Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2002/Summaries of Felonious Incidents

by Federal Bureau of Investigation

Summaries of Felonious Incidents

ALABAMA

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

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

ARIZONA

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

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

ARKANSAS

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

CALIFORNIA

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

A 47-year-old deputy with the Fresno County Sheriff's Department was shot and killed during a traffic stop about 1 1:45 p.m. on May 19. The deputy, who had nearly 3 years of law enforcement experience, had stopped a vehicle in Clovis. The driver of the vehicle was suspected of being involved in the shooting of a commercial street sweeper earlier that day. Before exiting the marked patrol car, the deputy, who was wearing body armor, provided dispatchers with the vehicle's license plate number and location as well as a description of the vehicle and its occupant. As the deputy approached the car, the driver allegedly shot him once in the mouth area at close range with a .30-caliber lever-action rifle. The deputy died at the scene, and the suspected shooter fled in the deputy's police car, which had a rifle inside. On May 25, the suspect, who had a history of mental instability, was found near Auberry in a camper on a rural residential lot. He exited the camper holding a rifle and pointed it at SWAT personnel, who then shot and killed the 21 -year-old suspect. The officer's weapon was recovered.

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

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

FLORIDA

On November 13, a sergeant, aged 47, with the Tallahassee Police Department was shot and killed at 8 p.m. while responding to a robbery in progress. Reportedly, after kicking in the back door of a residence, a man held two females at gunpoint in the living room while he searched for drugs. Eventually, the man put the females in the bathroom and continued to loot their home, placing jewelry and compact discs into a pillowcase that he took to his vehicle; he then returned to remove a computer. While in the bathroom, one of the females called 911 on a cellular telephone, and officers with the Tallahassee Police Department were dispatched to the residence. Upon arriving, the sergeant, who had nearly 14 years' law enforcement experience, parked one block away and walked toward the residence, which was located at the end of a dead end road with no lighting. After observing an idling vehicle at the end of the driveway, the veteran sergeant radioed dispatch with the vehicle's license plate number. A second officer arrived at the scene and went to the rear of the residence; the sergeant moved toward the side of the residence where the front door was located. When the sergeant approached the door with his weapon drawn, a man emerged with a .357-caliber revolver and shot the sergeant fatally in the back of his head from a distance of 5 feet or less, as well as in the stomach below his body armor, the back, below his waist in the back, and his arms and hands. A third officer entering the area then saw the individual get into his vehicle and flee the scene through a field. Within minutes, officers located the vehicle and a pursuit ensued. They hit the assailant's vehicle with the police car, and both vehicles slid from the roadway. Officers then apprehended the man, who confessed to the robbery and to firing the handgun at the scene of the crime. The 32-year-old suspect, who had an extensive criminal history and had been released from prison 4½ months earlier, was arrested and charged with Homicide of a Law Enforcement Officer, Robbery with a Firearm, Burglary of a Dwelling, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Fleeing Police, and Kidnapping.

GEORGIA

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

ILLINOIS

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

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

KENTUCKY

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

LOUISIANA

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

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

MARYLAND

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

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

MASSACHUSETTS

A 34-year-old patrol officer with the Westminster Police Department died on November 30 as a result of line-of-duty injuries sustained on May 10, 1999. Around 12:15 a.m. on the night of the incident, an officer on patrol duty stopped a car on the highway and, at the same time, observed a male walking along side of the road. Just then, an assisting patrol officer, who had nearly 12 years' law enforcement experience, arrived at the scene; the two officers identified the pedestrian and attempted to investigate this suspicious person. However, the man ran into the woods, so the officers ran after him. From a distance of 11-20 feet, the suspect allegedly fired at the assisting officer six times with a .357-caliber revolver, striking him in the face, the hand, and the leg. The victim officer returned fire and hit the suspect once. Responding emergency personnel administered medical aid to the victim officer and transported him to a medical center in Worcester where he was treated for his wounds. The 26-year-old suspect, who was on probation and had a previous criminal history, was taken into custody and charged with Assault with Intent to Murder, Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon, and Larceny of a Firearm. As a result of the injuries he sustained to his head, the victim officer remained unconscious for 3 ½ years until his death on November 30, 2002.

