black Navigator stopped in front of her residence. Washington said she got close to the car and saw the agent appeared to be shot in the side of the head near his ear. She said the man standing outside the car told her to back up, saying he was an agent. Both men were in plain clothes, she said. "I saw a black male inside of the Navigator," Washington said. "He looked like he had been shot. His eyes were rolled back and his head was limp." Gwyn said the operation was no different from ones the TBI conducts daily. "I have agents all across this state every day doing what Agent Frazier was doing," the TBI director said. "All you can do is pray they go home safely. Today, that prayer wasn't answered, unfortunately."

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Texas Officer Severely Injured in Crash Dies
August 9, 2016 - Amarillo Police Officer Justin Scherlen, who was severely injured in an on-duty crash last year, has died.

Officer Justin Scherlen was on vacation with his family in New Mexico last Thursday at the time of his death, according to The Globe-News. While an autopsy into the cause of the 39-year-old's death is pending, officials said that it is likely connected to the September 2015 wreck. "The only thing we can assume is that it is due to his accident that happened while he was on duty," Dirk Swope of the Texas Panhandle 100 Club told the newspaper, adding that the 100 Club "will be assisting the family in some way, shape or form. We're trying to figure out the best way to go about that."

Officer Justin Scherlen​

Scherlen was traveling west on Southwest 34th Avenue near the intersection of South Georgia Street on September 8 when a Jeep driven by Brian David Moody crossed the center lane and collided head-on with the officer's cruiser. Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to extricate Scherlen from the vehicle and he was transported to Northwest Texas Hospital with numerous broken bones and traumatic injuries. He underwent multiple surgeries and physical rehabilitation following the crash.

Scherlen was awarded the law enforcement Purple Heart award the following November for injuries sustained while on duty. The 12-year member of the force is survived by his wife and four children.

Texas Officer Severely Injured in Crash Dies | Officer.com

 

[waltky]

New Mexico Police Officer Fatally Shot in Neck During Traffic Stop...

New Mexico Police Officer Fatally Shot During Traffic Stop
August 13, 2016 - Hatch Police Officer Jose Chavez was died Friday after being shot in the neck during a traffic stop.

Officials took three suspects into custody hours earlier and said they were allegedly responsible for the officer shooting as well as a carjacking and shooting another man at a rest stop off Interstate 25 in a crime spree that triggered a massive manhunt. The slain officer was Jose Chavez, 33, a two-year veteran of the Hatch Police Department. Nuñez said he learned of Chavez’s death through police Chief Trey Gimler, who was with Chavez’s family at University Medical Center in El Paso. “He told me, ‘Mayor, he didn't make it,’” Nuñez told the Sun-News shortly after 9:30 p.m. Friday.

The nearly four-hour episode started to unfold when Chavez pulled over a gray Lexus on Franklin Street at 3:41 p.m., according to Kelly Jameson, spokeswoman for the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office. “During the traffic stop, a passenger who was in that vehicle reportedly exited the vehicle and fired shots at the officer,” Jameson said, adding that another officer had witnessed the shooting and called “on the radio that we had an officer down.” The Associated Press reported that the officer had been struck in the neck.

Dona Ana County officials have not identified the suspects. However, a newspaper in Ohio has linked two Ohio fugitives to Friday's shooting. James D. Nelson II and Jesse Hanes are wanted in Ohio in connection to the July shooting death of 62-year-old Londonderry, Ohio, resident, Theodore Timmons, the Chillicothe Gazette reported. After calling for medical help, the officer who witnessed the shooting in Hatch began to chase the occupants in the gray Lexus, who had fled from the scene, Jameson said. The chase, along southbound I-25, reached speeds in excess of 100 mph, and the officer was unable to “catch up to that vehicle,” she said.

Arthur Cox, a senior at New Mexico State University, said he was driving south on I-25, heading to Las Cruces, when he spotted the gray Lexus driving erratically around 3:45 p.m. near mile maker 37. The Lexus, Cox said, was coming from behind his vehicle and was “weaving around traffic.” It passed him and “came within inches of hitting me.” After the Lexus passed Cox’s vehicle, it went on the shoulder of the interstate and drove between a semitrailer and the traffic barrier, said Cox, who reported the vehicle to authorities after it exited the interstate. According to Jameson, the Lexus exited I-25 at the rest stop near Radium Springs. “The suspects abandoned the vehicle they were in and reportedly carjacked a red Chevrolet Cruze at the rest area and allegedly shot the driver of that car,” Jameson said.

The driver of Chevrolet Cruze also was transported to UMC, she said. The driver's condition is unknown. “We know that the suspects in the red Chevrolet Cruze from the rest stop went to N.M. 185,” she said. “Deputies who were alerted to that car spotted and gave chase once again.” Authorities were able to deflate the vehicle’s tires with “stop sticks,” Jameson said, but the driver was able to turn the vehicle into a residence in the 23000 block of N.M. 185. “The suspect was unable to control that vehicle, and it crashed into a pile of wood and came to rest,” she said. Deputies had to “coaxed” the driver out of the vehicle, Jameson said. Deputies observed the driver was suffering from a gunshot wound to his thigh. He was taken into custody around 5 p.m. and was transported to a hospital for medical attention. The two other suspects were captured before 7 p.m. in the 2400 block of Rincon.

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[waltky]

Georgia officer killed while responding to emergency call...

US police officer killed in Georgia responding to emergency call
14 Aug 2016 : A police officer was fatally shot while responding to a call about a suspicious person near an intersection in southern Georgia, police said on Sunday.

Patrol Officer Tim Smith, 31, was called to a neighbourhood in Eastman Georgia, a small city about 130 miles (210 km) south of Atlanta, at about 9:30 p.m. local time on Saturday, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement.

Smith arrived at the area and encountered an individual, the statement said. "Officer Smith exited his patrol car to investigate and was shot by the individual," it said. Smith returned gunfire, but the suspect fled the scene.

