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.
Trooper Jonathan K. Leonard
Kentucky State Police
Died: Dec. 19, 2006
Biographical Info
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Badge Number 750
Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Trooper Leonard was killed in an automobile accident on US 119 in Pike County while responding to a domestic violence call.
Trooper Leonard had served with the Kentucky State Police for 3 years.
Agency Contact Information
Kentucky State Police
919 Versailles Road
Frankfort, KY 40601
Senior Trooper Robert A. Hill, Sr.
Virginia State Police
Died: Nov. 24, 2006
Senior Trooper Robert Hill, 42, was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle while conducting a traffic stop on Route 58 in Southampton County.
As he was speaking with the driver of the vehicle, another car drifted from the travel lane and struck him and the vehicle.
Senior Trooper Hill had served with the Virginia State Police for 19 years. He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
Trooper William McClendon
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Died: Oct. 1, 2006
Trooper William McClendon was killed when his patrol car collided with a tractor trailer rig on the Will Rogers Turnpike near Claremore. Trooper McClendon died about 1:20 PM from his injuries.
The tractor-trailer driver was injured and was taken by helicopter to a Tulsa hospital, where he also died from his injuries.
Agency Contact Information
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
3600 N. Martin Luther King Ave
PO Box 11415
Oklahoma City, OK 73136
Phone: (405) 425-2424
*Please contact the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for funeral arrangements or for survivor benefit fund information.
Sgt. Dale R. Holcomb
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Died: Sept. 28, 2006
Sgt. Holcomb was killed in a triple-fatality crash. Also Killed in the two-vehicle crash was Tpr. Joshua P. Risner and a motorist..
Sgt. Dale R. Holcomb was a 21-year Patrol veteran. He is survivied by his wife Connie, and children Tyler, 17 and Trent, 15.
Trooper Joshua P. Risner
Ohio State Highway Patrol
Died: Sept. 28, 2006
Tpr. Risner was killed in a triple-fatality crash. Also killed in the two-vehicle crash was Sgt. Dale R. Holcomb and a motorist.
Tpr. Risner was a seven-year Patrol veteran. He is survied by his wife Bridget, and children Joshua, 7, and Paige, 5. His father, John Risner, is a retired trooper who worked at the Jackson Patrol Post, and is currently working as a motor vehicle inspector for the Patrol.
Trooper Joseph A. Longobardo
New York State Police
Died: Sept. 3, 2006
Trooper Joseph Longobardo succumbed to a gunshot wound inflicted when he and another trooper were ambushed while searching for an escapee. The escapee had shot and wounded another New York State trooper during a traffic stop.
The escapee was the focus of a manhunt since the initial shooting and had been receiving assistance from friends and family in an effort to evade arrest. Trooper Longobardo and his fellow trooper were conducting surveillance on the home of a relative of the escapee when the escapee shot them both with a high powered rifle. The wounded trooper was shot in the back, with the bullet penetrating his vest and exiting from his abdomen. Trooper Longobardo suffered a severed artery when he was shot in the leg.
Both troopers were transported to Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo. Trooper Longobardo underwent a leg amputation surgery in an attempt to save his life. However, he succumbed to the wound the day following the surgery.
Corporal Michael Douglas Young
Georgia State Patrol
Lieutenant Gary Dudley
Indiana State Police
Officer Brent Clearman
California Highway Patrol
Died: August 6, 2006
Officer Clearman, 33, was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while conducting a traffic stop on I-880, near the 66th Avenue on-ramp, in Oakland.
Officer Clearman suffered severe injuries when he was struck by the vehicle. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
The driver of the vehicle who struck him fled the scene. A second car, also believed to be involved in the incident, also fled.
Officer Clearman was a US Marine Corps veteran of the War on Terrorism, where he served as a sniper. He had served with the California Highway Patrol for 16 months. He is survived by his wife.
