Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen

Officer Kenneth Copeland, 58

San Marcos Texas Police Department

December 4, 2017 – Officer Kenneth Copeland was shot multiple times during an ambush attack while serving a warrant. He succumbed to his wounds at a local hospital. Officer Copeland is survived by his wife and four children.

Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Sander Cohen, 33

Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal

December 8, 2017 – Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Sander Cohen was struck and killed while assisting at a crash scene.

 

Corporal Eric Chapman, 30

Johnson South Carolina Police Department

December 8, 2017 – Corporal Eric Chapman was killed in a vehicle crash while responding to backup another officer. He is survived by his wife, daughter, three stepchildren, his parents, and two sisters.

Officer Paul Lazinsky, 58

El Mirage Arizona Police Department

December 12, 2017 – Officer Paul Lazinsky suffered a fatal heart attack during a foot pursuit of a criminal suspect, a wanted juvenile.

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen – 11/24/17

Trooper Damon Allen, 41

Texas Department of Public Safety

November 23, 2017 – Trooper Damon Allen was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop. As he was walking back to his patrol car, the driver stepped out of his vehicle and opened fire with a rifle. The suspect was captured later after engaging in a shootout with other officers. He was shot once in the leg and bitten by a police K-9 during the apprehension.

Trooper Allen is survived by his wife and three children.

Deputy Sheriff Eric Overall, 50

Oakland County Michigan Sheriff’s Office

November 23, 2017 – Deputy Sheriff Eric Overall was struck and killed by a suspect who was attempting to evade police during a pursuit. Deputy Overall had deployed stop-sticks and was standing well off the roadway when the suspect intentionally drove off the highway to strike the deputy.

Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez, 36

Department of Homeland Security – Customs and Border Protection

November 19, 2017 – Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez was killed while he and his partner were on patrol. While details have not yet been confirmed, some officials believe the two agents were ambushed and bludgeoned, possibly with rocks or other similar items.

Agent Rogelio Martinez  is survived by his fiancee and son.

Officer Brian David Shaw, 25

New Kensington Pennsylvania Police Department

November 17, 2017 – Officer David Shaw was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop. He is survived by his parents, brother, and grandmother.

Detective Sean Suiter, 43

Baltimore City Maryland Police Department

November 16, 2017 – Detective Sean Suiter was shot and killed while attempting to interview a suspect during a homicide investigation. During the encounter, a scuffle ensued and the suspect managed to gain control of Detective Suiter’s service weapon and used it to shoot him in the head.

Detective Suiter is survived by his wife and five children.

Officer Jaimie Cox, 30

Rockford Illinois Police Department

November, 5, 2017 – Officer Jaime Cox was killed during a traffic stop when the driver attempted to flee, dragging Officer Cox for two blocks before crashing. Officer Cox was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Senior Trooper Thomas Patrick Nipper, 63

Texas Highway Patrol

November 4, 2017 – Trooper Tom Nipper was killed in a vehicle crash while conducting a traffic stop. He was seated in his patrol car when another vehicle struck his from the rear. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Deputy Sheriff James Martin Wallace, 61

Richmond County Georgia Sheriff’s Office

November 2, 2017 – Deputy James Wallace suffered a fatal heart attack while participating in the department’s annual physical fitness assessment.

Correctional Officer Wendy Shannon, 49

North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Division of Prisons

October 30, 2017 – Correctional Officer Wendy Shannon, along with two other prison employees, were killed during an escape attempt by prisoners. During the attempt, inmates used hammers and scissors to attack and kill responding officers.

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen – 10/27/17

Officer Marcus Anthony McNeil, 29

New Orleans Louisiana Police Department

October 13, 2017 – Officer Marcus McNeil was shot and killed during a struggle with a suspect. He attempted to use his TASER to gain control of the offender but the man pulled a gun and began firing, striking and killing Officer McNeil.

Officer McNeil is survived by his wife and two children.

Officer Craig E. Lehner, 34

Buffalo New York Police Department

October 13, 2017 – As part of the agency’s Underwater Recovery Team, Officer Craig Lehner drowned during a training exercise in swift water currents. His safety cable broke and he failed to surface. His body was recovered on October 17 after an extensive search effort by several agencies.

Officer Lehner is survived by his mother and sister.

Officer Justin A. Leo, 31

GirardOhio Police Department

October 21, 2017 – Officer Justin Leo was shot and killed after responding to a domestic disturbance. As he approached the suspect, the man pulled a gun and began firing.

