On Friday, March 26, 2021, New York State Trooper Joseph Gallagher died as a result of traumatic brain injuries suffered on December 18, 2017. On that fateful day, Trooper Gallagher stopped to assist a motorist whose vehicle broke down on an entrance ramp from the Long Island Expressway to the Sagtikos Parkway. Despite warning flares set up by Trooper Gallagher to warn … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Texas State Trooper Chad Walker
When Texas State Trooper Chad Walker pulled over to assist what he thought was a motorist having car trouble on the evening of Friday, March 26, 2021, the thought of a violent encounter was probably the furthest thing from his mind. Yet, before the trooper's patrol vehicle came to a complete stop, the driver of the other car jumped out and shot at Trooper Walker's … [Read more...]
Officer Down: Boulder Police Department Officer Eric Talley
Boulder Police Department Officer Eric Talley is arguably the most high-profile law enforcement death so far this year. On March 22, 2021, 51-year-old Officer Talley was the first officer to respond to an 'active shooter' call at King Sooper grocery store. He was the 10th and final person murdered by 21-year-old Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, a Syrian-born Muslim. Homer Talley, … [Read more...]
American Law Enforcement Line of Duty Deaths in 2020
Last year 264 federal, state, military, tribal, and local law enforcement officers died in the line-of-duty - the highest number of line-of-duty deaths since 1974. The 2020 Law Enforcement Fatalities Report (download PDF) notes COVID is blamed for 145 of those deaths, another 48 police officers were deemed 'firearms-related fatalities' and 44 were killed in traffic incidents … [Read more...]
Officer Down: RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson
This is part of my ongoing series Officer Down - in honour of police officers slain in the line of duty. RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson’s courage and bravery are exactly what we expect from RCMP members. She epitomized our national image of an RCMP officer, both on and off duty, and is rightfully being remembered as a hero. On April 19, 2020, 23-year veteran Constable … [Read more...]
Remembering Mayerthorpe RCMP’s Fallen Four
This is part of my ongoing series on Canadian Mass Murders. On March 3, 2005, a violent man with a long criminal history and a lifetime firearms prohibition order against him used an illegal gun to murder four RCMP constables in Mayerthorpe, Alberta. Anthony Fitzgerald Orion Gordon Lionide Nicholas Johnston Brock Warren Myrol Peter Christopher … [Read more...]
In Memoriam – Constable Michael Pegg – York Regional Police Service
Constable Michael Pegg succumbed as the result of complications from a training accident he was involved in on November 12th, 2013. Constable Pegg was at the agency’s training facility in Vaughan when he broke his leg. He underwent surgery for the injury three days later but developed complications. He remained in the hospital until succumbing to his injuries. Constable … [Read more...]
In Memoriam – Constable John Zivcic – Toronto Police Service
Constable John Zivcic succumbed to injuries sustained two days earlier when he was involved in a vehicle crash at the intersection of Bloor Street West and Neilson Drive while responding to a call. After the initial collision, his vehicle struck a tree and he was ejected. He was transported to a local hospital where he remained until passing away. Constable Zivcic had served … [Read more...]
Benjamin Gabriel Sebena charged in capital murder of Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer Lynn Sebena
It appears the sympathy I expressed in the opening paragraph of my December 24th article for the husband of murdered Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer Lynn Sebena was misplaced. A husband is grieving the senseless loss of his wife this very minute. Instead of preparing Christmas Eve dinner for his bride, Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer Lynn Sebena’s husband must now prepare … [Read more...]
Police Officer Jennifer Lynn Sebena is shot and killed in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
[powerpress] A husband is grieving the senseless loss of his wife this very minute. Instead of preparing Christmas Eve dinner for his bride, Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer Lynn Sebena's husband must now prepare for a funeral instead. I can't even begin to imagine the horror of that. [hr] UPDATE: Benjamin Gabriel Sebena charged in … [Read more...]
Officer Jeremy Henwood: Rest In Peace…
San Diego Police Department Officer Jeremy Henwood was, if he can be judged by his last recorded act, a good and decent man. His murderer seems all the more heinous simply because we know what that last recorded act was. That last recorded act? Buying a kid a meal at a local McDonalds restaurant. As you will see in the video below, Henwood was buying himself something … [Read more...]
Tragedy strikes California Police Funeral Procession
It's tragic when any police officer dies, even if it is from the scourge of the 20th century, cancer. It's even more tragic when another police officer dies trying to make that officer's funeral procession safe for everyone involved. That's what happened in California the other day. Manhattan Beach Officer Mark Vasquez died from cancer earlier this month, and police … [Read more...]
Another senseless police death, this time Police Chief Ralph Painter
A 21-year-old man was wounded and arrested after he first disarmed and murdered Rainier Oregon Police Chief Ralph Painter. The scene? a car audio store in a mall. Painter had responded to the burglary call. Early reports say a struggle happened where the 21-year-old Daniel A. Butts [allegedly] disarmed the Chief and murdered him with his own sidearm. Rainier isn't a … [Read more...]
New Year’s Day tragedy leaves Ohio Deputy dead
This case sucks. I mean it really sucks. Some slimebag decided New Year's Day is a good day to shoot up his neighbour's trailer. The neighbour called the police. Go figure. That's where it gets really bad, really fast. Deputy Suzanne Waughtel-Hopper was apparently the first on the scene. She'd been sent there by dispatch after the report of shots fired came in. She … [Read more...]
Off-Duty Police Officer’s Ultimate Sacrifice
Patrick Sirois, a Nolanville, Texas reserve officer and full-time Fort Hood civilian police officer, was headed to Wagoner, Oklahoma to be with his family for Thanksgiving when tragedy struck. Lt. George Brown said, "He (Sirois) was in his own private car," Brown said. "And he was just stopping to do the right thing. The last thing he did was push someone out of the … [Read more...]