Officer-Involved Shootings
The Officer-Involved Shootings topic page provides news about cops in deadly confrontations, as well as tactical tips and columnists’ perspective on how to handle such situations.
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 actions of Officer Michael Tschida serve as a valuable case study for officers to learn from and adapt their response strategies in similar high-risk situations
The chaotic event killed officer Jake Wallin, 23, and wounded officers Andrew Dotas and Tyler Hawes; the only officer left standing, Zach Robinson, stopped the heavily armed shooter without hesitation
“Put your hands behind your back. Don’t move!” the officer can be heard shouting during the struggle. “He’s got a gun, he’s got a gun!”
Cpl. Tye Simcox was parked in his patrol vehicle when a driver fired multiple shots at him; the driver then pulled over, got out and continued firing at the officer
“This wasn’t just an attack on [the wounded officers]. This was an attack on the entire Milwaukee Police Department,” Mayor Cavalier Johnson said
The incident began when Illinois officers pursued a suspect, believed to be holding a hostage, into Indiana; the pursuit led back into Illinois, where the shooting unfolded
“This is a terrible night for the Phoenix Police Department and for those who love and care for officers and for members of our community,” Interim Chief Michael Sullivan said
After the suspect killed one officer and wounded two others, he was stopped by police after a freeway pursuit; officers shot and killed him after he approached them with a firearm
Indianapolis Police officers rushed into a home where a woman was screaming; after the suspect holding her at knifepoint refused to drop his weapon, they fatally shot him
”Our department is hurting,” department spokesperson Kristin Lowman said. “We have officers who are injured, who are in the hospital, and we lost one of our own”
Muskogee Police Department officers fired multiple shots at the suspect, wounding him and causing him to surrender
The incident began when the officer approached an armed man sleeping in a car; when the man woke up and started to drive away, the officer fired several shots, killing him
Officers spoke with the suspect and used less lethal options in an attempt to de-escalate the situation before the shooting occurred
Julio Cordero, a standout at the FBI for over 20 years, was confronted by an El Paso ISD officer after he was reportedly breaking windows before school started
The man took his 3-year-old stepdaughter to the Watsonville Police Department station before calling 911 and threatening to harm her with a knife
The Olympia PD must create a policy establishing the ban of symbolic enhancements to equipment within the next year, effectively banning thin blue line and other types of imagery
The Florence County deputy followed a fleeing suspect into a home before firing several shots at him; during the incident, his K-9 partner bit an uninvolved resident
The Akron officer instructed the man to exit the U-Haul; when the suspect stayed seated, a struggle ensued and the suspect began to drive away
The man threw a shovel at an Orange County community service officer’s vehicle as he fled before running at a deputy with a water meter
The ex-Okaloosa County Sheriff’s deputy fired shots when the man emerged from his apartment with a firearm; the man’s family alleges he did not hear the deputy identify himself
Alton Police Department Officer Allen Averbeck was treated at a hospital and is expected to recover; K-9 Odin was taken to an animal hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries
The man was pursued across several Colorado jurisdictions, firing at officers with several agencies along the way
The man had been charged with aggravated murder in the Aug. 9 death of Smyth County Deputy Hunter Reedy as well as with four counts of attempted murder
The court ruled the officers’ use of force, aimed at stopping an armed driver who had shot a police K-9 and his handler, was not excessive
The deputy saw a man and woman acting oddly and tried to speak with them; the pair ran behind a building before jumping out to attack him
“He was staring right at me making me believe that he was going to run me over,” the Bristol Police Department officer who fired the shots said in a statement
The man was convicted of the attempted murder of a Frederick County Sheriff’s deputy and sentenced to life in prison
The officers involved in the shooting stated that the suspect pointed the gun at them before they fired shots
“Some individuals would rather see our community divided and in turmoil than allow me to continue serving as sheriff,” Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell stated
A wounded officer was able to use his service weapon to fire shots at the suspect’s foot while wrestling his gun away, which caused him to relinquish his hold on the gun
Three officers were struck during the incident and treated at a hospital; Pope County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Josh Owen died from his injuries
The cruiser caught fire after crashing into a semi-trailer, which caused fatal injuries to the suspect
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