Northglenn Police Department, Colorado
End of Watch: Wednesday, May 30, 1984
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: 100
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: May 30, 1984
Weapon Used: Officer's shotgun
Suspect Info: Convicted of Aggravated Assault
Corporal Edgar Rains was shot and killed by friendly fire as he and his fellow officers confronted an armed suspect. Corporal Rains and other officers responded to the scene of a domestic dispute in which a husband was menacing his wife with a handgun. The officers approached the home from one side and noticed that the armed suspect was headed for the glass sliding door at the opposite end of the house.
Corporal Rains responded to the other side of the home and peeked over a fence to gauge the suspect's location. As he did so, the suspect exited the house and pointed his gun at the other officers. One of the officers fired his shotgun at the suspect, who immediately took cover behind the house. The blast traveled through gaps in a brick wall and a 6 foot privacy fence, passed through a 1-inch opening between a gutter spout and a wall, and struck Corporal Rains as he peaked over the fence.
Other officers subdued and arrested the suspect before realizing that Corporal Rains had been injured. He succumbed to his injuries on the scene.
The suspect was later tried and convicted of aggravated assault for menacing his wife.
Corporal Rains was survived by his wife and two children.