LAX airport police officer dies running 5K charity race for fallen officer www.privateofficer.com

 

Los Angeles CA May 12 2013 A police officer died after finishing a 5K held annually in honor of a police officer who died while on duty in 2005.
Anthony Edwards, 46, of Santa Clarita died not long after he completed the Annual Tommy Scott 5K Memorial Run on Thursday. He was transported to Kaiser Hospital where he died, according to the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association. Edwards had a heart problem that was discovered at the hospital, The Daily Breeze reported.
Airport Police Chief Patrick Gannon told the newspaper, “We were honoring one guy – Tommy Scott, who had given his life for this city – and then the irony of it was that an officer who was honoring Tommy passed away himself. It’s hard for everyone to get their arms around this.”
Edwards graduated from the Rio Hondo Police Academy and joined the Los Angeles Airport Police in 2001. He was actually a classmate of Scott, who was killed when a man jumped into his patrol car. The man took off while the officer was clinging to the door, and Scott was decapitated when the patrol car struck a fire hydrant.
Edwards leaves behind his wife, Candice, and their two adult children, Ashley and Anthony. Memorial arrangements are pending for Edwards.

Guilty verdict in Monroe correctional officer murder www.privateofficer.com

Snohomish County WA May 10 2013“This isn’t a ‘who-done-it’. We know who did this crime,” Snohomish County Deputy Prosecutor Ed Stemler told the jury and a crowded courtroom in Everett Thursday, pointing at defendant Byron Scherf. “He told you himself he’s guilty of aggravated first degree murder.”

After closing arguments from Snohomish County prosecutors and the defense team jurors retired to deliberate. Just 50 minutes later they announced they were ready with a verdict. They found Scherf guilty of killing prison guard Jayme Biendl, who was working at the Washington State Reformatory in Monroe, where the multiple-rapist was incarcerated.

It has been a wait of more than two years for Biendl’s family, friends and co-workers. She was strangled in the prison chapel with a microphone cord January 29, 2011. Defense attorney Jon Scott acknowledged that Byron Scherf confessed to the killing, but argued the state had failed to prove it was a premeditated crime.

Ultimately the jury sided with prosecutors, finding Scherf guilty of first degree murder with aggravating circumstances.

Deputy Prosecutor Paul Stern said it was clear Scherf knew full well what he was going to do that night.

“Because he had a plan. He knew what he was going to do. He was locked, he was loaded, he was ready, he had a design. He WAS going to kill her,” he said.

The penalty phase of the trial begins on Monday, with Snohomish County prosecutors pushing for the death penalty.

source- king5.com

Line of Duty Death Officer Tim Huffman

Officer Tim Huffman
Arizona Department of Public Safety, Arizona

End of Watch: Monday, May 6, 2013

Bio & Incident Details

Age: 47
Tour: 14 years
Badge # Not available

Cause: Automobile accident
Incident Date: 5/6/2013
Weapon: Automobile; Commercial
Suspect: Not available

Officer Tim Huffman was killed when his patrol car was struck by a tractor-trailer on I-8 near Dateland, Arizona, at approximately 5:00 pm.

He and other officers were attempting to shutdown a lane of traffic while investigating an earlier accident. Officer Huffman was sitting in his patrol car writing a report as another officer attempted to shut down a lane of traffic to clear a lane for fire department vehicles. The tractor trailer failed to yield the officer who was waving traffic over and struck the back of Officer Huffman’s patrol car at full speed, pushing it into two other patrol cars, a fire department vehicle and a civilian vehicle.

Officer Huffman succumbed to his injuries at the scene.

Officer Huffman had served with the Arizona Department of Public Safety for 14 years.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Director Robert Halliday
Arizona Department of Public Safety
2102 W Encanto Boulevard
Phoenix, AZ 85009
Phone: (602) 223-2000

Pennsville Police Chief Bruce Maahs dies suddenly www.privateofficer.com

 PENNSVILLE TWP.NJ May 5 2013 — Police Chief Bruce Maahs who rose through the ranks from patrolman to head the Pennsville Police Department, died suddenly this morning.
He was 50.
The chief died at home of an apparent heart attack, authorities said. Medics were summoned to his Pennsville home at 8:06 a.m. today and found him in cardiac arrest. They attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at 8:13 a.m.
Maahs began his tenure as chief on Feb. 1, 2009, succeeding Patrick McCaffery in the post.
A native of Pennsville, he graduated from Pennsville Memorial High School in 1981 and attended Gloucester County College earning an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice in 1983.
In 1984 he was hired as a Pennsville Police Department dispatcher and in 1985 as a patrolman on the police force.
In 1999 he was promoted to sergeant, according to the police department’s website and in May 2006 the rank of lieutenant before being selected by the township committee as chief of police.
Maahs also coached track and field at Pennsville Memorial High School.
His involvement with the student athletes was important to Maahs.
“It’s great for community relations and lets people see we are involved in other things than police work,” said Maahs of his coaching duties.
Maahs’ death is the second of a sitting chief to rock Salem County in less than a year and a half.
On Nov. 30, 2011, Carneys Point Police Chief Edmund Spinelli Jr. died suddenly at his home of a heart ailment. He ws only 45.
Funeral arrangements for Maahs are pending.

Source- NJ .com

Two Indian Country Police Officers Remembered at Memorial Service www.privateofficer.com

 

 

 

 

Artesia NM May 5 2013

The names of two fallen Indian Country law enforcement officers are being added to the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Artesia, New Mexico. Chitimacha Tribal Police Sergeant Rick Riggenbach from the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana and Mahnomen County Deputy Sheriff Christopher Lee Dewey of Minnesota, which includes the White Earth Indian Reservation, are being added to the memorial. Sergeant Riggenbach was killed this past January 26 while responding to a mobile home fire near Charenton, Louisiana. Deputy Christopher Lee Dewey was shot several times, on February 19, 2009, while assisting a motor vehicle in a ditch and passed away on August 10, 2010 after many months of treatment and rehabilitation.

