On the morning of Friday, March 7, 2014, at approximately 8:00am, LAPD Officer Nicholas Lee and his partner were responding to an “unknown trouble” radio call in the City of Los Angeles when a big-rig truck lost control and collided with their patrol car at Robert Lane and Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills. A preliminary investigation indicated the truck’s brakes may have failed.

Los Angeles Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and pronounced Officer Lee deceased at the scene. His partner, a recent graduate of the police academy, was transported to a local hospital in critical condition. The driver of the truck was also transported to the hospital in critical condition. Both Officer Lee’s partner officer and the truck driver are expected to survive their injuries.

Officer Lee, age 40, was a 16 year veteran of the Department, having received over 70 commendations throughout his career. He is survived by his wife and two young daughters.

Shortly after 6:00 a.m. on February 17, 2014, CHP Officer Juan Gonzalez and Officer Brian Law were killed in a traffic collision on southbound SR-99 near Kingsburg while responding to an incident they believed to be on the northbound side of the highway. The officers were working as partners in the same patrol car.

As Law and Gonzalez approached the crash scene, which was on the southbound side of the highway, it is reported a pedestrian involved in the original incident was on the freeway. Officer Gonzalez swerved to avoid the pedestrian, causing the unit to veer off the highway, strike the pylon of a freeway exit sign just north of the Sierra Street/Conejo Avenue exit, and overturn. Both officers were pronounced deceased at the scene.

In a briefing at the crash scene, CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said a white pickup apparently was the first vehicle in the incident to which the officers were responding. “Prior to our arrival, it appears another vehicle may have hit the truck” and came to rest a short distance to the south. “We’re not sure if the officers thought the crash was further down the road,” Farrow said. But “as they approached the scene, they lost control of their vehicle. They hit the guardrail and ultimately hit the sign.”

Officer Juan Gonzalez, #18935, and Officer Brian Law, #18896, were classmates at the CHP Academy in 2008. Officer Gonzalez, age 33, went to work in the CHP San Jose Area before transferring to the Fresno Area. Officer Law, age 34, started his career in Oakland before transferring to the Fresno Area.

Shortly after 6:00 a.m. on February 17, 2014, CHP Officer Juan Gonzalez and Officer Brian Law were killed in a traffic collision on southbound SR-99 near Kingsburg while responding to an incident they believed to be on the northbound side of the highway. The officers were working as partners in the same patrol car.

The scene remains under investigation. As Law and Gonzalez approached the crash scene, which was on the southbound side of the highway, it is reported a pedestrian involved in the original incident was on the freeway. Officer Gonzalez swerved to avoid the pedestrian, causing the unit to veer off the highway, strike the pylon of a freeway exit sign just north of the Sierra Street/Conejo Avenue exit, and overturn. Both officers were pronounced deceased at the scene.

In a briefing at the crash scene, CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said a white pickup apparently was the first vehicle in the incident to which the officers were responding. “Prior to our arrival, it appears another vehicle may have hit the truck” and came to rest a short distance to the south. “We’re not sure if the officers thought the crash was further down the road,” Farrow said. But “as they approached the scene, they lost control of their vehicle. They hit the guardrail and ultimately hit the sign.”

Officer Juan Gonzalez, #18935, and Officer Brian Law, #18896, were classmates at the CHP Academy in 2008. Officer Gonzalez, age 33, went to work in the CHP San Jose Area before transferring to the Fresno Area. Officer Law, age 34, started his career in Oakland before transferring to the Fresno Area.

At approximately 2:00pm on Tuesday, January 21, four members of BART’s detective unit and several members of Dublin Police and Alameda County Sheriff’s departments, converged on the Park Sierra Apartments, at 6450 Dougherty Road in Dublin to perform a probation search of an apartment belonging to a suspect in several robberies on BART property. The officers began their search by knocking twice on the door, with no response. Several officers then entered the apartment through the unlocked door with weapons drawn, following protocol. Once inside, one of the BART officers fired a single shot from his weapon, wounding BART Detective Sergeant Tom Smith, Jr. Smith was transported to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley where he succumbed to his injuries. The suspect was not inside the apartment at the time.

Sergeant Smith, age 42, is survived by his wife, also an officer with the department, and their 6 year old daughter. Smith was a 20-year veteran of the BART force with two brothers in law enforcement – one an Alameda County sheriff’s deputy, the other a Newark police officer.

At approximately 2:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 5, 2015, San Bernardino Police Officer Bryce Hanes had just transported a suspect to Rancho Cucamonga’s West Valley Detention Center and was headed southbound on Etiwanda when his patrol vehicle was broadsided by a 2008 Dodge Charger at Fourth Street and Etiwanda Avenue. A witness at the scene told police that Hanes had a green light and the other driver ran through the red. Officer Hanes was transported to Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center with massive injuries. Tragically, his injuries were not survivable and Officer Hanes passed away shortly after arrival.

The driver of the Charger, Archie Green III (27) of Fontana, was arrested by Ontario police officers at the scene of the crash on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence of alcohol while causing fatal injuries.

Officer Hanes, age 40, is survived by his wife and three children ages 12, 10, and 7 years. He was a 1993 graduate of San Bernardino High School, where he played football. This morning the school will remember Officer Hanes with a moment of silence during San Bernardino High’s Centennial Celebration. Officer Hanes was a 12 year veteran of SBPD, where he worked the graveyard shift his entire career.

