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.
A compelling look into the stark realities faced by rural police officers through a rigorous five-year data collection effort
Preparing for an all-options response to a multiple-person attack requires a commitment to training beyond the sporadic defensive tactics sessions
In 1987, Tom Weitzel was issuing a parking ticket when he was ambushed and shot by a gang member; the incident taught him the importance of standing by his officers in the best and worst of times
The gunman, who is still at large, reportedly fired the shots using a long gun from the roof of a building in Newark
The suspect, who had visited the station hours prior, said he wanted to talk about “a person who was a danger”
“Anything any of us could have needed, if we asked him for help on something, Alex Hamzy was always there to offer a hand.”
“Dustin DeMonte was one of those officers who was not just doing a job. He was working for the community.”
The footage is part of a preliminary report by the state’s Office of the Inspector General
Bristol police said Officer Alec Iurato was hit by gunfire and returned fire, killing the shooter
The number of ambushes in which police were injured or killed in surprise attacks with little chance to defend themselves has soared since 2020
The officers were responding to a 911 call about an apparent dispute between two brothers that appears to have been a deliberate act to lure LE to the scene
She told the dispatcher her husband knew she would call police for his intoxication, so gathered ammunition to meet police with gunfire at front door
Washington State Patrol Trooper Dean Atkinson was rammed by a vehicle and then shot
The device captured footage during the standoff when Devin Weiland shot at the drone and at an armored vehicle brought into the area to deploy tear gas
Deputies Jonathan Randall Koleski and Marshall Samual Ervin Jr. will be honored at separate services
“The officers displayed extreme calm under the most difficult circumstances.”
“In plain terms, it’s very simple. My two deputies were ambushed this evening and killed,” Sheriff Craig Owens said
“Families come in all forms and children of fallen responders will now receive equal benefits regardless of their parents’ marital status,” Sheriff Jim Hart said
A second officer in the car fired back, wounding the gunman
The gunman’s parents sued after authorities seized 25 rifles, 10 pistols and two shotguns from their home in 2014
Steven Carrillo shot and killed Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller during a firefight with law enforcement
Officer Muhammed Chowdhury was attacked by a gang linked to 19 carjackings and robberies
Download this guide to access resources and tactics to improve officer safety
Autonomous devices have the potential to be a gamechanger for law enforcement safety and reconnaissance
Using lessons learned from near misses to prevent injuries and fatalities from felonious assaults, missed firearms, ambushes and unprovoked attacks
“What was his intent? To kill as many Richland County deputies as he could,” Sheriff Leon Lott said
One of the three deputies who responded to the call was wounded in the shooting
Of the LEOs shot and wounded in the line of duty, 39 were killed – a statistic “outpacing last year’s historic numbers”
Officer Crystal Sepulveda, 29, was struck three times – once in the face, left calf and left toe; the bullet shattered her cheek and exited through her ear
The suspect allegedly fired 17 rounds into the officers’ car
“The savage pain that’s being felt by the department and the families, especially the husbands, wives and kids, is the same at every funeral,” says former officer
Officers Loren Courts and Amanda Hudgens became quick friends after meeting in the police academy
Read about pair of unconventional rookies, a gut-wrenching loss and more from this week’s news
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- ‘If they come at me, I’m coming at them’: BWC video shows ambush shooting that wounded 7 Texas officers
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- ‘Deliberate and evil plan’: Suspect who ambushed 3 Ohio officers brought cache of rifles, ammo and explosives
- Minneapolis police release bodycam of shooting that killed Officer Jamal Mitchell
- Ambush attacks on police remain high, with 56 officers shot through July 2025