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 oneself — our communities.
END OF WATCH: 26 Law Enforcement Patriots
in the month of December, 2020
Let’s keep them and their families in our prayers.
- Deputy Sheriff Jared Michael Allison
Nash County Sheriff’s Office, NC
EOW: Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Cause: Automobile crash - Chief Deputy Constable M. Wayne Rhodes
Denton County Constable’s Office – Precinct 2, TX
EOW: Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Officer Andy Ornelas
California Highway Patrol, CA
EOW: Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Cause: Motorcycle crash - Detective Sergeant Te’Juan Fontrese “T.J.” Johnson
Charlestown Police Department, IN
EOW: Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Officer Jose A. Santana
United States Department of Homeland Security – Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations, US
EOW: Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Officer Richard Rios
United States Department of Homeland Security – Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations, US
EOW: Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Patrolman Cassie Marie Johnson
Charleston Police Department, WV
EOW: Thursday, December 3, 2020
Cause: Gunfire - Sergeant Herschel Turner
Moline Acres Police Department, MO
EOW: Saturday, December 5, 2020
Cause: Struck by vehicle - Trooper Jennifer M. Czarnecki
New York State Police, NY
EOW: Saturday, December 5, 2020
Cause: 9/11 related cancer - Captain Billy Dewayne Allen, Sr.
United States Department of Defense – Fort Sill Police Department, US
EOW: Sunday, December 6, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Sergeant Lyle Gene Denny
Panhandle Police Department, TX
EOW: Monday, December 7, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Corrections Officer V Timothy Beggs
Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Correctional Institutions Division, TX
EOW: Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Police Officer Tyler Avery Herndon
Mount Holly Police Department, NC
EOW: Friday, December 11, 2020
Cause: Gunfire - Master Corporal Norman Daye, Jr.
Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, NC
EOW: Saturday, December 12, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Lieutenant Russell Freeman
Rhode Island Department of Corrections, RI
EOW: Monday, December 14, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Corrections Officer IV Harold Paul “Skip” Smith, Sr.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Correctional Institutions Division, TX
EOW: Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Police Officer Jason Nicholas Shuping
Concord Police Department, NC
EOW: Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Cause: Gunfire - Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon
Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, MI
EOW: Thursday, December 17, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Officer Andrew Raymond Bouchard
United States Department of Homeland Security – Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations, US
EOW: Saturday, December 19, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Lieutenant Craig L. King
Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, TX
EOW: Saturday, December 19, 2020
Cause: COVID19 -
Police Officer Christopher Lynn Elder
Milford Police Department, TX
EOW: Sunday, December 20, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Sergeant David Lynn Schmidt
Seagoville Police Department, TX
EOW: Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Cause: COVID19 -
Security Control Specialist Jerry William Jones
Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, TX
EOW: Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Corrections Officer V Phillip Holbert
Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Correctional Institutions Division, TX
EOW: Sunday, December 27, 2020
Cause: COVID19 - Officer Randall Versie Smith
Birmingham Police Department, AL
EOW: Monday, December 28, 2020
Cause: Gunfire (Inadvertent) - Corrections Officer V Joe Landin
Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Correctional Institutions Division, TX
EOW: Monday, December 28, 2020
Cause: COVID19
Visit the Officer Down Memorial Page
END OF WATCH:
2 K9s in the month of December, 2020
- K9 Cara
Staunton Sheriff’s Office, VA
EOW: Monday, December 21, 2020
Cause: Fall - K9 Loki
Boone County Sheriff’s Office, IL
EOW: Sunday, December 27, 2020
Cause: Vehicular assault
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 in regard to 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… Wonder how these folks would 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 to symbolize the relationship of the police 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) is what 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. This type of behavior from those whose character should be above groundless accusations and inflammatory statements should not be tolerated by We The People. 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, next time you see a Law Enforcement Officer, thank them. 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 that 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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