Penobscot Police Chief Robert Bryant spoke on behalf of United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) Chief Bryant read a statement from USET President Brian Patterson relaying the honor of 26 federally recognized tribes for honored law enforcement officers. “Our ancestors knew the value of maintaining a healthy, prosperous, and safe homeland and hunting ground. Periodically, outsiders would threaten the peace or try to take over the hunting and farming grounds. And sometimes our villagers would have disputes. Our Warriors were there to defend our homes, maintain the peace, and many times protect our honor. Today our law enforcement officers are the warriors that battle each day to create a safe environment for our families to work, recreate, and grow. They are also iconic to our community pride and honor as they work to protect and serve. When any officer falls in the line of duty or passes it tears at the fabric that is the safety and well-being of Indian Country. Because so many of our Tribal Nations have police forces that are small in number, the loss of a Native warrior makes a greater ripple in Indian Country,” read the statement.

On the day Sergeant Riggenbach was killed, Chitimacha Police Chief Blaise Smith was at the site. “I lost a warrior. He died in my arms. I am not going to relive everything here today, because I relive it on a daily basis. But, in court for the arraignment (of Riggenbach’s alleged assailant) somebody mentioned the words ‘due process.’ I need to tell you on January 26, 2013 due process took on a different meaning for me. I never want to ever go through something like this again,” Chief Smith told the memorial service attendees, according to a release by USET.

Mahnomen County, Minnesota Sheriff Douglas Krier says after Deputy Dewey was shot his office was engaged in a long standoff with the shooter. Krier says Deputy Dewey suffered many months before passing away and eventually his staff waded through a long trial. The shooter was found guilty and was being sentenced on September 9, 2011. Sheriff Krier was asked if he thought Deputy Dewey knew justice was served.

“At the time of the sentencing when I was writing down the notes as to when, where, and dates, times and place for sentencing I wrote down September 9th. And of the things the media asked me after everything was done is ‘Do you think Chris is aware of what’s going on, do you think he’s with you?’ And I said yes and I can prove it. When people, not law enforcement, write down dates, such as the Fourth of July, it’s (written) July 4. When law enforcement write down dates it’s (written) 7-04. I wrote down the date September 9, and I looked at it and I went ‘you gotta be kidding me.’ September 9th if you write it out is 9-09. That was Chris’ badge number. So I knew Chris was with us and he is still with us today,” Krier explained.

Bureau of Indian Affairs Director Michael S. Black says the whole ceremony is to honor service and dedication to law enforcement. “Honoring those from years past and these recent years from our law enforcement family is our solemn duty. It reminds us that a career in law enforcement can be and always has been dangerous and that law enforcement officers sometimes make that ultimate sacrifice. And for that thank you the family because it was you that allowed them to go to work every day and put their lives on the line for the community they serve,” said Director Black, according to the USET release.

Sergeant Riggenbach and Deputy Dewey will be the number 100 and 101 names to be etched in the memorial at Artesia Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLECT). The Memorial site was designed with the Native American traditions in mind. The Memorial is encompassed by the Circle of Life. The Circle is broken in one location to allow for entrance and departure. There is sage planted in all four directions next to the Memorial to sanctify the site. The four planter areas are filled with white, yellow, black and red rocks and foliage. This indicates the nationalities of the world and indicates that we are all brothers/sisters in the world. The formation area is done in earth-tone brown indicating mother earth. The foliage next to the formation area also has been configured in a manner as it relates to the Native American beliefs and traditions. Upon completion of these ceremonies this site will remain sacred ground for all Indian nations

source- indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com

Line of Duty Death Patrolman William J. “Jerry” McCarthy, IV

Patrolman William J. “Jerry” McCarthy, IV
Shenango Township Police Department, Pennsylvania

End of Watch: Thursday, May 2, 2013

Bio & Incident Details

Age: 60
Tour: 1 year
Badge # Not available

Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Incident Date: 5/2/2013
Weapon: Automobile
Suspect: In custody

Patrolman Jerry McCarthy was struck and killed while responding to the area of a pursuit in New Castle. The subject vehicle ran a stop sign and crashed into the passenger side of the cruiser, where Officer McCarthy was seated.

Patrolman McCarthy was pronounced dead during transport to Jameson Hospital. The officer driving the cruiser also sustained injuries in the crash.

The subject had been arrested less than one month earlier, by Patrolman McCarthy’s partner, for operating without a license. She was apprehended at the scene and faces multiple charges including manslaughter.

Patrolman McCarthy worked part time for the Shenango Township Police Department and at the Lawrence County District Attorney’s office. He had been with the Shenango Township Police for exactly one year. Patrolman McCarthy is survived by his wife, two sons, daughter, step daughter, and step son.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Superintendent William F. Phillips
Shenango Township Police Department
1000 Willowbrook Road
New Castle, PA 16101
Phone: (724) 654-2243

One Pasadena police officer killed, another severely injured in accident www.privateofficer.com

 

KERRVILLE, Texas April 29 2013– One Pasadena police officer was killed and another was severely injured in an accident involving an 18-wheeler late Friday on I-10, police said.
The Pasadena Police Department said that Larry Candelari and Mike Huffman, both 49, were returning from a deer lease they share at about 10 p.m. when they came upon an accident where a uHaul trailer was jack-knifed near mile marker 492. The officers stopped to assist, and pulled up in front of the vehicle that lost the trailer.
An 18-wheeler coming down I-10 saw the trailer and swerved to miss, but ended up hitting the vehicles on the side of the road.
Candelari was killed in the accident, while Huffman had severe injuries. Police said that he had to have his leg amputated.
At this point we still do not know the conditions of the others at the scene.
Candelari was well respected on the police force. A few years ago he received an award for his response during the shooting death of a fellow officer.
Source: KHOU

