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.
A six-year push for the day of appreciation, inspired by heroism and tragedy, culminated in the designation of Oct. 28 to honor first responders
Tractor Supply is saluting emergency providers – and offering them key savings
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund will hold a variety of events – including many that are open to the public – from Sept. 27-29
“[Deputy] Eric Minix was a dedicated deputy and K-9 officer, but more importantly, he was a friend to everyone who knew him,” the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement
Officer Tuan Le was shot and killed by a burglary suspect while responding to a scene in plainclothes
Officer Victor Claudio had served the Cleveland Police Department for 23 years and was awarded a distinguished service medal in 2014
Sergeant Mike Russ was a U.S. Navy veteran and a 16-year veteran of the Chattanooga Police Department
Deputy Cory Patterson, who witnessed a man drive into a fence, broke into the man’s locked car and began administering lifesaving care immediately
“Her quick and calm response under pressure saved recruit (Solomon) Kessio’s life,” said Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal
“One of my supervisors didn’t realize that there were as many deaf people in the county until I worked here,” Deputy Preston Kite said. “He’s surprised by the amount of times I’m called out somewhere”
“[The officer] was a loving husband, father, son and brother with 22 years of service to the department,” said Greensboro Police Department Chief John Thompson
Sgt. Marc McIntyre had been with the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office since 2015 and was a military veteran who served in Iraq
K-9 Maxa tracked and located the child, who was unharmed, in a wooded area near the family’s home
“You don’t know what we’re going to encounter and what we’re going to walk into, and ... [serving the public] was something that I always wanted to do,” Officer Tom Dombroski said
"[Officer Tuan Le] will be remembered for his kindness, his smile, and the positive change he brought to the lives of those around him,” the city of Oakland said. “He is a true hero who dedicated his life to making our community safer”
The recruits performed lifesaving procedures, alerted academy staff, called 911, notified the recruit’s family and helped to provide a police escort to the hospital
Saving a Hero’s Place Collaborates with museum to memorialize 23,785 officers lost in the line of duty
The man was involved in a crash before shooting a bystander who approached to offer help
First responders from several agencies worked to save a man trapped by rocks along a San Diego beach
Officer Rieper, who used to be a firefighter, said his instincts kicked in as soon as he arrived at the scene and the woman’s safety became his top priority
The mother confessed to officers that she had spoiled Elf on the Shelf for her son; to restore the boy’s spirit, the officers staged a traffic stop to “scold” her for moving the elf, thus allowing it to regain its powers
“I could hear his screams … my priority was to save this man. To get him out as soon as possible,” Officer Truong said
An attempt to burn a “possessed” 9-year-old boy alive came to an abrupt end when a Highlands County Sheriff’s Office deputy shot and killed one of the adults involved
Cpl. Carlos Brito was released Tuesday, just in time for the holidays; Brito and Deputy Manuel “Manny” Santos were both severely injured by a suspect who intentionally drove into them
Officer Daniel DiDato was 47 years old and had worked for the East Fishkill Police Department since 2005
Deputy Joshua Hamilton, 34, had been with the Preble County Sheriff’s Office since May 2022
See how law enforcement stepped up through acts of heroism to create some good this past year
“It’s a good feeling knowing that she’s going to live and hopefully keep her leg,” Deputy Tiffany Kagle said
Deputy Jacob Cook drove his cruiser at more than 100 miles per hour to reach and save Alyra Jones
SERVPRO First Responder Bowl to recognize 5 Nashville PD officers, 12 additional local heroes at other bowl games
Chief Christopher Bayard Cummings was helping to clear a beaver dam when the heart attack occurred; he had served in law enforcement for 29 years
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
Deputy Christopher Hatcher survived the crash with minor injuries and was awarded a Medal of Valor for his actions
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