As we enter the sixth month of 2013, we have lost a total of 49 officers. Ten of them were killed during the month of May.
The number of LODDs so far is slightly ahead of where we were this time last year. If you annualize our losses thus far, we are tracking toward an annual toll of approximately 118. This would actually be less than last year’s record low. Of the 10 officers lost during May, four died in vehicle-related incidents, two drowned, two died in a training accident, one died due to smoke inhalation and one was shot.
All of us at Law Officer extend our heartfelt condolences to the coworkers, families and departments who have suffered a loss during this past month. During May, we honored the fallen throughout Police Week and these losses serve as a sobering reminder that the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial Wall is the only D.C. memorial that will never be finished.
In order of occurrence, here are the losses for May:
Officer Jerry McCarthy, 60, Shenango Township Police Department, Penn., was a passenger in a patrol vehicle responding to a pursuit in New Castle, Penn. The patrol car was struck on the passenger side by a vehicle that ran a stop sign. McCarthy was pronounced dead while being transported to a hospital. The officer driving the vehicle was injured but survived. The subject who was driving the vehicle that killed McCarthy had been arrested a month prior for operating without a license. McCarthy was a part-time officer and also worked for the Lawrence County District Attorney’s office. He had been with the department for one year.
Officer Tim Huffman, 47, Ariz. Department of Public Safety, was at the scene of an accident investigation and was sitting in his patrol car writing a report while another officer was attempting to shut down a lane of traffic to clear a lane for fire department vehicles. A tractor trailer rig failed to yield to the directing officer and struck the back of Huffman’s patrol car at full speed, pushing it into other vehicles at the scene. Huffman died shortly after.
Special Agent Christopher Lorek, 41, and Special Agent Stephen Shaw, 40, both assigned to the FBI Hostage Rescue Unit, were killed in a training accident 12 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, Va. Both agents were participating in a maritime counterterrorism exercise involving fast-roping from a helicopter onto a ship. The helicopter encountered difficulties during the maneuver, causing both agents to fall a significant distance into the ocean. They were recovered from the water and flown to Norfolk General Hospital where they were pronounced dead.
Officer Daryl Raetz, 29, Phoenix, Ariz., Police Department, was struck and killed by a passing vehicle while making a DUI arrest. At approximately 0330 hours, Raetz, along with several other officers, was processing a suspect on the side of road when an SUV struck Officer Raetz. He was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital where he died. The driver of the SUV fled the scene. He was arrested the following day after another officer spotted his vehicle. The suspect is an illegal alien and was charged with drug possession. Charges are pending in connection with the death of Officer Raetz.
Deputy Sheriff Tim Causey, 50, Horry County Sheriff’s Department, S.C., died as the result of smoke inhalation he suffered on March 16th, 2013, after responding to a massive fire in the Windsor Green area. The fire destroyed 26 condominium buildings and Causey had responded to assist in securing the scene on the night of the fire and for several days following. After becoming ill in the following days, he was diagnosed with smoke inhalation and acute respiratory failure. He was flown to a hospital and went into a coma before passing away on May 19th.
Officer Jason Ellis, 33, Bardstown Police Department, Ky., was shot and killed in an apparent ambush on an exit ramp from the Bluegrass Parkway shortly before 0250 hours. He had been on his way home in a marked patrol car. A citizen called 911 to report that an officer had been fatally struck by a vehicle. A Kentucky state police trooper responded to the scene and discovered that Ellis had been shot. It's believed a subject purposely placed debris in the middle of the roadway with the intent of setting up an ambush. Ellis stopped to remove the debris and was shot several times with a shotgun from a nearby hilltop. The suspect remains at large.
Sheriff Cody Carpenter, Scott County Sheriff’s Office Arkansas and Arkansas Game and Fish Officer Joel Campora, 32, drowned while assisting victims of an overnight flash flood along the Fourche Lefave River. They had responded by boat to a 911 call at a home in the flooded area along the river. They both exited the boat and entered the home to assist two female victims who were trapped inside. At some point the officers, victims and boat were all swept away by raging flood waters. Sheriff Carpenter's body was located the following morning while Officer Campora's body was recovered three days later.
Trooper Sean O'Connell, 38, Washington State Patrol, was killed when his motorcycle was struck by another vehicle as he controlled traffic in Conway, Washington. He was struck near an intersection and knocked to the ground at approximately 1745 hours. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
The manner in which these officers die doesn't lessen their sacrifice nor does it lessen the pain that their deaths will cause. Each left behind grieving family members and an agency that will never be the same. The tragedy of their untimely passing will follow the survivors for the rest of their lives.
Considering the conventional wisdom that guns are the biggest threats that cops face, it's notable that only one of the ten LODDs was from gunfire. We must make every possible effort to drive down our line-of-duty deaths and the most effective way to do that is by concentrating on those areas where officers have the most control. That’s why the five tenets of Below 100 are so important:
- Wear your belt.
- Wear your vest.
- Watch your speed.
- WIN – What’s Important Now?
- Remember: Complacency Kills!
Equally important, if we’re truly committed to improving officer safety we must have the courage to constructively review every loss and to speak to others about using common sense. When others make decisions or engage in behavior that affects officer safety, we have a fundamental obligation to talk to them or, to use a more descriptive term, to have a courageous conversation. When it comes to officer safety, we truly are our brother’s keeper.
Learn more about Below 100 at www.Below100.com.