The officer was transported to a local hospital, where he died. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is seeking tips to identify and find the assailant, it said. It did not release information about a possible motive for the attack.

US police officer killed in Georgia responding to emergency call

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Georgia Police Officer Fatally Shot by Gunman
August 14, 2016 - Eastman Police Officer Tim Smith was responding to a call about a suspicious person when he was fatally shot by a gunman Saturday night.

An Eastman police officer was shot and killed in the line of duty Saturday night. Tim Smith, 31, was shot after answering a call at about 9:30 p.m., according to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation release.

Smith was answering a call about a suspicious person at the intersection of Smith and Main streets. He encountered the individual, the release stated, and was shot by that person. Smith returned fire and the shooter fled the scene. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died.

The shooting happened on the east side of the rail line that runs through the middle of town, not far from the Chic-King restaurant. Eastman, the county seat of Dodge County, is home to about 5,500 residents. It lies about 55 miles southeast of Macon.

Georgia Police Officer Shot and Killed by Gunman | Officer.com

 

[waltky]

Thousands turn out for slain Arkansas Sheriff's Deputy Cpl. Bill Cooper...

Thousands Honor Slain Ark. Sheriff's Deputy
August 17, 2016 - Thousands of law enforcement officers gathered on Tuesday paid their final respect to Sebastian County Deputy Cpl. Bill Cooper who was killed Aug. 10 in an early morning shootout.

More than 3,000 people crowded into the Fort Smith Convention Center, including Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Sen. John Boozman and state Attorney General Leslie Rutledge. Sebastian County Sheriff Bill Hollenbeck told the people gathered that Cooper was a law enforcement officer who could be counted on to "stand the gap," that is, to face any battle with courage and integrity and always to show loyalty to fellow officers, "I want our community to know about the amount of sacrifices that our law enforcement and first responders give every single day," Hollenbeck said. "I am amazed by the professionalism and strength and self-control exercised daily by law enforcement officers throughout our land."

An estimated 3,300 people, most wearing blue to show support for law enforcement, green to support the Sebastian County Sheriff's Office and black to represent mourning, attended the funeral service, said Jeremy Richey, of the Convention Center staff. Those who attended listened to speakers including Hutchinson, Hollenbeck, Lt. Philip Pevehouse, and pastor Allen Tedford, the former Sheriff's Office chaplain. Residents in the community lined Rogers Avenue to honor Cooper while in route to final burial place. The procession lasted more than one hour, as more than 650 patrol cars, nearly 100 first-repsonder vehicles including firefighters and paramedics, as well as hundreds of bikers and some community members lined up, and slowly progressed down the road. "I am extremely proud of our department in the way that we've handled this horrible situation. I am also extremely proud of other law enforcement agencies... for the assistance they provided... that assistance has been remarkable," Hollenbeck added.

Cooper is one of 38 law enforcement personnel in the nation who died while serving their community during 2016. "As a nation, it's a time for reflection, as a state, it's a time of gratitude for those who serve and protect, as a law enforcement family, it's a time of mourning... . I had to make the difficult call when the alarm sounded, 'Officer down,'" Hutchinson said. "One thing I learned from this experience is there's not a greater sense of unity, of loyalty and family than those who are called to serve and protect." Hutchinson added, "... Bill Cooper was a family man with a loving wife and son," Hutchinson said. "He was a friend to those who knew him. He was not particular of who he served because he believed that he served all in need. He responded to every call."

During the funeral, Pevehouse said, "We will miss his smile. We will have to get used to a life without his positive attitude and his service, which is still speaking even though he has passed from this life to the next ... . Cpl. Cooper left us a legacy of a warrior." Sebastian County Prosecuting Attorney Daniel Shue attended and said, "Corporal Bill Cooper was an outstanding law enforcement officer and a very kind, decent man. He was a peace officer in almost every sense of the term and my entire office mourns his passing." Thirteen deputies from each Washington County and Crawford County Sheriff's Offices were sent to the Sebastian County Detention Center to work so that Cooper's co-workers could attend his funeral, a deputy said.

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[waltky]

Domestic violence call results in officer's slaying...

Tennessee Police Officer Killed in Shooting
August 26, 2016 - Maryville Police Officer Kenny Moats was shot and killed while answering a domestic violence call.

A nine-year veteran of the Maryville Police Department has been identified as the officer killed Thursday after he was shot while answering a domestic violence call. Kenny Moats, 32, was pronounced dead at the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, according to a Maryille Police Department news release Friday. Moats, who was wearing a bullet-resistant vest, was struck by a single bullet to his neck when the suspect opened fire shortly after the officer arrived at the scene. The father of three joined the police department in February 2007 and had served as a drug enforcement agent with the fifth Judicial District Drug Task Force since May. Moats was a "stellar" officer, and was named as a Readers' Choice Police Officer by the Maryville Daily Times newspaper in 2011, according to Maryville Police Chief Tony Crisp.

Since January, Moats also had served as president of the Fraternal Order of Police — Bud Allison Memorial Lodge #9. "We are humbled by the outpouring of love and support from the community and beyond," Crisp said in a statement. "We will forever be grateful for the care our community has shown the family of Officer Moats and the law enforcement community. "We know this tragedy will bring our community closer together and that will be a lasting legacy of Officer Moats. We just ask that our community continue to pray for the family of Officer Moats and for the men and women in uniform as we go through this trying time." The shooter, identified as Brian Keith Stalans, 44, was taken into custody and is being held for investigation pending charges that will likely be placed on him Friday, according to the Blount County Sheriff's Office. The shooting happened around 4 p.m. near the corner of Kerrway Lane and Alcoa Trail, Crisp said.

