2003 Honor Roll of Heroes
Total Line of Duty Deaths: 157
- 9/11 related illness 4
- Aircraft accident 1
- Assault 3
- Automobile crash 39
- Drowned 4
- Duty related illness 2
- Electrocuted 1
- Fall 2
- Gunfire 49
- Gunfire (Inadvertent) 2
- Heart attack 7
- Motorcycle crash 9
- Stabbed 1
- Struck by train 1
- Struck by vehicle 8
- Training accident 1
- Vehicle pursuit 13
- Vehicular assault 10
Total Deaths by Month
- January 12
- February 8
- March 9
- April 18
- May 16
- June 16
- July 16
- August 14
- September 7
- October 8
- November 19
- December 14
Total Deaths by State
- Alabama 4
- Alaska 1
- Arizona 1
- Arkansas 2
- California 21
- Connecticut 1
- Florida 7
- Georgia 9
- Hawaii 2
- Idaho 1
- Illinois 4
- Indiana 4
- Iowa 1
- Kansas 1
- Kentucky 3
- Louisiana 7
- Maryland 3
- Michigan 3
- Mississippi 1
- Missouri 2
- Montana 2
- Nebraska 1
- New Jersey 4
- New York 8
- North Carolina 6
- Ohio 3
- Oklahoma 1
- Oregon 3
- Pennsylvania 3
- Puerto Rico 2
- South Carolina 6
- South Dakota 1
- Tennessee 8
- Texas 10
- U.S. Government 2
- Utah 2
- Vermont 2
- Virginia 8
- Washington 4
- Wisconsin 3
Total Deaths by Gender
- Male 151
- Female 6
Statistics
- Average age 38
- Average tour of duty 10 years, 8 months
Total K9 Line of Duty Deaths: 7
Deputy Sheriff Dennis Ray McElderry
Davis County Sheriff's Department, IA
EOW: Friday, January 3, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Police Officer Anthony Lorror Johnson
Philadelphia Police Department, PA
EOW: Tuesday, January 7, 2003
Cause: Heart attack
Henrico County Police Department, VA
EOW: Sunday, January 12, 2003
Cause: Drowned
Deputy Sheriff Adam Reid Fleshner
Charlton County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: Monday, January 13, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Reserve Deputy Deborah Jean Hobbs
Lake County Sheriff's Office, MT
EOW: Thursday, January 16, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Norfolk Police Department, VA
EOW: Thursday, January 16, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Police Officer Joseph N. Sachatello, III
Montville Police Department, CT
EOW: Thursday, January 23, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Agent Benedicto Rosado-Trinidad
San Juan Police Department, PR
EOW: Thursday, January 23, 2003
Cause: Motorcycle crash
Sergeant William J. Gruenes, Jr.
Johnsburg Police Department, IL
EOW: Friday, January 24, 2003
Cause: Vehicular assault
Deputy Sheriff David Charles Jones
Garfield County Sheriff's Office, UT
EOW: Sunday, January 26, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, TX
EOW: Wednesday, January 29, 2003
Cause: Stabbed
Virginia State Police, VA
EOW: Wednesday, January 29, 2003
Cause: Vehicular assault
Long Beach Police Department, CA
EOW: Tuesday, February 4, 2003
Cause: Fall
Pennsylvania State Police, PA
EOW: Friday, February 14, 2003
Cause: Electrocuted
Police Officer Eric Eugene DeWit
Matteson Police Department, IL
EOW: Monday, February 17, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
New Tazewell Police Department, TN
EOW: Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Cause: Struck by vehicle
Patrolman Jeremy Edward "Jay" Carruth
Alexandria Police Department, LA
EOW: Thursday, February 20, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Patrolman First Class David Christopher Ezernack
Alexandria Police Department, LA
EOW: Thursday, February 20, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Avery County Sheriff's Office, NC
EOW: Thursday, February 20, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Chief of Police Ernest Joseph Leatherbury, Sr.
