End Parole for Cop Killers

Officer Albert Claggett

On June 26, 1978, a 15-year-old criminal brutally gunned down two Prince George's County, Maryland, police officers. Officer Albert Claggett was booking the youth on a theft charge when the boy gained control of Officer Claggett's service weapon and shot him. He then shot Officer James Swart as he walked into the booking room seconds later.

Amazingly, the boy was convicted of only one count of manslaughter - for the murder of Officer Claggett. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity for Officer Swart's murder.

Officer James Swart

To add insult to injury, this double cop-killer was paroled after serving only 17 of his 25 year sentence. The community loved him. The media glorified him. And, as is no surprise to anyone reading this article, this "reformed, model prisoner" continued his life of violent crime upon his release. Thankfully, the next time he was cornered by police after robbing a bank he killed himself instead of turning the gun on the pursuing officers.

The only good that came out of this heinous crime was that this criminal's actions was the catalyst for the creation of Concerns of Police Survivors in 1984, and his subsequent early release and glorification by the media was what spurned me to create the Officer Down Memorial Page in January 1996.

Fast forward to December 26, 2010, in Woburn, Massachusetts. On a snowy night during a rush for after-Christmas sales, a lifelong criminal was prowling the streets a free man after being paroled from his three life sentences. Along with two accomplices, this lowlife walked into a busy department store and robbed the jewelry counter at gunpoint. As he fled the store he was confronted by 34-year police veteran Officer John Maguire. During the ensuing exchange of shots both Officer Maguire and the lifelong criminal were killed.

Officer John Maguire

Parole for killers, especially cop killers, needs to end for good. They are a danger to society and a lethal threat to police officers nationwide. Officer Maguire certainly wasn't the first, and sadly, he won't be the last police officer to be taken from us by a parolee.

In 2011 the ODMP will be launching a No Parole for Cop Killers initiative that will engage the entire law enforcement community to band together to fight the release of any cop killer who is eligible for parole. Please vow to join us in ensuring cop killers fulfill their entire sentences and don't set foot outside a prison wall a single day too early.

Christmas Day: A Dangerous Day to Be a Police Officer

In 1806, America was only 30 years old. A total of only four law enforcement officers had been killed during that 30 year period. The year was almost over and most people were celebrating Christmas - except for a group of New York City rioters that were wreaking havoc in Manhattan.

On that fateful day, New York City Watchman Christian Luswanger, became the first police officer in America to be killed on Christmas Day when he was stabbed while attempting to maintain order.

Det. Donald Miller
Slain Christmas Day 2001

Since Watchman Luswanger's murder in 1806, 82 other law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty on Christmas Day, more than half of whom have been fatally shot.

On average, any given date of the year has seen about 56 law enforcement officer fatalities. So why does Christmas Day, a day that is supposed to be happy and peaceful, have such a disproportionate number of deaths at 83?

As it turns out, families fight when they get together. And as every police officer knows, domestic disturbances often have violent outcomes. Not only are officers victims of shootings that stem from domestic disturbances, but they are often killed in automobile crashes while responding them.

For those of you officers who will be working this Christmas Day please be extra vigilant. Wear your vest. Wear your seat belt. Slow down. Wait for backup if feasible. Most importantly, go home at the end of your shift. That is the best way to honor the brave men and women who were taken from their families on such a special day.

For everyone else, please visit the memorial of an officer who was killed or died in the line of duty on Christmas Day and leave them a special Reflection. They will never be forgotten.