Officer Kenny Moats​

Sheriff's deputies had responded to an earlier domestic disturbance at the home about 10:45 a.m. Thursday involving Stalans and his father. "At the time, deputies did not have probable cause to arrest Brian Stalans," according to a BCSO news release. The Maryville officer and a Blount County Sheriff's Office deputy, both members of the 5th Judicial District Drug Task Force, responded to the second call, which "involved a gun," Blount County Sheriff James Berrong said. Another unit had been dispatched, but the narcotics team was in the area and responded to the call, authorities said. The law enforcement officers parked their car at a residence about 70 yards behind the house from which the call originated, the news release states. Once on the scene, investigators took the victim, who is Stalans' father, to a safe area. The officers then positioned themselves behind their vehicle waiting on help to arrive while watching the house when Stalans opened fire on them from his father's garage, according to the release.

The other investigator, a Blount County deputy, returned fire on Stalans. A second Blount County deputy arrived on the scene during this time and returned fire on Stalans. The deputies took Stalans into custody and he was transported to the Blount County Detention Facility. The two Blount County deputies, whose names have not been released, are currently on administrative leave with pay. Zack Wooldridge, who lives nearby, said he heard the gun battle break out. "It was definitely more than one shot — multiple gunshots," he said. Knoxville police escorted the ambulance carrying the officer on the drive to the hospital along Alcoa Highway. Deputies remained at the shooting scene into the night, with much of the road closed, while deputies from neighboring Loudon and Anderson counties helped out with patrols.

His voice wavering during the news conference, Crisp said the officer had been with the Maryville Police Department for "several years." "He had recently been assigned to the narcotics unit," Crisp said. The last time a Maryville police officer was killed on duty was more than three decades ago on Feb. 21, 1981, when John Michael Callahan II was struck by a drunken driver while riding his patrol motorcycle on Merritt Road, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, which tracks police deaths in the line of duty. Crisp said officers of the department will lean on one another for support in the days to come. "We live in a great place, and we're not immune to tragic events like this," Crisp said. "We're grateful for our city, and this is a sad day for our city. We ask all people to join in our prayers." Nationwide, 75 officers have died in the line of duty so far this year, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Foundation website. Four of those deaths had been reported in Tennessee as of earlier this week. The state is tied with California for third in the nation, according to the foundation.

Tennessee Police Officer Killed in Shooting | Officer.com

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Ohio Police K-9's Killer Gets 45 Years in Prison
August 25, 2016 - Kelontre D. Barefield pleaded guilty to a list of charges stemming from multiple court cases, including the fatal shooting of Canton K-9 Jethro.

The man who sparked national outrage when he shot and killed a Canton police dog during a burglary in January was sentenced Wednesday to 45 years in prison.

Kelontre D. Barefield, 23, pleaded guilty to a list of charges stemming from multiple court cases on Wednesday. Specific to K-9 Jethro's death, Barefield was sentenced to six years -- the maximum allowed by state law. Jethro was among a group of officers, including his handler Ryan Davis, who responded to a burglary in Canton on Jan. 9. Barefield fired at officers and injured the dog with four gunshot wounds. Jethro, who was trained as an attack dog, died after a daylong struggle to recover.

Kelontre D. Barefield, left, and Canton Police K-9 Jethro​

The canine's death drew hundreds to a public funeral in Canton. Many police from in- and out-of-state attended the service with their own police dogs. State lawmakers responded to the national outrage against Barefield by introducing legislation to strengthen the sentence for killing police dogs.

Stark County Common Pleas Judge Kristin G. Farmer labeled Barefield's crimes as "intolerable" and accused him of putting at risk the "safety and security" of the public and police, according to the Canton Repository. She defended her sentence by pointing out Jethro's death, Barefield's firing at police officers and the "terror" he inflicted via his crimes.

Ohio K-9's Killer Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison | Officer.com

 

[waltky]

The second on-duty death of an officer in the state in less than a month...

New Mexico Officer Killed During Foot Pursuit
September 2, 2016 - Alamogordo Police Officer Clint Corvinus was shot and killed Friday morning during a foot pursuit of a man with multiple warrants.

An Alamogordo police officer was shot and killed Friday morning during a foot pursuit of a man with multiple warrants, making it the second on-duty death of an officer in the state in less than a month. In a statement, Gov. Susana Martinez said she was “so very saddened” by the officer’s death and that violence against law enforcement in the state must end. Alamogordo Police Chief Daron Syling, in a news conference, said the officer, 33-year-old Clint Corvinus, was struck by gunfire Friday morning and died from his injuries at Gerald Champion Regional Medical Center. He was a four and a half year veteran of the Alamogordo Police Department and was a field training officer at the time of the incident. Corivinus also had an 8-year-old daughter. Syling asked everyone to “be respectful of the family’s privacy at this time.” The suspect, Joseph Moreno, 38, also was shot and pronounced dead at the scene.

Corvinus was one of two Alamogordo officers patrolling the area of the 600 Block of South Florida Avenue when he made contact with Moreno, who had three active warrants for his arrest, according to Alamogordo police. As officers made contact, Moreno fled and that is when shots were fired. State Police and additional Alamogordo officers responded to the shooting scene near the White Sands Trailer Park around 8:30 a.m. Court records show Moreno had a driving while intoxicated conviction and multiple other arrests. His first arrest was more than a decade ago and records show that he has been in and out of jail and prison ever since. The Department of Corrections said that Moreno had been released from prison in February 2015 for time served. Court records show he was picked up in 2013 for being a felon in possession of a firearm and a habitual offender. He was arrested last year, in August, on charges of possessing narcotics. Moreno was scheduled to go to trial on those charges in December. He also served time for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and injury to livestock.

Officer Clint Corvinus​

Later Friday, mourners began placing flowers, notes, an American flag and stuffed animals in an impromptu memorial for the officer outside the police department in the town of about 31,000 some 200 miles south of Albuquerque. “I am again so very saddened to see that yet another courageous law enforcement officer has been killed in the line of duty,” Martinez said in a statement. “The violence against our police officers has to end, and we must do everything we can to stand up for those who put their lives on the line every single day to protect us.” Within hours of the shooting, law enforcement across the state expressed condolences for Corvinus’ fellow officers and family. Flags were being flown at half-staff outside the Alamogordo police department. U.S. Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., said, in a statement, “I’m heartbroken to hear about the tragic death of Officer Clint Corvinus, who was killed today in the line of duty. My deepest sympathies go out to his family, friends, and the Alamogordo Police Department. New Mexico stands with the entire Otero County community during this difficult time.”

