By Sgt. Mike Barry PAPD (ret.)
Administrator, NPDF Safe Cop Program
The warm weather is here. We’re enjoying vacations, the beach, pools parties and barbecues but the dangerous side of law enforcement never takes a vacation. The following incident make that crystal clear:
Sergeant Christopher Michael Vaugh
Cedar Bluff Police Department, Alabama
EOW – Friday, April 1, 2022
Stress is a silent killer of law enforcement. Sergeant Christopher Vaughn suffered a fatal medical condition after assisting in a vehicle pursuit that resulted in a vehicle crash. Shortly after the pursuit, Sergeant Vaughn was still on patrol when he experienced a medical complication while driving at 830 am. He was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Sergeant Vaughn had served with the Cedar Bluff Police Department for six years and previously served with the Leesburg Police Department for seven years. He is survived by his wife, two sons, parents, and brother.
Deputy Constable Jennifer Chavis
Harris County Constable’s Office – Precinct 7, Texas
EOW – Saturday, April 2, 2022
Deputy Constable Jennifer Chavis was killed when her patrol car was struck by a drunk driver. Other drivers had called 911 to report that the driver of a Ford F-550 was possibly drunk and had just fled the scene of another crash. Deputy Chavis positioned her patrol car on the shoulder of the highway and waited to intercept the vehicle. The vehicle struck the back of her SUV while it was parked on the shoulder, causing it to burst into flames. The biography of the Deputy Constable was not available at the time this was written.
Police Officer Andrew Barr
Cayce Police Department, South Carolina
EOW: April 24, 2022
Police Officer Drew Barr was shot and killed as he and other officers responded to a domestic disturbance call at a home. The officers encountered a man in the front yard who opened fire on them, fatally wounding Officer Barr. The suspect then barricaded himself inside of the home until he committed suicide seven (7) hours later.
Officer Barr had served with the Cayce Police Department for six (6) years and was assigned to the Canine Division. Officer Barr had previously been shot and wounded in the line of duty after being ambushed following a vehicle pursuit of a stolen car on May 27th, 2017.
Corporal Nick Tullier
East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana
EOW: May 5, 2022
Corporal Nick Tullier succumbed to injuries sustained six years earlier when he was ambushed by a subject outside a convenience store. Officers had received reports of a subject walking along the roadway carrying a rifle. As responding officers arrived in the area, they were ambushed by the subject. Corporal Tullier was critically wounded. Deputy Sheriff Brad Garafola of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Corporal Montrell Jackson, and Police Officer Matthew Gerald, both of the Baton Rouge Police Department, were shot and killed. Two other officers were wounded.
The subject was shot and killed by other responding officers.
Corporal Tullier is survived by his parents, his two sons, two brothers, and five nephews.
Officer Adrian Lopez
White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department, Tribal Police
EOW: Friday, June 3, 2022
Officer Adrian Lopez was shot and killed during a traffic stop at about 7:10 pm. An altercation occurred between Officer Lopez and the driver during which Officer Lopez was fatally shot. The subject then stole Officer Lopez’s patrol vehicle and fled the scene with other White Mountain Apache Police in pursuit. The pursuit traveled almost 40 miles before officers and the subject exchanged shots, during which another officer was wounded and the subject was killed.
Officer Lopez had served with the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department for five months and had previously served with the Wind River Police Department in Wyoming. He is survived by one child.
Deputy Sheriff Thomas E. Baker, III
Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department, West Virginia
EOW Friday, June 3, 2022
Deputy Sheriff Tom Baker was shot and killed after he and another deputy responded to a domestic disturbance. He and his partner were talking to two men who had come out of a trailer. Both men subsequently ran back into the trailer as the deputies pursued and attempted to apprehend them by deploying a Taser. Once inside the trailer, the men opened fire on the deputies.
Deputy Baker was struck in the back and his partner was wounded in the leg as they sought cover outside. Despite their wounds, they were able to return fire and one of the men was killed. The second man was apprehended after barricading himself inside the trailer. He was charged with first-degree murder.
