Memorial Page

A law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty every 57 hours in the USA.


Will you remember me?

Nelson Alvin Sasscer
Santa Ana, California
June 4, 1969
Officer Sasscer had stopped to assist what he thought was a disabled motorist and was ambushed by members of the Black Panther party.



Charles H. Lee
Clayton, North Carolina
June 25, 1949
December 2, 1972
Lee was making a drunk driving arrest and was shot twice in the head. He was 25 years old and left behind a wife and a child of 8 months.



Chief of Police
Officer Aldean Sorbo
Bricelyn, Minnesota
July 18, 1931
July 9, 1978
Sorbo was struck by a drunk driver while directing traffic after the Fourth of July celebrations. Officer Sorbo died 9 days later from his injuries.



Donald E. Shea
Massachusetts
November 26, 1950
December 16, 1978
Massachusetts State Trooper Donald E. Shea died in a cruiser accident. He was 28 years old. He left behind a wife and two sons. He is truly missed by all




Joseph P. McCormack
New York
February 13, 1943
September 29, 1983
McCormack was shot and killed during a barricade situation. He was with the department for 15 years. Newly assigned to the Emergency Service Unit Truck 2. Ironically, September 29th is the feast of St Michael, the Archangel, patron of police. He left behind a wife, two sons and a daughter.



Deputy Lloyd Brooks
Los Angeles, California
September 1, 1984
Lloyd was killed while trying to clear a LZ for Life Flight on a major motor vehicle accident. His memory will remain in the hearts of everyone who knew and loved him in and out of East LA Station. This posted memorial is dedicated by his God Son Deputy Ron L. Bucholz (ex LASD LKD Deputy) Sandoval County Sheriffs Office Albuquerque, New Mexico.



Emilio Miyares
Hialeah, Florida
November 6, 1986
Age 27
Emilio was killed in the line of duty. He leaves behind his wife, son and a daughter who adored him.



William Steven Whalen
Dayton, Ohio
May 21, 1991
William was killed while conducting a traffic stop when he was shot with an assault weapon.
Picture of William



Sargent Justin Conn Vermillion
Travis County, Montana
June 15, 1958
January 24, 1993
Justin graduated from Sandy Lake, PA High School, 1976. He was a graduate of Montana State University, Bozeman, Mt Class of 1985. He served four years in the Air Force. Justin leaves behind his wife and two sons. He also leaves behind his mother, his father and two brothers. "My son I miss you every day. I wish to God you were here with us."



Chief Deputy Bobby Max Biggerstaff
Franklin County, Texas
August 23, 1944
June 19, 1993
Bobby was hit head-on by a speeding drunk driver (97 MPH). He was survived by his wife, Lana, a deputy sheriff for Titus County, two daughters, two step-daughters and one step-son. He is greatly missed every passing day.



Larry Don Johnson
Sparks, Nevada
May 23, 1995
Age 44
Larry was shot and killed chasing a man who had been paroled a month earlier and was attempting to rob a bar. The suspect was chased into a residential neighborhood and Larry and the suspect exchanged gunfire. The suspect was killed by fellow officers. Larry was with the Department for 11 years. He leaves behind his son and a daughter. He was a friend and a colleague and the man that went the extra mile when he did not have to.



Kevin J. Gillespie
New York
March 19, 1961
March 14, 1996
Badge #4503 NY Street Crime Unit
Kevin was murdered by 3 carjackers - Kevin never said goodbye he always said "Be Safe"
Irish Blessing



Jason K. Grossnickle
Dayton, Ohio
May 23, 1996
Age 25
Jason was shot and killed in an ambush as he was arriving for work. Another officer was shot and wounded as Jason went to his assistance. The suspect was hiding in the parking lot and shot Jason in the head. Both officers returned fire and killed the suspect. Jason had just graduated from the Academy 3 months prior.
Picture of Jason


Joseph C. Rodgers
Florence County, South Carolina
April 9, 1997
Age 25
Joseph was shot and killed by a murder suspect. The suspect had murdered two people two days before. His cruiser was then stolen at the scene but when suspect exited car fellow officers killed him. Joseph was with the S.O. for four years. He leaves behind his fiance, parents and brother.
Picture of Joseph


Lt. Owen Sweeney
Baltimore, Maryland
May 7, 1997
Owen was killed in the Line of Duty.



By request, the following two names are deliberately out of chronological order, their father & son

Scott Harvick
Nov. 2 1968 Bowie, Texas
Apr. 14 1998 Waco, Texas
Served most of his adult life in the U.S. Army, quit & joined the Academy
A Poem By Scott Harvick



Brandon H. Thacker
Kentucky
October 13, 1970
April 16, 1998
An investigator for the Kentucky State Alcohol Beverage Control. Shot by another motorist while driving to a Cops in Shops assignment. Brandon radioed for help to three officers driving in separate vehicles ahead of him.  The murderer was apprehended, tried for capital murder, but only found guilty of manslaughter, sentenced to a mere 20 years.  Brandon is survived by his wife, Jenn and daughter, who was 18 months old at the time of his death.  He is missed every second of every day.