U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., said, “As the Alamogordo community grieves the loss of Officer Corvinus, we must pray for all our nation’s officers that patrol our streets to keep us safe. My condolences and prayers are with Officer Corvinus’s family, friends, and with the Alamogordo Police Department.” Attorney General Hector Balderas offered: “Rest in peace Officer Corvinus, your service and sacrifice to protect New Mexico families will never be forgotten.” The officer’s death comes three weeks after authorities say an Ohio fugitive gunned down Officer Jose Chavez during a traffic stop in Hatch, a village about 100 miles west of Alamogordo that’s known for its green chile crop. The suspect in that shooting, Jesse Hanes, was arrested after a dramatic car pursuit, a carjacking and the shooting of a bystander whose car Hanes stole, police said. He has been charged by prosecutors in Doña Ana County with Chavez’s death.

New Mexico Officer Killed During Foot Pursuit of Suspect | Officer.com

 

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Slain Russian officer Magomed Nurbagandov to be awarded Posthumous medal for courage in the face of death...

'Carry Out Your Duty, Brothers': Police Officer to Be Awarded Posthumously
12.09.2016 - The Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Russian Republic of Dagestan has announced that junior lieutenant of police Magomed Nurbagandov will be awarded posthumously for courage in the face of death.

The policeman was killed on July 10, 2016 during a militants' attack on local residents resting on a picnic in the forest nearby Sergokala settlement. The gunmen shot to death Magomed and his cousin Abdurashid Nurbagandov having discovered their police identification cards. The militants' actions are perceived to be a deliberate revenge on law enforcement. The video of murder was uploaded on social media soon afterwards, but the militants had cut the episode showing the officer's courageous behavior from the footage.

On August 7 the National Antiterrorism Committee (NAC) reported that six militants including the head of a local armed gang had been killed in Dagestan during two separate Special Forces raids. Three militants were neutralized in Izberbash and three more in Makhachkala. According to the NAC, the killed fighters were involved in terrorism-related crimes, including an August attack on road police and the July 10 shooting in which Nurbagandov was killed. The full version of the video was discovered in the cell phone that belonged to one of the militants. In the video one of the militants reads from Magomed Nurbagandov's police id card and asks if the card is his. Magomed, while being held at gunpoint, admits that the card belongs to him.

The militant then demands that Magomed looks in the camera and tells his fellow police officers to abandon their duty. "Carry out your duty, brothers," Nurbagandov says looking straight in the camera, "What else you expect me to say?" He then asks the gunman. The officer was reportedly shot in his head a minute afterwards. Dagestan MIA said in a statement that Nurbagandov died a heroic death and that he will be recommended for a posthumous decoration.

'Carry Out Your Duty, Brothers': Police Officer to Be Awarded Posthumously

 

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Wounded N.C. officer dies from shooting injury...

North Carolina Officer Critically Wounded
September 10, 2016 - Shelby Police Officer Tim Brackeen was listed in critical but stable condition after he was shot early Saturday morning while looking for a man who had outstanding arrest warrants.

Officer Tim Brackeen, 38, was shot at about 12:20 a.m. while looking for a person on Park View Street who had outstanding arrest warrants, Shelby Police Chief Jeff Ledford said. Shortly after arriving on the scene, officers in the area heard shots fired. When they went to Brackeen's location, they found he had been injured, Ledford said.

Brackeen was taken to Carolinas HealthCare System Cleveland in Shelby and then to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Police obtained warrants charging Irving Lucien Fenner Jr., 23, with attempted murder. His last known address is 2506 Blacksburg Road in Grover, Ledord said.

Officer Tim Brackeen​

The State Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the case, Ledford said. Anyone with information on Fenner's whereabouts is asked to call the Shelby Police Department at (704) 484-6845 or CrimeStoppers at (704) 481-TIPS (8477).

Brackeen has been with the department since July 2004 and is currently a canine officer, Ledford said. He is married and has a daughter. "At this time, our department asks for everyone to keep Officer Brackeen, his family and the entire department in their thoughts and prayers," the chief said.

North Carolina Officer Critically Wounded in Shooting | Officer.com

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Shot North Carolina Police Officer Dies
September 12, 2016 - Shelby Police Officer Tim Brackeen died Monday morning after he was shot by a suspect early Saturday while attempting to serve warrants.

Brackeen, 38, leaves behind a wife, Mikel, and one daughter, Daphne. "I wanted to let you all know that Officer Brackeen passed away this morning. Please keep everyone in your prayers," Shelby Police Chief Jeff Ledford shared in an email on Monday. On Saturday morning at 12:21 a.m., Brackeen was looking for 23-year-old Irving Lucien Fenner Jr., to serve outstanding warrants on him. He reportedly found Fenner at 212 Gidney St., near Bethel Baptist Church, in Shelby, police said. The two struggled outside the home, and Brackeen was shot in the chest, Ledford said.

Other officers arriving on the scene heard the sound of gunfire, and when they went to Bracken's location, they found him outside the home and injured, Ledford said Saturday. Brackeen was wearing his bulletproof vest at the time of the shooting. Brackeen was taken to Carolinas HealthCare System-Cleveland and then taken to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Fenner is charged with attempted murder related to the shooting.

Brackeen was with the Shelby Police Department since July 2004 and was assigned as a K-9 officer for the department with his partner "Ciko." Brackeen is known in the Shelby community for the classes and demonstrations he had done with his partner, Ciko, Ledford said. Because of his work with the community, the department has seen an outpouring of people wanting to help Brackeen's family and the department. Brackeen was awarded Officer of the Year in 2012. Mayor Stan Anthony gave the award to Brackeen. "He is such a good guy and so thoughtful. He is everything you'd want in a police officer. It's so hard to see something like this happen to him," Anthony said on Saturday.

