The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Santa Clarita Valley Station lost one of their own in 2008.  After a long and hard fought battle, Deputy Randy Hamson succumbed to injuries he sustained after being struck by a car in 2004.

Late in the evening of August 16, 2004, Deputy Hamson was conducting a follow-up investigation for a traffic collision that had occurred earlier in the shift on Sierra Highway. The portion of the road where deputies were conducting their investigation was poorly lit. Randy saw a vehicle driving with its headlights off and used his flashlight in an attempt to get the driver’s attention.  As Deputy Hamson’s attention was drawn to that vehicle, he stepped forward and was suddenly struck by another vehicle coming toward him.  The driver of the vehicle that struck Randy never saw him before the collision occurred.

Randy was rushed to the hospital and treated for a significant head trauma and other injuries.  In October of 2004, he was transferred to Casa Colina Hospital, a long term care facility in Pomona.  Randy remained in their care until death became imminent.  On the afternoon of October 24, 2008, Deputy Randy Hamson passed away.

October 30, 2008, friends, family, and fellow law enforcement officers gathered at Grace Baptist Church in Saugus to honor their fallen hero.  Hamson was remembered as a diligent and hard working deputy, who was admired and respected by his fellow protectors and the community.  He was a great partner, public servant, and friend.  He is truly missed.

Hamson joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on March 23, 1999, and graduated the Sheriff’s Academy on August 27, 1999.  He was assigned to Pitchess Detention Center – East Facility, until April of 2003, and then began his patrol service at Santa Clarita Valley Station in April of 2003.

Up until the time of the accident, Deputy Hamson resided in Simi Valley with his wife Cindy and their three children.  Randy is also survived by his parents Jim and Carolyn Hamson, and his brothers Tim and Mike.  His wife Cindy said what Randy always wanted to do was protect and serve the public – he lost his life fulfilling that dream.

Following a long processional, Deputy Hamson was laid to rest at Eternal Valley with full police honors.

Shortly before 0800 on the morning of October 4, 2008, Officer Bradley Moody was involved in a single patrol-car accident on Marina Bay Parkway just north of Regatta Blvd. in the city of Richmond. The eight-year veteran was headed north on Marina Bay Parkway, answering an officer’s call for help during an assault. Moody lost control of his Ford cruiser and slammed sideways into a light pole, authorities said. It had been raining a short time before the call and roads were slick.

After heroic on-scene efforts by several members of the Richmond Police and Fire Departments, as well as several PG&E employees, Officer Moody was transported to John Muir Trauma Center in Walnut Creek.

Officer Moody had sustained catastrophic brain injury. After remaining on life support for three days, a determination was made that Officer Moody’s brain functioning was not compatible with life. His wish was to be an organ donor, so his family instructed the hospital to move forward with that process. Officer Moody was taken off life support and passed away at 2:45 a.m. October 7. According to Richmond police Lt. Mark Gagan, Moody’s organs were donated to a man in San Francisco who had 24 hours to live. “The last thing Brad did was to save a life,” Gagan said.

Officer Moody is survived by his wife, Susan, a former Richmond PD dispatcher, and their two young daughters, three-year-old Madison and one-year-old Emma. He is also survived by his parents, James and Elizabeth Moody, and siblings James Moody Jr., and Jennifer Moody.

“Brad was held in the highest regard by his peers,” Police Chief Chris Magnus said in a statement. “His work ethic was extraordinary, and his commitment to the community of Richmond and his profession unparalleled. Needless to say, this is a very difficult time for RPD and Brad’s many friends in the community.”

On October 14, over 1500 people filled Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord to honor and remember Officer Bradley A. Moody. He graduated in 2000 from the police academy at Los Medanos College in Pittsburg, where he was named top athlete, top marksman and overall No. 1 in his class.

Moody was remembered as a dedicated K-9 officer. His dog “Rico” survived the accident with minor injuries. Now the family’s pet, Rico was on stage at the memorial service, along with more than 100 other police dogs sitting at attention at their handlers’ sides.

Just hours before the crash that ultimately took his life, Officer Moody received a commendation for apprehending and arresting two suspects carrying concealed weapons in separate incidents last August. “That’s a good example of his duality,” Lt. Gagan said. “He was able to fight crime and then turn around and do a K-9 demonstration at schools and be very engaging with kids. It shows his ability to be personal and very sensitive.”

