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: 18 Law Enforcement Patriots
in May 2021
141 Law Enforcement and 8 K9s so far in 2021 (up 8%)
Average tour of duty: 18 years, 9 months
Let’s keep them and their families in our prayers.
- Detention Services Officer Michael Wall
Los Angeles County Probation Department, CA
EOW: Friday, April 30, 2021
Cause: Heart attack - Sergeant John Burright
Oregon State Police, OR
EOW: Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Cause: Struck by vehicle - Border Patrol Agent Freddie Vasquez
United States Department of Homeland Security – Customs and Border Protection – United States Border Patrol, US
EOW: Saturday, May 8, 2021
Cause: COVID19 - Detective Luca Benedetti
San Luis Obispo Police Department, CA
EOW: Monday, May 10, 2021
Cause: Gunfire - Deputy Sheriff Samuel Alexander Leonard
Concho County Sheriff’s Office, TX
EOW: Monday, May 10, 2021
Cause: Gunfire - Sergeant Stephen Jones
Concho County Sheriff’s Office, TX
EOW: Monday, May 10, 2021
Cause: Gunfire - Police Officer Jimmy Inn
Stockton Police Department, CA
EOW: Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Cause: Gunfire - Deputy Sheriff James Herrera
Denver Sheriff’s Department, CO
EOW: Sunday, May 16, 2021
Cause: COVID19 - Superintendent Scott D. “Slip” Mahoney
Delaware County Bureau of Park Police and Fire Safety, PA
EOW: Tuesday, May 18, 2021
Cause: COVID19 - Police Officer Chris Oberheim
Champaign Police Department, IL
EOW: Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Cause: Gunfire - Police Officer Jeremy Brinton
Nogales Police Department, AZ
EOW: Friday, May 21, 2021
Cause: Struck by vehicle - Corporal Thomas Wade Frazier
Artesia Police Department, NM
EOW: Friday, May 21, 2021
Cause: Automobile crash - Police Officer Scotty Triplett
Memphis Police Department, TN
EOW: Saturday, May 22, 2021
Cause: Motorcycle crash - Detective Stephen Arnold
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, LA
EOW: Sunday, May 23, 2021
Cause: Gunfire - Conservation Officer Sarah Grell
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources – Enforcement Division, MN
EOW: Monday, May 24, 2021
Cause: Automobile crash - Deputy Sheriff Daniel “Duke” Trujillo
Denver Sheriff’s Department, CO
EOW: Wednesday, May 26, 2021
Cause: COVID19 - Trooper John Harris
Mississippi Department of Public Safety – Mississippi Highway Patrol, MS
EOW: Friday, May 28, 2021
Cause: Struck by vehicle - Sergeant Dominic Vaca
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, CA
EOW: Monday, May 31, 2021
Cause: Gunfire
Visit the Officer Down Memorial Page
END OF WATCH:
2 K9s in May 2021
- K9 Khan
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, GA
EOW: Friday, May 14, 2021
Cause: Heatstroke - K9 Jaeger
Stephens County Sheriff’s Office, OK
EOW: Friday, May 14, 2021
Cause: Fall
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. 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 bad eggs in any industry, field, or occupation. 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 certain “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 make a donation.):
- 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.
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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