AAMVA honors law enforcement officers of member jurisdictions who make the ultimate sacrifice while performing their duties. Our deepest respect and sympathy goes out to the families and agencies of those fallen officers.
Officer Joseph Sanders
California Highway Patrol
California
End of Watch: Monday, December 15, 2008
Biographical Info
Age: 29
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 2 months
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Struck by vehicle
Date of Incident: Monday, December 15, 2008
Weapon Used: Automobile
Officer Joseph Sanders was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle while he was directing traffic at the scene of a previous accident on the Pomona Freeway in Hacienda Heights.
The vehicle that struck him had collided with another car on the rain-slicked highway at approximately 4:20 am. Officer Sanders was flown to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Officer Sanders was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and had served with the California Highway Patol for 14 months. He is survived by his expectant wife and three children.
Agency Contact Information
California Highway Patrol
PO box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298
Senior Trooper William Hakim
Oregon State Police
Oregon
End of Watch: Friday, December 12, 2008
Biographical Info
Age: 51
Tour of Duty: 11 years, 5 months
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Bomb
Date of Incident: Friday, December 12, 2008
Weapon Used: Explosives; Bomb
Suspect Info: Apprehended
Senior Trooper Bill Hakim and Captain Tom Tennant, of the Woodburn Police Department, were killed when a bomb detonated as they examined the device.
A bomb threat had been called into a local bank earlier in the day, but the device was determined not to pose a threat. Later in the day, a second bomb threat was made to a neighboring bank. A bank employee discovered a suspicious object in the bushes outside of the bank. At some point after officers responded to the scene, the device was moved inside the bank.
As Trooper Hakim, Captain Tennant, and the Woodburn police chief examined the device, it detonated, fatally injuring Trooper Hakim and Captain Tennant. The police chief was critically injured.
Trooper Hakim had served with the Oregon State Police for 11 years. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter.
Agency Contact Information
Oregon State Police
244 Capitol Street NE
4th Floor
Salem, OR 97310
Officer/Paramedic Bruce W. Harrolle
Arizona Department of Public Safety
Arizona
End of Watch: Monday, October 13, 2008
Biographical Info
Age: 36
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: Monday, October 13, 2008
Officer/Paramedic Bruce Harrolle was killed while performing a rescue of two stranded hikers.
At about 2:40 p.m. The Department of Public Safety Air Rescue Ranger Helicopter based in Flagstaff responded to a request from the Sedona Fire Department and the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office to assist with a search and rescue mission of two stranded and dehydrated hikers on Bear Mountain in the Bell Rock area. At about 3:18 p.m., Officer/Paramedic Harolle had loaded one hiker and was escorting the second patient into the chopper when he was struck by the helicopter's rotor blades and fatally injured. Both hikers were flown to safety.
Officer/Paramedic Harrolle was a nine year veteran of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. He is survived by his wife, two young children, and parents.
Agency Contact Information
Arizona Department of Public Safety
P.O. Box 6638
Phoenix, AZ 85005
Trooper First Class Mickey C. Lippy
Maryland State Police
Maryland
End of Watch: Sunday, September 28, 2008
Biographical Info
Age: 34
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: Sunday, September 28, 2008
Trooper Mickey Lippy and Pilot Stephen Bunker were killed in a helicopter crash while performing a medical evacuation of two critically injured teenagers from Charles County.
During the flight the EuroCopter Dauphin helicopter encountered severe weather and Pilot Bunker radioed to have two ambulances meet them at Andrews Air Force Base to complete the transport. At approximately 12:30 am air traffic controllers lost contact with the helicopter.
A ground search was initiated and approximately two hours later the wreckage was found in Walker Mill Regional Park. Both troopers, a Charles County EMT and one of the two patients were killed in the crash.
Trooper Lippy was appointed to the Maryland State Police four years ago. He had been in the Aviation Command as a flight paramedic since April 2007. He is survived by his wife and four month old daughter.
Agency Contact Information
Maryland State Police
1201 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208
Pilot Stephen Bunker
Maryland State Police
Maryland
End of Watch: Sunday, September 28, 2008
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: Sunday, September 28, 2008
Pilot Stephen Bunker and Trooper Mickey Lippy were killed in a helicopter crash while performing a Medevac of two critically injured teenagers from Charles County.
During the flight the EuroCopter Dauphin helicopter encountered severe weather and Pilot Bunker radioed to have two ambulances meet them at Andrews Air Force Base to complete the transport. At approximately 12:30 am air traffic controllers lost contact with the helicopter.
A ground search was initiated and approximately two hours later the wreckage was found in Walker Mill Regional Park. Both troopers, a Charles County EMT, and one of the two patients were killed in the crash.