Officer Leo is survived by his parents, aunt, and other family members.

Sergeant Michael Shannon Robinson, 48

Christiana Care Health System, Delaware Department of Public Safety

October 12, 2017 – Sergeant Michael Robinson suffered a fatal heart attack after responding to deal with an unruly and combative patient.

Sergeant Robinson is survived by his wife, three children, parents, and two brothers.

Trooper Daniel K. Rebman, 31

South Carolina Highway Patrol

October 24, 2017 – Trooper Daniel Rebman was killed in a vehicle crash when his patrol car was struck by another vehicle.

Trooper Rebman is survived by his wife, three children, parents, and sister.

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen – 10/13/17

Officer Floyd East, Jr., 48

Texas Tech University Police Department

October 9, 2017 – Officer Floyd East was shot and killed while questioning a narcotics suspect. During the questioning the suspect pulled a .45 caliber pistol and shot Officer East in the back of the head, stole his body cam, and then fled. He was captured a short while later.

Officer East is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Corrections Enterprises Manager Veronica Darden, 50

North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Division of Prisons, Pasquotank Correctional Institute

October 12, 2017 – Corrections Enterprises Manager Veronica Darden was killed during an escape attempt by prisoners.

Officer Justin Smith, 35

North Carolina Department of Public Safety – Division of Prisons, Pasquotank Correctional Institute

October 12, 2017 – Officer Justin Smith was killed during an escape attempt by prisoners.

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen – 10/06/17

Detective Kristen Hearne, 29

Polk County Georgia Police Department

September 29, 2017 – Detective Kristen Hearne was shot, multiple times, and killed while investigating a report of a stolen vehicle. As she and another officer approached the scene they were ambushed by a male suspect. The second officer was wounded but survived.

Detective Hearne is survived by her husband and three-year-old son.

Corporal Michael Paul Middlebrook, 44

Lafayette Louisiana Police Department

October 1, 2017 – Corporal Michael Middlebrook was shot and killed after responding to a shooting call at a local convenience store. When he arrived the suspect opened fire at Corporal Middlebrook engaging him in a shootout. Corporal Middlebrook was fatally wounded during the exchange of gunfire. He is survived by his wife, three-year-old daughter, and two step-daughters.

Officer Charleston Hartfield, 34

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

October 1, 2017 – Officer Charleston Hatfield was shot and killed while attempting to rescue injured citizens during the active shooter situation at the music festival in Las Vegas. He was off-duty at the time, attending the festival with his wife. 58 people were killed and over 500 wounded during the incident.

Officer Hatfield is survived by his wife and two children.

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen – 9/29/17

Agent Ángel Lorenzo-González, 47

Puerto Rico Police Department

September 21, 2017 – Agent Ángel Lorenzo-González drowned when his patrol car was swept away in flood waters during Hurricane Maria.

 

Agent Héctor Matías-Torres, 53

Puerto Rico Police Department

September 21, 2017 – Agent Héctor Matías-Torres drowned when his patrol car was swept away in flood waters during Hurricane Maria.

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen – 9/15/17

Agent Roberto Medina-Mariani, 35

Puerto Rico Police Department

September 11, 2017 – Agent Roberto Medina-Mariani was shot and killed while attempting to stop an armed robbery in progress. Despite his wounds, Agent Medina-Mariani managed to return fire, wounding one of the robbers.

Agent Medina-Mariani is survived by his wife and two children.

Sergeant Joseph Ossman, 53

Florida Department of Corrections

September 10, 2017 – Sergeant Joseph Ossman was killed in an auto crash when his vehicle was struck head-on by a patrol car driven by Deputy Sheriff Julie Bridges of the Hardee County Sheriff’s Office. Both were working in mandatory evacuation areas during Hurricane Irma, having been required to remain during the storm. Deputy Bridges was also killed in the crash.

Deputy Sheriff Julie Bridges, 42

Hardee County Florida Sheriff’s Office

September 10, 2017 – Deputy Sheriff Julie Bridges was killed in an auto crash when her patrol vehicle struck head-on, a car driven by Sergeant Joseph Ossman of the Florida Department of Corrections. Deputy Bridges was in the process of picking up supplies for a hurricane shelter when the crash occurred. She is survived by her eight-year-old son.

