End of Watch Report July 2020

 

Across the country, a total of 30 officers died in the line of duty in July 2020.  Of those thirty deaths, five were the result of gunfire and four were auto-related (one motorcycle crash, one vehicular assault, and two struck by vehicle).  Of the twenty one remaining deaths, two officers drowned and nineteen officers died as a result of COVID-19.

At the end of July, the year-to-date total of line of duty deaths is at 151, a 68% increase over the same time last year.

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one to a line of duty death in July 2020.  We encourage our supporters to read their memorials and share this information to raise awareness of line of duty deaths in the United States.

 

Police Officer Jason Judd

Peoria Police Department (AZ) 

 

Parole Officer IV Joseph William Lange

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Parole Division (TX) 

 

Sergeant Kelvin Dewayne Mixon

Edwards Police Department (MS) 

 

Chief Deputy Lee R. Weber

Hughes County Sheriff's Office (SD)

 

Police Officer Anthony Dia

Toledo Police Department (OH) 

 

 

Corrections Officer Kenneth Harbin

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Institutional Division (TX)  

 

Captain Glenn Allen Green

Pike County Sheriff's Office (MS) 

 

Officer Alfonso H. Murrieta

U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection (U.S. Gov't) 

 

 

Lieutenant Bobby Almager

Corpus Christi International Airport Department of Public Safety (TX) 

 

Police Officer Edelmiro Garza, Jr.

McAllen Police Department (TX) 

 

Police Officer Ismael Chavez

McAllen Police Department (TX) 

 

Border Patrol Agent Enrique J. Rositas, Jr.

U.S. Dept of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - U.S. Border Patrol (U.S. Govt) 

 

Officer Roel De La Fuente

U.S. Dept of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations (U.S. Govt) 

 

Police Officer Jonathan Shoop

Bothell Police Department (WA) 

 

 

Investigator Donald K. Sumner

Patton State Hospital Police (CA) 

 

Director N. Kyle Coleman

Bexar County Fire Marshal's Office (TX) 

 

Corrections Officer V Jerry Esparza

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Institutional Division (TX) 

 

Master Sergeant Henry Turner

Louisiana Department of Corrections (LA) 

 

Deputy Sheriff William Garner

Franklin County Sheriff's Office (GA) 

 

Corrections Officer IV Jackson Pongay

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Institutional Division (TX) 

 

Deputy Sheriff William K. Nichols

DeSoto County Sheriff's Office (MS)

 

 

Deputy Sheriff Oscar W. Rocha

Alameda County Sheriff's Office (CA)

 

 Border Patrol Agent Agustin Aguilar, Jr.

U.S. Dept of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - U.S. Border Patrol (U.S. Govt)

 

Investigator Mark Brown

Harris County Constable's Office - Precinct 5 (TX) 

Sergeant Corey Pendergrass

Lauderhill Police Department (FL)

Deputy Sheriff Dylan Pickle

Monroe County Sheriff's Office (MS)

Corrections Officer IV Ruben Martinez

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Institutional Division (TX)

Corrections Officer V Eric Johnson

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Institutional Division (TX)

 

 

Special Agent John Bost III

U.S. Dept of Justice - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (U.S. Govt)

 

 Trooper Caleb Starr

Michigan State Police (MI)

Master Detention Deputy Richard Barry

Lake County Sheriff's Office (FL)

Captain Steven M. Gaudet, Jr.

Pearl River Police Department (LA)

Lieutenant Erik K. Lloyd

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (NV)

The last three officers' line of duty deaths listed above were confirmed after the creation of the July 2020 infograph at the top of this post and as such, are not yet included in the statistics for July 2020.

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