Police Heroes
Police heroes come in many forms. On the Police Heroes topic page, we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the mission to protect their communities.
Ketter survived a harrowing standoff and returned to duty, proving resilience knows no limits
Six-year-old cancer survivor Quinn D’Amico-Valliere, who loves police officers, received a custom police uniform and a $5,000 donation from Cops for Kids with Cancer
When gunshots filled the air, Sgt. Joelle Harrell ran in their direction before coming face-to-face with a bloodied Ricky Pearsall, a wide receiver with the San Francisco 49ers
The AKC Canine Officer program was created to recognize the important work that K-9 officers perform in public service roles for government agencies every day
“I wasn’t letting Eli out of my sight,” Officer Ashley Bergersen. “So when I put him on that gurney, I knew I was gonna...be with him until they told me to go home”
Lt. James Waller, a 22-year veteran of the Conroe Police Department, died at a hospital where he was taken after the tornado struck his home
Trooper Tanner Harrison rescued a child, who was unresponsive after falling into a pond, by providing first aid until they regained a pulse
“As soon as we heard the first kind of cry, a little cry or sigh, I was just kind of like, oh man, I’m glad that [he’s] breathing now,” Sergeant Michael Filandro said
“He was the best man I will ever know. And I hope to be just like him,” Theo James Elliott wrote about his father, N.C. Department of Adult Correction Investigator William “Alden” Elliott
“They’re heroes because they face dangers that most humans should not have to face,” Chief Johnny Jennings said. “And they accept that danger. And not a single one of them backed away from that challenge...”
“We saw ... officers going in to the line of fire to save their brothers in blue, who have gone down in the act of trying to keep our community safe,” Chief Jennings said
Retired South Bend Police Lt. Gene Eyster knew the boy as “Baby Jesus,” because he was found days before Christmas
“Who would think that you’re sitting inside your house on a Sunday, and for no reason, someone drives a vehicle right through your house, and immediately you’re getting hit by gunfire,” Sheriff Carmine Marceno recounted
“… The actions of those who pulled this motorist from the burning car demonstrates the importance...of people throughout Minnesota looking out for each other,” Lt. Jill Frankfurth stated
Deputy Tobin Bolter, 27, who joined the Ada County Sheriff’s Office in January, had been in law enforcement for seven years
St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Betsinger fell from the boat when it hit a rogue wave; Kyle Purvis, Cody King and Brandon Keller pulled him from the water
The girl approached actress Mariska Hargitay for help when she saw that she was wearing a badge
A passing driver noticed Deputy Fred Fislar was down and used his radio to notify dispatchers
Fallen Officer Michael Jensen’s father asked that the chaplain pray for his son’s colleagues who came to his aid and who will have to go out and do their job despite their grief
Sgt. William Marty Jackson II served in law enforcement for more than 50 years; he was chief of police from 1989 until he retired in 2008 before returning to the department as a sergeant
Chief Steven Singer had been a member of the Lake Lafayette Police Department for 20 years and had also worked part-time with the Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office for 16 years
A Syracuse police officer and an Onondaga County sheriff’s deputy were both killed when they went to follow up on a traffic stop where the driver sped away
Ross Bartlett, 54, was seated in his patrol vehicle and conducting a traffic stop when he was hit from behind
Interim Memphis Police Director CJ Davis identified the fallen officer as Joseph McKinney and said he had been on the force for about three years
“There’s no training scenario I’ve been through to just run into a lake, but I know that if it was my family or my daughter, that’s what I’d be doing. Just going in there — it’s just an instinct,” Tacoma Officer Steve O’Neal said
“Multiple officers from multiple area commands... knew what to do, knew how to respond, knew how to shut down traffic, and they did that,” SWAT Commander Bryan Peterson said. “Ultimately, that’s what saved Enzo’s life. “
LA County Sheriff James Barton, Deputy Charles Daly and Constables William Little and Charles Baker were honored with a metal plaque on the hill where they were killed in a shootout with a notorious bandit
Sgt. Justin Dodge, whose left leg was amputated below the knee after the fire truck rolled over it, is the only amputee officer on the city’s 1,500-member force
Detective Michael Harton, who is also trained as an EMT, performed life-saving measures on baby “Tooka” when she stopped breathing; he has maintained a relationship with her family ever since
“How many more police officers and their families will have to make the ultimate sacrifice before the city protects them?”
“He was just eager to learn and at the end of the night he would tell everybody he loved us.”
DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Christina Musil served in the corrections and patrol divisions
Meet Mary Nero: Greensboro Police Department’s lone homicide victim advocate who managed a record 74 homicide cases in a single year
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