Bladensburg MD police officer killed in traffic collision www.privateofficer.com

Bladensburg MD April 27 2013 A nine-year veteran Bladensburg police officer was killed Saturday after veering his marked vehicle off an Anne Arundel County highway and colliding with a car traveling in the opposite direction, police said.
Officer Brian Johnson, 38, who was off duty when the collision occurred about 9 a.m., is believed to have experienced a medical emergency just prior to the collision, Anne Arundel County Police said, though no specifics were immediately available.
Police believe Johnson was traveling eastbound on Route 100 near Catherine Avenue in Pasadena when he suddenly crossed the center median. Johnson sustained critical injuries at the scene and was transferred to Baltimore Washington Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
The driver of struck by Johnson’s police was treated and released at the scene, police said. The person has not been identified. The collision closed all westbound lanes of Route 100 and all but one eastbound lane for hours as emergency personnel cleared the scene.
Johnson’s body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore, and investigators will work to determine the cause of death. They will also try to determine more fully the cause of the accident, police said.

source- http://www.baltimoresun.com/news

Line of Duty Death Master Deputy Sheriff Joseph “Shane” Robbins

 

Master Deputy Sheriff Joseph Master Deputy Sheriff Joseph “Shane” Robbins
Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Florida

End of Watch: Friday, April 26, 2013

Bio & Incident Details

Age: 40
Tour: 15 years
Badge # Not available

Cause: Automobile accident
Incident Date: 4/26/2013
Weapon: Not available
Suspect: Not available

Master Deputy Sheriff Shane Robbins was killed in a single-vehicle crash on Bomber Road, near Spruce Road, at approximately 9:15 am.

He was traveling westbound when his vehicle left the roadway for unknown reasons. A nearby resident who heard the crash called 911 to report the crash and responding rescue workers extricated him from his patrol car. He was transported to Winter Haven Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Master Deputy Robbins had served with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years and was assigned to the Northeast District. He is survived by his wife and five children.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Sheriff Grady Judd
Polk County Sheriff’s Office
1891 Jim Keene Boulevard
Winter Haven, FL 33880
Phone: (863) 298-6200

Step-son arrested in murder of off-duty D.C. police officer www.privateofficer.com

 

Prince George County MD April 25 2013 The suspect in the slaying of an off-duty D.C. police officer in Prince George’s County Monday evening turned himself in to police to face murder charges.

Detective Joseph Burrough Newell, a 24-year veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department, was shot and killed outside an Upper Marlboro, Md., home Monday evening.

Relatives dropped off Newell’s 27-year-old stepson, Antwan Rayvon James, at Prince George’s County Police headquarters Tuesday, News4′s Jackie Bensen reported. Authorities hadn’t been expecting him, but had earlier in the day called on James to turn himself in.

James is charged with first-degree murder and likely will be held without bond, said Julie Parker of Prince George’s County Police.

He is due to appear in court Wednesday afternoon.

Police said a preliminary investigation revealed the murder stemmed from a dispute over work around the house. According to a police affidavit, Newell, 46, asked James to help him change a light over the garage. James got angry and refused.

James’s mother yelled at him for not helping, and, according to the police document, James said, “Oh yeah? Watch this”

The killing was captured on surveillance video from a nearby home, which shows Newell being shot in the back while standing on a ladder to change the light bulb outside his home’s garage. Newell fell to the ground, and the gunman then stood over him and fired four more rounds into his body.

“It’s as simple, and as tragic, as that,” said Prince George’s County Assistant Police Chief Kevin Davis.

“It was an execution,” Davis said.
It happened around 8 p.m. Monday in the 6700 block of Green Moss Drive, in the gated Avalon community.

Police identified James as the killer and said he fled on foot with the gun he had used, which has not yet been located. They said the gun was not Newell’s service weapon.

Newell was a detective with the Metropolitan Police Department’s sixth district.

“It is especially saddening to lose a beloved member of the department in such senseless and shocking circumstances,” D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier said. “As always, the members of the MPD are coming together to support the family and friends of our fallen member. Our thoughts and prayers remain with all affected during this difficult time.”

Assistant Chief Peter Newsham of MPD offered his condolences to Newell’s wife, Bernadette, and the rest of his family. “He was a husband; he was a father; he was a son; obviously, he was a member of the Metropolitan Police Department,” Nsaid .

Newsham said he used to play basketball with Newell, who worked in one of the city’s “more challenging” police districts. “He had some of the tougher assignments” there, Newsham said, calling Newell an “excellent detective and a good friend.”

Newsham said Newell had stepchildren and two teenage daughters.

Earlier Tuesday, Prince George’s County Police obtained an arrest warrant for James, who, along with his siblings, lived in the home where the shooting occurred. Friends said there had been tension between James and Newell over helping out at home.

James had recently resigned from the D.C. Fire and EMS Department, authorities confirmed. He was already wanted by police on a warrant for an alleged assault in March, Spencer reported.

Until early Tuesday morning, police believed the shooter was barricaded inside the home, but after 3 a.m. police entered the home, and it became clear that the gunman had fled. They said they thought someone was inside the home because they saw blinds and curtains moving, but it turned out that an open window had caused a breeze to move them.

As James was led out of police headquarters late Tuesday night, he said, “Tell my family I love them.”

