We update this post each month with End of Watch information from the month before as a reminder and tribute to those who commit their lives to something greater than themselves — our communities.
END OF WATCH: 41 Law Enforcement Patriots
in August 2021
Let’s keep them and their families in our prayers.
- Deputy Sheriff Shaun Waters Harris County Sheriff’s Office, TX EOW: Sunday, August 1, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Corrections Officer Maurice “Reese” Jackson Robertsdale Police Department, AL EOW: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Sheriff Lee D. Vance Hinds County Sheriff’s Office, MS EOW: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Police Officer Scott Russell Dawley Nelsonville Police Department, OH EOW: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 Cause: Automobile crash
- Police Officer George Gonzalez United States Department of Defense – Pentagon Force Protection Agency, US EOW: Tuesday, August 3, 2021 Cause: Stabbed
- Police Officer Brian Russell Pierce, Jr. Brooklyn Police Department, IL EOW: Wednesday, August 4, 2021 Cause: Vehicular assault
- Deputy Sheriff James Morgan Baxter County Sheriff’s Office, AR EOW: Thursday, August 5, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Deputy Sheriff Brandon A. Shirley Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, KY EOW: Thursday, August 5, 2021 Cause: Gunfire
- Police Officer Ella Grace French Chicago Police Department, IL EOW: Saturday, August 7, 2021 Cause: Gunfire
- Lieutenant Dale Sylvester, Jr. Port Wentworth Police Department, GA EOW: Wednesday, August 11, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Reserve Sergeant John Richard Bullard, Jr. Independence Police Department, MO EOW: Wednesday, August 11, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Correctional Officer Dennis Bennett Missouri Department of Corrections, MO EOW: Thursday, August 12, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Special Agent Gregory Cleveland Holland United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police Services, US EOW: Friday, August 13, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Police Officer Juan Manuel Gomez-Lopez Pelham Police Department, AL EOW: Saturday, August 14, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Police Officer Jennifer B. Sepot Fort Lauderdale Police Department, FL EOW: Saturday, August 14, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Trooper Lazaro R. Febles Florida Highway Patrol, FL EOW: Saturday, August 14, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Deputy Sheriff Ryan J. Proxmire Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office, MI EOW: Sunday, August 15, 2021 Cause: Gunfire
- Officer Robert Craig Cloninger Mount Gilead Police Department, NC EOW: Sunday, August 15, 2021 Cause: Heart attack
- Sergeant Steven Mazzotta Lee County Sheriff’s Office, FL EOW: Monday, August 16, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Border Patrol Agent Ricardo Zarate United States Department of Homeland Security – Customs and Border Protection – United States Border Patrol, US EOW: Monday, August 16, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Police Officer Jason Raynor Daytona Beach Police Department, FL EOW: Tuesday, August 17, 2021 Cause: Gunfire
- Police Officer Edward Perez Miami Beach Police Department, FL EOW: Thursday, August 19, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Deputy Sheriff Eric Otis Ritter Moore County Sheriff’s Office, NC EOW: Thursday, August 19, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Sergeant John Harris Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, OK EOW: Thursday, August 19, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Sergeant Kuo-sheng “Johnny” Wang South Houston Police Department, TX EOW: Thursday, August 19, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Sergeant Frank Tobar Palm Bay Police Department, FL EOW: Friday, August 20, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Correctional Officer Darryl “Scout” Goodrich, Jr. Washington State Department of Corrections, WA EOW: Friday, August 20, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Corrections Deputy Kevin Kokinis Branch County Sheriff’s Office, MI EOW: Sunday, August 22, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Trooper James J. Monda New York State Police, NY EOW: Sunday, August 22, 2021 Cause: Drowned
- Detective Manuel Christopher Widner Paris Police Department, TX EOW: Sunday, August 22, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Deputy Sheriff Christopher Broadhead Polk County Sheriff’s Office, FL EOW: Monday, August 23, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Deputy Sheriff Roger A. Mitchell Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, TN EOW: Tuesday, August 24, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Chief of Police Kenneth Kirkland Colquitt Police Department, GA EOW: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 Cause: Heart attack
- Corrections Deputy Lakiesha Tucker Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, TN EOW: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Senior Police Officer Randolph Boyd, Jr. Austin Police Department, TX EOW: Wednesday, August 25, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Police Officer Brandon Ard Orange Beach Police Department, AL EOW: Thursday, August 26, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Police Officer Harminder Grewal Galt Police Department, CA EOW: Thursday, August 26, 2021 Cause: Automobile crash
- Correctional Officer Trainee Whitney Cloud Florida Department of Corrections, FL EOW: Thursday, August 26, 2021 Cause: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
- Senior Sergeant Steve Urias Austin Police Department, TX EOW: Thursday, August 26, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Sergeant Christopher Ray Wilson Texas Parks and Wildlife Department – Law Enforcement Division, TX EOW: Thursday, August 26, 2021 Cause: COVID19
- Corrections Officer James N. Henry Hays County Sheriff’s Office, TX EOW: Friday, August 27, 2021 Cause: COVID19
Visit the Officer Down Memorial Page
END OF WATCH:
2 K9s in August 2021
- K9 Axel Kent County Sheriff’s Office, MI EOW: Saturday, August 28, 2021 Cause: Duty related illness
- K9 Duke Virginia State Police, VA EOW: Monday, August 30, 2021 Cause: Heatstroke
MY ARTICLE: Profile in Courage:
Military and Law Enforcement K9s
What is the History of The Thin Blue Line?
