UNDATED- In the first 17 weeks of this year, 21 law enforcement officers across the US have been shot and killed in the line of duty, including two police officers this week in Texas and Maine. That averages out to more than one death a week.
The parameters CNN followed in this count are:
The officer was fatally shot this year
The officer was on duty at the time of the shooting
“The tragic deaths … (are) a stark reminder of the dangers our law enforcement professionals face each and every day while protecting and serving our communities. Too often, their service and sacrifice are taken for granted,” said Craig Floyd with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
April 25
Somerset County (Maine) police Cpl. Eugene Cole
Cole was shot and killed by a man who then drove off in his squad car. Cole, 62, was a father and an “outstanding” officer, Somerset County Sheriff Dale Lancaster said.
Dallas Police Officer Rogelio Santander
Santander died a day after after he and a colleague were shot at a Home Depot. The suspected gunman was captured after a car chase. Santander, 27, was a three-year police veteran.
April 19
Gilchrist County (Florida) Sheriff’s Sgt. Noel Ramirez and Deputy Taylor Lindsey
Ramirez and Lindsey were killed when a man walked up to the window of the restaurant where they were eating and shot them without warning. The shooter was later found dead outside the business.
April 12
Yarmouth (Massachusetts) Police Officer Sean Gannon
Gannon was serving a warrant when he was shot and killed. He was a wonderful young man and “I’m going to miss him terribly,” Yarmouth Police Chief Frank Fredrickson said.
March 13
Pikeville (Kentucky) Police Officer Scotty Hamilton
Hamilton was shot and killed while on duty. Hamilton had been a member of the Pikeville Police Department since 2006.
March 9
Pomona (California) Police Officer Greggory Casillas
Rookie officer Greggory Casillas was shot to death while trying to arrest a man in Pomona. He was killed after a reported police chase ended with a suspect barricaded inside an apartment home. Another officer was also shot.
March 6
Clinton (Missouri) Police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton
Morton was shot and killed as he responded with other officers to a domestic disturbance call in Clinton. Two other officers also were shot. A 911 call was mistakenly traced to the wrong location, where officers were met with gunfire, a Missouri Highway Patrol official said.
March 2
Boone County (Indiana) Deputy Sheriff Jacob Pickett
Pickett was shot and killed as he and other deputies were assisting Lebanon police officers in a pursuit.
February 20
Mobile (Alabama) Police Officer Justin Billa
Billa was killed as he and others responded to a call of a woman found dead in a residential area. Billa was fatally shot as he tried to speak with the ex-husband of the victim. The man then killed himself.
February 13
Chicago (Illinois) Police Commander Paul Bauer
Bauer, 53, was killed February 13 while responding to a call in downtown Chicago. He went after a suspect who had an altercation with other officers and escaped. Bauer, a 31-year veteran, encountered that individual and was shot several times.
February 10
Westerville (Ohio) Police Officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli
The two were fatally shot February 10 as they responded to a 911 hangup call involving potential domestic abuse. Joering, 39, and Morelli, 54, were shot as they entered an apartment in Westerville, north of Columbus.
February 9
Locust Grove (Georgia) Police Officer Chase Maddox
Maddox, 26, was killed when he tried to assist two Henry County Sheriff’s deputies in arresting a man wanted on a warrant for failure to appear in court. The shooting occurred in Locust Grove, a small town about 35 miles south of Atlanta. The suspect was killed.
February 7
Richardson (Texas) Police Officer David Sherrard
Sherrard, 37, was shot and killed when he responded with other officers to a shots fired call at an apartment complex in Richardson. When officers entered an apartment, a man began firing on the officers.
February 5
El Paso County (Colorado) Sheriff’s Deputy Micah Flick
Flick was marking his 11th anniversary as a sheriff’s deputy with El Paso County when he and some colleagues were looking into a report of a vehicle theft on February 5. Flick, 34, was shot and killed — and three other law enforcement officers were shot and injured — during a struggle with a suspect in Colorado Springs. The suspect died, police said.
January 24
Adams County (Colorado) Sheriff’s Deputy Heath Gumm
Gumm and other deputies were chasing a man while investigating a report of an assault in Thornton, a city near Denver. When the deputies followed the man behind a home, the man pulled out a handgun and fired, hitting Gumm in the chest.
January 24
Detroit (Michigan) Police Officer Glenn Doss Jr.
Doss, 25, was shot in the head as he got out of his patrol car to respond to a domestic violence call. He died four days later.
January 18
Deputy US Marshal Christopher Hill in Pennsylvania
Hill, 45, was shot and killed in Harrisburg during an attempt to serve an arrest warrant. As officers tried to apprehend a woman who was wanted for making terroristic threats, a man inside opened fire. Hill and two other officers were struck. One of the officers shot and killed the shooter.
January 17
York County (South Carolina) Sheriff’s Detective Michael Doty
Doty, 37, died of gunshot wounds he received a day earlier during the search for a man who shot a York County Sheriff’s canine handler. The handler was ambushed by the man, who was accused of attacking his wife. A SWAT team that included Doty responded to the incident, and the suspect shot the detective.
January 7
Pierce County (Washington) Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel A. McCartney
McCartney, 34, was shot and killed as he chased two burglary suspects after responding to a home invasion call in Frederickson. One of the suspects was found dead at the scene, and the other was apprehended later.
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