Wounded North Carolina Police Officer Dies | Officer.com

 

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‘When you help one of your brothers and sisters in blue, you don’t deserve an award for that. It’s what you do.’ - Sgt. Robert Zagajeski

The untold drama behind the murder of Officer Randolph Holder
September 16, 2016 | The heroic officer who brought down this alleged cop-killer; Slain cop's stepmom curses out accused killer in court; Slain officers honored at Manhattan ceremony; Accused cop killer skips court date because he found Allah

“Breathe, breathe!!” Sgt. Robert Zagajeski remembers shouting as he used a knife to slice through the clothing of Officer Randolph Holder. Zagajeski doesn’t see himself as any kind of hero — that honor, he says, belongs forever to Holder, the courageous NYPD officer shot dead in East Harlem last year while chasing a drug dealer, and whose life he couldn’t save. But on Thursday, Zagajeski was honored as a hero all the same, as one of eight “Sergeants of the Year.” “I don’t feel comfortable about getting any award, to be honest,” he told the Post after the ceremony. “What award do you deserve for just doing your job?” he said. “You shouldn’t get an award for that. There’s a lot of cops on that scene who each contributed to trying to help officer Holder.”

The award brought back grim memories of the frantic night of Oct. 20, 2015. Zagajeski and his anti-crime team from the 25th precinct responded to a radio transmission of shots fired at East 120th Street and FDR Drive. He drove to try and head off suspected shooter Tyrone Howard. Then he saw Howard face down and cuffed by fellow cops on the FDR at 125th Street. Zagajeski recalled spinning his car around and speeding into FDR traffic down to 120th Street. There he saw Holder’s partner, Officer Omar Wallace, who’d shot the fleeing gangbanger suspect, though only enough to slow the perp down. “My partner got hit and the perp went this way!” shouted Wallace, who was still searching for him on foot and pointing northbound.

Zagajeski told Wallace not to worry — Howard was in custody. Then he jumped over a railing to get to Holder, who was face down on an overpass. “As we went up to him, we rolled him over and we saw that he sustained a gunshot wound to the head,” the sergeant recalled. There was nothing they could do to save him. Zagajeski would help lift the mortally wounded officer into the back of an emergency vehicle. He drove alongside that vehicle to clear traffic, then pumped Holder’s chest as he was being carried into the hospital. Days later, Zagajeski was back on the job. And on Thursday, he was recognized for his efforts. “We get knocked down, but we have to keep going forward because there are good people like Randy that put his life on the line, who put himself in the direct line of fire from the person who shot at somebody,” Zagajeski said after the ceremony.

“When you help one of your brothers and sisters in blue, you don’t deserve an award for that,” he continued. “It’s what you do.” Holder is the true hero and a continued inspiration to him, he said. “Instead of running away from the danger, he met it head on. He and his partner met it head on. And unfortunately, he lost his life. He’s a hero. “Who are we to stop now?” he added. “We have to do what he [did], keep going. Keep going into that danger and protecting people in these communities we serve.” Howard is being held without bail awaiting trial; his next date in Manhattan Supreme Court is Sept. 27.

The untold drama behind the murder of Officer Randolph Holder | New York Post

 

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Detroit officer dies from shotgun blast...

Detroit Police Sergeant Seriously Wounded
September 13, 2016 - A man being sought amid a crime spree shot a Detroit police sergeant in the shoulder Monday night on the city's east side but was arrested without any other shots being fired.

The sergeant is hospitalized in serious condition. He was hit in the shoulder by a shotgun blast about 11 p.m. near 7 Mile and Hayes, but he is expected to recover, said Detroit police Sgt. Michael Woody. About three other officers were at the scene and arrested the 21-year-old suspect without returning fire, police said. "At some point, the suspect did drop the weapon and was taken into custody," Woody said.

Detroit police sergeant in serious condition after being shot​

The incident comes in a year of several high-profile police-involved shootings in the United States, many of which the civilian suspects were shot. "This is a different police department than the rest of the country," Woody said. "That just goes to our training and our tactics."

Detroit police had been seeking the man since Sunday night, when Woody said he "began a crime spree" that included carjacking multiple people and weapons offenses. "We had been looking for him all throughout the day and night when we had received some information that he was at a location on the east side," Woody said. "Officers including the sergeant went over there to investigate and apprehend. When they arrived on scene, he saw them. He fled on foot, and a brief foot pursuit ensued." Woody said the man is police custody in Detroit.

Detroit Police Sergeant Seriously Wounded in Shooting | Officer.com

Related:

Wounded Detroit Police Sergeant Dies of Injuries
September 17, 2016 - Sgt. Kenneth Steil, who was shot Monday night during a manhunt for a carjacking suspect, succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

A Detroit police sergeant shot earlier this week during a manhunt for a carjacking suspect on the city's east side died from his injuries Saturday, Chief James Craig announced from outside St. John Hospital and Medical Center.[ Sgt. Kenneth Steil's condition was improving this week, Craig said, but it took a turn. "This is certainly a sad day," Craig said as police cars lined Moross outside the hospital. "We lost a hero." A 20-year veteran of the department, Steil, 46, leaves behind a wife and two young children. Craig said he was affectionately known as "Shark," because he was a master diver who would "go 200 feet and swim with the sharks." Steil was hospitalized Monday night in serious condition after he was hit in the shoulder by a shotgun blast about 11 p.m. near 7 Mile and Hayes, according to an earlier Free Press story.