Law Enforcement or LEOs, as we fondly refer to our community heroes, have been in the news quite a bit as of late. However, what I found most disturbing is the lack of understanding about what these guys and gals do to protect our communities.
If you listened to the LSM (lame-stream media), you would think all law enforcement was similar to the Nazi Gestapo. And the low information “citizens” jump on the bandwagon… How would these folks react if they called 911 and no one responds?
The Thin Blue Line is a symbol used by law enforcement in the United States and Canada to commemorate fallen officers and symbolize the police’s relationship in the community as the protectors of the citizenry from the criminal element.
Each stripe on the emblem represents certain respective figures: the blue center line represents law enforcement, the top black stripe represents the public whilst the bottom represents the criminals. The idea behind the graphic is that law enforcement (the blue line) stands between the violence and victimization by criminals of the would-be victims of crime.
Wikipedia
Blue Lives Matter…
There are rotten eggs in any industry, field, or occupation. However, to besmirch the reputation of all LEOs, which has been commonplace as of late, to whip up a frenzy with false narratives to create a straw man purely for political gain is something particular “leaders” should be ashamed of and be taken to task for. We The People, should not tolerate this behavior from those whose character should be above groundless accusations and inflammatory statements. We deserve better than that.
Some facts from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (Stop by and donate.):
- There are more than 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers now serving in the United States, which is the highest figure ever. About 12 percent of those are female.
- Crime fighting has taken its toll. Since the first recorded police death in 1786, there have been over 21,000 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. Currently, there are 21,910 names engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
- A total of 1,582 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years, an average of one death every 55 hours or 158 per year. There were 158 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in 2018.
- According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report 2017 LEOKA report:
- There have been 60,211 assaults against law enforcement officers in 2017, resulting in 17,476 injuries.
- The 1920s were the deadliest decade in law enforcement history, when a total of 2,480 officers died, or an average of almost 248 each year. The deadliest year in law enforcement history was 1930, when 310 officers were killed. That figure dropped dramatically in the 1990s, to an average of 162 per year.
- The deadliest day in law enforcement history was September 11, 2001, when 72 officers were killed while responding to the terrorist attacks on America.
- New York City Police Department has lost more officers in the line of duty than any other department, with 899 deaths. Texas has lost 1,751 officers, more than any other state. The state with the fewest deaths is Vermont, with 24.
- There are 1,166 federal officers listed on the Memorial, as well as 713 correctional officers and 43 military law enforcement officers.
- There are 348 female officers listed on the Memorial; eleven female officers were killed in 2018.
We have been trusted with the honor of making many a Thin Blue Line bracelet in memorial to fallen officers (you can view some of these patriots on our Wall of Heroes).
Just as with our brave Military personnel, thank them when you see a Law Enforcement Officer next time. Let them know you appreciate that they are on call for your community, knowing that they are potentially putting their lives at risk each day they put on their uniform, with every phone call and traffic stop.
Would you please share this post so that their heroism is not forgotten? Thank you.
We have an incredible warrior class in this country – people in law enforcement, intelligence – and I thank God every night we have them standing fast to protect us from the tremendous amount of evil that exists in the world.
Brad Thor
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