Friday’s Heroes: Killed In The Line Of Duty
January 1, 2008
Corporal Courtney Brooks (40 years of age) – Maryland Transportation Authority Police. Vehicluar assault. Hit and run driver.
January 5, 2008
Deputy Sheriff Jason Zunker (31) – Chippewa County Sheriff’s Department. Struck by vehicle while directing traffic.
January 8, 2008
Detective James Walker (30) – Miami Police Department. Gunfire (AK-47). The detective exchanged gunfire with a criminal suspect.
January 10, 2008
Deputy Sheriff Sean Pursifull (31) – Bell county Sheriff’s Department. Vehicular assault. The deputy’s patrol car was intentionally rammed by suspects fleeing from police. Deputy Pursifull’s canine, “King,” was also killed.
January 13, 2008
Deputy Constable David Joubert (60) – Harris County Constable’s Office – Motorcycle accident. A passenger vehicle made a left turn from the right lane in front of Deputy Joubert.
January 16, 2008
Officer Eric Barker ( 33) – Dekalb County Police Department. Gunfire
Officer Ricky Bryant, Jr. (26) – Dekalb County Police Department. Gunfire
Officers Bryant and Barker were ambushed.
January 17, 2008
Detective Jarrod Shivers (34) – Chesapeake Police Department. Gunfire. Shot and killed while serving a search warrant.
January 19, 2008
Senior Border Patrol Agent (31) – Luis Alberto Aguilar. Vehicular assault. Intentionally struck by vehicle.
January 20, 2008
Officer Matthew Thebeau (25) – Corpus Christi Police Department. Automobile accident while responding to an assault-in-progress.
Officer Akeem Basil (Teddy) Newton (43) – Virgin Islands Police Department. Automobile accident. Oncoming car crossed the center line striking Officer Newton’s car head on.
January 25, 2008
Detective Christpher Ridley (23) – Mt. Vernon Police Department. Accidental gunfire. Shot by police officers who mistook him for an armed criminal suspect.
January 27, 2008
Trooper Daniel Roy Barrett (25) – Indiana State Police. Automobile accident while attempting to stop a car.
January 28, 2008
Officer Nicola Cotton (24) – New Orleans Police Department. Gunfire (Officer’s weapon)
Officer Cotton was eight weeks pregnant when she was killed.
February 1, 2008
Lance Corporal James D. Haynes (38) – South Carolina Highway Patrol. Automobile accident while responding to an automobile accident.
February 4, 2008
Sgt. Richard LeBow (51) – Arkansas State Police. Automobile accident. Hit head on by a tractor trailer.
Deputy Sheriff Dustin Duncan (28) – Latimer County Sheriff’s Office. Automobile accident. Hit head on by a pickup truck.
February 7, 2008
Officer Thomas Fredrick (Tom) Ballman (37) – Kirkwood Police Department. Gunfire
Sgt. William King Biggs, Jr (50) – Kirkwood Police Department. Gunfire
Both officers were shot in the head by an armed suspect during a city council meeting. The suspect was angry with council members. He also killed two members of the council and the director of public works before being killed by police officers.
Officer Randall (Randy) Simmons (51) – LAPD. Gunfire. Shot and killed during a SWAT team entry of a private residence.
February 14, 2008
Criminal Investigator Denise Phoenix (43) – US Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs . Exposure to toxins (Meth lab)
February 20, 2008
Corporal Harry Thielepage (57) – Harris County Constable’s Office. Gunfire (Officer’s weapon) Shot while arresting a susoect for drug possession.
February 22, 2008
Senior Corporal Victor Lozada, Sr. (49) – Dallas Police Department. Motorcycle accident while escorting a U.S. senator ‘s motorcade.
February 25, 2008
Officer Mark Beck (33) – Baton Rouge City Police Department. Automobile accident. Collision with tractor trailer.
February 28, 2008
Trooper Kara M. Kelly Borogogone (33) – Nevada Highway Patrol. Automobile accident while responding to a call involving a possible bomb.
March 1, 2008
Officer Derek Owens(36) – Cleveland Police Department. Gunfire (handgun) Shot and killed while chasing four suspects into an alley.
March 7, 2008
Special Agent Robert Patrick Flickinger (37) – Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department. Automobile accident. Head on collision with a pickup truck.
March 29, 2008
Officer James D. Fezatte (41) – Millbrook Police Department. Automobile accident while responding to a civil disturbance.
March 30, 2008
Border Patrol Agent Jarod Dittman (28) – U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Automobile accident while on the way to his assigned area.
April 1, 2008
Constable Joe Howard (55) – Harlan County Constable’s Office. Heart Attack while struggling to arrest a wanted suspect.
April 22, 2008
Correction Officer Kenneth Duncan (40) – New York City Department of Correction. Gunfire. Shot in the face during an attempted larceny – off duty.
April 29, 2008
Trroper James Scott Burns (39) – Texas Department of Public Safety. Gunfire (shotgun) Shot and killed after a high-speed pursuit.
May 1, 2008
Deputy Sheriff Robert Griffin (44) – Decatur County Sheriff’s Office. Automobile accident while responding to a juvenile who was threatening suicide.
May 3, 2008
Deputy Sheriff William Howell, Jr. (46) – Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office. Gunfire. Shot and killed during a domestic disturbance.
Sgt. Stephen Liczbinski (39) – Philadelphia Police Department. Gunfire (SKS rifle). Shot while attempting to apprehend three bank robbers. The Sergeant’s last words were, “Tell my wife I love her.”
May 7, 2008
Special Agent Aaron Garcia – Union Pacific Railropad Police Department. Automobile accident while on patrol.
One is too many. Unfortunately, the list continues.
Too damn many names. It’s just tragic. I don’t know what else to say, so a moment of silence is due.
I have tears in my eyes from reading that list. I was married to a police officer for eleven years, and my greatest fear was getting that phone call or having someone come to my door late at night to tell me my husband had been killed in the line of duty. My heart goes out to all the family members effected by those unnecessary deaths. May all the bastards who killed them pay the ultimate price.
How sobering, how tragic. My thoughts go out to all the families and those impacted by these horrible losses. Thanks for posting this list and making us all aware.
Well you certainly got more then a moment of silence out me just now Lee.
Way too many. Especially sad about the Philly officer, but I loved it that his fellow officers used his cuffs for the arrest. I hope they put them on extra-tight.
Officers in Pittsburgh are mourning the death of Aulf, a police dog killed this week in the line of duty. I blogged about Aulf yesterday on Working Stiffs (http://workingstiffs.blogspot.com/2008/05/rest-in-peace-aulf.html).
Peace and comfort to their families and friends.
Too many is right. Their shift is over. May they all rest in peace.
Sgt. Liczbinski’s funeral is this morning. The weather is terrible. It has been big, big news in the Philadelphia area. The local news stations are supposed to broadcast parts of it.
Lee, yesterday the third suspect in his killing was captured after a 6-day manhunt. A “wagon” from the sergeant’s station was sent, along with his handcuffs, to bring the suspect in. The handcuffs were applied by the sergeant’s partner and then later presented to the widow. This was all in the news, and explained as police tradition for a slain officer. I see the reasoning, but this it is heartbreakingly sad.
Too many.