Source- NBC Washington

Georgia trucker indicted in State Police trooper death near Litchfield www.privateofficer.com

HILLSBORO IL April 24 2013 — A Macoupin County grand jury has indicted a Georgia truck driver on a charge of reckless homicide in the death of an Illinois state trooper.
Trooper Kyle Deatherage, 32, of St. Jacob died Nov. 26 when a tractor-trailer struck him on Interstate 55 at milepost 62 near the Raymond exit.
Johnny B. Felton Jr., 52, of Hinesville, Ga., who was driving the semi, was indicted Monday on charges of reckless homicide and operating a commercial motor vehicle without the proper license. The reckless homicide charge is a special Class 2 felony punishable by up to three to 14 years in prison.
Illinois State Police said Felton was taken into custody Tuesday in Georgia and waived extradition to Illinois, where he will be arraigned. He will be held in the Montgomery County Jail on $250,000 bond.
The U.S. Department of Transportation in November said Felton lost consciousness prior to the accident and declared him an “imminent hazard.” He was barred from commercial driving.
The department said Felton has a medical condition that should have made him ineligible for a commercial license.
Felton was working for Dot Transportation Inc. of Mount Sterling at the time of the crash and was based at Dot’s Georgia offices. Both Felton and the company are defendants in a wrongful death suit filed in January by Deatherage’s widow, Sarah.
Monday’s indictment alleges that Felton was operating a 2013 Volvo tractor-trailer in violation of the restriction of his Georgia commercial driver’s license and at a speed greater than what was reasonable and proper for existing traffic conditions.
It also says Felton failed to change lanes or reduce speed after seeing a stationary emergency vehicle with its light activated and traveled across the fog line — the solid white line at the outside edge of the highway lane — striking Deatherage, a motorcycle officer who was off his motorcycle when he was hit.
Deatherage had been a state trooper since 2009.

Source- SJ-R.com

Memorial garden dedicated to fallen Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Sean Clark www.privateofficer.com

Huntersville NC April 23 2013 More than six years after Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer Sean Clark was shot to death in the line of duty, he was honored Sunday with the dedication of a memorial garden in Huntersville.
The new garden and park, located on nearly a quarter-acre in Blythe Landing, features walking paths, a wooden eagle and a granite plaque dedicated to Clark, who was killed along with his partner, Jeff Shelton.
In later phases of the park, Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation hopes to install a cedar swing, a cabin playhouse and a bronze statue of deer to honor Clark’s love of hunting, said Peter Cook, park operations superintendent for Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.
“This has been a long time coming,” Clark’s widow, Sherry Lancaster, said after the ceremony at Blythe Landing. “I couldn’t be happier with what Parks and Recreation did.”
Clark, 34, and Shelton, 35, were fatally shot March 31, 2007, after they had responded to an unrelated domestic call at the Timber Ridge Apartments in east Charlotte. Clark’s wife was expecting a child around the time of his death.
Demeatrius Montgomery was found guilty Sept. 30 of two counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without parole.
“A hero’s price is high, and it was paid in full that night,” CMPD Maj. Jeff Estes said during Sunday’s ceremony.
“The Ace & TJ Show” on WNKS-FM (95.1) in Charlotte led an effort to build memorial parks honoring Clark and Shelton in the communities where they lived. They raised about $40,000 toward building the parks; they were built with all volunteer labor.
A park named in honor of Shelton opened in Locust in October 2007.
Sean Clark lived with his family in Iron Station in eastern Lincoln County but the radio station turned to Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation to locate the memorial gardens and park in Blythe Landing, off N.C. 73.
On Sunday, Lancaster spoke to a group of more than 100 people – many of whom were officers – during the dedication ceremony. Her sons, ages 5 and 9, sat in the audience.
“He’d be so happy that the boys have a place to come and play. It was very important to me that they knew that their daddy is remembered and loved and never forgotten,” she said after the ceremony.
Estes said Sunday’s dedication was “bittersweet.”
“It brings back memories, memories that are sad and heart-wrenching,” he said.
But the dedication also brought “hope,” because it means that Clark will continue to be remembered, Estes said.
“As time goes on, society as a whole forgets,” he said, encouraging families to enjoy the new garden but, “Don’t overlook the name of the park.”
An avid outdoorsman
After the ceremony, more than 100 officers and their families walked through the garden, many pausing to read the plaque dedicated to Clark, which described him as an “avid deer hunter and outdoors man” who “loved to ride ATV’s and go camping” and had a “beaming smile and infectious laugh.”
“Sean gave his life doing what he loved to do – protect and serve. However, he will not be remembered for how he died but by the way that he lived life everyday,” the plaque reads in part.
While walking through the park with his family, CMPD officer Brad Dunn with the North Tryon Division remembered his time working with Clark and Shelton on the third shift.
He remembered how Clark always talked about riding four-wheelers with his son and how Clark “always had a smile on his face that you could see from 1,000 yards.”
Dunn said that for Clark’s loved ones, Sunday’s dedication “means the world because we finally have a place where we can celebrate his life.” Source: Charlotte Observer

Line of Duty Death Deputy Sheriff Chad Christian Key

Deputy Sheriff Chad Christian Key
Grayson County Sheriff’s Office, Texas

End of Watch: Saturday, April 20, 2013

Bio & Incident Details

Age: 42
Tour: 3 years, 5 months
Badge # Not available

Cause: Vehicular assault
Incident Date: 4/20/2013
Weapon: Automobile; Alcohol involved
Suspect: Arrested

Deputy Sheriff Chad Key was struck and killed by a drunk driver while directing traffic at the intersection of U.S. Highway 82 and Bethany Road shortly before 10:30 pm.

The driver who struck him failed to stop but was arrested a short distance away. The subject was a habitual drunk driver who was out on bond on a previous drunk driving arrest.