“Bradley was a cop’s cop,” said Officer David Funk, recalling his patrols of the city’s Iron Triangle neighborhood with Moody. “He loved his job, as he did life.” After Moody died, a memorial sprang up on Nevin Avenue, placed there by the “very gangsters and dope dealers who Brad used to arrest,” Funk said. The gang members left signatures and positive messages for Moody. “It blew me away,” Funk said.

Showing remarkable poise, Susan Moody addressed those in attendance and thanked Rico. “Even after the crash, Rico tried to protect his daddy and was with him during the last moments of his life,” she said. As if almost on cue, a police dog began barking.

“Bradley, I am going to miss you each and every day that passes,” she said as she began crying. “I promise you that I will tell our babies how much you loved them.” With her children in tow, she placed flowers on her husband’s casket and gave Rico a hug.

A fund to benefit the Moody family has been established at Mechanic’s Bank. Donations may be made to the “The Memorial Fund for Officer Brad Moody” and dropped off at any Mechanics Bank location. A website set up by Brad’s co-workers is available for viewing and posting condolences for the Moody family: http://bradley-moody.last-memories.com.

At approximately 11:35 a.m. on September 6, 2008, Martinez PD was called to a domestic dispute at a hair salon on Pacheco Blvd., in Martinez. The salon owner’s estranged husband had entered the salon with a firearm looking for his wife. After threatening their daughter, who also works at the salon, Felix Sandoval moved his search to the apartment building the couple owned behind the salon.

Officer Ian Leong was the first to arrive at 11:37 a.m. Sgt. Paul Starzyk pulled up one minute later. Both officers pursued the suspect into the apartment complex, where they heard children’s screams coming from an upstairs unit. As they moved toward the unit, Sandoval blindly opened fire from behind the door with a .38-caliber revolver. Starzyk was hit twice in the upper body, just above his protective vest. Despite his wounds, which ultimately proved fatal, Starzyk returned fire along with Leong.

K-9 officer, Cpl. Glenn Walkup arrived on scene and pulled Starzyk clear. He then sent in his German shepherd, Enzo, who found Sandoval and dragged his legs into the doorway. “Walkup sees the suspect on his back with the gun pointed at the dog,” Martinez Police Chief Tom Simonetti said. “He shoots him twice. The confrontation is over.”

Leong made an Officer-Down call at 11:40 a.m., Simonetti said. Officers reported a Code 4 at 11:41 a.m. The entire encounter lasted six minutes. Once inside the apartment, authorities found 44-year-old Catalina Torres deceased in the kitchen. Two other women and three children were found in the apartment unharmed. One of the surviving women had witnessed Sandoval murder Torres – his wife’s cousin.

Sgt. Starzyk is survived by his wife Shannon, a sheriff’s deputy for Contra Costa County, and their three young children, Vincent, 6, Jacob, 4, and 20-month-old Jessica.

More than 3,500 people joined the Starzyk family at the Sleep Train Pavilion on September 11th to honor their fallen hero. The significance of the date was not lost on those in attendance. Reverend Robert Rien of St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church in Antioch told mourners that it was appropriate for Sgt. Starzyk to be honored on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 2001, when police officers and firefighters rushed into the World Trade Center to save those inside. “So too did Paul Starzyk rush into a darkened stairwell,” Rien said, adding that the sergeant “gave his life so that others may live.”

Sgt. Paul Starzyk “held that line,” said Chief Simonetti, addressing the congregation which included Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Attorney General Jerry Brown, and many county and local leaders. “And he refused to allow evil to cross over it.”

Sgt. Starzyk started his career in 1992 as a Reserve Officer in Martinez and became a Police Officer December 19, 1994. He joined the Pleasant Hill Police Department in May of 1996. Starzyk returned to the Martinez Police Department on April 15, 1997. He was first promoted to Corporal then to Sergeant on December 1, 2007. Starzyk also served as the agency’s SWAT team leader.

Sgt. Starzyk was remembered as a loyal friend with an offbeat sense of humor who held himself and others to a high standard. “Paul Starzyk led from the front,” said Adrian Smedley in eulogizing his friend. “I can still hear his voice now: ‘Keep your head up and your back straight.’

