Thank a Police Officer - Page 1

SUNDAY, MARCH 22, 2009

Tragedy in Oakland: Four Officers Gunned Down

 

Even as the number of law enforcement officers killed by gunfire in the United States reached a 52-year low last year, Saturday’s violence in Oakland, CA, illustrates the enormous and unpredictable dangers that officers continue to face from heavily armed criminals who won’t hesitate to fire on officers—in this instance, not once but twice.

Three Oakland police sergeants were shot and killed, and a fourth officer gravely injured, during two related incidents involving the same gunman. Together, the shootings are among the deadliest attacks on law enforcement in California history.

At about 1:15 pm on March 21, Sergeant Mark Dunakin, 40, andOfficer John Hege, 41, both motorcycle officers, were shot following a traffic stop in East Oakland. Just over two hours later, SWAT team members, responding to an anonymous tip, tracked the gunman to an apartment building just a few blocks from the original shooting scene. As they entered a bedroom, the gunman opened fire through a closet, striking Sergeant Ervin Romans, 43, and Sergeant Dan Sakai,35. Another member of the SWAT team, though injured himself by gunfire, managed to shoot and kill the suspect, a parolee who had been convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and was also wanted on a no-bail warrant.

Sergeants Dunakin, Romans and Sakai all died from their injuries on Saturday. Officer Hege was declared brain dead Sunday morning at Highland Hospital in Oakland and remained on life support to preserve his organs for donation. Oakland City Council member Larry Reid called it “one of the worst days in the history of Oakland.”

 cont.

 

Saturday’s deadly shootings come at a time when law enforcement officer fatalities in general—and officer deaths involving firearms specifically—are on the d e U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) were killed attempting to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas: Conway LeBleu, Todd McKeehan, Robert J. Williams and Steven Willis.

One of the most infamous, multiple-fatality shootings occurred almost 40 years ago in Los Angeles County, CA. On April 6, 1970, Four California Highway Patrolmen—George Alleyn, Walt Frago, Roger Gore and James Pence—died in an intense, four-minute gun battle with two heavily-armed suspects. The Newhall Incident, as it became known, reverberated throughout the law enforcement community and led to major reforms in training procedures, firearms use and arrest techniques.

The NLEOMF extends its sympathies to the families of the fallen Oakland PD heroes, their co-workers and the entire Oakland community. The Memorial Fund will be there for them during the immediate aftermath of this tragedy, and the officers’ service and sacrifice will always be remembered.

 
 
 

bump

Every chance I get.

So all of you LEO's here on the board, Thank you.

Somene should put the idots in jail, who let them out of jail....

 Thank You Suzanne....

Now this is a worth while thread.   I also want to add these little stories:. 
http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/40865867.html

and this:

http://www.pressrepublican.com/homepage/local_story_058042139.html

and this:

http://www.koco.com/news/19025547/detail.html

and this:

http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story/Scottsdale-officer-breaks-window-saves-dog-from/u0UdNQezmEe233fzONAzhw.cspx

All stories about officers saving other peoples dogs.  And this was just the first page. 

I think most people are still stunned by what happened in Oakland.  Unbelievable.  I have no idea how that community will cope with what happened. 

 Nice!

Thanks greenearth for starting this thread, and thanks Sue for posting some positive links.  

Jim