Deputy Key had served as a corrections officer with the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office for 3-1/2 years. He had served as a patrol deputy for only two months. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Sheriff J. Keith Gary
Grayson County Sheriff’s Office
200 S. Crockett
Sherman, TX 75090
Phone: (903) 813-4200

Line of Duty Death Deputy Sheriff Douglas Leon Hanna

 

Deputy Sheriff Douglas Leon Hanna
Washita County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma

End of Watch: Sunday, April 21, 2013

Bio & Incident Details

Age: 44
Tour: Not available
Badge # Not available

Cause: Automobile accident
Incident Date: 4/21/2013
Weapon: Not available
Suspect: Not available

Deputy Douglas Hanna was responding to a call at approximately 12:10 a.m. when a pickup truck ran a stop sign and collided with the passenger side of his patrol vehicle. Deputy Hanna had been travelling eastbound on State Highway 54A west of Corn when the pickup driver entered the highway from County Road 2350. His patrol vehicle rolled multiple times, partially ejecting Deputy Hanna even though he was wearing his seatbelt. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Sheriff Roger Reeve
Washita County Sheriff’s Office
400 N McClary Rd
Cordell, OK 73632

Line of Duty Death Police Officer Sean Collier

 

Police Officer Sean Collier

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Department, Massachusetts

End of Watch: Thursday, April 18, 2013

Bio & Incident Details

Age: 26

Tour: 1 year, 3 months

Badge # Not available

Cause: Gunfire

Incident Date: 4/18/2013

Weapon: Gun; Unknown type

Suspect: One deceased, one at large

Police Officer Sean Collier was shot and killed during a large scale manhunt for suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing. Shortly after reports of shots fired on the MIT campus, Officer Collier was found in his vehicle at about 10:30 p.m. with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect’s carjacked a vehicle and drove to Watertown, where one suspect was killed during a confrontation with police. The second suspect remained at large several hours later.

Officer Collier had served with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Department since January 2012 and had previously worked as a civilian employee of the Somerville Police Department.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Chief of Police John DiFava

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Police Department

301 Vassar Street, Building W

Cambridge, MA 02139

Phone: (617) 253-1212

MIT POLICE OFFICER KILLED BY BOSTON BOMBER www.privateofficer.com

 

        

CAMBRIDGE MA April 19 2013

A Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) police officer has been killed in a shoot-out with suspected Boston Marathon bombing suspects.

 The mayhem began at approximately 10:20 p.m. Thursday when police said the bombing suspects robbed a 7-Eleven store in Cambridge. Minutes later, police said, the men shot and killed the MIT campus officer responding to the robbery call. The terror suspects then carjacked a Mercedes-Benz with the driver inside and fled, eventually letting driver go. They were then spotted in Watertown where they exchanged dozens of rounds of gunfire with patrol officers.

One of the suspected bombers was killed in the shoot-out.

Federal agents swarmed Watertown after local police were involved in a car chase and shootout with the men identified Thursday by the FBI as Suspect 1 and Suspect 2. During the pursuit, officers could be heard on police radio traffic describing the men as having handguns, grenades and other explosives.

The Associated Press identified the surviving Boston bomb suspect as Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge, Mass., and said that the suspects were brothers.

“This is situation is grave and we are trying to protect the public safety,” said Massachusetts State Police Col. Timothy Alben, who ordered a temporary lockdown of Watertown, Waltham, Belmont, Cambridge, Newton, Allston and Brighton.

“We believe this to be a terrorist,” said Boston police Commissioner Ed Davis. “We believe this to be a man who has come here to kill people. We need to get him into custody.”

Both men are also believed to have been wearing explosive body packs.

A transit officer was seriously wounded during the exchange of gunfire, officials said.

The identity of the MIT officer has not yet been released.

Oklahoma City paralyzed police officer dies from car crash injuries www.privateofficer.com

 

OKLAHOMA CITY OK April 19 2013– Tragedy strikes an Oklahoma City family for the second time.
One of the city’s most inspirational heroes, officer Chad Peery, died following a car crash near Seminole over the weekend.

Officer Peery was left paralyzed after trying to remove some rowdy patrons from a bar back in Feb. 2011.
For two years, Peery endured endless hours of rehab.
Then Sunday, while driving down I-40 east of Shawnee, a van carrying officer Peery and five others blew a tire and rolled down a grassy embankment.
Chad and three of his four kids were thrown from the van.
I knew Mr. Peery did not appear to be in good condition at the time,” state trooper David Brown said. “It hit me and my partner hard. I knew his story and his fight to get back to what he was.”
“He’s done everything to get over his injuries for his family and to have this happen, I don’t know what to say about it,” Oklahoma City FOP President John George said.
During one of his last public appearances at a Thunder game, Peery earned a standing ovation.
Peery’s fellow law enforcement officers said they can’t believe two tragedies befell the same family.
“I think Chad brought the community together for a while,” George said. ”The outflow of support from the community was incredible. I hope he’s been an example for everybody. I know he was for our department.”
“The Peery family lost a devoted son and a father,” OKC Police Capt. Dexter Nelson said. “Law enforcement has lost a valued partner and brother. The community lost a public servant and hero.”
Two of Chad’s kids remain in serious condition, two are in good condition.
The driver, Peery’s 19-year-old caretaker, was the only person in the van wearing a seat belt.
She has been treated and released.

Source-kfortv

Line of Duty Death Assistant Warden Peggy Sylvester

 

Assistant Warden Peggy Sylvester
Opelousas Police Department, Louisiana

End of Watch: Sunday, April 14, 2013

Bio & Incident Details
Age: 50
Tour: 14 years
Badge # Not available

Cause: Automobile accident
Incident Date: 4/14/2013
Weapon: Not available
Suspect: Not available

Assistant Warden Peggy Sylvester was killed in an automobile accident on Louisiana 31, south of Louisiana 742, at approximately 4:45 am.

She was attempting to pass another vehicle during a period of rain when her department vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree. Assistant Warden Sylvester, who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time, suffered fatal injuries.