Wounded Detroit Police Sergeant Dies of Injuries​

Craig said he visited with Steil on Friday and talked with the sergeant about the shooting. Craig said that Steil was the kind of officer who "believed in leading from the front." "It was evident on this tragic day," Craig said. After the shooting, two other officers chased the suspect down, tackled him and arrested him without firing any further shots, Detroit Police Director Michael Woody said earlier in the week. Marquise Cromer, 21, was charged this week with one count of assault with intent to murder; one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, one count of possession of a short barrel shot gun; and one count of felony firearm. Those charges are related to the carjacking and assault that preceded the shooting of Steil.

He faces the following charges for the shooting of Steil, though it's possible those charges will be upgraded now that the sergeant has died: one count of assault with intent to murder; one count of resisting and obstructing police officer causing serious impairment; three counts of resisting and obstructing a police officer; one count of possession of a short barrel shotgun; and felony firearm. Cromer faces court dates on Tuesday and Sept. 26. Woody said the manhunt began after the suspect "began a crime spree" Sept. 11 that included carjacking multiple people and weapons offenses. He said the man is suspected of shooting and wounding his own father. "We had been looking for him all throughout the day and night when we had received some information that he was at a location on the east side," Woody said. "Officers including the sergeant went over there to investigate and apprehend. When they arrived on scene, he saw them. He fled on foot, and a brief foot pursuit ensued."

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Corrections Officer Stabbed by Inmate Dies
September 17, 2016 - Corrections Officer Kenneth Bettis died Friday after he was stabbed by an inmate at a prison in Atmore earlier this month.

An Alabama corrections officer died Friday after he was stabbed by an inmate at a prison in Atmore earlier this month. Corrections Officer Kenneth Bettis succumbed to his injuries at 5:35 p.m. at the University of South Alabama Hospital in Mobile, according to AL.com. Officials said that inmate Cleveland Cunningham stabbed Bettis at the dining hall of the William C. Holman Correctional Facility on Sept. 1. Cunningham reportedly attacked Bettis in retaliation for being denied an extra tray of food during the afternoon meal.

Corrections Officer Kenneth Bettis​

Cunningham was charged with attempted murder after the attack. That charge will be upgraded to murder, He was serving a 20-year sectence for a 2013 first-degree robbery charge. "Officer Bettis was known among his colleagues as a firm, but fair corrections officer, and was highly respected for his work ethic and dedicated service to his profession," Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn said.

Gov. Robert Bentley extended his condolences to Bettis' family. "My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Officer Kenneth Bettis during this very difficult time," Bentley said in a statement. "Officer Bettis was a dedicated civil servant taking on the difficult role of corrections officer. I want to thank Officer Bettis and his family for his years of service to the people of Alabama, through his work at Holman Correctional Facility and his time serving in the Alabama Army National Guard." Bettis, who served as a corrections officer at the facility since 2009, was an Army veteran and leaves behind a wife and three children. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Alabama Corrections Officer Stabbed by Inmate Dies | Officer.com

 

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Neighbor kills deputy and daughter in Louisiana...

Deputy and Daughter Killed by Neighbor
September 28, 2016 - Pointe Coupee County Sheriff's Deputy Donna LeBlanc and her daughter, Carli LeBlanc , were killed at their home by a neighbor who then apparently turned the gun on himself.

"Look, we're in the country, in a very quiet area. To think of something like this happening is just unbelievable," Louisiana State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson told reporters Tuesday evening. "It's a horrible situation." Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office spokesman Steve Juge late Tuesday night identified those killed as deputy Donna LeBlanc, 42, her daughter Carli LeBlanc, 20, and Gregory Phillips, 29, who lived across the street. The details of how the shootings unfolded have not yet been disclosed by authorities. "There was some difficulty between the neighbors, and that's all we know at this time," Pointe Coupee Sheriff Bud Torres said.

Donna LeBlanc is the wife of a Louisiana State Trooper. Torres said the couple's younger child placed the 911 call around 4 p.m. to report the shootings. Carli LeBlanc is the daughter of Donna LeBlanc by a prior marriage. Deputies first on the scene found the three bodies in the yard of the family's home. Torres said Donna LeBlanc had a gun in her possession when she was killed. Within 45 minutes of the 911 call, the 14400 block of La. 416 was swarming with law enforcement from the state and sheriff's offices in West Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee parishes. All were visbly shaken.

Pointe Coupee County Sheriff's Deputy Donna LeBlanc, left, and her daughter, Carli LeBlanc​

Edmonson said the state trooper was at a training exercise when he got the call about the incident. His wife, Donna LeBlanc, was a West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's deputy with 22 years of experience. West Baton Rouge Sheriff Mike Cazes could not hold back his tears as he talked to reporters. "She was one of my first deputies to hit the streets after I became sheriff," he said. "I just saw her day before yesterday. Today was her day off. She's gone now."

Pointe Coupee investigators and officials from the State Police Crime Lab remained on the scene well into the night, gathering evidence and piecing together the chain of events leading up to the tragedy. As the investigation moves forward, Edmonson said his department is prepared to step in and help in the grieving process for the trooper. "We'll just counsel him through this," Edmonson said. "You just don't expect things like this to occur."

Louisiana Deputy and Daughter Killed by Neighbor | Officer.com

 

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Officers shot in Calif. and Missouri...

Sheriff: Sergeant Was 'Executed' by Gunman
October 7, 2016 - Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell said that the gunman who killed Sgt. Steve Owen first wounded him, then stood over him and fired four additional rounds into the deputy's body.

A gunman who killed a Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant in Lancaster on Wednesday first wounded him, then stood over him and fired four additional rounds into the lawman's body, Sheriff Jim McDonnell said Thursday. "This was a calculated execution," the sheriff said. The gunman was carrying a stolen weapon and after the shooting unsuccessfully searched Sgt. Steve Owen's body for his handgun "with the intent to use it to murder" another deputy who was arriving to the scene, McDonnell said. Authorities identified the gunman as Trenton Trevon Lovell, a 27-year-old, of Lancaster with a long criminal record.