In addressing the Starzyk family, Chief Simonetti turned toward Shannon and told her three young children that their father was a hero whose “star will always shine down to watch over you.”

In the early hours of August 2nd, twenty-seven-year-old, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Juan Escalante, was gunned down in front of his parent’s house in Cypress Park.  At approximately 5:40 a.m., while preparing to leave for his assignment at the County’s Mens Central Jail, Deputy Escalante was confronted by two gang members.  Witnesses reported Escalante drew his weapon and identified himself as a deputy before the suspects opened fire.

Police later arrested two Avenues Gang members for the murder of Deputy Escalante.  Detectives believe the shooting may have been related to Escalante’s job at the jail, where he guarded many of the county’s most dangerous inmates, including members of the Mexican Mafia.

Deputy Escalante is survived by his wife Celeste, and their three young children; his parents, and two brothers.  He was the son of immigrant parents from the Mexican state of Yucatan.  Escalante and his family had been staying with his parents while he and his wife prepared to buy a home in Pomona.

On August 8th more than 3,000 people gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels to say farewell to Juan Abel Escalante.  He was remembered as a man who spent most days at home with his children. He loved music, attended Mass on Sundays and, from a young age, learned to value and protect his family.

The mayor, the sheriff, Escalante’s captain and two family members spoke during the ceremony.

“When it comes to the young people from Abel’s part of town, we tend to only hear about the kids sucked into lives of violence and crime,” Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said. “Abel was a man who rejected the conventional wisdom and defied the odds. He turned away from the destructive forces entrenched in his community and refused to give in to the elements of hate and division.”  Villaraigosa described Escalante as “true example of everything we could wish for in a public servant.”

A U.S. Army reservist, Escalante had worked for the Sheriff’s Department for 2 1/2 years. He was assigned to the “high power” unit, where dangerous inmates are housed in single-man cells.

Following the service, a funeral procession, which included dozens of sheriff’s buses and patrol motorcycles, made its way across four empty freeways to Resurrection Cemetery in Montebello, where Deputy Escalante was laid to rest.

On the evening of Sunday, June15th, the Davis Police Department put out a ‘be on the lookout’ for Marco Topete who was reportedly driving under the influence with a child in the vehicle.

At approximately 9:30 p.m. Deputy Jose Antonio Diaz located the vehicle and attempted to stop it, but it failed to yield. Deputy Diaz pursued the vehicle into the town of Dunnigan, where it stopped on County Road 5 near County Road 99W.

After the stop Deputy Diaz called for emergency backup reporting he had been shot. The suspect, Marco Antonio Topete, age 35 of Arbuckle, fled on foot. A short time later backup deputies, fire units, and AMR arrived on scene. Deputy Diaz was transported to Woodland Memorial Hospital where despite aggressive CPR efforts he died of his wounds at 10:55 p.m.

A massive search for the suspect was conducted by the Sheriff’s Department with the assistance of ground, K-9, SWAT, and air units from the FBI, California Highway Patrol, Sacramento, Colusa, and Sutter Counties, and from the West Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Winters, and UC Davis Police Departments.

At approximately 8:00 a.m. the next day Marco Topete was found by the Yolo County SWAT team and arrested without incident near County Road 88 and County Road 4. Topete is a known gang member and parolee with a record of assault with a deadly weapon. He is accused of firing multiple rounds from a high-powered AR-15 rifle at Diaz’s patrol car, and was charged with first degree murder.

Hundreds of law enforcement personnel from across California came to the UC Davis ARC Pavilion on June 27th to honor their fallen colleague. They joined family members and friends in remembering Tony Diaz.

Jose Antonio Diaz, 37, was born in Mexico and moved to the Dixon area when he was 4. He graduated from Dixon High School and eventually got a job as computer technician with Yolo County. Along the way, Diaz fathered three daughters and was soon to be married to his fiancee. Yolo County Sheriff Ed Prieto said Diaz had shown an intense interest in becoming a

Yolo County deputy and put himself through school to get there. Diaz was eventually appointed to service in 2004 and impressed his colleagues with his professionalism. Sergeant Al Williams served as Diaz’s supervisor and was also responsible for recruiting him out of the academy. Williams said the word “privilege” best described his relations with Diaz, which, like all privileges, can be taken away. “I had the privilege of processing Tony’s application. I had the privilege to work with Tony,” Williams said. “(And) each of us lost that privilege to be with Tony.”

