Thirteen of our brother officers lost their lives during January, an absolutely terrible beginning to the year. Perhaps most notable is the fact that not a single officer died as the result of an offensive assault by a suspect. Six died in vehicle crashes, three succumbed to duty-related heart attacks, two were struck by vehicles, one died due to a 9/11 related illness and one death was the result of accidental gunfire. This puts us fully 18% higher compared to where we were last year at this time.
On behalf of Law Officer, I extend condolences to every coworker, family member and agency that has experienced a line-of-duty loss. Here are summaries of our fallen during the month of January, listed in order of occurrence.
Sergeant Sean Renfro, 40, Jefferson County (Colo.) Sheriff’s Office, was struck and killed by a vehicle while directing traffic at an accident scene near Aspen Park at approximately 2:40 p.m. Sergeant Renfro was off-duty and had stopped to assist at the scene of a previous crash when his vehicle was also struck during icy and snowy conditions. He stayed on scene and was assisting Colorado State Patrol troopers by directing traffic as they worked the accident. An approaching SUV lost control, crossed over the center line, and struck Sergeant Renfro, a bystander, and one of the vehicles involved in the second crash. A trooper was also injured by flying debris.
Officer Craig Chandler, 27, Baltimore (Md.) PD succumbed to injuries sustained two months earlier when he was involved in a crash during the pursuit of a moped. He and other officers were attempting to detain a group of individuals who were illegally operating dirt bikes. One of the people they were trying to detain was picked up on a moped which then fled the scene. Both the moped and the patrol car Chandler was riding in subsequently struck a utility pole. Chandler was transported with severe injuries and remained in the hospital until succumbing to his injuries. The moped operator survived the crash and was subsequently charged with reckless driving and fleeing police.
Assistant Chief Carl Borderlon, Ball (Ala.) PD, suffered a fatal heart attack inside police headquarters during the early morning hours after having changed a flat tire on his patrol car. He was working the overnight shift when the flat occurred in front of the station. He went into the station after changing the tire and collapsed. His body was found the following morning.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Corrections Officers Christopher Davis, 53 and Eligio Garcia, 45 were killed in a prison bus crash near Penwell, Texas, at approximately 7:30 a.m. The bus was transporting 10 inmates from a transfer facility in Abilene when it struck a patch of ice on an overpass. The bus slid off the highway and down an embankment where it struck a passing train and was dragged along the tracks, breaking apart. Officers Davis and Garcia, along with eight inmates, suffered fatal injuries at the scene. One other officer and four other inmates were transported to hospitals in critical condition.
NYPD Deputy Chief Steven Bonano, 53, died from blood cancer he contracted after inhaling toxic materials while participating in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Bonano, who was assigned as the commander of the Emergency Service Unit at the time of the attack, worked at the scene for several months. Bonano served with NYPD for 30 years and had previously served with the United States Navy. During his time with the New York City Police Department, Chief Bonano was awarded the Police Combat Cross, the department's second highest medal. The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescuers to become extremely ill and eventually led to the death of several public safety personnel.
Motor Officer Mike Kern, 43, Olathe County (Kan.) PD, suffered a fatal heart attack while on-duty and detailing his department motorcycle in preparation for a planned presidential escort. Officer Kern had served with the Olathe Police Department for 13 years and had previously served with the Cass County Sheriff's Office for three years.
Detective John Stevens, 44, Ocean County (N.J.) Prosecutor’s Office, succumbed to injuries sustained two weeks earlier in a single vehicle on Dover Road in Lacey Township. He was working on an undercover assignment and was driving an undercover vehicle when it crossed the centerline and struck a tree. He was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he remained until passing away on January 21st. Detective Stevens had served with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office for 15 years and had previously served with the New Jersey State Attorney's Office for five years.
Mississippi Gaming Commission Director of Investigations John Gorman, 45, was accidentally shot and killed during a training exercise at the commission office in Robinsonville at approximately 9 a.m. A firearm being used by another agent accidentally discharged and the round struck Director Gorman. Gorman had been promoted to Director of Investigation the previous day after 22 years of service with the agency.
Sergeant Kerry Mitchum, 57, Loxley (Ala.) PD, was killed in a single vehicle crash near Highway 59 in Stapleton. He was on his way to the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office firing range at approximately 3 p.m when his department vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree. He was flown to the University of South Alabama Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.
Officer Roger O'Dell, 47, Town Creek (Ala.) PD, suffered a fatal heart attack after taking two juveniles into custody who had escaped from a juvenile detention facility. He had received an anonymous tip at approximately 4 a.m that the two were at an apartment complex. He was able to detain the two and placed them under arrest after positively identifying them as the escapees. He collapsed moments after placing both in the rear of his patrol car. Upon seeing the officer in distress, one of the juveniles was able to crawl through the prisoner partition into the front of his patrol car and used the radio to summon help. Officer O’Dell had served with Town Creek PD for approximately 18 months after retiring as chief of the Courtland Police Department.
Detective Mike Starrett, 54, Jacksboro (Tenn.) PD, succumbed to injuries sustained one week earlier when he was involved in a head-on crash while responding to a fatal accident. Other vehicles were yielding when Starrett’s vehicle was struck by a pickup truck. He was transported to a medical center where he went through several surgeries before passing away seven days later. The driver of the truck that struck Starrett was charged with failure to maintain control and failure to exercise due care.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Nicholas Dees was struck and killed by a vehicle on I-40 near Shawnee. He and another trooper were investigating a wreck involving a semi-truck at approximately 10 p.m when a vehicle went around their patrol cars and struck both troopers. Trooper Dees died at the scene. The other trooper, Keith Burch, suffered serious injuries. Trooper Dees was the son of a retired OHP trooper.
It must be said again and again that cops do not have to die in the numbers that we have seen over the past three decades. We're making headway in lowering our losses but we must not stop and we must not waiver in our efforts. This is literally a matter of life and death. We have made more progress than many thought was possible, but it has come at the expense of hard-learned lessons based on the sacrifices of thousands of fallen officers.
Vehicle operations continue to be the most deadly activity that officers engage in and half of all fatal crashes involve a single vehicle. The sad truth is that many of our losses are preventable and we must learn from the terrible lessons of the past so that we don't continue to repeat deadly mistakes. No line-of-duty death should ever be considered as acceptable or without consequence. The best way for us to honor our fallen is by training the living. Those who have given their lives would want nothing less.
Law Officer’s Below 100 initiative is working hard to address those LODD areas that are primarily under an officer’s control.
Special thanks to our partners at the Officer Down Memorial Page for their assistance.