Agency Contact Information
California Highway Patrol
PO Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298
Phone: (916) 657-7261
* Please contact the agency for funeral information
Trooper Paul F. Barry
Massachusetts State Police
Died: June 15, 2006
Trooper Paul Barry, 39, was killed when his north-bound patrol car drifted into the breakdown lane of I-495 and struck a parked dump truck in Wrentham. The truck was unoccupied at the time.
Trooper Barry had served with the Massachusetts State Police for 6 years. He is survived by his wife and seven children.
Agency Contact Information
Massachusetts State Police
470 Worcester Road
Framingham, MA 01702
Phone: (508) 820-2300
Patrolman James Archuleta
New Mexico State Police
Died: June 4, 2006
Patrolman James Archuleta, 27, was killed in an automobile accident when his patrol car struck a cow on US 84 near Espanola, New Mexico, at approximately 11:00 pm.
He was responding to a local hospital to investigate a shooting when the accident occurred. The impact caused his patrol car to overturn and he was ejected from the vehicle.
Patrolman Archuleta was a member of the US Marine Corps Reserves and had served with the New Mexico State Police for 2 years. He is survived by his daughter, son, and fiancee.
Sergeant Rodney Todd Miller
Illinois State Police
Died: May 12, 2006
Sergeant Rodney T. Miller, 40, was killed in a traffic accident near Bondville, Illinois.
Sergeant Miller was driving west on Champaign County Road when his car was struck by a southbound car. The other driver was airlifted to Carle Hospital in Urbana, where she was treated and released.
Sergeant Miller is a sixteen-year veteran of the Illinois State Police. He is survived by his wife, two sons, parents, and sister.
Trooper Eduardo Chavez
Texas Department of Public Safety - Texas Highway Patrol
Died: May 2, 2006
Trooper Eduardo Chavez, 30, was killed in an automobile accident on U.S. 83 while responding to backup another trooper who had requested emergency assistance while making a narcotics arrest.
As Trooper Chavez was approaching the scene of the incident, his patrol car went out of control and overturned near the Hidalgo County / Starr County line.
He was flown to Mission Regional Medical Center where he died shortly after arrival.
The officer who had requested backup was Trooper Chavez's brother.
Trooper Chavez had served with the Texas Highway Patrol for 3 years and had served in law enforcement for 7 years. He is survived by his expectant wife.
Sergeant Gerard W. Burke Jr.
District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department
Died: March 23, 2006
Sergeant Gerard Burke suffered a fatal heart attack while following what he believed to be a stolen vehicle on 11th Street, NW.
Although off duty, Sergeant Burke noticed the vehicle and called dispatch to request backup in order to stop it. It was determined that Sergeant Burke had suffered a heart attack, which in turn caused the crash. The vehicle he was following was reported stolen three hours after the incident and recovered early the following morning.
Sergeant Burke had served with the Metropolitan Police Department for 16 years. He is survived by his fiancée, parents, and two sisters.
Trooper Andrew Sperr
New York State Police
Died: March 1, 2006
Trooper Andrew Sperr, 33, was shot and killed while investigating a bank robbery in the town of Big Flats.
Trooper Sperr was canvassing the area around the bank that had been robbed. During the search, Trooper Sperr came upon the getaway car used in the robbery. As he approached the vehicle two suspects inside opened fire. Trooper Sperr was able to return fire, striking both suspects before being mortally wounded.
Both suspects fled the location. One was apprehended at a local hospital when he entered to receive medical aid for his gunshot wounds. The second suspect was apprehended after fleeing to a local motel and then calling police for medical aid. Both suspects are charged with aggravated murder and first degree murder.
Trooper Sperr had served with the New York State Police for 10 years.
Officer Gregory John Bailey
California Highway Patrol
Died: Feb. 25, 2006
Officer Gregory Bailey, 36, was struck and killed by a drunk driver while conducting a traffic stop on I-15 in Victorville.