Assistant Warden Sylvester had served as a jailer with the Opelousas Police Department for three years. She had previously served with the Eunice Police Department for one year and St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office for 10 years. She is survived by her son, two daughters, and parents.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Chief of Police Perry Gallow
Opelousas Police Department
318 N. Court Street
Opelousas, LA 70570

Line of Duty Death Police Officer Donald Bishop

Police Officer Donald Bishop
Town of Brookfield Police Department, Wisconsin

End of Watch: Friday, April 12, 2013

Bio & Incident Details
Age: 32
Tour: 2 years
Badge # Not available

Cause: Heart attack
Incident Date: 4/12/2013
Weapon: Not available
Suspect: Not available

Police Officer Don Bishop suffered a fatal heart attack while responding to a burglary call at approximately 11:00 pm.

He suffered the heart attack while driving near the intersection of Jaclyn Drive and Sierra Drive. His patrol car left the roadway and struck a tree. Other responding officers immediately pulled him from the vehicle and began CPR. He was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Officer Bishop had served with the Town of Brookfield Police Department for two years and also served as a part-time officer with the Village of Eagle Police Department. He had previously served as a reserve officer with the Mukwonago Police Department.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Chief Chris Perket
Town of Brookfield Police Department
645 North Janacek Road
Brookfield, WI 53045
Phone: (262) 796-3798

Line of Duty Death Chief of Police Anthony Q. Barfield, Sr.

 

Chief of Police Anthony Q. Barfield, Sr.

Barwick Police Department,  Georgia
End of Watch: Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Bio & Incident Details

Age: 47

Tour: 20 years

Badge # Not available

Cause: Heart attack

Incident Date: 4/9/2013

Weapon: Not available

Suspect: Not available

   

Chief of Police Anthony Barfield  suffered a fatal heart attack while at the scene of a domestic  disturbance.
He began experiencing trouble breathing and was  subsequently transported to a local hospital where he passed away.
Chief  Barfield had served in law enforcement for 20 years and was the agency’s only  law enforcement officer.

Please contact the following  agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Barwick Police  Department

2040 E Main Street

Barwick, GA 31720

Phone: (229) 735-2311

Line of Duty Death Deputy Sheriff Hans Fifer

 

Deputy Sheriff Hans Fifer

Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas
End of Watch: Monday, April 8, 2013

Bio & Incident Details

Age: 32

Tour: 5 years

Badge # Not available

Cause: Heart attack

Incident Date: 4/8/2013

Weapon: Not available

Suspect: Not available

Deputy Sheriff Hans Fifer  suffered a fatal heart attack following a training session and tryout with the  agency’s SWAT team at a facility in North Little Rock.
He began  experiencing shortness of breath during the training and was administered  oxygen. Shortly thereafter he began suffering chest pains and collapsed. He was  transported to Springhill Baptist Medical Center where he was pronounced  dead.
Deputy Fifer had served with the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office  as a full-time deputy for only four months. He had previously served as a  reserve deputy with the agency and with the Cabot Police Department for five  years. He is survived by his wife and two young daughters.

Please contact the following  agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

 Sheriff Andy Shock

Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office

801 Locust Street

Conway, AR 72034

Phone: (501)  450-4914

Line of Duty Death Detective Eric Smith

 

Detective Eric Smith

Jackson Police Department, Mississippi
End of Watch: Thursday, April 4, 2013

 Bio & Incident Details

Age: Not available

Tour: Not available

Badge # Not available

Cause: Gunfire

Incident Date: 4/4/2013

Weapon: Officer’s handgun

Suspect: Deceased

Detective Eric Smith was shot and killed inside the Jackson Police Department’s headquarters building while interviewing a murder suspect at approximately 6:00 pm.
The subject attacked Detective Smith inside of the interview room. The man disarmed Detective Smith and fatally shot him before being killed by another officer.
Detective Smith is survived by his wife, who also serves with the Jackson Police Department.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Chief Rebecca Coleman Jackson Police Department 327 East Pascagoula Street Jackson, MS 39201 Phone: (601) 960-1234

Line of Duty Death Correctional Officer Brandon Kountz

Correctional Officer Brandon Kountz

United States Department of Justice – Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S. Government
End of Watch: Sunday, March 31, 2013

Bio & Incident Details

Age: 26

Tour: 11 months

Badge # Not available

Cause: Heart attack

Location: Texas

Incident Date: 3/31/2013

Weapon: Not available

Suspect: Not available

Correctional Officer Brandon Kountz suffered a fatal heart attack while responding to a body alarm at FCC Beaumont, in Beamont Texas.
He was rushing to assist other officers deal with the inmates when he suddenly collapsed.
Officer Kountz had served with the Federal Bureau of Prisons for only 11 months. He is survived by his wife.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Director Charles E. Samuels Jr.

United States Department of Justice -

Federal Bureau of Prisons

320 First Street, NW

Washington, DC 20534 Phone: (202) 307-3198

Wisconsin police officer to be honored in memorial www.privateofficer.com

MILWAUKEE WI April 4 2013  (AP) – A nonprofit group voted unanimously Wednesday to add the name of a Milwaukee-area police officer to a national memorial honoring officers killed in the line of duty.

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund agreed to add Wauwatosa police Officer Jennifer Sebena to the memorial in Washington, D.C., following pressure from state lawmakers, police and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

The 30-year-old officer was shot in the head multiple times as she conducted a routine solo patrol in the pre-dawn hours of Christmas Eve. The group had previously excluded Sebena because her husband is the suspect in the shooting, meaning her death could be classified as a case of domestic violence.

Walker, the Wisconsin Professional Police Association and more than 16,000 signatures on an online petition helped persuade the group to reverse its decision, said WPPA spokesman Jim Palmer, who cast one of the 15 votes.

