On the afternoon of April 9, 2014, Los Angeles Police Department Motor Officer Christopher Cortijo, age 51, passed away from injuries sustained after being struck by an impaired driver four days prior.

Officer Cortijo had just started his shift with LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division on Saturday, April 5, when the collision occurred. Officer Cortijo was stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of Saticoy Street and Lankershim Boulevard around 5:30 p.m. when a Chevrolet Blazer traveling at a high rate of speed struck him from behind. The impact pushed Officer Cortijo and his motorcycle into a Honda Accord stopped in front of him, pinning him between the two vehicles. Qaneak Cobb, the 33 year old driver of the Blazer was arrested for DUI and possession of cocaine.

Officer Cortijo was twice named Los Angeles Police Department Officer of the Year and during his 27-year career arrested over 3,000 motorists for driving under the influence. Before joining the LAPD, Officer Cortijo served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Shortly before noon on March 19, 2014, Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputy Ricky Del Fiorentino was shot and killed in his patrol car by a suspect wanted out of Oregon who was involved in a high speed chase that began near Leggett. The suspect, identified as Ricardo Antonio Chaney, age 32, had been involved in a crime spree that started in the early morning hours in Eugene, Oregon, where he was suspected of murder, committed an armed robbery, carjacked a vehicle and forced the driver into the trunk. He then headed south in the stolen four-door black 2006 BMW 330.

At approximately 10:30 a.m. police received a 911 call from a business owner at the tourist attraction Confusion Hill, north of Leggett. The business owner reported exchanging gunfire with Chaney, who then fled. Law enforcement located Chaney on Route 1 at 11:30 a.m. and engaged him in a pursuit near MacKerricher State Park, with speeds exceeding 100 mph, before the suspect got away.

During the ensuing manhunt, Deputy Del Fiorentino found Chaney’s vehicle on a dirt road in Cleone, north of Fort Bragg. Chaney opened fire on Deputy Del Fiorentino, spraying his patrol car with an assault rifle, breaking the front and back windshields.

Fort Bragg police Lt. John Naulty arrived shortly after the shooting and found Chaney scavenging through Del Fiorentino’s car. Gun fire was exchanged and Chaney retreated into a bushy area along the road. As the gun battle continued, and Fort Bragg Police Chief Scott Mayberry drove up behind Lt. Naulty’s patrol vehicle, providing cover to establish a safer position. Members of MCSO’s SWAT team arrived on scene shortly thereafter. During a search of the scene, Chaney was found a short distance away in the side yard of the home behind the brush line near Deputy Del Fiorentino’s patrol vehicle. Chaney was pronounced dead from what appeared to be two separate gunshot wounds, according to the MCSO. Chaney was wearing a military-style ballistic vest and was in possession of two assault rifles when he was found. A double-barreled shotgun was found inside the stolen BMW.

Deputy Ricky Del Fiorentino, age 48, was a 26 year veteran having served both the Fort Bragg Police Department and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department. He is survived by his wife Beth, four children (ages 21, 19, 18, 6), step-son (age 29), grandson (age 5 months), step-grandchildren (ages 6, 3), parents, and siblings.

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.