Officer Down Memorial Page: End of Watch Report February 2016

In February 2016, ten officers died in the line of duty in the United States.

One of those officers lost his life in an aircraft accident. The remaining nine were victims of felonious gunfire -- including one officer who was serving her very first day on the job.

That figure -- nine gunfire deaths in a single month -- is the highest such total in over three years; the last month with nine or more gunfire line of duty deaths was August 2012. 

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends it's deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one in February 2016.

Read their memorials and Remember the Fallen:

Sergeant Jason Goodding
Seaside Police Department, OR

Deputy Sheriff Scott Ballantyne
Tulare County Sheriff's Office, CA

Deputy Sheriff Derek Geer
Mesa County Sheriff's Office, CO

Senior Deputy Mark Logsdon
Harford County Sheriff's Office, MD

Senior Deputy Patrick Dailey
Harford County Sheriff's Office, MD

Major Gregory E. "Lem" Barney
Riverdale Police Department, GA

Police Officer Jason Moszer
Fargo Police Department, ND

Special Agent Lee Tartt
Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Narcotics, MS

Corporal Nate Carrigan
Park County Sheriff's Office, CO

Officer Ashley Marie Guindon
Prince William County Police Department, VA

Line of Duty Deaths: Official Count

Each year, the Officer Down Memorial Page pays tribute to each law enforcement officer who dies in the line of duty in the United States. 

However, we are often asked why there are variations in the numbers of line of duty deaths (LODDs) recognized by different organizations and when the official list of LODDs from the previous year is made public.  There are several factors that contribute to statistical differences and one important point to keep in mind about "Official" line of duty deaths.

The most important point about line of duty death numbers is that ALL cases are considered preliminary by ALL organizations until Police Week, which takes place each year in May.  
 
There are additions to and removals from all memorials based on final reviews and late submissions.  The official numbers for the previous year are released during Police Week.

In addition, each organization the recognizes and tracks line of duty deaths has slightly difference inclusion criteria.  The ODMP strives to honor all fallen law enforcement officers and our criteria for inclusion can be found here:

Criteria for Inclusion, ODMP

Other organizations, including the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and the Department of Justice Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program have their own conditions and review processes.  They can be found here:

NLEOMF

PSOB

Most of the differences in the official Line of Duty Deaths counted by each organization are due to heart attack related deaths, 9/11-illness related deaths, or deaths that result from previously sustained wounds or injuries, all of which require medical review.

For twenty years now, ODMP has honored the fallen and we will continue to do so for as long as we are able.  It is the goal and hope of the Officer Down Memorial Page that each name we add will be the last, but until that day comes, we strive to do our best to include every officer who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives in the line of duty.

Cop Killers Up For Parole

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.

Last October, one of the men convicted for Detective DeMarco's murder became eligible for parole.  Thanks in part to the efforts of ODMP supporters who sent in letters asking to DENY PAROLE, this murderer remains behind bars.

The remaining two inmates responsible for Detective DeMarco's murder are up for parole this month:

Steven Morales DIN # 93A5606

Roberto Gonzalez  DIN # 94A0827

Please take a moment once again and send letters asking that these cop killers are kept behind bars.

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 {INSERT INMATE NAME AND NUMBER}.

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 15 March 2016 and can be sent to the following address:

Harriman State Campus

1220 Washington Ave

Albany NY 12226

Attn: Office of Victim Services

Officer Down Memorial Page: End of Watch Report January 2016

January 2016 gratefully did not see many line of duty deaths, with three officers making the ultimate sacrifice this month.  Each of these officers, however, swore to protect and serve the citizens of the United States and dedicated their lives to that task.  We owe them a debt of gratitude.

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one in January 2016.

Police Officer Thomas W. Cottrell, Jr.
Danville Police Department, OH

Police Officer Douglas Scott Barney II
Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake, UT

Correctional Officer Adam Conrad
Marion County Sheriff's Office, IL

Officer Down Memorial Page 20th Anniversary

The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) marks its 20th anniversary in 2016.  In the last two decades, ODMP has grown from a small site honoring the line of duty deaths of a few fallen officers to the largest law enforcement memorial in the country, paying tribute to the more than 22,000 fallen heroes who have died in the line of duty in US history.

The Officer Down Memorial Page was founded in 1996 by Chris Cosgriff, then a freshman at James Madison University, after he read a Washington Post article about a murderer convicted of slaying two officers from Prince George's County, Maryland who was released after serving only 16 years in prison. Shocked and dismayed that a violent criminal would be released so quickly after committing such a heinous crime, Cosgriff was compelled to find a way to honor those and other fallen officers and to bring attention to the dangers faced by law enforcement every day.