Following the officer's death, a grand jury charged his assailant with Murder.

MICHIGAN

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

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

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

MINNESOTA

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

MISSISSIPPI

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

MISSOURI

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

NEW YORK

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

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

OHIO

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

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

A 31-year-old patrol officer with the Massillon Police Department was shot and killed August 9 just after 8:30 p.m. The 7-year veteran was assisting state troopers in the pursuit of an armed suspect who had fled a traffic stop. During the initial stop by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the driver refused to give the trooper his license and fled the scene entering Massillon city limits. The suspect stopped a second time, pointed a 7.62×25 mm semiautomatic pistol at the pursuing trooper, and then fled to a nearby construction site. The trooper retreated to his cruiser and notified his dispatcher that the suspect was armed. However, the victim officer, who arrived at the construction site to assist the troopers, did not receive the dispatch that the suspect was armed due to a delay in transmitting information because of different radio frequencies. The suspect allegedly shot at the patrol officer once, hitting his driver side mirror. As the officer exited his vehicle, the suspect shot a second time striking the officer fatally in the left lower back below his protective vest. The trooper who had been in pursuit of the suspect and three other Massillon police officers arrived at the scene. The suspect drove his vehicle at the officers firing his handgun at them. Officers returned fire as the suspect circled past them. When the 61-year-old male stopped and exited his vehicle, officers shot and killed him at the scene.

OREGON

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

PENNSYLVANIA

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

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

PUERTO RICO

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

Shortly before 1 1:30 p.m. on January 11, an agent with the Police of Puerto Rico in Puerto Nuevo was killed during a robbery. The 37-year-old agent, who had 16 years of experience in law enforcement, was off duty and at a bar in Puerto Nuevo when two men entered and said they were robbing the establishment. One of the men approached the agent and demanded money. In an attempt to subdue the individual, the agent was shot twice at close range with a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun during an ensuing struggle. The victim agent was shot in the front of the head and in the rear upper right side of his back. The suspects then fled the bar with about $200 and the victim agent's service weapon, a 9 mm semiautomatic hand- gun. Both men remain at large at time of publication.

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

On April 24, at 7:50 p.m., an officer with the Department of Veterans Affairs in San Juan, Puerto Rico, was shot to death in an ambush while he attended his post at the back gate of the Veteran's Hospital in Rio Piedras. A video from the hospital's security system showed that the 53-year-old officer, who had 23 years of law enforcement experience, was approached by two individuals while he was performing his duties in the guard station. When the officer noticed the individuals, they were already very close to the guard house. A struggle ensued, and one of the assailants shot the victim officer with a .38-caliber handgun at point blank range. One bullet struck the officer in his chest and a second shot wounded him fatally in the side of his head. Investigating officers believe that the suspects were attempting to steal the victim officer's service revolver, but they were unsuccessful. The unidentified assailants, who remain at large at time of publication, were also seen fleeing from the scene after the murder of the officer. A 29-year-old agent with the Police of Puerto Rico, San Juan, was fatally shot during an undercover drug operation in Rio Piedras at 4:30 a.m. on September 26. Shortly after arriving in civilian clothes at a housing project and exiting their unmarked vehicles, the veteran agent with 7 years' law enforcement experience and a dozen other agents overheard shouts throughout the housing project warning of the presence of law enforcement. Moments later, a series of shots rang out from the upper levels of two high-rise buildings, striking the parking lot below. Police agents took cover behind their vehicles and requested assistance. For approximately 7 minutes, snipers fired about 50 rounds from high-powered rifles. At some point in the attack, one round struck the victim agent in the back of the head, killing him instantly. Remaining agents and responding tactical units raided the upper floors of the buildings and recovered three rifles, a pistol, and large quantities of heroin and cocaine. Although seven individuals were detained immediately following the incident, all were subsequently released. The investigation is ongoing.

SOUTH CAROLINA

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

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

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

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

TENNESSEE

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

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

TEXAS

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

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

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

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

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

UTAH

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

VIRGINIA

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

WASHINGTON

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

WISCONSIN

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