McDonnell, who refused to speak the suspect's name, said the department first came into contact with him when he was selling marijuana as a juvenile. He was arrested 11 times, including two occasions that resulted in state prison time, the sheriff said. At a news conference Thursday afternoon, McDonnell said it was time for a serious conversation about policies he blamed for allowing the gunman to cycle in and out of custody for years.

Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and medical personnel comfort each other outside the Antelope Valley Medical Center after the fatal shooting of a deputy in Lancaster, Calif.​

Lovell surrendered following a dramatic manhunt in which he tried to steal Owen's cruiser and used it to ram another deputy, then ran into a nearby home, where he took two teenagers hostage. "Here was a guy -- a parolee who was classified as moderate risk," he said. "Yesterday he was parolee walking our streets with a stolen gun. Today he is facing charges of murdering a peace officer." McDonnell spoke after an outpouring of praise for Owen in the Antelope Valley community.

Many mourners gathered Thursday at the Lancaster sheriff's station to pay their respects to a sergeant whom one resident described as "one of the good ones." Just before 8 a.m., Bishop Vaughn stopped at the station to offer prayers for the fallen sergeant. His first encounter with Owen wasn't ideal. It was about eight years ago and the sergeant had arrested him. "That's how long we've been together, partners," Vaughn said. "He brought me a long way." Vaughn now stays at a mental health facility not far from the station.

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Missouri Officer Fatally Shot Answering Call
October 6, 2016 - St. Louis County Police Officer Blake Snyder was answering a call Thursday morning when he was shot "almost immediately" after he exited his car.

A St. Louis County police officer shot "almost immediately" after he got out of his car while answering a call Thursday morning has died, police said. A second officer then shot the suspect, an 18-year-old man who was badly injured. The shooting happened shortly after 5 a.m. in Green Park, said Benjamin Granda, a spokesman for the St. Louis County Police. Green Park is a small city in south St. Louis County northwest of the South County Center mall. Shortly after the shooting, Granda said both the officer and suspect were "in bad shape." Police later said the officer had died. The officer was identified as Blake Snyder, 33. He had been with the department at least four years and leaves behind a wife and 2-year-old son.

In a press conference Thursday morning, St. Louis County Chief Jon Belmar called Snyder a "tremendous police officer" and said it had been a "tough day." St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger offered condolences to the officer's family in a statement Thursday morning. "This demonstrates the extreme danger that first responders face every day" Stenger said in the statement. "Our police have my steadfast support and I pledge to do everything I can to provide them with all the resources they need to ensure their safety. "I ask the residents of St. Louis County and the entire St. Louis Metropolitan area to keep all of our police officers in their thoughts and prayers.”

Officer Blake Snyder

Snyder is the 10th St. Louis County officer to be killed in the line of duty since the department's inception in 1955. The last county officer killed in the line of duty was on Halloween night in 2000, when Sgt. Richard Weinhold, 44, was shot during a disturbance call. Police said officers were called to the area at 5:04 a.m. for a disturbance. A man was banging on the doors of a house and demanding to be let in. The officer radioed back that he had arrived on Arno Drive in Green Park, but nothing else.

When Snyder arrived, the man was apparently sitting in the driver's seat of a car, Belmar said. Snyder couldn't see the man's hands and apparently ordered the man to show them, Belmar said. That's when the man pulled a gun and shot Snyder. Authorities said that all happened within minutes of the original call, at an hour when it was still dark out. Police aren't looking for any additional suspects.

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2 officers shot and killed in Palm Springs, Calif....

Two police officers killed in Palm Springs, California shooting
Sat Oct 8, 2016 | Two police officers were shot and killed on Saturday in the Southern California desert town of Palm Springs after they were called to an apparent domestic dispute and came under fire as they arrived on the scene, according to police and eyewitness accounts.

A third officer was wounded in the shooting around 1 p.m. local time, Palm Springs police said in online bulletins. The officers who were killed were identified as Jose Vega, a 35-year veteran, and Lesley Zerebny, who had been an officer for about a year and a half.

Police officers are shown near their armored vehicles during a standoff where three officers were shot by a suspect in Palm Springs, California​

Dozens of police officers swarmed the scene of the shooting, which unfolded in a residential neighborhood of Palm Springs, a normally placid resort community about 100 miles east of Los Angeles. A suspect in the shooting was believed to be holed up inside a house surrounded by police in tactical gear, with an armored assault vehicle stationed in front of the house with an officer perched in a turret atop the vehicle.

Armed police officers are shown during a standoff where three officers were shot by a suspect in Palm Springs, California​

A neighbor, Juan Graciano, 67, said he heard angry shouting between a father and son who live at the residence in question before the father emerged from the home, crossed the street and asked another neighbor to call for help.

Police officers from various agencies are shown at their command center during a standoff where three officers were shot by a suspect in Palm Springs, California​

Graciano said the other neighbor apparently called police, who came under fire as they arrived at the home, and that some police returned fire. He said he saw one female officer who appeared to be wounded lying on the ground as fellow officers tried to resuscitate her. "I think he's still inside," Graciano said of the suspected gunman. According to the local Desert Sun newspaper, witnesses reported hearing between 10 and 20 gunshots during the incident.

Two police officers killed in Palm Springs, California shooting

 

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Puerto Rico Officer Killed in drug trafficking investigation Shootout...

Puerto Rico Officer Killed in Shootout
October 17, 2016 - Sgt. Luis A. Meléndez-Maldonado was killed and two other officers were wounded in a shootout last week at a public housing complex last week.

Officers with the Drug Division responded to a public housing complex in Humacao on Oct. 12 as part of drug trafficking investigation when a suspect with a rifle opened fire, according to El Nuevo Dia.

Sgt. Luis A. Meléndez-Maldonado​

Sgt. Luis A. Meléndez-Maldonado was killed, while two other officers were wounded. Three suspects were taken into custody. A funeral service for the 30-year veteran of the force was held Monday.

Puerto Rico Police Officer Killed in Shootout | Officer.com

 

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Sheriff's deputy shot to death in Calif....