In it's infancy, ODMP honored only law enforcement officers who had been killed or wounded in 1996, but quickly expanded to include officers killed in the line of duty dating back to 1990.  The ODMP was then granted access to the National Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) files, and was able to expand the number of honorees on the page.

"In 1996 we had only a list of names, agencies, and end of watch (EOW) for approximately 12,000 - 15,000 fallen officers," says Cosgriff.  "The additional details were obtained through years of persistent research by volunteers and submissions by site visitors."

Knowing that there were officers in US history whose names were forgotten by time but whose sacrifices deserved recognition nonetheless, ODMP researchers have worked, mostly as volunteers, over the last twenty years to uncover the stories of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty but were never recognized for their sacrifice. 

"Over the years we've had countless dedicated researchers who have come and gone, but there has always been a core group who have persisted for almost that entire time, usually concentrating on specific geographic areas (for example, a single state or metro region), or specific agencies," Cosgriff explains.

Currently there are just over 22,000 names honored on the Officer Down Memorial Page.  Of those, over one thousand names -- 1,442 to be exact -- were discovered, and subsequently honored, through the tireless dedication of the research team and the online submissions of supporters across the country.  Without those efforts, the names of each of those fallen heroes and the stories associated with them would have been lost to time.

The beauty of the Officer Down Memorial Page is its universal reach and global accessibility.  Unlike most memorials, which are geographically fixed, the Officer Down Memorial Page is accessible to a wider audience.  Because it is available online, anyone, anywhere can read the memorials, learn the stories behind the names, and pay tribute to the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.  

Last August, the 92-year old granddaughter of fallen hero Detective Samuel S. Drummy (EOW 2/15/1908), accessed a computer for the first time in her life.  With assistance from a law enforcement officer with the Tuscon Police Department (AZ), she was able to find her grandfather's memorial on the Officer Down Memorial Page and see his picture for the first time since she was 14-years old.  It is stories like these, kept alive in the Reflections on each Memorial, that drive the ODMP mission.

Cosgriff sums up his thoughts on reaching the twenty year mark of the Officer Down Memorial Page: "When I created ODMP I could not have possibly imagined it would become one of the most visited law enforcement websites in the world. I was an 18-year-old college kid who was simply trying to honor fallen officers because, even back then, I felt that the media tended to focus on negative stories related to law enforcement officers. It has been an honor to run this organization for so long. ODMP literally invented the concept of online memorials for fallen officers and lead the way in ensuring every officer's death, no matter how or where it occurred, was broadcast nationally so that fellow officers nationwide could honor their sacrifice."

It is the hope of all those involved with the ODMP that each name added to the site will be the last.  Until, and after, that day comes, the Officer Down Memorial Page is committed to honoring those souls who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of justice.

Take the L.E.A.D. on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

Tomorrow is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day and the Officer Down Memorial Page is partnering with our friends at Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) to show our support for law enforcement across the country.

We hope you'll join us, and if you do, please know we sincerely thank you for taking the time to show law enforcement that you appreciate the sacrifices they make to protect and serve the citizens of this country.

C.O.P.S. has sent out some great ideas for showing your support -- let us know what you decide to do and share this with your friends!  The more support we have for this great day, the better!

Officer Down Memorial Page: End of Watch Report December 2015

In December 2015, thirteen law enforcement officers lost their lives in the line of duty.  Of those, three deaths were due to vehicle-related incidents, three were the result of felonious gunfire, one was due to heart attack, and the remaining six were US Air Force Special Agents who were killed by a suicide bomber near Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan.

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends our deepest sympathy and condolences to the family, friends, and agencies that lost a loved one this month.

Read the memorials of those officers who made the ultimate sacrifice in December 2015 here, and remember the fallen:

Police Officer Noah Leotta
Montgomery County Police Department, MD

Police Officer Jesse Tarplin
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority PD, GA

Trooper Eli M. McCarson
New Jersey State Police Department, NJ

Special Agent Adrianna M. Vorderbruggen
US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US Government

Special Agent Michael A. Cinco
US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US Government

Special Agent Peter W. Taub
US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US Government

Special Agent Chester J. McBride
US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US Government

Special Agent Joseph G. Lemm
US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US Government

Special Agent Louis M. Bonocasa
US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, US Government

Commander Frank Román-Rodríguez
Puerto Rico Police Department, PR

Lieutenant Luz M. Soto-Segarra
Puerto Rico Police Department, PR

Agent Rosario Hernández de Hoyo
Puerto Rico Police Department, PR

Police Officer Juan Faliciano
New York City Police Department, NY

Officer Down Memorial Page: End of Watch Report November 2015

November 2015 saw the line of duty deaths of eleven police officers.  Five of those eleven officers were shot and killed, three died as a result of vehicular assault, two died in automobile accidents, and one died as a result of a 9/11-related illness.

