Duty Death: Steven Belanger - [Los Angeles]
End of Service: 06/02/2018
By Police1 Staff
LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy who was shot in the head 24 years ago died of his injuries Tuesday.
KCAL-TV reports that 52-year-old Deputy Steven Belanger died from injuries he suffered when he was shot during a traffic stop. The bullet was lodged into his brain and couldn’t be removed.
On Dec. 11, 1994, Belanger, who was 29, was questioning a 20-year-old assault suspect when the man shot Belanger in the head, according to the Los Angeles Daily News. The gunman later killed himself in front of a church.
“The bullet lodged in Steve’s brain and therefore could not be removed,” according to a statement form the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs. “His retirement, ongoing health issues and ultimately his death...were related to the shooting.”
A funeral was planned to be held Thursday.