At approximately 3:15am on Wednesday, July 22, Sergeant Scott Lunger and his partner performed a traffic stop on the driver of a white Chevrolet pick-up truck swerving and driving erratically near Myrtle and Lion Streets in Hayward. Initially the driver refused to yield but eventually came to a stop at Lion and Kiwanis Streets. As Sergeant Lunger approached the vehicle, the driver opened fire without warning and sped away. Sergeant Lunger’s partner returned fire and radioed ‘shots fired – officer down, partner down’. Sergeant Lunger was transported to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley but tragically did not survive.

A short time later the suspect’s truck was found abandoned in East Oakland. The truck was registered to Mark Anthony Estrada (21) of Oakland, who that morning had checked into San Leandro Hospital in Oakland with multiple gunshot wounds. Estrada, suspected to have gang affiliations, was arrested that afternoon.

A 15-year veteran, Sergeant Lunger (48) had been serving Hayward PD as Patrol Sergeant. Previously he was a member and leader of their SWAT team and also served in the gang unit. Sergeant Lunger is survived by two adult daughters.

At approximately 2:37 a.m. on Friday, June 26, 2015, Bakersfield Police Officer David Nelson made a car stop and a pursuit involving an unlicensed silver Hyundai ensued. Bakersfield dispatch lost radio contact with Officer Nelson and at approximately 2:40 am two other officers located Officer Nelson’s patrol vehicle which had slammed into a wall and was partially engulfed in flames. Officer Nelson was transported to Kern Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries at approximately 3:05 am.

On Saturday evening, June 27, a male 32-year old driver and apparent sole occupant of the silver Hyundai was arrested.

Officer David Nelson is the first Bakersfield Police officer to be killed in the line of duty since Officer William Leonard Sikola who was also killed in a vehicle pursuit in 1983. Officer Nelson, 26, was a 2-year veteran with the Bakersfield Police Department and is survived by his parents and siblings.

At approximately 6:48 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, San Jose Police Officers responded to a call in East San Jose regarding an intoxicated, possibly suicidal man who assaulted a female family member. As the three officers approached the apartment building in the 2600 block of Senter Road, they were fired upon without warning from a balcony by a male subject with a high-powered rifle. San Jose PD Officer Michael Johnson was struck and fatally wounded. The other officers immediately returned fire and the suspect disappeared behind the enclosed balcony.

A massive manhunt ensued with the SJPD MERGE unit and assistance from neighboring law enforcement agencies, including a CHP helicopter. Officials believed the suspect was still inside the apartment, but were also investigating leads that indicated he might be elsewhere. Shortly before 3:30am Wednesday, officers confirmed the suspect, 57-year-old Scott Dunham, was found deceased on his balcony. The investigation concluded Dunham was shot and killed by Officer Johnson’s partner, Officer Douglas Potwora, a 16-year SJPD veteran.

Officer Michael Johnson is the 12th San Jose PD officer killed in the department’s 166-year history. He was a 14-year veteran and field training officer at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, parents, and sister.

At approximately 2:25 on the afternoon of Saturday, March 12, 2016, California Highway Patrol Officer Nathan Taylor was providing traffic control at a traffic collision with an ambulance responding, in the center median of I-80 westbound, west of Castle Peak. Officer Taylor was actively directing traffic to the rear of his patrol vehicle, facilitating passing motorists to move over to the right in heavy snow conditions. As he was waving traffic over, a Nissan Pathfinder on I-80 westbound, was approaching his location. As traffic began to slow, the Nissan changed lanes from the right lane into the left lane, accelerating and passing slowing traffic toward Officer Taylor. The Nissan lost control and collided with Officer Taylor, who was thrown several feet into a snow bank. The Nissan also came to rest in the center median snow bank. A witness to the collision, who was also an off-duty EMT, was the first to render aid to the officer and used Officer Taylor’s hand-held radio to call for help.

Officer Taylor suffered major injuries as a result of this collision and was transported by ambulance to Renown Medical Center in Reno, Nevada. Despite significant life-saving efforts by medical personnel, Officer Taylor succumbed to his injuries on Sunday, March 13.

Officer Nathan Taylor, age 35, graduated from the CHP Academy in West Sacramento in October 2010, and was assigned to the San Jose Area office. He transferred to the Gold Run Area in January 2013. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca; three sons, ages 3, 5 and 8; his parents, Jeff and Linda Taylor; and two brothers, one of whom is a CHP officer.

At approximately 4:15 p.m. on February 10, 2016, Tulare County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Ballantyne and civilian Sheriff’s Pilot James Chavez were killed when their single-engine plane, “Sheriff One,” crashed near Eagle Feather Trading Post and Highway 190. Prior to the crash, the men had flown out to assist deputies on the ground who were tracking a suspect.

The sheriff’s office received a call at approximately 3:25pm regarding a man brandishing a weapon in the 27500 block of Avenue 146 in East Porterville. Two patrol units responded to the scene but the male suspect and female driver had fled. A third deputy found their vehicle and, after a short pursuit, arrested both suspects approximately 25 minutes after the initial call. Because the arresting deputy was out of radio range, Sheriff One was dispatched to assist in locating the patrol unit and suspects. The plane was already in the area of Highway 198 and Road 182 at the time. After ensuring their deputy was safe, Ballantyne and Chavez were leaving the area when their plane suddenly crashed into a hillside, erupting in flames. Tulare County Sheriff Mike Boudreaux reported no distress call had been sent and the plane’s parachutes had not been deployed. At this time it is unclear what caused the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

James Chavez was a veteran military pilot who had flown Black Hawk helicopters and served with the California National Air Guard.

Deputy Scott Ballantyne, age 52, was a 26-year veteran of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office. In 2014 he was assigned to HQ Patrol as Deputy Observer for Sheriff One. He is survived by his mother and sister.