California sheriff's deputy shot to death while on the job
Oct. 19, 2016 — A sheriff's deputy in a Northern California county near the Oregon border was shot to death Wednesday while responding to a disturbance call, the Modoc County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies were responding to a call on County Road 115, in a rural area about 10 miles south of Alturas when the deputy was shot. A suspect was detained shortly after, the sheriff's office said. The deputy's name was not released pending the notification of family. The shooting is being investigated by the Shasta County Sheriff's Office and California Highway Patrol, the office said.
The California Highway Patrol, the Alturas Police Department and the U.S. Forest Service responded to the scene after a call about an officer-involved shooting went out, the office said. The Modoc County Sheriff's Office said earlier in a brief statement the deputy was involved in an active-shooter incident. It didn't release any other details.

The deputy is the fourth law enforcement officer in California to die in the line of duty in the last two weeks. The slaying comes after two Palm Springs police officers were shot to death during a domestic disturbance call and a Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant was shot and killed in the high desert town of Lancaster while answering a burglary call.

California sheriff's deputy shot to death while on the job

 

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Honoring the Fallen...

Shot Alaska Officer Dies After Complications
October 31, 2016 - Fairbanks Police Sgt. Allen Brandt, who was shot six times in the line of duty on Oct. 16, died Friday due to complications from an eye surgery.

Fairbanks Police Sgt. Allen Brandt, who was shot six times in the line of duty on Oct. 16, died Friday due to complications from an eye surgery, according to the deputy chief of police. Deputy Chief Brad Johnson announced Brandt's death Friday evening at a news conference, which was broadcast live over Facebook. "Fairbanks lost a hero today," Johnson said. "I'm sorry to have to let you know that earlier this afternoon Sgt. Allen Brandt lost the fight." Brandt, 34, had eye surgery Thursday in Anchorage and suffered complications afterward, Johnson said. His condition "continued to deteriorate through the day," and Brandt was unable to recover, he said.

Fairbanks Police Department spokeswoman Yumi McCulloch said Brandt was still in Anchorage when he died. The complications arose Thursday night and continued into Friday, she said. Johnson said the police department and Brandt's family and friends were hurting, and he asked the community for its support in the healing process before ending the brief press conference. Brandt is survived by his wife and four children. Fairbanks District Attorney Gregg Olson said he is considering upgrading or adding charges in the case of the suspected shooter, 29-year-old Anthony George Jenkins-Alexie.

Jenkins-Alexie currently faces charges of attempted murder in the first degree, assault, vehicle theft, theft and tampering with evidence. The city of Fairbanks reported Friday morning that Brandt was sedated and being treated due to the medical complications. Brandt was responding to a report of shots fired in downtown Fairbanks shortly after midnight on Oct. 16. He pulled over as he approached a pedestrian, and the man dashed in front of the car with a gun in his hand. Brandt opened the door to get behind the police car for protection and the man opened fire, hitting him five times in the legs and once in the chest. Shrapnel from the shot that struck Brandt's bulletproof vest was lodged in the officer's left eye. Brandt made an appearance at the Fairbanks City Council meeting Monday night and told a crowd he might still lose his eye because of the shrapnel.

A procession of police vehicles drove down Tudor Road around 6 p.m. Friday. Brandt's body was being taken to the State Medical Examiner's Office, said Anchorage Police Department spokesperson Jennifer Castro. About 300 to 400 people attended a candlelight vigil for Brandt Friday night in Fairbanks. The crowd stood quietly in 19-degree weather through the vigil. Johnson and Fairbanks Mayor Jim Matherly thanked everyone for coming and asked the community to pray for Brandt's family. "We'll pass your love onto Allen's family. As you probably know, Allen was a man of strong faith," said Johnson. "Their faith will help them through this, as will your support. So I really want to thank you for being here. It means everything. Attendants were led in singing the first verse of "Amazing Grace" before placing their candles on a police memorial outside FPD.

Wounded Alaska Officer Dies After Complications | Officer.com

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Illinois Police Officer Killed During Pursuit
October 31, 2016 - Chester Police Officer James Brockmeyer died in a crash Friday night during a police pursuit.

The Chester community is mourning the loss of one of its own. Police officer and firefighter James Brockmeyer, 22, died Friday night during a police pursuit in rural Randolph County. "It was the first time we had to take one of our own out," said Chester Fire Chief Marty Bert. Volunteer firefighters were called to the scene of the crash at 10 p.m. Friday to help extricate Brockmeyer out of his vehicle. "We had to help get him out of the car," Bert said. "We are a small town. We know eventually we are going to know someone involved in a crash."

Bert has known Brockmeyer the last seven or eight years since he was a 16-year-old participant in the fire department's explorer program. When Brockmeyer turned 19, he became an official volunteer firefighter, Bert said. About 150 people attended a vigil for Brockmeyer held Saturday night at the Cohen Recreational Complex. Brockmeyer's death has hit the department of 25 volunteers hard, according to Bert. "He was really close to a lot of them," Bert said. "The whole department is taking it hard. We are doing the best we can." When Brockmeyer wasn't fighting fires or serving as a police officer, he enjoyed hunting and fishing.

Brockmeyer also previously worked for the City of Chester's Natural Gas Department. Bert said Brockmeyer was extremely dedicated to his community and volunteered countless hours. "He put a lot of service into the city of Chester," Bert said. All the training hours to become a volunteer firefighter are unpaid. The only time they get paid is when they respond to a call, Bert said.

Bert knew who to ask if he needed something done -- Brockmeyer. "Whatever I needed done, there was no questions asked," Bert said. "He never complained." Despite the seriousness of his profession, Bert said Brockmeyer could take a joke. However, Bert said he would eventually "get you back." Brockmeyer "fit in really well," Bert said. "He was really excited about becoming a police officer." Funeral arrangements are pending at Welge-Pechacek & Pechacek-McClure Funeral Homes in Chester.

Illinois Police Officer Killed During Pursuit | Officer.com