Crisfield Police Department, MD
EOW: Friday, February 21, 2003
Cause: Heart attack
Police Officer II Glen Alvin Gaspar
Honolulu Police Department, HI
EOW: Tuesday, March 4, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Deputy Sheriff Michael Eron Shannon
Adams County Sheriff's Office, WI
EOW: Friday, March 7, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Police Officer James Williams Branson, Jr.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, MO
EOW: Sunday, March 9, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Detective James Verneuil Nemorin
New York City Police Department, NY
EOW: Monday, March 10, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
New York City Police Department, NY
EOW: Monday, March 10, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Chicago Police Department, IL
EOW: Sunday, March 16, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Deputy Sheriff David Harold Rader
Greene County Sheriff's Office, TN
EOW: Monday, March 17, 2003
Cause: Struck by vehicle
Deputy Sheriff Brent C. Jenkins
Riverside County Sheriff's Department, CA
EOW: Tuesday, March 18, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: Wednesday, March 26, 2003
Cause: Motorcycle crash
Deputy Marshal Glen Denning DeVanie
Alexandria City Marshal's Office, LA
EOW: Wednesday, April 2, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Investigator Antonio Joselito "Joe" Sapinoso
Greenville County Sheriff's Office, SC
EOW: Wednesday, April 2, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Police Officer Charles Roy Clark
Houston Police Department, TX
EOW: Thursday, April 3, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Correction Officer Michael Wilson Douds
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, OH
EOW: Saturday, April 5, 2003
Cause: Heart attack
Deputy Sheriff Philip Guy Billings
Broward County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Sunday, April 6, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Brunswick Police Department, GA
EOW: Friday, April 11, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
New York City Police Department, NY
EOW: Saturday, April 12, 2003
Cause: 9/11 related illness
Sergeant Jose Arturo "Joe" Herrera
Friona Police Department, TX
EOW: Monday, April 14, 2003
Cause: Vehicular assault
Inspector Raymond Joseph Giacomelli
Pittsburg Police Department, CA
EOW: Tuesday, April 15, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Police Officer Eddie Mundo, Jr.
LaGrange Police Department, KY
EOW: Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Cause: Vehicular assault
Detective Charles Randal Smith
Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Department, LA
EOW: Wednesday, April 16, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Police Officer Mary Ann Collura
Fair Lawn Police Department, NJ
EOW: Thursday, April 17, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
San Juan Police Department, PR
EOW: Sunday, April 20, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Police Officer Aaron Jovon Blount
Fulton County Police Department, GA
EOW: Tuesday, April 22, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Police Officer Gerald Kieffer Griffin, Jr.
San Diego Police Department, CA
EOW: Friday, April 25, 2003
Cause: Struck by vehicle
Police Officer Johnathan "Cole" Martin
Chatsworth Police Department, GA
EOW: Friday, April 25, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Deputy Sheriff Toney Clayton Summey
Randolph County Sheriff's Office, NC
EOW: Sunday, April 27, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Patrolman Michael Thomas Hartzell
Youngstown Police Department, OH
EOW: Tuesday, April 29, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Chief of Safety John Ross Juneau
Southwest Georgia Regional Airport Police Department, GA
EOW: Friday, May 2, 2003
Cause: Heart attack
Detective Thomas Francis Weiner, Jr.
New York City Police Department, NY
EOW: Saturday, May 3, 2003
Cause: 9/11 related illness
Police Officer Randall James Spearman
Folsom Police Department, LA
EOW: Sunday, May 4, 2003
Cause: Struck by vehicle
Christiansburg Police Department, VA
EOW: Friday, May 9, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Deputy Sheriff Bruce Kevin Lee
Riverside County Sheriff's Department, CA
EOW: Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Cause: Assault
Deputy Sheriff James Joseph Mulay
Peoria County Sheriff's Office, IL
EOW: Monday, May 19, 2003
Cause: Vehicular assault
Conservation Officer Douglas Wayne Bryant
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, KY
EOW: Monday, May 19, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Missouri State Highway Patrol, MO
EOW: Thursday, May 22, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Deputy Sheriff Jeremiah Kirk Johnson
Emery County Sheriff's Office, UT
EOW: Tuesday, May 27, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Reserve Police Officer Michael Timothy Short
San Fernando Police Department, CA
EOW: Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Cause: Heart attack
Police Officer Ryan Eugene Cappelletty
Chesterfield County Police Department, VA
EOW: Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Deputy Sheriff Joshua Clyde Lancaster
Fresno County Sheriff's Office, CA
EOW: Thursday, May 29, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Deputy Sheriff Joshua Thomas Rutherford
Blaine County Sheriff's Office, MT
EOW: Thursday, May 29, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Senior Trooper Anthony Greg Cogdill
North Carolina Highway Patrol, NC
EOW: Friday, May 30, 2003
Cause: Vehicular assault
Undersheriff Matthew John Lane
Ferry County Sheriff's Department, WA
EOW: Friday, May 30, 2003
Cause: Aircraft accident
Lieutenant Charles A. "Bo" Harrison
Pasco County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Sunday, June 1, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Lieutenant Ronald Weldon Weber, Sr.
Westminster Police Department, CA
EOW: Friday, June 6, 2003
Cause: Duty related illness
Officer Arnold Gunther Strickland
Fayette Police Department, AL
EOW: Saturday, June 7, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Correctional Officer Darla Kay Lathrem
Florida Department of Corrections, FL
EOW: Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Cause: Assault
Deputy Sheriff Joseph Scott Quarles
Laurens County Sheriff's Office, SC
EOW: Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Police Officer Tony Willi Zeppetella
Oceanside Police Department, CA
EOW: Friday, June 13, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Sergeant Michael Walter Johnson
Vermont State Police, VT
EOW: Sunday, June 15, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Conservation Officer James Lansford "Lance" Horner, Jr.
Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources - Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, AL
EOW: Sunday, June 22, 2003
Cause: Drowned
Police Officer Rodney Fredderick Pocceschi
Virginia Beach Police Department, VA
EOW: Monday, June 23, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Police Officer John Frederick Lee Small
Inglewood Police Department, CA
EOW: Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Cause: Motorcycle crash
Newark Police Division, NJ
EOW: Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Cause: Vehicular assault
Detective I Abiel "Abe" Barron
Los Angeles Police Department, CA
EOW: Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Police Officer Terry William Bennett
San Diego Police Department, CA
EOW: Thursday, June 26, 2003
Cause: Vehicular assault
Chelan County Sheriff's Office, WA
EOW: Thursday, June 26, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Police Officer Gerald Wayne Warf, Jr.
Red Bank Police Department, TN
EOW: Saturday, June 28, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Deputy Sheriff Charles T. Sease
Flagler County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Saturday, July 5, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Sergeant Michael Anthony Fitzgerald
Moore County Sheriff's Office, TX
EOW: Tuesday, July 8, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Deputy Sheriff John Wayne Musice
Wilson County Sheriff's Office, TN
EOW: Wednesday, July 9, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Mt. Juliet Police Department, TN
EOW: Wednesday, July 9, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Resource Protection Officer Steven Vance Caddy
Oregon Military Department - Portland Air Base Police, OR
EOW: Wednesday, July 16, 2003
Cause: Heart attack
Deputy Constable John David Garcia
Montgomery County Constable's Office - Precinct 5, TX
EOW: Thursday, July 17, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Corrections Officer John Murphy Bennett
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, TX
EOW: Thursday, July 17, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Police Officer Kelli Lee Lambert
Wellston Police Department, OH
EOW: Monday, July 21, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Honolulu Police Department, HI
EOW: Wednesday, July 23, 2003
Cause: Motorcycle crash
Officer Gordon Lewis "Lew" Stevens
Canton Police Department, MI
EOW: Wednesday, July 23, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Inspector Brian Dominique Olcomendy
San Francisco Police Department, CA
EOW: Saturday, July 26, 2003
Cause: Duty related illness
Police Officer Richard V. Lawn, Jr.
Lower Gwynedd Township Police Department, PA
EOW: Monday, July 28, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Police Officer Douglas Edward Wendel
Richmond Police Department, VA
EOW: Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Detective Chaney Joseph Champagne
Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, LA
EOW: Thursday, July 31, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Sergeant Kurt E. "Woody" Harrelson
Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, LA
EOW: Thursday, July 31, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Deputy Sheriff Stephen Douglas Sorensen
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, CA
EOW: Saturday, August 2, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Deputy Sheriff Timothy Wayne Woodard
Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: Saturday, August 2, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Federal Way Police Department, WA
EOW: Saturday, August 2, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Detective Jimmy Darrell Wooley
Faulkner County Sheriff's Office, AR
EOW: Tuesday, August 5, 2003
Cause: Fall
Game Warden Wesley Warren Wagstaff
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Law Enforcement Division, TX
EOW: Tuesday, August 5, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Chief of Police Verlon LeMaster, Jr.
Grant Police Department, AL
EOW: Friday, August 15, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Deputy Sheriff Andrew John Mazur
Greenville County Sheriff's Office, SC
EOW: Sunday, August 17, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Deputy Sheriff Irving Lawrence Burkett
Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, OR
EOW: Thursday, August 21, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Detective William B. Titus, Jr.
New York City Police Department, NY
EOW: Sunday, August 24, 2003
Cause: 9/11 related illness
New York City Police Department, NY
EOW: Monday, August 25, 2003
Cause: 9/11 related illness
Sergeant Rodney Lee Davis, Jr.
Greene County Sheriff's Office, VA
EOW: Tuesday, August 26, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
California Highway Patrol, CA
EOW: Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Cause: Motorcycle crash
Patrolman II Anthony Louis Woods
Memphis Police Department, TN
EOW: Wednesday, August 27, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Deputy Sheriff James Joseph Slater
Spokane County Sheriff's Department, WA
EOW: Friday, August 29, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Deputy Sheriff William Franklin James, II
Wake County Sheriff's Office, NC
EOW: Friday, September 5, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Police Officer Michael Christopher Waters
West Memphis Police Department, AR
EOW: Thursday, September 11, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Captain Joseph Aloysius Mattingly, Jr.
