So far this year, 18 law enforcement officers across the United States have died after they were shot.
Six of them died in just one week, said Craig Floyd with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
One of the lawmen died in February due to complications from a gunshot wound he received in 1994.
“The tragic deaths … (are) a stark reminder of the dangers our law enforcement professionals face each and every day while protecting and serving our communities. Too often, their service and sacrifice are taken for granted,” Floyd said in a statement in February.
ALABAMA
Mobile police Officer Justin Billa
Billa was killed as he and others responded to a call February 20 of a woman found dead in a residential area. Billa was fatally shot as he tried to speak with the ex-husband of the victim. The man then killed himself.
CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Steven Belanger
Belanger was shot in the head more than 23 years ago, but the 52-year-old died February 6 due to complications from that injury. He was shot by a man on a skateboard as he conducted a traffic stop in Rowland Heights. The suspect later committed suicide.
Pomona Police Officer Greggory Casillas
On March 9, rookie officer Greggory Casillas was shot to death while trying to arrest a man in Pomona. He was killed after a reported police chase ended with a suspect barricaded inside an apartment home. Another officer was also shot.
COLORADO
Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy Heath Gumm
Gumm and other deputies were chasing a man while investigating a report of an assault on the night of January 24 in Thornton, a city near Denver. When the deputies followed the man behind a home, the man pulled out a handgun and fired, hitting Gumm in the chest.
El Paso County Sheriff’s Deputy Micah Flick
Flick was marking his 11th anniversary as a sheriff’s deputy with El Paso County when he and some colleagues were looking into a report of a vehicle theft on February 5. Flick, 34, was shot and killed — and three other law enforcement officers were shot and injured — during a struggle with a suspect in Colorado Springs. The suspect died, police said.
GEORGIA
Locust Grove police Officer Chase Maddox
Maddox, 26, was killed February 9 when he tried to assist two Henry County Sheriff’s deputies in arresting a man wanted on a warrant for failure to appear in court. The shooting occurred in Locust Grove, a small town about 35 miles south of Atlanta. The suspect was killed.
ILLINOIS
Chicago police Commander Paul Bauer
Bauer, 53, was killed February 13 while responding to a call in downtown Chicago. He went after a suspect who had an altercation with other officers and escaped. Bauer, a 31-year veteran, encountered that individual and was shot several times.
INDIANA
Boone County Deputy Sheriff Jacob Pickett
Pickett was shot and killed March 2 as he and other deputies were assisting Lebanon police officers in a pursuit.
KENTUCKY
Pikeville Police Officer Scotty Hamilton
Hamilton was shot and killed while on duty March 13. Hamilton had been a member of the Pikeville Police Department since 2006.
MARYLAND
Prince George’s County police Cpl. Mujahid Ramzziddin
Ramzziddin was at his home February 21 when a neighbor knocked asking for help with a domestic dispute. Ramzziddin responded to the dispute and was shot and killed by a man with a shotgun. The man tried to flee, but was fatally shot when confronted by two officers.
MICHIGAN
Detroit police Officer Glenn Doss Jr.
Doss, 25, was shot in the head on January 24 as he got out of his patrol car to respond to a domestic violence call. He died four days later.
MISSOURI
Clinton police Officer Christopher Ryan Morton
Morton was shot and killed as he responded with other officers to a domestic disturbance call in Clinton on March 6. Two other officers also were shot. A 911 call was mistakenly traced to the wrong location, where officers were met with gunfire, a Missouri Highway Patrol official said.
OHIO
Westerville police Officers Eric Joering and Anthony Morelli
The two were fatally shot February 10 as they responded to a 911 hangup call involving potential domestic abuse. Joering, 39, and Morelli, 54, were shot as they entered an apartment in Westerville, north of Columbus.
PENNSYLVANIA
Deputy US Marshal Christopher Hill
Hill, 45, was shot and killed January 18 in Harrisburg during an attempt to serve an arrest warrant. As officers tried to apprehend a woman who was wanted for making terroristic threats, a man inside opened fire. Hill and two other officers were struck. One of the officers shot and killed the shooter.
SOUTH CAROLINA
York County Sheriff’s Detective Michael Doty
Doty, 37, died on January 17 of gunshot wounds he received a day earlier during the search for a man who shot a York County Sheriff’s canine handler. The handler was ambushed by the man, who was accused of attacking his wife. A SWAT team that included Doty responded to the incident, and the suspect shot the detective.
TEXAS
Richardson police Officer David Sherrard
Sherrard, 37, was shot and killed on February 7 when he responded with other officers to a shots fired call at an apartment complex in Richardson. When officers entered an apartment, a man began firing on the officers.
WASHINGTON
Pierce County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel A. McCartney
McCartney, 34, was shot and killed as he chased two burglary suspects after responding to a home invasion call January 7 in Frederickson. One of the suspects was found dead at the scene, and the other was apprehended later.