Allen W. Gibson, Jr.
Waverly, Virginia
May 4, 1972
April 25, 1998
Officer A. W. Gibson, Jr. was shot and killed after confronting two male suspects while on routine foot patrol in a wooded area behind an apartment complex. Upon confronting the suspects, a struggle ensued and Officer Gibson was shot once in the abdomen with his own weapon. The round struck the edge of his bulletproof vest and penetrated it. He was taken to a hospital where he died on April 25, 1998, at approximately 1300 hours. He is survived by his wife and daughter. We miss you very much!
Picture of Allen and Poem Written by his wife



Susan Lynn Rodriguez
Texas
June 8, 1998
At 28 yrs old, wife of investigator for US Immigration and
Naturalization Service, mother of 1 yr old daughter. First female Border
Patrol Officer to die in the line of duty in the US.
Picture of Rodriguez



Ricardo Guillermo Salinas
Texas
June 8, 1998
Finished boot camp in appx Feb '97, started training with the Border Patrol in Sept '97. Was a week away from his exam to be a full time agent
Picture of Salinas



William J. "Joey" Starling
Wilkes, North Carolina
July 20, 1998
Joey was killed in a traffic accident. He may have lost control of his car chasing someone. His vehicle hit an utility pole, which broke it in half. He was with the HP for 13 years. A native of Jacksonville, Florida. He leaves behind his two sons and a daughter.
Picture of Joey



Detective John Michael Gibson
&
Officer Jacob Joseph Chestnut
Washington D.C.
July 24, 1998
United States Capitol Police, killed while defending tourists of the Capital building



William Hancox
Toronto Canada
August 4, 1998
Det. Hancox was 32 yrs old leaves behind his wife, 8 months pregnant and his 2 yr old daughter. Received fatal stab wounds to the neck by a female street person while leaving convenience store.



Filbert Cuesta
Los Angeles, California
August 10, 1998
Member of LAPD's gang suppression unit, shot in head while answering a call to a party. He leaves behind a wife and two young daughters.



Deputy Sheriff Kenneth Wimberly
Gwinnett County, Georgia
Sheriff's Office
Age 32
September 22, 1998
Wimberly was shot and killed by a suspect who fought him and killed him with his own gun. He leaves behind three young children.



Deputy Constable Micheal Eakin
Precinct One, Harris County, Houston, Texas
January 11, 1973
September 29, 1998
Micheal, serving as patrol on the Hardy Toll Road, pulled over a speeding car. One of the teen aged occupants had a pistol and shot Micheal in the head. The killer was tried, found guilty of capital murder, and sentenced to death by lethal injection. Micheal was only 25 years old.



Brad Arn
St. Joseph, Missouri
November 10, 1998
Officer Arn answered the call of a man shooting a rifle at passing vehicles. Brad went into the area and was shot and killed. He leaves behind a wife and twin daughters.



Juan Cruz
Tucson, Arizona
December 9, 1998
Trapped inside his cruiser when a motorist hit him and pinned him inside it causing it to start on fire while he was issuing a citation on the
freeway. He was 48 years old. Left behind 3 children and a fiance whom he was suppose to marry on Dec 22. Cruz was on the job for 17 years.



Captain Robbie Bishop
Villa Rica, Georgia
January 20, 1999
Robbie was killed in the line of duty. In February 1999 friends and family organized the National Drug Interdiction Association. The organization now has approximately 700 members.



Brian Aselton
East Hartford, Connecticut
July 16,1972
January 23, 1999
Brian made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. At one time Brian worked for the Hartford County Sheriff’s Dept. - Special Deputy Sheriff, Barnstable Police Department - Summer Police Program. He was currently working for the East Hartford Police Dept. Brian joined the Department in December of 1977.
Picture of Aselton



Anthony Mosomillo
Bensonhurst, New York
Feb 26, 1999
Fatally shot while serving a warrant in East Flatbush Anthony leaves behind a wife, two daughters ages 12 & 2.



Trooper Richard Gaston
Valparaiso, Indiana
Automobile Accident
Gaston had just graduated from the academy in December of 98. He was married and had a ten month old daughter.



Trooper Mark Wagner
North Platte, Nebraska
March 12, 1999
Shot in the chest once while training in weapon defense tactics. Wagner was a 1987 graduate of the academy. He was married to Denise and has two teenage daughters.



Marc T. Atkinson
Phoenix, Arizona
August 16, 1970
March 27, 1999
Atkinson was on patrol following 3 people for suspicion of drug trafficing. Subjects shot at him, he made an evasive move after being shot and crashed his vehicle in a light pole. He was shot twice in the head. He leaves behind his wife Karen and a 6 month old son, Jeremy. Atkinson was 28 years old.