“This is obviously the right result,” Palmer said. The reversal came after board members consulted with the Wauwatosa police chief, examined the criminal investigation reports and reviewed precedent, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund said in a statement.

Sebena’s husband, 30-year-old Benjamin G. Sebena, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in her death. Prosecutors say Benjamin Sebena, an Iraq War veteran, told investigators he was a jealous husband and acknowledged that he ambushed his wife.

He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity and his trial is scheduled to start in July. Palmer said the WPPA scoured the memorial fund’s website and found other officers honored by the group had died in similar circumstances, prompting the nonprofit’s change of heart. Palmer said he hoped the memorial board would avoid future controversies by enacting clear rules dictating the circumstances under which officers’ names would be added.

“They have a difficult test every year. These decisions aren’t necessarily easy,” Palmer said. “Clearly there needs to be uniformity in how they evaluate these cases.” The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a private nonprofit group.

The names of more than 19,000 officers are carved on the memorial comprising a pair of 300-foot-long curving marble walls, according to the group’s website.

Sebena’s name will be added to the memorial in time for a May 13 ceremony honoring slain police officers

West Virginia Sheriff Shot and Killed Outside Courthouse www.privateofficer.com

Mingo County WV April 4 2013 A West Virginia sheriff with a reputation for cracking down on drug dealers was shot in the head at point blank range and killed outside a county courthouse today, officials and witnesses said. Mingo County Sheriff Eugene Crum was shot and killed while sitting in his vehicle during his lunch break in the town of Williamson, state Delegate Harry Keith White told ABC News.
A witness told ABC News that he watched the suspect approach Crum’s car, where he was known to eat lunch, and fire twice into the vehicle. The suspect then calmly walked to his truck, described as a tan Ford ranger, and drove away.
Another witness, Larry Dove, told the West Virginia Gazette he saw a man shoot Crum “right in the head.”

 

The shooting suspect, identified as Tennis Melvin Maynard, 36, was wounded in a shootout with police, captured and taken to a hospital, West Virginia State Police spokesman Michael Baylous told ABC News. After Maynard fled the shooting, he was “encountered by a Mingo County sheriff’s deputy” and crashed his vehicle into a bridge, said police. There he “raised his firearm and pointed it at the deputy. The deputy responded to that threat and shot the suspect.” Crum was elected sheriff in January. His death follows a string of high-profile assassinations of law enforcement officers and prosecutors in recent weeks, including two Texas prosecutors and the chief of Colorado’s prison system. Investigators from around the country are working to determine if there is any connection among the killings. Since April 2, 2012, 28 police officers have been killed nationwide, according to preliminary data by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Of those deaths, 13 were caused by guns.

Line of Duty Death Trooper Tage Toll

Trooper Tage Toll

Alaska State Troopers, Alaska
End of Watch: Saturday, March 30, 2013

 Bio & Incident Details

Age: 40

Tour: Not available

Badge # Not available

Cause: Aircraft accident

Incident Date: 3/30/2013

Weapon: Not available

Suspect: None

Trooper Tage Toll was killed in a helicopter crash during a search and rescue mission near Talkeetna, Alaska.
Trooper Toll had been picked up by the Alaska State Trooper’s Helo-1 at approximately 7:35 pm to assist in searching for a missing snowmachiner near Larson Lake.

They located the subject just before 10:00 pm and were able to bring him aboard the helicopter.
The helicopter was en route to Sunshine Tesoro to meet with medics when troopers lost radio contact with it at approximately 11:00 pm. The wreckage was located the following morning after a massive search. Trooper Toll, civilian pilot Mel Nading, and the snowmachiner were all killed in the crash.
Trooper Toll had served with the Alaska State Troopers for 10 years and had previously served with the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Colonel Keith Mallard

Alaska State Troopers

5700 E Tudor Road

Anchorage, AK 99507

Phone: (907) 269-5511

Oklahoma State Trooper Dies Suddenly www.privateofficer.com

Oklahoma City OK April 1 2013 Even with a personality larger than life, Rodrick “Pete” Norwood was never too big to be your friend. Norwood, 42, was an 18-year veteran and captain of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

He died Saturday at Oklahoma Heart Hospital in Oklahoma City.

The cause of death was not released. Friends and co-workers said Norwood was quick to crack a joke and would usually be the first to laugh at it, always flashing his trademark smile. Norwood joined the highway patrol in 1995, graduating with the 48th patrol class.

At the time of his death, Norwood was the Department of Public Safety’s legislative liaison at the state Capitol. “We are floored, everyone loved Pete,” trooper Betsy Randolph said.

“He left a huge impression on us and a huge hole in our hearts.” Norwood is survived by his wife and three children, two sons from a previous marriage and a stepdaughter.

Raised in Anadarko by his mother and grandmother after his father was killed in an accident while stationed in Germany, Norwood loved his hometown and was fiercely proud of his roots, friends said. David Dorrough, 41, grew up with Norwood in Anadarko. He said Norwood, or “Peterman” as most of the town knew him, was the typical All-American boy in high school, always the leader of the pack.
Source-newsok.com

Troopers copter with 3 people aboard crashes, no survivors found www.privateofficer.com

ANCHORAGE AK April 1 2013

An Alaska State Trooper helicopter carrying two troopers and a rescued snowmobiler crashed Saturday night in the south-central part of the state, and no survivors have been found, an agency spokeswoman said.

Trooper spokeswoman Megan Peters said the crash site was spotted Sunday, but she could not immediately confirm that the three on board were killed.Wreckage of the helicopter burned, but Peters said it was not known how the fire started or how long it lasted.

