Friday’s Heroes: Remembering Those Who Served
Deputy Shane Tate
Grundy County Tennessee Sheriffs Office
Deputy Tate, a three year veteran, was shot and killed on June 5, 2008 as he and a reserve officer were attempting to serve a probation warrant. The suspect wounded the reserve officer, and killed Deputy Tate. The killer has not been caught.
This hero leaves behind a wife and five children.
Update – Police located Tate’s killer, Kermit Eugene Bryson, behind his girlfriend’s house last night. During negotiations, Bryson shot himself in the head. He died in the hospital at 12:30 am this morning.
Officer Virgil Lee Behrens
Marion County Iowa Sheriffs Office
Officer Behrens passed away on June 3, 2008 as the result of injuries he received during an automobile accident. He was en route to a training facility when a car traveling next to his struck a deer. The deer then hit Behrens windshield causing him to lose control of the van.
Behrens had served 13 years with the sheriffs office. He was also a 30 year veteran of the Iowa State Patrol. He leaves behind a wife, a son and daughter, and several grandchildren.
Officer Everett William Dennis
Carthage Texas Police Department
Officer Dennis was killed in an automobile accident on June 3, 2008. He was attempting to stop a speeder when he lost control of his patrol car, which overturned.
Officer Dennis, a former deputy sheriff, had been with the Carthage department for just over one year. He’s survived by his mother.
Officer Erik Hite
Tucson Arizona Police Department
A suspect had gone on a shooting rampage, firing into an occupied residence. A Pima County deputy responded and was wounded by the suspect. Officer Hite, a four year veteran, turned into an alley while attempting to locate the suspect, and was ambushed. The suspect shot Hite in the head with a rifle from a vantage point eighty yards away. Officer Hite was killed.
The suspect wounded another deputy sheriff before he was finally apprehended
Officer Hite leaves behind a wife, an adult son, a one-year-old daughter, and his parents.
Amen.
I agree, Joyce. Most people just don’t have any idea how dangerous the job really is. All they see is a guy behind mirrored sunglasses writing traffic tickets. It’s a tough, thankless job.
At least when most people have disagreements at work they don’t get spit on, kicked, punched, slapped, and shot at as part of that argument. That’s a normal day at work for a police officer. Actually, now that I think about it, that’s just the training cops go through just to prepare for what’s really going to happen on the street.
You know, they should publish these on the front page of every newspaper in the country. People have no idea how many cops lose their lives every day.