He had approached the stopped vehicle on the passenger side to speak with the driver. As he did so, another vehicle traveled onto the shoulder at a high rate of speed and struck Officer Bailey's motorcycle, the stopped vehicle, and the officer.
The vehicle struck with such force that the stopped vehicle was pushed back into the freeway and overturned. All three parties were flown to a local hospital where Officer Bailey succumbed to his injuries.
Officer Bailey had served with the California Highway Patrol for 10 years, and was assigned to the Rancho Cucamungo office. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, two sons, and parents.
Trooper Kevin C. Manion
Virginia State Police
Died: Feb. 18, 2006
Trooper Kevin Manion, 27, was accidentally shot and killed while assisting another trooper investigate a single vehicle automobile accident on Route 649 in Clarke County.
The automobile accident occurred when a pickup truck went into a ditch and overturned. During the accident investigation a rifle inside the pickup truck discharged as the pickup was being moved. The round struck Trooper Manion in the chest in an area not protected by his vest.
Trooper Manion succumbed to his wound after being flown to Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax County.
The truck's two occupants were arrested at the scene on alcohol related charges stemming from the automobile accident. Investigation revealed that the rifle had been stolen earlier in the day during a residential burglary. The driver of the pickup truck was subsequently charged with possession of a firearm by a felon.
Trooper Manion had served with the Virginia State Police for just under 3 years, and was assigned to the Area 13 Office in Winchester.
Officer Earl Scott
California Highway Patrol
Died: Feb. 17, 2006
Officer Earl Scott, 36, was shot and killed while making a traffic stop on Highway 99 in Stanislaus County at approximately 0440 hours.
Officer Scott stopped a vehicle that he had observed speeding on northbound Highway 99, just south of Hammett Avenue. Officer Scott approached the vehicle and obtained the registration card from the driver. As Officer Scott walked back to his patrol car the suspect opened fire, fatally striking Officer Scott in the head. A passing motorist, who was also heading north, saw the officer falling to the ground and the suspect's car speeding away. The witness exited the freeway and turned around, returning to the scene where he called law enforcement on a cell phone. When backup officers arrived they were able to identify the suspect's car by the registration that was still in Officer Scott's hand.
The suspect later walked into the Stockton Police headquarters and turned himself in. He was arrested and charged with murder. The suspect has an extensive criminal record, including arrests for robbery and assaulting a police officer.
Officer Scott had served with the California Highway Patrol for 5 years. He is survived by his father, stepmother, and sister. His father and two uncles all retired as sergeants from the California Highway Patrol. One of Officer Scott's cousins currently serves as a sergeant with the agency.
Trooper Steven R. Smith
Oklahoma Highway Patrol
Died: Feb. 9, 2006
Trooper Steven Smith succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained almost 7 years earlier when he was shot in the neck while struggling with a suspect.
Another trooper and an officer from the Grove Police Department had responded to a cemetery to investigate reports of a murder. Shortly after arriving at the scene they were confronted by an armed man who held them at bay. Trooper Smith and the Delaware County sheriff responded to the scene to backup the officers.
As the officers were negotiating with the man, he set his handgun down on a table. Trooper Smith and the sheriff took the opportunity to try and subdue the man. During the ensuing struggle, the suspect was able to grab his gun and fire it several times, wounding both officers. The man then committed suicide.
Trooper Smith's neck wound rendered him a quadriplegic. He was forced to take a medical retirement the following year and remained in a nursing home until passing away as a result of the wound.
At the time of his medical retirement, Trooper Smith had served with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol for 5 years. He is survived by his two children.
Trooper Billy Jack Zachary
Texas Highway Patrol
Died: Jan. 1, 2006
Trooper Billy Zachary, 32, was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle while making a traffic stop on two vehicles on I-20 near Monahans, Texas.
He was returning to his patrol car after speaking to one of the drivers when a third vehicle veered from the travel lane and struck him.
Trooper Zachary had served with the Texas Department of Public Safety for just over one year. He is survived by his wife and 3-month-old daughter.