Watchman Christian Luswanger	New York City Watch, NY	1806-12-25
Watchman Henry Carroll	Cincinnati Police Division, OH	1853-12-25
Patrolman John D. Sullivan	Savannah Police Department, GA	1869-12-25
Deputy Sheriff John Green	United States Department of the Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs - Division of Law Enforcement, US	1878-12-25
Sheriff George Washington Epperson	Bradford County Sheriff's Office, FL	1885-12-25
Deputy Marshal Matthew Barnhill	Jesup Police Department, GA	1889-12-25
Chief of Police William James Kittrell	Gainesville Police Department, GA	1890-12-25
Deputy Constable Tom H. Loftin	Falls County Constable's Office - Precinct 7, TX	1894-12-25
Deputy Marshal Columbus Brown	Orleans Police Department, IN	1895-12-25
Patrolman Louis Klusman	Cincinnati Police Division, OH	1896-12-25
Chief of Detectives John Donahue	Hot Springs Police Department, AR	1902-12-25
City Marshal L. Elmer Ferguson	Ringwood Police Department, OK	1903-12-25
Deputy Sheriff Mack Roberts	Leslie County Sheriff's Office, KY	1905-12-25
Chief of Police James J. Mitchell	St. Petersburg Police Department, FL	1905-12-25
Deputy Chief Marshal James Leonard Holland	Booneville Police Department, AR	1906-12-25
Special Deputy Lee Eldridge	Sullivan County Sheriff's Department, TN	1907-12-25
Deputy Marshal John C. Mullins	United States Department of Justice - Marshals Service, US	1908-12-25
Corporal Juan Roig-Loyola	Puerto Rico Police Department, PR	1908-12-25
Deputy Sheriff David Olius (Ollie) Battle	Jefferson County Sheriff's Department, AL	1910-12-25
Deputy Sheriff John Ernst	Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, OK	1910-12-25
Policeman Floyd C. Eiler	Los Angeles Police Department, CA	1911-12-25
Police Officer William (Billie) Nelson	Midvale Police Department, UT	1912-12-25
Officer Otto Albertson	Poughkeepsie City Police Department, NY	1916-12-25
Police Officer Joseph A. Coghill	Dormont Police Department, PA	1921-12-25
Patrolman Joseph T. Connor	Quincy Police Department, MA	1922-12-25
Patrolman Neil McIntyre	South Bend Police Department, IN	1923-12-25
Chief of Police Nels H. Romer	Mandan Police Department, ND	1926-12-25
Detective Homer C. Nuckolls	Pine Bluff Police Department, AR	1926-12-25
Patrolman Walter E. Rauch	Dayton Police Department, OH	1927-12-25
Patrolman Herbert D. Allen	Boston Police Department, MA	1927-12-25
Deputy Sheriff Langford Hennessey	Marion County Sheriff's Department, TN	1927-12-25
Sheriff George Washington (Wash) Coppinger	Marion County Sheriff's Department, TN	1927-12-25
Border Patrol Inspector Robert H. Lobdell	United States Department of Justice - Border Patrol, US	1928-12-25
Sergeant Francis Cyril Guest	Coral Gables Police Department, FL	1928-12-25
Police Officer Raleigh W. Taylor	San Antonio Police Department, TX	1930-12-25
Patrolman James D. Turner	Louisville and Nashville Railroad Police Department, RR	1931-12-25
Deputy Sheriff Berry Palmer	Atkinson County Sheriff's Office, GA	1931-12-25
Deputy Sheriff Owen Woodford Sizemore	Harlan County Sheriff's Department, KY	1931-12-25
Patrolman Edwin D. Milam	South Carolina Highway Patrol, SC	1934-12-25
Patrolman Joseph P. Reiner	New York City Police Department, NY	1935-12-25
Policeman Thomas O'Neill	Butte Police Department, MT	1935-12-25
Special Agent William E. Smith	United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol Tax Unit, US	1937-12-25
Town Marshal John James Speed	Union Police Department, MS	1937-12-25
Officer Waldemar L. Jentzsch	San Francisco Police Department, CA	1937-12-25
Chief of Police Jasper Addison Gargis	Southern Pines Police Department, NC	1939-12-25
Policeman W. G. Chamberlain	Los Angeles Police Department, CA	1941-12-25
Policeman William J. Henderson	Philadelphia Police Department, PA	1941-12-25
Officer James J. Goodson	St. Petersburg Police Department, FL	1947-12-25
Sergeant Joseph L. Hojak	Johnstown Police Department, PA	1949-12-25
Deputy Sheriff Bill Miller	Magoffin County Sheriff's Office, KY	1951-12-25
Patrolman Joseph Pych	Enfield Police Department, CT	1954-12-25
Auxiliary Policeman William James Henhoeffer	Philadelphia Police Department, PA	1955-12-25
Police Officer Marvin Elton Wills	Fort Worth Police Department, TX	1955-12-25
Patrolman William Ligon Acker	Anderson Police Department, SC	1956-12-25
Assistant Chief Robert Henry Potter	Tulia Police Department, TX	1960-12-25
Police Officer Dominic Paparelli	Archbald Borough Police Department, PA	1960-12-25
Sergeant Jack Lee Cooper	Baltimore City Police Department, MD	1964-12-25
Deputy Sheriff James M. Alexander	Washington County Sheriff's Office, ID	1965-12-25
Deputy Sheriff Frank Earl Dannenberg	Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Court Services, IL	1967-12-25
Detective Kathleen M. Reilly	Nassau County Police Department, NY	1967-12-25
Patrolman James A. Traylor	South Carolina Highway Patrol, SC	1970-12-25
Patrolman Leonard Meeks Jr.	North Carolina Highway Patrol, NC	1972-12-25
Chief of Police George H. King	Evarts Police Department, KY	1973-12-25
Sheriff William M. (Billy) Phillips	Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office, OK	1980-12-25
Patrolman Berry Joe McGuire	Amarillo Police Department, TX	1980-12-25
Officer Gerald Eldin Dormaier	California Highway Patrol, CA	1980-12-25
Police Officer Edward K. Alley Jr.	Birmingham Police Department, AL	1980-12-25
Officer Sam E. Etheredge Jr.	Daytona Beach Police Department, FL	1980-12-25
Corrections Employee Gregory J. Gunter	United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Prisons, US	1982-12-25
Policeman Guadalupe Sanchez-Morales	Puerto Rico Police Department, PR	1982-12-25
Detective Robert L. Zore	Metro-Dade Police Department, FL	1983-12-25
Lieutenant Thurman Earl Sharp	Marion County Sheriff's Department, IN	1988-12-25
Police Officer Freddie Dukes	Philadelphia Police Department, PA	1990-12-25
Officer George A. Dzyak	Rostraver Police Department, PA	1993-12-25
Deputy Darryn Leroy Robins	Orange County Sheriff's Department, CA	1993-12-25
Police Officer Jerome Harrison Seaberry Sr.	Lake Charles Police Department, LA	1995-12-25
Patrolman Mark Allen Swaney	Davidson Police Department, NC	1997-12-25
Detective Donald Miller	New Bern Police Department, NC	2001-12-25
Police Officer John Patrick Watson	Kenai Police Department, AK	2003-12-25
Police Officer Robert Nguyen	Jersey City Police Department, NJ	2005-12-25
Police Officer Shawn Carson	Jersey City Police Department, NJ	2005-12-25
Sergeant Marc Charles Wilbur	Avon Park Police Department, FL	2008-12-25
Corporal Dennis Edward Engelhard	Missouri State Highway Patrol, MO	2009-12-25