Montgomery County Police Department, MD
EOW: Saturday, September 13, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Friday, September 19, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Corporal Tyler Matthew Pinchot
Buena Park Police Department, CA
EOW: Sunday, September 21, 2003
Cause: Motorcycle crash
Ford County Sheriff's Office, KS
EOW: Tuesday, September 23, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Deputy Sheriff John Fitzgerald Strickland
Harnett County Sheriff's Office, NC
EOW: Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Wake County Sheriff's Office, NC
EOW: Thursday, October 2, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Lynch Police Department, KY
EOW: Sunday, October 5, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Deputy Sheriff Kevin Michael Sherwood
Clare County Sheriff's Department, MI
EOW: Thursday, October 9, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Narcotics Officer Donnie Reno Washington
Richland County Sheriff's Department, SC
EOW: Thursday, October 16, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Police Officer Thomas Joseph Morash
West Palm Beach Police Department, FL
EOW: Friday, October 17, 2003
Cause: Motorcycle crash
Deputy Sheriff Bruce Allen Williams
Green Lake County Sheriff's Office, WI
EOW: Sunday, October 19, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Police Officer Daniel Matthew Starks
Fort Myers Police Department, FL
EOW: Saturday, October 25, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Police Officer Micah Corey Brown
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Police Department, GA
EOW: Saturday, October 25, 2003
Cause: Vehicular assault
Police Officer Robert D. Melton
Gardena Police Department, CA
EOW: Saturday, November 1, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
California Highway Patrol, CA
EOW: Sunday, November 2, 2003
Cause: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Lieutenant Gregory Floyd Medlin
DeSoto County Sheriff's Office, MS
EOW: Sunday, November 2, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Police Officer Toby Ray Dirickson
Ranger Police Department, TX
EOW: Sunday, November 2, 2003
Cause: Struck by vehicle
Deputy Sheriff William Paul Davis
Moody County Sheriff's Office, SD
EOW: Monday, November 3, 2003
Cause: Struck by vehicle
Correctional Officer Frederick Gayle Hyatt
Tennessee Department of Correction, TN
EOW: Saturday, November 8, 2003
Cause: Assault
Enforcement Agent Lorenzo Roberto Gomez
United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, US
EOW: Saturday, November 8, 2003
Cause: Training accident
Winnebago County Sheriff's Office, WI
EOW: Thursday, November 13, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Police Officer Matthew Michael Pavelka
Burbank Police Department, CA
EOW: Saturday, November 15, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Sergeant Anthony Michael "Tony" Walker
Prince George's County Police Department, MD
EOW: Saturday, November 15, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
California Highway Patrol, CA
EOW: Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Cause: Motorcycle crash
Police Officer John Charles Samra
Clifton Police Department, NJ
EOW: Friday, November 21, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Temple Police Department, TX
EOW: Friday, November 21, 2003
Cause: Motorcycle crash
New York State Police, NY
EOW: Sunday, November 23, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Deputy Sheriff James Marcus Weaver
Orange County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Monday, November 24, 2003
Cause: Struck by vehicle
Deputy Sheriff Ruby Ann Rainault
Essex County Sheriff's Department, VT
EOW: Monday, November 24, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Scott County Sheriff's Office, TN
EOW: Friday, November 28, 2003
Cause: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Deputy Sheriff Glenn Matthew Searles
Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, NY
EOW: Saturday, November 29, 2003
Cause: Struck by vehicle
Deputy Sheriff Christopher John Hensley
Lewis County Sheriff's Office, ID
EOW: Sunday, November 30, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Georgia State Patrol, GA
EOW: Tuesday, December 2, 2003
Cause: Vehicle pursuit
Town Marshal Richard Mark Clapp
New Richmond Town Marshal's Office, IN
EOW: Friday, December 5, 2003
Cause: Heart attack
Constable Donald McMurray Ouzts
Abbeville County Magistrate's Office, SC
EOW: Monday, December 8, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Abbeville County Sheriff's Office, SC
EOW: Monday, December 8, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Mishawaka Police Department, IN
EOW: Saturday, December 13, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Mishawaka Police Department, IN
EOW: Saturday, December 13, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Border Patrol Agent James Paul Epling
United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, US
EOW: Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Cause: Drowned
Reserve Officer Russell Hayden Simpson
Bandon Police Department, OR
EOW: Monday, December 22, 2003
Cause: Drowned
Police Officer John Patrick Watson
Kenai Police Department, AK
EOW: Thursday, December 25, 2003
Cause: Gunfire
Deputy Sheriff Jesus A. Garza, Jr.
Bexar County Sheriff's Office, TX
EOW: Friday, December 26, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
California Highway Patrol, CA
EOW: Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Cause: Vehicular assault
Police Officer Arthur Joseph Ohlsen, III
Dover Town Police Department, NJ
EOW: Tuesday, December 30, 2003
Cause: Struck by train
Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office, NY
EOW: Friday, January 24, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, CA
EOW: Sunday, August 24, 2003
Cause: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, CA
EOW: Saturday, December 27, 2003
Cause: Automobile crash