Ambush
The Ambush topic page features safety tips, columnist commentary and the latest news updates on the growing threat of targeted attacks against police officers.
Looking at the per capita data, these counties have the highest homicide rates in the country.
An analysis of recent ambush wins shows the reasons for victories jump off the pages because they are virtually all alike
Have a plan, should you come under attack when in a vehicle
Interim D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Jeffery Carroll stated that the officer was targeted and it was possible the suspects knew he was a police officer
Park Police Chief Scott Brecht said in a press briefing that the officer was ambushed by two gunmen who fired at the officer as he drove by in an unmarked vehicle
During the pursuit, the man stopped and opened fire on Greenville County deputies before fleeing; the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound
A shocking Greenville S.C. police officer ambush video leads to a discussion on staying alert without letting anxiety take over
The ambush attack killed Lorain Officer Phillip Wagner and wounded Officers Brent Payne and Peter Gale
The suspect is believed to have entered a lumber store and fatally shot a man; when two Gainesville PD officers responded to the scene, the suspect shot both of them before being fatally wounded
Surveillance footage shows the suspect vehicle pulling up alongside the Greenville police officer’s cruiser, followed by visible sparks striking the driver’s side of the patrol car
The Greenville Police Department officer was released from the hospital following the shooting; the suspect was later fatally shot during a pursuit by Greenville County Sheriff’s deputies
Rahmanullah Lakanwal worked with the U.S. government before entering the U.S. in 2021; Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed and Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe critically wounded
West Virginia National Guard members were shot near a metro station in what D.C.’s mayor called a targeted shooting; other troops subdued the gunman
One Pueblo officer was shot in the head through his cruiser windshield as he arrived at the scene; two others were shot as they searched for the suspect through a darkened neighborhood
“Routine” vehicle stops often mask the potential for ambush, leaving officers in situations where reaction time is dangerously constrained
We must do everything we can to understand ambush attacks in order to increase survivability
Be honest with your family about the risks of being an LEO and what you do to lower those risks with training, equipment, self-care and policy
The man had stored up ammunition and set up a lawn chair to shoot Harris County deputies as they arrived, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said; as he began to open fire, the gun jammed
Detectives Isaiah Emenheiser and Mark Baker and Detective Sgt. Cody Becker were shot at close range by a gunman lying in wait as they entered a home
The man who killed Lorain PD Officer Phillip Wagner and wounded Officers Peter Gale and Brent Payne was acting alone and had brought a stockpile of weapons
A partner’s loss, a split-second ambush, and the training mindset that carried an officer through
FOP data reports that at least 56 officers have been shot in ambush attacks in 2025, constituting more than 28% of the total number of officers shot in the line of duty
Wounded Trooper Joseph Perechinsky, after suffering two gunshots to the chest, stopped traffic in the area and applied a tourniquet to his colleague, Trooper William Jenkins
The fundraiser, spearheaded by Gideon and Josiah Trank’s lemonade stand, supported the family of fallen Lorain officer Phillip Wagner and the recovery of two wounded officers
Lorain Officer Phillip C. Wagner, 35, joined the force in 2022 after serving with the U.S. Marine Corps and the Sheffield Village PD; he was known for dedication and compassion
The man, who “had an arsenal of weapons with him,” was shot and killed by officers after opening fire, Lorain police say
The 11 suspects arrested in the incident are accused of vandalizing vehicles and shooting off fireworks to lure ICE agents out of the center
The court found the officers were justified in temporarily detaining the plaintiffs to ascertain their identities and ensure safety
MOST POPULAR
- Roundtable: Preparing to prevent police ambush attacks
- NYPD cop shot in the arm by gunman who opened fire on unmarked PD vehicle
- N.J. police chief: Couple ‘formed plan to engage’ cops for ‘purpose of killing 2' LEOs
- 2 N.J. officers shot from rooftop by unknown assailant
- Gunman who shot 2 N.J. police officers taken into custody