Sacrifice on the Border: 36 Line of Duty Deaths in 10 Years

Agent Brian Terry

With the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry overnight on December 14th, national attention has been focused on the war that is occurring along our borders. Although Agent Terry's death has been the most high profile this year, sadly his is the fifth death of a Customs and Border Protection law enforcement officer this year.

Protecting the American border is a complex task that involves a web of federal law enforcement agencies who have all experienced true tragedy. In the past 10 years a total of 36 law enforcement officers from seven  different federal agencies tasked with border or customs enforcement have been killed in the line of duty.

Tuesday's murder of Agent Terry is a perfect example of the ruthless criminals and inherent dangers CBP and ICE agents face every day. Agent Terry was one of four agents on an elite BORTAC team - Border Patrol Tactical Unit - that was tracking a group of subjects who were preying on illegal immigrants, robbing them of whatever money or meager belongings hadn't already been taken by the cartels.

In a remote, mountainous area miles from anything, a gun battle ensued in which Agent Terry was reportedly shot in the back with rounds from an AK-47. Of the five suspects involved in the battle, four were apprehended, including one who was wounded. The fifth suspect and one was able to evade immediate capture and, as of the time this article was published, is still on the run pursued by hundreds of local, state, and federal officers.

As the border wars continue, mostly along our southern border, please keep in mind the agents and officers who have fallen, their families, and their fellow agents who keep on fighting to keep drugs and terrorists out of our country.

Since 2000, the following 36 federal law enforcement officers from seven different agencies responsible for border protection, customs enforcement, and/or immigration enforcement have been killed in the line of duty:

Senior Customs Inspector Richard Anthony Forde	United States Department of the Treasury - Customs Service, US	2000-09-12
Border Patrol Agent Daniel Miles James Jr.	United States Department of Justice - Border Patrol, US	2001-03-03
Border Patrol Agent Jason Christopher Panides	United States Department of Justice - Border Patrol, US	2001-04-04
Petty Officer Scott Chism	United States Coast Guard Office of Law Enforcement, US	2001-03-24
Seaman Christopher Everett Ferreby	United States Coast Guard Office of Law Enforcement, US	2001-03-24
Inspector Thomas Murray	United States Department of the Treasury - Customs Service, US	2001-10-30
Border Patrol Agent Eloy Hernandez	United States Department of Justice - Border Patrol, US	2002-01-16
Border Patrol Agent Roberto Javier Duran	United States Department of Justice - Border Patrol, US	2002-05-06
Senior Patrol Agent Catherine Mary Hill	United States Department of Justice - Border Patrol, US	2002-10-25
Enforcement Agent Lorenzo Roberto Gomez	United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, US	2003-11-08
Border Patrol Agent James Paul Epling	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2003-12-16
Senior Patrol Agent Jeremy Michael Wilson	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2004-09-19
Senior Patrol Agent Travis Wayne Attaway	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2004-09-19
Senior Patrol Agent George Brian DeBates	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2004-12-19
Assistant SAC David Gray Wilhelm	United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Office of Investigations, US	2005-03-11
Senior Patrol Agent Nicholas D. (Nick) Greenig	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2006-03-14
Senior Patrol Agent David Norman Webb	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2006-11-03
Border Patrol Agent Ramon Nevarez Jr.	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2007-03-15
Border Patrol Agent David Tourscher	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2007-03-16
Petty Officer Ronald Gill	United States Coast Guard Office of Law Enforcement, US	2007-03-25
Air Interdiction Agent Clinton B. Thrasher	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Air and Marine, US	2007-04-25
Border Patrol Agent Richard Goldstein	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2007-05-11
Air Interdiction Agent Robert Smith	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Air and Marine, US	2007-05-22
Border Patrol Agent Eric N. Cabral	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2007-07-26
Air Interdiction Agent Julio E. Baray	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Air and Marine, US	2007-09-24
Senior Border Patrol Agent Luis Alberto Aguilar	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2008-01-19
Border Patrol Agent Jarod C. Dittman	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2008-03-30
Border Patrol Agent Intern Nathaniel A. Afolayan	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2009-05-01
Border Patrol Agent Cruz C. McGuire	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2009-05-21
Border Patrol Agent Robert Wimer Rosas Jr.	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2009-07-23
Border Patrol Agent Mark Van Doren	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2010-05-24
Officer Charles Collins	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations, US	2010-07-11
Border Patrol Agent Michael V. Gallagher	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2010-09-02
Officer John Zykas	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations, US	2010-09-08
Petty Officer Shaun Lin	United States Coast Guard Office of Law Enforcement, US	2010-10-13
Border Patrol Agent Brian A. Terry	United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Border Patrol, US	2010-12-15

Helping Survivors Survive the Holidays

Last night I had the privilege of having dinner with two very good friends, who happen to have very important jobs they never wanted: President of Concerns of Police Survivors, Linda Moon Gregory (surviving sister of Officer James Moon), and Director of National Outreach, Jennifer Thacker (surviving spouse of Investigator Brandon Thacker). You see, they never wanted their jobs because you have to be a survivor of a fallen officer in order to have them.

During the course of discussion the topic of the holidays came up, specifically how hard it is for "new" survivors to make it through the season without their loved one. I asked them for a little guidance that I could share with both survivors and law enforcement officers on how to cope during such an emotional period. Here's what they suggested:

 For members of the fallen officer's agency:

1. Simply send a Christmas or holiday card saying "we're thinking of you."
2. Invite the surviving family (spouse, children, parents, siblings, etc.) to any holiday socials the agency or association is planning, and don't be offended if they decline or don't show up.
3. Send a gift or gift card.
4. If you setup a Christmas tree in the lobby or at the FOP/association building, invite the family to decorate it. Ask them to make or buy a special ornament that remembers their officer. Consider decorating the tree with blue lights.
5. With anything you do, include ALL family members. Losing an officer impacts not only the spouse, but also the children, parents, siblings, grandparents and other close extended family.

For the survivors:

1. If invited to the department's holiday party, attend if you feel up to it, but don't feel obligated to go if you're not. The officers won't be offended if you're a no-show.
2. Establish a new tradition to honor your officer like lighting a candle or buying/making a special ornament.
3. Surround yourself with "safe" people; family and friends who can listen and be there to support you.
4. Don't feel like you have to decorate for the holidays.
5. Don't hesitate to ask for help. Reach out to family, coworkers, or other survivors if you need help with something around the house, shopping, or just to talk.

On that last point above, if you have no one else to talk to, call another survivor from COPS. COPS members are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The COPS National Office can provide contact information for appropriate points of contact in any state by calling 573-346-4911 during business hours. After hours, you can call a representative from your local or state chapter. If your state doesn't have a chapter, call a rep from a neighboring state.

Lastly, for everyone reading this, you can show your support for all fallen officers and their survivors by participating in Project Blue Light. It's as simple as sticking a blue light in one of your windows throughout the holiday season.

As a fundraiser, COPS sells a special LED candle designed by Streamlight®. Order one (or more) today and display it proudly for all of your neighbors to see. If you have other interesting ways you participate in Project Blue Light, post it in the comments section below so others can get ideas on how to participate as well.