2009: A Deadly Year

While many are celebrating the beginning of a new year, a year of hope, change, and new beginnings, others are mourning the loss of the center of their worlds.

The first police officer death in the line of duty occurred in 1792. Since then, nearly 19,000 officers have lost their lives while serving. The number of officers killed in 2009 by gunfire alone rose by 24 percent.

The danger increases with each day, yet brave men and women pin badges to their chests and wade out into the world to keep us safe. Unfortunately, every 53 hours one of those officers is killed.

Officers Who Lost their Lives In the Line of Duty In 2009

Senior Corporal Norman Smith
Detention Officer Cesar Arreola
Police Officer Jarod Dean
Deputy Sheriff Dominique Smith
Police Officer Joshuah Patrick Broadway
Chief of Police Larry Blagg
Sergeant Curtis Massey
Captain Richard J. (Rick) Cashin
Chief of Police Johnny Hamilton
Detective Chris Jones
Sergeant Greg Hernandez
Police Officer John Pawlowski
Police Officer James Frederick (Freddie) Norman
Lieutenant David Charles Gann
Police Officer Richard Matthews
Captain Scott Bierwiler
Police Officer Glen Ciano
Corrections Officer Adam Sanderson
Special Agent Paul M. Sorce
Jailer Thomas Carroll
Lieutenant Stuart J. Alexander
Deputy Sheriff Chad Mechels
Parole Officer Jeffrey Woolson
Corrections Officer Mark Parker
Sergeant Mark Dunakin
Sergeant Ervin Romans
Sergeant Daniel Sakai
Police Officer John Hege
Trooper Michael (Mike) Warren Haynes
Sergeant Randy White
Police Officer Eric Guy Kelly
Police Officer Stephen James Mayhle
Police Officer Paul John Rizzo Domenic Sciullo
Deputy Sheriff Richard James (Ricky) Stiles Jr.
Detective Allen Pearson
Police Officer Terry Adams
Police Officer Dexter Hammond
Deputy Sheriff Burton (Burt) Lopez
Deputy Sheriff Warren (Skip) York
Deputy Sheriff Brandon Scott Coker
Deputy Sheriff D. Robert Harvey
Patrol Detective Justin Mullis
Juvenile Corrections Officer William Hesson
Border Patrol Agent Intern Nathaniel A. Afolayan
Detective Robert Eugene Beane
Police Officer James Manor
Sergeant Dulan Earl Murray Jr.
Deputy Sheriff Tom Wilson
Trooper Kyle P. Barber
Border Patrol Agent Cruz McGuire
Police Officer Omar J. Edwards
Police Officer David R. Loeffler
Master Sergeant Steve L. Hood
Police Officer Alejandro (Alex) Valadez
Lieutenant Greg Jonas
Police Officer Brandon Nykori Sigler
Investigator Chadwick Alan (Chad) Carr
Trooper Joshua D. Miller
Sergeant Andrew (Andy) Tingwall
Trooper Jorge Dimas
Police Officer Giovanni Gonzalez
Assistant Chief Joey Cannon
Police Officer Henry Canales
Deputy Sheriff Monte (Leroy) Matthews
Deputy Sheriff Shane Thomas Detwiler
Sergeant Joe Harris
Chief Deputy Joshua Eggelston
Detective Marc DiNardo
Sergeant Steven May
Border Patrol Agent Robert Wimer Rosas
Sergeant David Kinterknecht
Deputy Sheriff Robbie Chase Whitebird
Deputy Sheriff Marvin Williams
Agent Jorge Sanchez-Santiago
Deputy Sheriff Stephen (Mike) Gallagher
Corporal Mike Roberts
Correctional Officer Jack Cannon
Police Officer Jesse Hamilton
Police Officer Michael Davey
Deputy Sheriff Christopher Johnson
Deputy Sheriff Christopher Ray
Patrolman Chad Spicer
Police Officer Richard Crittenden
Detention Sergeant Ronnie Brown
Patrolman Jerry Jones
Lance Corporal Jonathan Nash
Lieutenant Benjamin Santiago-Fragoso
Deputy Sheriff James Anderson
Deputy Brian S. Etheridge
Deputy Sheriff Francis David Blake
Sergeant Timothy Olsovsky
Police Officer Milburn (Millie) Beitel III
Sergeant Mickey Hutchens
Police Officer Julius Moore
Detention Officer Mike Adcock
Detention Officer Dionicio Camacho
Reserve Deputy Mike Wilken
Special Agent Forrest N. Leamon
Special Agent Chad L. Michael
Special Agent Michael E. Weston

Officer Jarrod John Martinez
Officer Timothy Q. Brenton
Trooper David Lane
Police Officer Joseph A. Fulton
Sergeant Jeffery Bryant Shaw
Police Officer Trevor Nettleton
Correctional Officer Daniel Leach
Officer Tina Griswold
Officer Ronald Owens
Sergeant Mark Renninger
Officer Greg Richards
Deputy Sheriff Adam Michael Mehagan
Police Officer Philip Davis
Police Officer Michael Crawshaw
Deputy Sheriff Charles Douglas (Charlie) Brown Jr.
Deputy Sheriff Roy Bruce Sutton Jr.
Captain Dennis Darrell Cagle
Officer Chris Marano
Trooper Dennis Engelhard
Deputy Sheriff Kent Mundell

5 replies
  1. queenofmean
    queenofmean says:

    Sadly, in the Pittsburgh area, we lost 4 this year (one in my own community). It makes me sad when I think of, not only, the loss of a hero, but the many lives affected by this loss: the families and friends, the fellow officers and the communities. And it makes me angry that their lives were lost for such senseless reasons.
    Like Carla, I pray this doesn’t become commonplace and that people do not become immune to it.

  2. Carla
    Carla says:

    Rest in Peace. I know here in Philly, something has to be done, and fast. I pray it doesn’t become commonplace enough that people think nothing of it when another officer falls in the line of duty.

    Safe New Year to all!

  3. Falcocop
    Falcocop says:

    Lee,

    So many and one every 53 hours is hard sometimes to comprehend. Our little Isles lost at least 13 during 2009.

    Lets not forget them.

    Paul

Comments are closed.