Deputy Baker had served in law enforcement for a total of 18 years. Prior to joining the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department, he served with the Cowen Police Department, Summersville Police Department, and Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Senior Investigator Kyle Patterson
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida
EOW Thursday, June 9, 2022
One of the more bizarre police deaths comes to us from Florida. It involves a fish and game warden who was killed by a driver who was driving the wrong way on a two lane highway. Both the officer and the wrong-way driver were killed, so it’s not yet known if the offender was driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
This is the rest of the story:
Senior Investigator Kyle Patterson succumbed to injuries sustained in a head-on collision in Fort Pierce. A driver was traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes when they crashed into Investigator Patterson’s Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission truck at about 12:00 pm. The driver of the other vehicle was also killed.
Investigator Patterson was airlifted to the hospital where he succumbed to injuries. Investigator Patterson had served with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for 15 years. He is survived by his wife and young children.
Deputy First Class Glenn Hilliard
Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland
EOW Sunday, June 12, 2022
Deputy First Class Glenn Hilliard was shot and killed in Pittsville while attempting to arrest a man wanted on multiple felony warrants from several jurisdictions. Deputy Hilliard saw the man leaving his apartment on and attempted to arrest him. The man fled on foot and then opened fire on Deputy Hilliard as he pursued him. Deputy Hilliard was fatally wounded during the shooting. The man continued to flee after shooting Deputy Hilliard but was arrested later in the night.
Deputy Hilliard had served with the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office for six years and had previously served with the Berlin Police Department for 10 years. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Police Officer Joseph Santana
Corporal Michael Paredes
El Monte Police Department, California
EOW Tuesday, June 14, 2022
This incident is particularly egregious. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón is being blamed after two local police officers were murdered by a convict who was free after a lenient plea bargain and allegedly violated his parole by carrying a gun. Their killer served two prison terms for burglary and car theft and pleaded no contest to possessing a firearm as a felon last winter, only being served with PROBATION!. This is the environment police officers and law abiding citizens are facing as career criminals continue to walk our streets, and it’s unacceptable.
Corporal Michael Paredes and Police Officer Joseph Santana were shot and killed while responding to a domestic violence call. Corporal Paredes and Officer Santana responded to a report of a possible stabbing between a boyfriend and girlfriend. When they arrived at the hotel room, they were met with gunfire. The subject fled into the parking lot, and responding officers exchanged gunfire with the suspect. Both officers were taken to the L.A. County USC Medical Center, where they succumbed to their wounds.
The subject was shot and killed.
Corporal Paredes served with the El Monte Police Department for 22 years. He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
PO Santana had served with the El Monte Police Department for one year and previously served with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and twin sons.
Detention Officer Jeremiah James Story
Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas
End of Watch Wednesday, June 22, 2022
Detention Officer Jeremiah Story was shot and killed while processing a subject into the Perry County Detention Center. Officer Story was standing in the restroom while the subject, who had been arrested for drug charges, was changing into jail-issued clothing. The man produced a pistol he had concealed on his person and shot Officer Story. The subject was subdued after shooting Officer Story. The suspect was charged with capital murder. Officer Story was twenty-one years old.
The National Police Defense Foundation has taken an active role in helping to identify and apprehend anyone who shoots or kills a police officer. Under the leadership and guidance of Executive Director Joseph Occhipinti, we offer a ten thousand dollar reward ($10,000) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone who shoots or kills a member of the law enforcement community. In June of 2020 the NPDF Executive Board took the unprecedented step of expanding the Safe Cop reward program to include rewards for the arrest and conviction of any protestor/domestic terrorist who assaults a public safety officer by using a vehicle or by an act of arson.
In my role as the administrator of our very successful Safe Cop Program, I am interested in receiving input from our members in both the civilian and law enforcement community. Your tax deductible donations go a long way toward helping us achieve our goal and this quarterly newsletter is designed to keep you abreast of our activities, the sacrifices of law enforcement and to encourage you to get involved in this worthy endeavor. I look forward to hearing from all of our members who have suggestions about how we can be even more effective in achieving our goal of law enforcement support. We pray that God protects our law enforcement officers and blesses their families who have sacrificed so much.
Fraternally yours,
Sgt. Mike Barry (ret.)
Port Authority of NY & NJ Police Department