The trooper helicopter was on a mission to pick up a snowmobiler stranded near Larson Lake 7 miles east of Talkeetna in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

The helicopter picked up a trooper and began a search, spotting the snowmobile and landing just before 10 p.m. It took off with the snowmobiler and was supposed to meet medics near Talkeetna but did not arrive.

The National Weather Service said the temperature in Talkeetna Sunday night was 34 with light rain that turned into snow at about 11 p.m., but that visibility was 10 miles. Peters said it’s not known if weather was a factor in the crash.

The National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. Alaska Air National Guard helicopter spokeswoman Kalei Rupp said fog in Anchorage and mandatory crew rest kept an agency helicopter from launching until 5 a.m.

A guard helicopter spotted the wreckage at 9:20 a.m. Sunday and landed. Talkeetna is a community of nearly 900 about 80 miles north of Anchorage. It’s the primary departure point for air taxis taking climbers to Mount McKinley. The crash site was near the south end of Larson Lake.

The Alaska State Troopers have had at least one officer die in a helicopter crash during a search and rescue mission. Trooper John David Stimson was on a chartered helicopter in 1983 that was attempting to reach a downed pilot in a blizzard.

The chartered helicopter crashed near Cordova. Stimson survived and assisted pilot Gary Wiltrout, who had suffered a broken back.

However, when rescuers reached the crash site after 24 hours, the 11-year trooper had died of exposure. Wiltrout survived.

Source-and.com

LINE OF DUTY DEATH Trooper James Sauter

Trooper James Sauter

Illinois State Police, Illinois

End of Watch: Thursday, March 28, 2013

 Bio & Incident Details

Age: 28

Tour: 4 years, 9 months

Badge # 6095

Cause: Automobile accident

Incident Date: 3/28/2013

Weapon: Not available

Suspect: Not available

 Trooper Sauter was killed when an semi-trailer truck struck his cruiser on Interstate 294 south of Willow Road shortly after 11:00 p.m. Trooper Sauter was stopped in the left shoulder of the south-bound lanes when the semi rear-ended his cruiser, causing both vehicles to burst into flames. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Trooper Sauter was a 5-year veteran of the Illinois State Police and is survived by his wife and family.

Please contact the following agency to send condolences or to obtain funeral arrangements:

Director Hiram Grau

Illinois State Police

801 S 7th Street P.O. Box 19461

Springfield, IL 62794

Phone: (217) 782-6637

Illinois Trooper Killed in Crash With Tractor-Trailer www.privateofficer.com

Chicago IL March 29 2013

An Illinois state trooper awarded a lifesaving medal as a cadet was killed in a fiery collision between his patrol car and a semi on Interstate 294 south of Willow Road, authorities said. Trooper James Sauter, 28, was on duty in his squad car when it was struck by a semi shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday, state police said. Both vehicles burst into flames and Sauter was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sauter was stopped on the shoulder of southbound Interstate 294 when the semi struck him from behind, Illinois State Police Director Hiram Grau told a news conference this morning. It was not clear whether Sauter’s emergency lights were on or why he was stopped.

“Our accident reconstruction team is working,” Grau said. “It was a pretty horrific accident. We don’t have all the details yet.” The driver of the semi, a United Van Lines truck, was being questioned by police. He may have suffered a burned hand, Grau said, adding that the results of blood tests were not available yet. Fellow troopers followed a flat-bed truck carrying Sauter’s body, still in his charred car, down the Kennedy and Eisenhower expressways toward the morgue as Chicago police cleared traffic for the procession.

At the medical examiner’s office on the West Side, a platoon of Chicago police officers and five sergeants stood watch, under a full moon, as firefighters worked to remove the trooper and bring his body into the morgue. A state police investigator circled the wrecked car and took photos as firefighters pried away sections of it. Several state troopers stood in a line to their right in their tan uniforms. The Chicago police officers stood in formation, about ten wide, four deep, with the supervisors in the back. As a morgue worker stepped out to the intake bay, surrounded on three sides by glossy white brick walls, an officer called out, “Attention.”

The other officers stiffened, their arms at their side, as the officer ordered, “Present arm!” The officers raised their right hands in salute. “Order arm,” the officer ordered, and they dropped their arms. “At ease.” The officers brought their hands behind their backs and spread their feet in “parade rest” position.

As firefighters continued working on the car, the officers shifted their weight as sergeants stepped around the corner to answer radio calls. As the hour went on, the officers did not break ranks but placed their hands in pockets and vests to ward off the early morning chill. Steam curled from a firefighter’s head after he removed his helmet. Sauter, a licensed pilot, had been a trooper since 2008 and had just completed a temporary assignment in the state police air operations.

He was recently assigned to District 15, which covers the tollways. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and family. As a cadet, Sauter was awarded the Lifesaving Medal in October of 2008.

While on his way to the state police training academy, he saw a motorcycle on its side in the eastbound lane of I-80. No emergency vehicles were there yet, so Sauter grabbed a first responder bag and crossed over the lanes to help, state police said. Sauter tended to a woman whose airway was blocked by blood. She was airlifted to a hospital and survived, state police said.

“Trooper Sauter was a very talented, wonderful police officer,” Grau said. “He was with our air ops operations unit, he’s a pilot, and tried that for … a couple a months and decided, you know, he wanted to come back and work the roads. Very well-respected.

“As you can imagine, his fellow troopers, his fellow officers are devastated,” he continued. “I spent some time with his wife Liz this morning and as you can imagine, very difficult time for her… They’re all devastated as we are.” Sauter is the second Illinois state trooper killed in the last five months.

Trooper Kyle Deatherage, 32, was struck and killed by a semi during a traffic stop the end of November along northbound Interstate 55 near Litchfield.

“Unfortunately, this is the second line of duty death within the last five months for the Illinois state police,” Grau said. “Trooper Sauter represented everything good about this department.”