“In an instant, many lives were turned upside down,” Sheriff Prieto said during the ceremony. Prieto announced Diaz will be posthumously awarded the Gold Medal of Valor, the highest award for deputy service. “He didn’t get it because he followed a suspect,” Prieto said. “It’s because even though he was mortally wounded he didn’t back down.” After being shot, despite bleeding heavily and suffering intense pain, Diaz managed to tell back-up officers which direction his assailant had fled. “He chose to defend the lives of the defenseless,” Prieto said. “Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something else is more important.” Prieto called Diaz a warrior.

On the night of Friday, May 23rd, Kern County Sheriff’s Deputies James Throne (29) and Doug Swanson (30), were responding to a foot chase north of Lamont when they collided around 11:35 p.m. at the intersection of Weedpatch Highway and Blackburn Street.

Swanson’s lights and sirens were on, CHP and sheriff’s officials said. Throne, who was driving a marked car without the siren activated, pulled into Swanson’s path on Weedpatch Highway, the CHP said.

Fourteen firefighters responded to the accident, using the jaws of life and administering medical aid to both deputies, according to the Kern County Fire Department. Both deputies were taken to Kern Medical Center, one by ground and the other by helicopter. Swanson suffered a broken arm, leg, and pelvis, and a cracked vertebrae. Tragically, Throne passed away from his injuries.

Deputy James Throne was a 2 ½ year veteran of Kern County Sheriff’s Department and previously worked for Taft Police Department. He is survived by his wife Amanda, his 12-year-old son Josh, Amanda’s 10-year-old daughter Alex, and the couple’s 8-year-old son Brandon.

On the morning of May 30th, thousands gathered at the Canyon Hills Assembly of God Church in Bakersfield to pay their final respects and remember a fallen hero.

Sgt. Mike Dunham, who had been stationed at the Lamont substation for 18 months, said he heard about Throne well before he arrived there. People who knew Throne told Dunham what a wonderful deputy Throne was and how lucky Dunham would be to work with him. Dunham said everything he was told was true, but it didn’t began to scratch the surface of what Throne brought to the station. “I found so much more,” Dunham said. “What I found was a leader.”

Deputy Throne’s friend and fellow deputy Ernie Alvarado described him as a go-to guy with a wealth of knowledge – a “hell of an investigator.” Deputies called Throne “Little Sgt. Throne” or “Commander Throne” because everyone knew he was a rising star, Alvarado said. He was a natural-born leader even among deputies older and more experienced. Doing the right thing was his trademark. Some of the older deputies gave him a ration for being the Frank Serpico of 2008.

An expert at drug identification, Throne often testified in court as an expert witness. Senior Deputy John Money recalled during one six-month span last year, Throne was involved in 280 drug arrests. “Some people don’t have that many in their career.”

Sheriff Donny Youngblood said Throne died young, but his job performance and overall character made the world a better place. “It’s what you do during your lifetime that’s important,” Youngblood said. “James lived a full and impacting life.”

Although Deputy Throne was universally respected as an outstanding public servant, his wife and family was his first priority. In an email to the local media, Amanda Throne paid tribute to her husband:

“I can’t find the right words to describe to you what a truly remarkable person he was. His ambition inspired me to be a better person, mother, wife, and friend. He was truly my superman. He had so much drive and determination. He really had a drive to be the best of the best. Kern county sheriffs deputies are a fantastic group of people. I know it was an honor James to work along side these great men and women. He was very proud to be a Sheriffs Deputy and to serve and protect you.”

Special Agent Garcia was killed in a single-vehicle accident while on patrol in North Shore, California. Agent Garcia’s patrol car left the roadway and rolled over several times. Agent Garcia died at the scene.

At approximately 9:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 6, LAPD received a call from a man stating he had killed three members of his family. Responding officers came upon the suspect barricaded inside a home in the 19800 block of Welby Way in the San Fernando Valley.