With just one month left in 2015, the total number of line of duty deaths stands at 116, which is down 4% in comparison to 2014.  Gunfire deaths total 36 -- a full 16% lower than last year's figures, which is an encouraging statistic.  Auto-related deaths, however, are up by 5% over last year, totaling 46 at this point.

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends our sincere condolences to the families, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one in November 2015.  Please read their memorials here and Remember the Fallen:

Police Officer Bryce Edward Hanes
San Bernardino Police Department, CA

Police Officer Daniel Neil Ellis
Richmond Police Department, KY

Police Officer Stacy Lynn Case
Columbia Police Department, SC

Chief of Police Darrell Lemond Allen
Marlin Police Department, TX

Trooper Jaimie Lynn Jursevics
Colorado State Patrol, CO

Police Officer Ricardo Galvez
Downey Police Department, CA

Corporal William Matthew Solomon
Georgia Ports Authority Police Department, GA

Special Investigator Diane DiGiacomo
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Humane Law Enforcement, NY

Police Officer Ryan P. Copeland
McFarland Police Department, WI

Police Officer Garrett Swasey
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Police Department, CO

Police Officer Lloyd E. Reed, Jr.
St. Clair Township Police Department, PA

Support ODMP in the Giving Tower Challenge

On December 1st -- #GivingTuesday -- the Officer Down Memorial Page will join with other non-profits and charities in the Giving Tower Challenge to raise money for worthwhile causes.

Each donation made to the Officer Down Memorial Page through the Giving Tower link that day counts as a brick in a virtual tower; last year's tower grew to be the 5th tallest building in the world.  This year the goal is to create the tallest "building" in the world and show the true impact of all of our collective giving.

In addition, the organization that raises the most money on December 1st will win an additional $25,000 for their charity.

We are asking our loyal supporters to help by joining our team -- the ODMP Band of Blue -- and becoming fundraisers. By reaching out to your friends and family to raise awareness and money for our cause, imagine the impact we can have.  

Every dollar we raise in the Giving Tower Challenge will be used to help ODMP fulfill it's mission of honoring fallen law enforcement heroes.  Some of the programs your donation will support include:

• Creating and maintaining the more than 22,000 Memorial & Reflection pages for each fallen officer on ODMP, including fallen K9 heroes
•  Sending more than 3 million Line of Duty Death notifications annually
• Supporting the survivors of the fallen through our comprehensive benefits database
• Keeping cop killers behind bars through our No Parole program

If you're interested in helping make this year's Giving Tower more successful than ever before, and if you want to support ODMP and honor fallen law enforcement heroes, please consider joining our team and ask your family and friends to donate in support of a great cause.

#GivingTuesday is next week on December 1st, so mark your calendars and get ready to show just what kind of impact we can have when we all work together in support of a good cause.

As always, we at ODMP thank you for your generous support and appreciate all that you do!

Officer Down Memorial Page: End of Watch Report October 2015

Following on the heels of two very deadly months, October seemed relatively peaceful with only seven line of duty deaths.  Each of those, however, marked the End of Watch for an individual who dedicated his life to public safety, and so we all suffer a loss with the passing of each of these heroes.

Of the seven line of duty deaths in October, three were the result of automobile accidents, three were the result of gunfire, and one was the result of a duty-related illness.

Although we can take solace in the fact that line of duty deaths are down 5% from this point last year, and even more in the fact that gunfire line of duty deaths are down 20%, it is important to point out that auto-related deaths -- which are often preventable -- are up 5% in 2015.  Addressing this critical issue could potentially save many lives.

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one in October 2015, and asks that you take a moment to read their memorials and remember their service.

Police Officer Anthony Lossiah
Cherokee Indian Police Department, Tribal Police

Investigator Steven Martin Sandberg
Aitkin County Sheriff's Office, MN

Detective Randolph Holder
New York City Police Department, NY

Park Ranger James Marvin Wallen, Jr.
Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Dept, TN

Deputy Constable Jeffrey Radford
Bell County Constable's Office - Precinct 3, TX

Police Officer Daniel Scott Webster
Albuquerque Police Department, NM

Sergeant William "Karl" Keesee
Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol, TX