Officer Down Memorial Page: End of Watch Report September 2015

September 2015 saw the end of watch for fourteen law enforcement officers.  

Five of those deaths were the result of felonious gunfire, four were the result of automobile accidents, two were the result of heart attack, two were due to 9/11-related illness, and one was the result of a medical emergency during a training exercise.

Each of these fallen heroes deserves our thanks and gratitude and will be remembered and honored for having given their lives in service.

The Officer Down Memorial Page sends our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one in September 2015. 

Please take a moment to read the memorial for each of these fallen heroes:

Sergeant Miguel Perez-Rios
Puerto Rico Police Department, PR





Lieutenant Roy McLaughlin
Yonkers Police Department, NY





Deputy Chief John P. McKee
City University of New York Public Safety Department, NY





Trooper Joseph Cameron Ponder
Kentucky State Police, KY

Deputy Sheriff Steven "Brett" Hawkins
Harrison County Sheriff's Office, MO

Deputy Sheriff Dwight Darwin Maness
McHenry County Sheriff's Department, IL





Deputy Sheriff Richard Allen Hall
Chatham County Sheriff's Office, GA

Sergeant Eric Meier
Crawford Police Department, NY

Trooper Kyle D. Young
Vermont State Police, VT

Police Officer Kevin Toatley
DeKalb County Police Department, GA

Trooper Nathan-Michael W. Smith
Virginia State Police

Deputy Sheriff Bill Myers
Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, FL


 

Deputy Sheriff Rosemary Vela
Madison County Sheriff's Office, TN

 

Police Officer Greg Alia
Forest Acres Police Department, SC

Keep Cop Killers Behind Bars

On Mother's Day, May 12, 1991, retired NYC Police Detective Jerry DeMarco was murdered during an attempted robbery at a florist shop in Staten Island, NY.  Detective DeMarco died protecting the people in that shop, including his wife, Laura.  He left behind two young children, ages 3 and 5 at the time of their father's murder.

In October, one of the men convicted for Detective DeMarco's murder is eligible for parole.

Please take a moment and send a letter asking that this cop killer is kept behind bars where he belongs.  Below you'll find a sample letter that you can copy, print, and send, or feel free to write your own.

To Whom It May Concern,

I respectfully ask that you DENY PAROLE to Roberto Gonzalez DIN # 94A0827.

This inmate murdered retired NYC Police Detective Jerry DeMarco on Mother's Day, May 12, 1991.  Detective DeMarco was shot and killed while protecting customers, including his wife, during an attempted robbery in a florist shop in Staten Island, NY.  He left behind two young children, ages 3 and 5 at the time of their father's murder.

This inmate's violent behavior should preclude any consideration for parole.

As a concerned citizen and in the interest of public safety, I again respectfully ask that you DENY PAROLE to inmate # 94A0827. Justice demands that he be made to spend every remaining day of his full sentence in prison.

Sincerely,

Letters are due by 30 September 2015 and can be sent to the following address:

Harriman State Campus

1220 Washington Ave

Albany NY 12226

Attn: Office of Victim Services

Never Forget

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 more law enforcement line of duty deaths occurred in this country than on any other day in United States History.

In total, 72 officers died that day, and in the 14 years since, dozens of others have died as a result of 9/11-related illnesses.

When others ran away, they ran in.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed two of four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City.

After the impact of the first plane, law enforcement officers, along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety, putting the welfare of others before their own.

Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.

As the evacuation continued, the first tower unexpectedly collapsed due to the intense heat from the fire and the extensive structural damage. The second tower collapsed a short time later.

On that day, 71 law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site.

A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer -- a passenger on the plane -- was killed in that crash.

The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon.

On September 9, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.

In the years since the attacks, many more rescue workers have succumbed to 9/11-related diseases. 

Please take a moment today to read the ODMP Memorial Page dedicated to the officers who made the ultimate sacrifice on September 11th.

We Will Never Forget.