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.
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
History has shown that American citizens will eventually stand up to protect themselves
Bass Reeves, a U.S. deputy marshal in the western district of Indian Territory, took a warrant to arrest his son after he shot and killed his wife
Deputy Jeremy McCain was critically injured when a gate went through the windshield and pinned him in his car
Rafael Villalba had seen Deputy Josh Snow in a newspaper article and wanted to personally thank him
Kimura is a tough dog and now it’s official: he is the toughest dog
Cpl. Matt Aitken’s supervisor credits the survival story to Aitken’s training, hard work and seriousness to the job
Organizers hope the daughters of Bibb County Deputy Brad Johnson will see his name added to the National Law Enforcement Officers’ Memorial in May
The BlueBridge Alliance Program puts prepaid debit cards directly in the hands of officers to help people they encounter who are struggling
A team effort from several Miami-Dade officers saves the life of a young boy
Farmington Hills officers are seen on a smoky third floor, waking sleeping residents and taking them outside
When Officer Robert Shisler was shot, a neighbor applied pressure to control the bleeding until another officer arrived and applied a tourniquet
Detective Sgt. Mason Griffith was killed and another officer remains in serious, but stable condition
The legislation became a crusade for Patrick and Denise Gannon after the fatal shooting of their son Sean, and the mortal wound to Sean’s K-9 Nero
A friend of Officer Andrés Vásquez-Lasso said he “gave up his life serving what he loved most: the police”
West Vincent Township Police Officer John Kane said the 8-year-old boy was hanging from a rope ladder
Mount Pleasant officers pulled Tamara Palmer over for suspicion of drunk driving after she hit the curb multiple times and failed to stay in the lane
Master Trooper James R. Bailey, 50, had served with the Indiana State Police for more than 15 years
Deputy Asson Hacker joined the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office in December 2022 and is survived by his wife and three children
Fresno County’s EAGLE One Search and Rescue deputies did a low-level air drop after firefighters were unable to reach the house
Andres Vasqeuz-Lasso became the first CPD officer to die in the line of duty since Officer Ella French was slain in August 2021 during a traffic stop shooting
Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso, who had five years on the job, came from a family of public servants
The phone alerted officers to the longitude and latitude of the incident
An officer drove to the customer’s house a couple of blocks from the crash scene and delivered the order
A retired sheriff addresses what the Thin Blue Line flag means to him and so many officers who wear or have worn the badge
Officer Geoffrey Redd was remembered with a “Sea of Blue” as officers rode around Memphis with their vehicle lights on
When power lines prevented Norman paramedics from reaching victims, a police vehicle was offered as a stand-in
Brackenridge Police Chief Justin McIntire was struck by four bullets, two of which were fired through the back of his head while he was down
Tarrant County Jail Corporal Aron Iseman was driving when his vehicle left the roadway and rolled several times
Kenneth Fowler, 52, hit his head in the fall, causing brain bleeds and a hairline fracture in his skull
Texas deputy Bill Hardin started his law enforcement career on Feb. 1, 1947
“He was just the best. He was just a great police officer who advocated for a safer city that he grew up in,” an officer said
The shooting happened while the officer was pursuing a suspect in a robbery at a nearby convenience store, university officials said
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