Pinal County Sheriff's Office, Arizona
End of Watch: Friday, May 4, 2001
Age: 26
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Badge Number: 613
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 4, 2001
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Convicted of murder
Deputy Jason Lopez was shot and killed near Casa Grande, Arizona when he attempted to serve a warrant.
During the encounter, the suspect began resisting, pulled out a semi-automatic handgun, shot Deputy Lopez once in the throat, and fled. Deputy Lopez was able to crawl back to his patrol car and attempted to radio for help. Responding officers became involved in a running gunfight with the suspect, who was wounded once before taking a hostage in a nearby residence. The hostage was able to escape after several hours, and the suspect surrendered nine hours later.
The suspect was found guilty of first-degree murder on October 8, 2003. The jury was not able to decide on the death penalty, and a second jury had to be convened to decide the sentencing. That jury also was not able to decide on whether to sentence the suspect to death or 25 years to life in prison.
Deputy Lopez had served with the Pinal County Sheriff's Department for 6 years and had been a deputy for 18 months. He is survived by his wife, a 3-year-old son, and a one-month-old child. Both of his parents are also employees of the sheriff's department.