Officer Joyce Ann Carnegie
Orange, New Jersey
October 10, 1960
April 8, 1999
On the force since 1995, Carnegie stopped a suspect wanted for numerous armed robberies. The suspect shot her once in the stomach and as she layed on the ground he executed her by shooting her in the head. She never had a chance to draw her gun or call for backup. She was found by an ATF officer who was a former Orange police officer. Surviving is her mother, father and siblings.Carnegie was single. She was also the the 2nd female officer killed in the line of duty in the state of NJ.



Anthony "Tony" Previtte
HopeMills, North Carolina
December 1, 1963
June 26, 1999
Detective Sergeant Previtte was an eleven year veteran of service, he died at home of a heart attack. He was 35 years old and left behind a
wife and three children ages 4, 7, and 10.



Joey T. Vincent
Greenville, Kentucky
June 27, 1999
Joey and his wife, Amy, were shot and killed by his cousin whom Joey had served a mental health warrant on two weeks prior. They were outside their home, getting in their vehicle to take their daughter to the ER at appx. 6:10 am. The cousin was there, shot Joey, pulled their two year old daughter from Amy's arms and shot and killed Amy. He then held their daughter for two hours before releasing her to police. He is now serving 4 life terms with no parole. Joey and Amy's daughter is now being raised by Joey's parents. God Bless the child and God Bless his parents for providing for her.
Pictures of Joey & Amy



Brian M. DiBucci
Everett, Washington
May 27, 1969
July 15, 1999
Brian worked for the Everett PD. He died while assisting officers in a vehicle pursuit that ended on an elevated trestle. While attempting to provide cover for fellow officers, Brian fell from the trestle, dying instantly. Brian had just celebrated his 30th birthday. He also had just recently been engaged to another Everett Officer. He was an only child and survived only by his fiancee, parents and grandmother.
Picture of DiBucci



Lt. Jeff Springer
Waxahachie, Texas
November 22, 1956
August 7, 1999
Lt. Springer suffered a fatal heart attack when his shift was over after a high speed chase and foot pursuit of a suspect accused of stealing a vehicle. He was on the police force for 18 years. He leaves behind a newlywed wife Jackie and two step children.



Trooper David "Rocky" Eales
Rural Eastern, Oklahoma
July 4, 1950
September 24, 1999
Badge #632
Eales, a member of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol East Tactical Team sustained a fatal gunshot wound during the serving of a felony arrest warrant.



Deputy Sheriff Larry Cole
Bourne, Texas
October 2, 1999
Cole was gunned down at a trailer park answering a disturbance call. The suspect was from Honduras and had a stolen AK-47 assault rifle. Cole was a thirteen year veteran. He is survived by his wife and 2 children.



Sgt. Robert G. Kimberling
St. Joseph, Missouri
October 6, 1999
Shot to death by a suspect accused of not paying for his gasoline. Kimberling was 43 years old. He was a fourteen year veteran. Survived by his wife and two daughters ages 11 and 12.



DPS Trooper Terry Wayne Miller
Native of Mercedes in the Rio Grande Valley
Resided in Poteet, Texas
Pleasanton, Texas
October 13, 1999
Shot to death responding to a bogus emergency call. He was the first state trooper killed in the l..d. since 1994. Miller was 37 years old and entered law enforcement in 1987. He is survived by his wife and two daughters ages 13 years old and 22 months old.



Deputy Thomas Orville Monse Jr.
Native of Beeville, Texas
Resided in Christine, Texas
Pleasanton, Texas
October 13, 1999
Shot to death responding to a bogus emergency call. Monse had arrested the suspect 24 hours before for beating his wife. He was with the Atascosa County Sheriffs department for 2 years, previously with Bexar County. Monse was 31 years old. He is survived by his wife Mary Alice, three sons and a daughter.



Deputy Mark Louis Stephenson
Native of San Antonio, Texas
Resided in Charlotte, Texas
Pleasanton, Texas
October 13, 1999
Shot to death responding to a bogus emergency call. Stephenson was 32 years old. He was a deputy for 5 years. Completed high school in Okinawa, Japan, served in the military then became a police officer in
Elmendorf, Texas. He is survived by his wife Rachel, two sons and a daughter.



Deputy Rick Hillard
Rowan County, North Carolina
October 17, 1999
Deputy Rick Hillard was killed instantly when his patrol car hit a tree during a chase. Deputy Hillard was a husband and father of two.
Picture of Hillard & his patrol car



Robert Brian Lenihan
Chicago, Illinois
March 15, 1970
November 28, 1999
Brian began his career in Law Enforcement in May of 1994. His star # was 5424. He was killed when his car rear ended a truck that didn't have light or reflectors. He leaves behind his wife Donna, his children Jacob 6, Jordan 4 and Zachary 2 years old.



Mark Trek Profitt
Gilcrest, Colorado
May 2, 1955
December 4, 1999
Mark died of a heart attack while he was checking into work. He worked with the Weld County Sheriff's Office for 14 years. Mark leaves behind his wife Kim and three children A.J., Michael and Marshall. He also had 5 grandchildren Amanda, Kassandra, Alex, Chris and Preston.



Tremendous loss of officers in the year 2000 has extended the Memorial Page
(click below)