Officer William Mathews, 47

Wayzata Minnesota Police Department

September 8, 2017 – Officer William Mathews was struck and killed by a vehicle as he was removing debris from a highway. The driver of the vehicle was found to be under the influence of narcotics, and she was driving on a revoked license.

Officer Mathews is survived by his wife and seven-year-old son.

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen

Deputy Constable Mark Diebold, 48

Tarrant County Texas Constable’s Office, Precinct 5

September 7, 2017 – Deputy Constable Mark Diebold suffered  fatal heart attack following tactical team qualifications.

Deputy Diebold, as some of you may recall, once stopped a speeding vehicle and discovered the driver was rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital. Instead of writing a traffic summons he activated his lights and siren and began to escort the couple. On the way, however, the husband pulled to the side of road because the baby decided to enter the world then and not wait to arrive at the hospital. So, Deputy Diebold and the husband together helped deliver a baby girl.

A year or so later, Deputy Diebold joined the young girl, the baby he helped deliver, at a tea party during her first birthday celebration.

Twitter Photo – Tami Carr, Executive Producer at CBS11 in Dallas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deputy Diebold is survived by his wife and three daughters.

Officer Bernie Domagala, 66

Chicago Police Department

September 5, 2017 – Officer Bernie Domagala succumbed to complications from a gunshot wound to the forehead he received during a standoff with a man, a former police officer, who’d been evicted from his home. The incident occurred in 1988. The shooter was found mentally incompetent to stand trial and was committed to a state mental hospital.

It was after years of confinement to a rehab facility and several surgeries that Officer Domagala lost his battle with the injuries. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Corporal Thomas Hannon, 42

Dover Delaware Police Department

September 1, 2017 – Corporal Thomas Hannon died from complications after surgery for an injury he received during a foot pursuit of a suspect. He is survived by his wife and three children.

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen

Deputy Sheriff Robert French, 51

Sacramento County California Sheriff’s Department

August 30, 2017 – Deputy Robert French was shot and killed as he and other officers attempted to serve a search warrant for a Ramada Inn hotel room. The warrant service was part of an investigation into a stolen auto operation. When two California Highway Patrol officers knocked on the door a suspect inside opened fire with a rifle, wounding the two CHP officers. He then began firing from the balcony, killing Deputy French.

The suspect jumped from the balcony and managed to escape in a vehicle but crashed during a pursuit by officers. Once again, he began firing at officers but was wounded in the exchange of gunfire and was taken into custody.

Deputy French is survived by his children and grandchildren.

Sergeant Steve Perez, 60

Houston Texas Police Department

August 27, 2017 – Sergeant Steve Perez drowned during the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey after his patrol car was swept away by flood waters. His body was recovered by local citizens and the HPD dive team. Sergeant Perez is survived by his wife, two adult children, and father-in-law.

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Friday’s Heroes: Remembering the Fallen

Officer Matthew Scott Baker, 27

Kissimmee Florida Police Department

August 18, 2017 – Officer Matthew Scott Baker and Sergeant Sam Howard were shot and killed after responding to a report of three suspicious people. While speaking with the men, they suddenly attacked and shot Officer Baker and Sgt. Howard.

Officer Baker was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Sgt. Howard died the next day.

Officer Baker is survived by his wife and three children.

Sergeant Richard Sam Howard, 36

Kissimmee Florida Police Department

August 18, 2017 – Sergeant Sam Howard and Officer Matthew Scott Baker and were shot and killed after responding to a report of three suspicious people. While speaking with the men, they suddenly attacked and shot Sgt. Howard and Officer Baker. Sgt. Howard died the next day. Officer Baker was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Sergeant Howard is survived by his wife and one child.

Deputy Sheriff Robert Rumfelt, 50

Lake County California Sheriff’s Office

August 22, 2017 – Deputy Robert Rumsfelt responded to a fight call involving a large group of people. While attempting to restrain one of the men who was resisting arrest, Deputy Rumfelt used his TASER to gain control. While driving away from the scene, after the arrest, he suffered a fatal heart attack which caused his car to leave the roadway and crash.

He is survived by his wife, two daughters, sister, mother, and father.

Deputy Sheriff Timothy Braden, 29

Drew County Arkansas Sheriff’s Office

August 24, 2017 – Deputy Sheriff Timothy Braden was killed in a vehicle crash while in pursuit of a suspect. During the pursuit, the suspect threw narcotics from the car. It mere moments later when both the officer and suspect lost control and crashed.

Deputy Braden is survived by his wife and four children.

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