Agency Contact Information
Maryland State Police
1201 Reisterstown Road
Pikesville, MD 21208
Trooper Andrew Stocks
North Carolina Highway Patrol
North Carolina
End of Watch: Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Biographical Info
Age: 43
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Incident Details:
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2008
Trooper Andrew Stocks was killed in an automobile accident when his patrol car collided with a garbage truck. He was responding to an accident when the collision occurred on Ten-Ten Road.
He was transported to WakeMed Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Trooper Stocks had served with the agency for 4 years. He is survived by his wife and child.
Agency Contact Information
North Carolina Highway Patrol
512 N Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27699
Trooper David Shawn Blanton Jr.
North Carolina Highway Patrol
North Carolina
End of Watch: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Biographical Info
Age: 24
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Incident Details:
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Charged with capital murder
Trooper David Blanton was shot and killed while making a traffic stop on I-40 near Canton, North Carolina. A struggle ensued during the stop and he was fatally shot.
The suspect took Trooper Blanton's service weapon and fled the scene. He was apprehended a short time later by deputies from the Haywood County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Canton Police Department. He was subsequently charged with capital murder.
Trooper Blanton had served with the North Carolina Highway Patrol for 2 years and had previously served as a dispatcher for the Cherokee Tribal Police Department. He is survived by his wife and 2-week-old son.
Agency Contact Information
North Carolina Highway Patrol
512 N Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27699
Trooper James Scott Burns
Texas Department of Public Safety
Texas Highway Patrol
Texas
Biographical Info
Age: 39
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Incident Details:
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Weapon Used: Shotgun; 20 gauge
Suspect Info: Committed suicide
Trooper James Burns was shot and killed following a high speed pursuit in Marion County, Texas, at approximately 8:00 pm. The suspect stopped his vehicle, exited and opened fire on Trooper Burns with a shotgun before he was even able to unlatch his seatbelt.
A citizen used the trooper's radio to inform dispatchers that the trooper had been shot near the intersection of Farm-to-Market roads 1969 and 729. The suspect fled the scene and committed suicide two days later.
Trooper Burns had served with the Texas Department of Public Safety for 5 years. He is survived by his wife and 6-month-old daughter.
Agency Contact Information
Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol
5805 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78752
Trooper Kara M. Kelly-Borgognone
Nevada Highway Patrol
Nevada
End of Watch: Thursday, February 28, 2008
Biographical Info:
Age: 33
Tour of Duty: 10 years
Incident Details:
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Monday, February 25, 2008
Trooper Kara Kelly-Borgognone succumbed to injuries sustained four days earlier while responding to a call involving a possible bomb at a local gas station in Spanish Springs.
Her patrol car collided with another vehicle during the response. She was transported to a local hospital where she remained in grave condition in order to donate her organs.
Trooper Kelly-Borgognone had served with the Nevada Highway Patrol for 2 years and had previously served with the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation for 8 years. She is survived by her husband and two daughters.
Agency Contact Information
Nevada Highway Patrol
555 Wright Way
Carson City, NV 89711
Sergeant Richard C. LeBow
Arkansas State Police
Arkansas
End of Watch: Monday, February 4, 2008
Biographical Info:
Age: 51
Tour of Duty: 27 years
Incident Details:
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Monday, February 4, 2008
Sergeant Richard LeBow was killed in an automobile accident on I-40 near Mulberry, at approximately 10:25 am.
His patrol car collided head-on with an oncoming tractor trailer.
Sergeant LeBow had served with the agency for 27 years. he is survived by his wife, two sons and mother.
Agency Contact Information
Arkansas State Police
1 State Police Plaza Drive
Little Rock, AR 72209
Lance Corporal James D. Haynes
South Carolina Highway Patrol
South Carolina
End of Watch: Friday, February 1, 2008
Biographical Info:
Age: 38
Tour of Duty: 11 years
Incident Details:
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Friday, February 1, 2008
Lance Corporal James Haynes was killed in an automobile accident on Highway 33 while responding to another accident that had occured on I-26 in Orangeburg County at approximately 3:30 am.
His vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree as he responded to the call.
Corporal Haynes had served with the South Carolina Highway Patrol for 11 years. He is survived by his wife and two young children.
Agency Contact Information
South Carolina Highway Patrol
10311 Wilson Boulevard
Blythewood, SC 29016
Trooper Daniel Barrett
Indiana State Police
Indiana
End of Watch: Sunday, January 27, 2008
Biographical Info:
Age: 25
Tour of Duty: 6 months
Incident Details:
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Sunday, January 27, 2008
Trooper Daniel Barrett was killed in an automobile accident on U.S. 31 in Fulton County at approximately 10:45 pm. His patrol car left the roadway and struck a tree on the driver's door, causing him to suffer fatal injuries.
Trooper Barrett had only served with the Indiana State Police for six months.
Agency Contact Information
Indiana State Police
General Headquarters
Public Affairs Division
Indianapolis, IN 46204