Early this afternoon (4-4-01) Det. Sherry Lyons-Williams and Det. T.J. Chambers of the Atlanta Police Department were ambushed by a drug dealer while they served a warrant for the subject's arrest. Michael Thompson was shot and killed by Det. Chambers after he fatally wounded Det. Lyons-Williams. It's unknown if the bullet actually penetrated her vest or entered through the unprotected side of her torso. Det. Chambers also suffered gunshot wounds from the .45 caliber pistol on his face and left knee. His vest saved his life. Keep these officers, their family, friends and all our brothers and sisters in the Atlanta Police Department in your prayers folks. It's an inherently dangerous job out there so stay alert, be safe and come home at the end of your shift. 

Officer Wells was shot and killed while he and other officers were investigating a complaint of drug dealing in a partially vacant apartment building. Officer Wells was in plain clothes and wearing a vest. As he searched the building he encountered one of the suspects and was shot twice, once in the chest and once in the side, with an AK-47 assault rifle. At least one of the rounds bypassed his vest. Three suspects were apprehended at the scene shortly after the shooting. Officer Wells was a member of a unit which policed high-crime areas. He had been with the agency for 14 years and is survived by a teenage son and a teenage daughter.

Agent Panides was struck by a tractor trailer and killed shortly after arresting several illegal immigrants in Laredo, Texas. He and his partner had just made the arrests. As he walked along the shoulder of an access road for I-35 near the arrest scene the semi driver veered off of the roadway and struck him. He succumbed to his injuries at the scene. The accident is under investigation. Agent Panides had been with the agency for four years.

Deputy Bonfanti was killed in an automobile accident while responding to a domestic disturbance call. She was on Highway 75 driving approximately 80 mph when her cruiser went out of control in a curve and struck two trees. Deputy Bonfanti was not wearing her seatbelt at the time. She was transported to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Deputy Bonfanti had been with the agency for one year and had worked for several other agency before joining the Leon County Sheriff's Department. She is survived by her husbnand, two children, and mother.

Lieutenant Medrano was shot and killed while he and another officer were serving a mental commitment warrant at a house near Hallsville. The officers went to the scene after receiving reports several days earlier that the man was waving guns in a threatening manner. Lieutenant Medrano was asked to serve the papers because he had dealt with the suspect on prior occasions. As the officers arrived the suspect opened fire with a fully automatic AK-47, fatally wounding Lieutenant Medrano and wounding the second deputy, Chris Dotson. The suspect then drove to his parent's home and committed suicide. Lieutenant Medrano had been with the agency for 15 years and had been in law enforcement for 25 years.

Lt. Christopher Claypool, was killed early Sunday morning while investigating a traffic accident. Lt. Claypool was a 17 year veteran with the dept. Lt. Claypool was hit by a speeding Black Nissan or Ford Taurus. Lieutenant Claypool was struck and killed in a hit-and-run driver while at the scene of another accident. As he walked across the intersection with his flashlight to check on one of the victims of the initial accident he was struck by the suspected drunk driver, who then fled the scene. The incident occurred at approximately 0030 hours. Lieutenant Claypool had been with the agency for 13 years and was survived by his wife and two children. He was three days shy of his 40th birthday.

A police officer was killed and another injured late last night when a vehicle struck them on Kamehameha Highway near Waikane, officials said. The driver, an adult male, reportedly fled the scene and was later arrested, police said. A 46-year-old male officer was pronounced dead at Castle Medical Center shortly after arrival there at 11:10 p.m., a nursing supervisor said. He had suffered multiple injuries, the official said. The second officer, a 42-year-old man, was treated at Castle and released, the supervisor said. A vehicle struck the patrol officers about 10:15 p.m. as they were investigating an auto accident near Waikane, said Sgt. Edwin Voeller of the Kane'ohe police substation. The accident happened near the Coral Kingdom shop in the 49-100 block of Kamehameha Highway.

Officer killed herself, autopsy exam shows April 6, 2001
Noblesville -- The black flag memorials went up again Thursday on city police cars, a silent tribute to the third fallen officer in two years. Noblesville Police Chief Dick Russell said an autopsy at Riverview Hospital confirmed that Officer Bobbi Fuller, 23, had shot and killed herself in her Noblesville apartment earlier this week. Russell said the suicide occurred Monday evening or Tuesday. An autopsy showed she died from a single bullet to the head. "We don't know why," Russell added, saying Fuller left no note and apparently no indication of her intent to take her life. On Monday, there was evidence of a problem, however. "We have a couple officers here she talked to," said Russell, "and she was crying, really upset about something." He said one officer reported Fuller was tearful in a phone conversation with him about 7 p.m. Monday. "That's the last anybody heard from her," the chief said. "She was just an excellent officer," said the chief, who found her body Wednesday night after friends and family members raised concerns. He said no one had heard from Fuller, who patrolled on the midnight shift, and no one was able to contact her, though her truck and patrol car were at her apartment.

Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 13:25:20 -0500
Subject: News Milwaukee Officer Shot (Long)
A handcuffed man shot a Milwaukee police officer three times Wednesday morning in a wild shootout with officers inside a garage area at the Milwaukee County Jail. Virgil L. Burks, 28, who was discharged from the U.S. Army in South Carolina in March, concealed a .22-caliber handgun when he was placed inside a police
van after being arrested about 2:30 a.m. on the city's northwest side. When officers opened the van door at the garage, Burks fired shots, striking Officer Daniel Glick in the head, back and hand, authorities said. Two
officers returned fire, missing Burks, before they subdued him. Glick, 38, who was one of the arresting officers, was listed in satisfactory condition later Wednesday at Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital in
Wauwatosa. His 21-year-old partner, who was not identified, was not injured. Authorities said it was the first time an officer had been shot at the jail since it opened in 1993. The incident started about 2:20 a.m. when Glick, who has been on the force for 22 months, and his partner, who graduated from the police academy seven months ago, stopped Burks for a traffic violation in the 6700 block of N. 43rd St. After running checks on Burks, officers learned that a warrant had been issued for his arrest in connection with a car theft in Heinsville, Ga., said police Capt. Joseph M. Purpero. Milwaukee officers struggled violently with Burks while arresting and handcuffing him, other Police Department sources said. In the aftermath of the struggle, Burks may not have been searched for weapons or contraband, the sources said. After Burks was handcuffed with his hands behind his back, officers called for a van. Burks' height - 6-foot-2 - prevented the officers from securing him in the rear, caged area of their squad car. While being transported to the jail in the van, Burks passed his cuffed hands around to the front of his body, enabling him to reach his gun. Sources say the gun was hidden in clothing in the front of his body. Glick and his partner followed the van inside the jail garage holding area. Once inside the area, the arresting officers placed their weapons in gun lockers, following jail safety regulations, Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department Deputy Inspector Mark Warichak said. After locking up their weapons, Glick and his partner approached the van to remove Burks, Purpero said. As soon as Glick opened the van door, Burks fired, Purpero said. Glick was shot in the hand when he raised it in front of his face. But his closest call came when a bullet from Burks' gun, possibly the same slug that penetrated his hand, struck him in the forehead, penetrating the skin but not his skull.

Officer Down/Wounded
Date: Thursday, April 05, 2001 09:27 PM
It had been a rough 24 hours in the Metro-Atlanta Area. Less than a day after the Atlanta shooting, a Marietta, Ga Officer was shot on a traffic stop this afternoon. Officer Mike Hunt and his partner stopped a vehicle with 3-4 occupants. One of the subjects became beligerant and opened fire. The officers returned fire, killing the suspect. Officer Hunt was wounded twice in the leg area and is doing well.

Dandridge( Tennessee) Officer Dies in Motorcycle Wreck
Mountain View Youth Development Officer/Jefferson County Sheriff Department (Reserve) Tennessee
A Dandridge man died Saturday night (4-8-01) when his motorcycle crashed into the back of another vehicle on East Meeting Street, Dandridge Police reported. Brian Brown, 35, was a corrections officer at Mountain View Youth Development Center, Where he also served as transportation coordinator. He was killed when his new Harley Davidson 883 Sportster struck the back of a horse trailer being pulled by a pick up truck at 11:25 p. m. , Officer Robert Peoples reported. Brown also worked as a reserve deputy for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department. George Allen , Jr., 32 of Highway 139, Dandridge, reported to officers that he had pullen onto East Meeting Street and was headed West when he felt a "bump" in the rear of his horse trailer. Peoples reported that Brown's cycle, also westbound, struck the left rear portion of the trailer. The victim who was wearing a helmet, was ejected and came to rest in the eastbound lane some 63 feet from the point of impact. The motorcycle traveled 71 feet from the point of impact and ended up 25 feet off the roadway on the eastbound shoulder. Peoples said the horse trailer's lights and reflectors were operating properly. No citations were issued. He is survived by his wife, Diane LeValley Brown; two children, Kevin and Kelli Brown. Memorials may be made to c/o Diane Brown (to benefit the children)Mountain Youth Correction Center, Attn: Carl Whitshire, 809 Peal Lane, Dandridge, Tn 37725.

Sheriff's employee Edmonds loses struggle with cancer
(Jefferson County Sheriff Department, Dandridge Tennessee)
A dedicated Jefferson County Shefiff's Department employee passed away Saturday after a struggle with cancer, Sheriff David Davenport said. Capt. Kathy Hughes Edmonds, assistant administrator of jail operations, will be memorialized at a 2 p.m. service at Swannsylvania Baptist Church. A sheriff's department employee since 1991, she had been unable to work for the past several months due to her struggle with cancer. "We're really going to miss her," Davenport said. "Kathy was a dedicated, loyal employee, and a good person." Edmonds, 48 , was instrumental in successful efforts to re-obtain state certification for the Jefferson County Detention Center. Edmonds is remembered for her friendliness, sense of humor, and didication to her job and family. She is survived by her husband , Harold Edmonds, and children.

Dedicated Dallas officer dies in motorcycle crash, [Dallas, TX], 04/16/2001
The Dallas Police Dept. is mourning an officer who loved his job so much that he convinced two of his brothers to join the force. Senior Cpl. Israel "Izzy" Sarmiento, 38, was killed early Sunday morning in an off-duty motorcycle crash. Investigators say he lost control of his Harley after hitting a curb. He realized his ambition in 1988, two years after moving to Dallas, and started working on his brothers, cousins and friends, urging them to follow his path. Sarmiento is to be buried in South Texas where he grew up after a funeral Wednesday in the First Hispanic Baptist Church in Duncan.

Police officer heading home dies when car hits tree Johnston, RI, 04/16/2001
A veteran Rhode Island police officer was killed when his car hit a tree and caught fire. Johnston Police Sgt. John J. Sinotte was off duty and headed home at the time of the crash Friday in Scituate. Sinotte, 32, had been a police officer in Johnston for 12 years and served on the department’s honor guard, SWAT detail and dive team. He was also an active fundraiser for a program that treats abused children. He is survived by his wife, Jeanna, who is expecting the couple’s second child, a baby daughter. The family has asked that donations in his memory be given to Hasbro Children's Hospital's Child Protection Unit.