The SWAT team was subsequently called in and while one group of SWAT officers fired their guns along the side of the house to create a diversion, another team entered through the front door, tossing in a flash-bang grenade. Once in the door, the officers discovered a low wall that may have blocked their view – and may have stopped the grenade from having its full effect on the suspect, authorities said.

As the officers made their way along the wall, officials said, the suspect popped up and shot Officer James Veenstra (51) from about 10 to 15 feet away, hitting him in the face. The other officers returned fire, but the suspect shot Officer Randal Simmons in the neck. Both officers were wearing helmets and bulletproof vests.

The remaining officers spotted a victim who appeared to still be alive and managed to pull him and the two wounded officers out of the house and onto the front lawn, where Fire Department paramedics administered medical aid. The civilian victim was already dead, but Simmons and Veenstra were rushed to Northridge Hospital Medical Center. Officer Simmons died just after 1 a.m., officials said.

The suspected shooter, Edwin Rivera, 20, was shot to death by a police sniper as he tried to flee his home – which had caught fire, presumably after tear-gas canisters were launched to force him out – more than 10 hours after the standoff began.

Police said Rivera, who was armed with a handgun and a shotgun, also killed his father, Gerardo Rivera (54) and brothers, Edgar Rivera (21) and Endi Rivera (25).

An unprecedented ten-thousand people filled the Crenshaw Christian Center’s Faith Dome on February 15, 2008 to pay respects and remember Officer Randal Simmons, described as “the rock” of the elite LAPD SWAT team. Simmons was the first SWAT team member in its four-decade history to die in the line of duty. He is survived by his wife Lisa and their two teenage children, Matthew and Gabrielle.

During the funeral, Officer Simmons was remembered as a deeply religious man, devoted husband, caring father, and model officer during the three-hour service. Many state and local officials were in attendance, including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Attorney General Edmund G. Brown, Jr., and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Villaraigosa, whose children Simmons had once guarded, acknowledged to mourners that the death had hit the community hard. “It touches a particular nerve way deep in our souls, and it hurts,” Villaraigosa said. “I’ve thought a lot over the last few days about why that is, and I think it has something to do with the fact that the entire city community loses when we lose a police officer.”

Officer Simmons’ Christian faith was a strong central part of his character. He was the minister at Glory Christian Fellowship International Church for 13 years. Known to his congregation as Minister Randy, he was seen as a humble and totally selfless individual that shared the unconditional love of Christ with all people he met, especially children and young adults. His tireless commitment to the youth has been recognized throughout the state with numerous awards he has received.

This afternoon at approximately 2:00 p.m. Sacramento Sheriff’s Detective Vu Nguyen and his partner were on a routine visit to a known gang house in South Sacramento near 41st Avenue and 37th Street. An unknown male standing in front of the house took off on foot as the Detectives approached. Nguyen and his partner gave chase. Nguyen followed the suspect over a fence into a backyard. Nguyen’s partner then heard gunshots and found Det. Nguyen down with a gunshot wound to the neck.

Detective Nguyen was life-flighted to UCD Med Center where he underwent surgery, but tragically succumbed to his injuries.

At this time a massive manhunt is underway for the suspect described as an Asian mail, 5’4”, 130-140 lbs, 20-30 years old.

Detective Nguyen was a 10-year veteran and had been with the gang unit for the past three years. At this point, immediate survivors are unknown. Further details, including funeral information will be forwarded as available.

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection to the death of Sacramento Sheriff’s Detective Uv Nguyen, Sheriff John McGinness announced Thursday morning Dec. 20, 2007.

“We’re confident that we got our guy,” McGinness said during a news conference, smiling as he broke the news.

The boy was arrested at 12:30 a.m. at a family member’s home in the Meadowview area on suspicion of murdering Nguyen on Wednesday. The boy is being held without bail in the county’s juvenile hall.

The shooting prompted a manhunt involving more than 100 police, sheriff’s detectives and federal agents that lasted through the night.

On the afternoon of December 17, 2007 at approximately 1:40 p.m., Detective Kent Haws (38) of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department was shot while investigating suspicious activity in the area of Avenue 344 and Road 156. Det. Haws died at Kaweah-Delta Hospital at 3:10 p.m.

An individual detained near the scene and originally identified as a suspect was later termed a “person of interest.”

More details will be provided as available, including funeral service information.