Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 4034 AMERICAN POLICE BEAT: APRIL 2016 by Jaclyn Barrientes T welve sons, fa- thers, brothers and a daugh- ter. They lived throughout the country, protecting citizens from Oregon to Georgia. They were the twelve law enforcement lives lost so far this year in firearms-related incidents, as of March 4, compared to the same time last year, when only two of- ficers had been shot in the line of duty. Police Officer Douglas Scott Barney, of the Uni- fied Police Department of Greater Salt Lake (UT), was working on January 17 when he responded to a car crash that involved a man missing from a drug rehab center. Upon encountering the suspect, Officer Barney was shot in the head. The suspect was then killed by gunfire from other officers. Sadly, Officer Barney, a father of three, was a cancer survivor who was working overtime to pay for his medi- cal bills. He was an 18-year law enforcement veteran. “His family has dealt with the possibility that they could lose their dad for 12 years, and he was in remis- sion again and doing well,” said Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell noted. “He was back to his old self, his color was good, and he was laughing and slapping you on the back again. And then they lose him to a bullet.” Later that same day, Dan- ville (OH) Police Officer Thomas Cottrell Jr. was robbed of his service weap- on and police cruiser before being shot and killed by a suspect who had threatened to kill police officers. Officer Cottrell’s body was found behind a municipal building. “To many, my son Thom- as Cottrell Jr. is now a hero, taken from our lives by a senseless act of violence because of the uniform he wore,” Melissa Osborn, the mother of Officer Cottrell, wrote. “But to his sister, Ni- cole, and me he has always been a hero.” A Tragic Week Nearly three weeks earlier, a very difficult period for law enforcement ensued with six officers killed in the span of seven days, starting with Ser- geant Jason Goodding from the Seaside (OR) Police Department on February 5. Sergeant Goodding, a 13-year veteran of the de- partment, was serving a warrant when he was shot and killed. He was the first officer to die in the line of duty in the county in more than 30 years. “Jason brought out the best of others, whether it was per- sonally or professionally,” Seaside Police Chief Dave Ham said. “He did his job respectfully, he was fair, he was kind, he carried out his duties in the most profes- sional manner.” Just three days later, Deputy Sheriff Derek Geer, of the Mesa County (CO) Sheriff’s Department, was shot after responding to a call re- porting a man with a gun. Deputy Geer found the suspect, a 17-year-old, on foot and engaged him in an interview. He was shot as the suspect began to flee. Deputy Greer, known for his generosity, remained on life support until February 10, when his organs were donated. “Our hearts are broken, as we begin the process of grieving the tremendous loss of Derek, our husband, father, son and friend,” his wife, Kate, said. Also on February 10, Deputy Patrick Dailey and Mark Logsdon were shot and killed by a single man after responding to a call for service at a local restaurant in Abingdon, Maryland. TheHarfordCounty(MD) Sheriff’s Office deputies confronted a man with out- standing warrants. Deputy Dailey was shot inside the crowded restaurant, while Deputy Logsdon was shot in the parking lot by the fleeing suspect. Deputy Dailey was a 30- year law enforcement vet- eran and a former U.S. Marine. Deputy Logsdon was a 16-year veteran of the Harford County Sheriff’s Office and an Army vet- eran. Police Officer Jason Mosz- er, of the Fargo (ND) Police Department, was also shot on February 10 and died of his injuries the following day. He was one of the officers who responded to a domes- tic disturbance call in which the suspect was armed. Of- ficer Moszer had been with the Fargo Police Department for six years. “He came to work every day with a smile and loved working on the street,” said Fargo Police Chief David Todd. “Law enforcement is a tight community. We’re a brotherhood and a sis- terhood, so it’s like losing a brother. That’s how it feels.” A second offi- cer died on Feb- ruary 11 when M a j o r G r e g Barney, of the Riverdale (GA) Police Depart- ment, was shot and killed while assisting the Clayton County (GA) Police De- partment while executing a no- knock drug warrant at an apartment complex. Major Barney was working the exterior of the house when the suspect exited through the rear and shot him. Major Barney, the eighth officer shot in the line of duty this year, was a well-known figure in the community just south of Atlanta and the first African-American to serve as Riverdale’s police chief during an interim assign- ment. Officer Ashley Guindon was approaching the house with two other officers, when the suspect, who had just killed his wife, opened fire striking all three. The rookie officer was the only one to die of her injuries. 2016: Deadly for our law enforcement officers IN THE LINE OF DUTY Continued on next page