UPDATE: Sheriff's Deputy Killed in Wreck North of Abilene

UPDATE: Sheriff's Deputy Killed in Wreck North of Abilene

The Texas Department of Public Safety confirms 50-year-old Taylor County Sheriff's Deputy William Woodruff of Anson died in a traffic crash about one mile north of Abilene.  The crash happened on U.S. Highway 83/Highway 277 around 7 p.m. Tuesday.

According to DPS, the driver of an 18-wheeler was driving from the east frontage road of Hwy. 83.  The driver was at the crossover, attempting to cross the north-bound lane and get onto the south-bound lane toward Abilene.  As the driver crossed, he stopped in the median to allow south-bound traffic to clear, leaving the trailer in the north-bound lane.  Deputy Woodruff was driving north-bound and did not see that black trailer in time to avoid hitting it.

Deputy Woodruff was pronounced dead at the scene. His granddaughter, 6-year-old Ann Marie Woodruff of Anson was taken to Hendrick Medical Center with injuries.  She is listed in critical condition.
  
Texas Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash.

Officers shot in Charenton incident identified

Officers shot in Charenton incident identified 

FRANKLIN — Louisiana State Police have released the identities of the Chitamacha Tribal police officer killed and the two St. Mary Parish sheriff’s deputies injured in a shooting Saturday that left another man dead near the reservation.

The Chitimacha Tribal police officer killed was Rick Riggenbach, 52, of the Morgan City area, state police said Monday.

Matthew Strickland

Riggenbach had 15 years of law enforcement experience: 10 years, 8 months with St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office, and 4 years, 5 months with the tribal police force.

The two St. Mary Parish sheriff’s deputies injured are Jason Javier, 23, and Matthew Strickland, 24, state police said. Sheriff Mark Hebert said the deputies are recovering.

Sgt. Rick Riggenbach

Wilbert Thibodeaux, 48, of Charenton, is being held in the Iberia Parish Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempt first-degree murder and one count of arson in the incident, state police have said.

Thibodeaux is also accused in the fatal shooting of Eddie Lyons, 78, of Charenton, and then setting fire to Lyons’ mobile home. The officers were shot as they responded to reports of a fire at the mobile home, police have said.

Jason Javier

Tennessee State Trooper dies while on duty

Tennessee State Trooper dies while on duty 

A Tennessee State Trooper died today while on duty in the Knoxville district. According to the Tenn. Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Trooper Michael Slagle, 53, appeared to have died from natural causes after he crashed on Longmeyer Road in Knox County shortly before 7 a.m. They said that he was found unresponsive and they were unable to revive him.

"Trooper Slagle was a 26-year veteran of theTennessee Highway Patrol. He was a model trooper and a good man. It is a very sad day for our Highway Patrol family and all who knew Michael," Colonel Tracy Trott said. “Our prayers go out to his family during this difficult time."

The department said that Slagle joined the THP in 1986. He was from Grainger County and was first assigned to Campbell County. During his career, he served in Union and Knox County, but was currently assigned to supreme court detail in Knox County.

He became a field training officer in 2000 and also helped provide security for the University of Tennessee marching band in 2003. Before becoming a state trooper, Slagle served as a Deputy Sheriff for the Grainger County Sheriff's Office from 1978-1985. He graduated from Rutledge High School in 1978. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

For more information, read the Knoxville News Sentinel. 

Remembering K9 Officer Kevin Tonn

Remembering K9 Officer Kevin Tonn

We are deeply saddened by the loss of Galt PD K9 Officer Kevin Tonn. Officer Tonn was shot and killed in the line of duty on Tuesday, January 15th, after responding to a burglary call.

Officer Tonn spending a moment with K9 Yaro (Photo: Julie Baldwin)

Kevin Tonn was a dedicated K9 handler. He pursued his work with passion, purpose, and pride, and enjoyed what he did with his partner Yaro, a dual-trained (narcotics/patrol) K9.  Yaro, a four-year-old German Shepherd Dog, was bred and trained in Schutzhund in Europe before being imported to the U.S. and paired with Officer Tonn in 2011.  Officer Tonn and Yaro shared a special bond and relationship that was very evident to anyone who watched them train, work, or spend time together off-duty. 

Officer Tonn continued to serve his community even while off-duty. He spent countless hours volunteering with the Foothills K9 Association, participating in demonstrations with Yaro or simply lending a helping hand at events.

Officer Tonn working with K9 Yaro at a public demonstration.

His great sense of humor and obvious joy for his work and his dog were infectious, always bringing a feel of camaraderie and lightheartedness to those around him. He spoke patiently with both adults and children alike as they asked numerous questions about  K9 Yaro, with a current of deep appreciation and love for Yaro underlying his words. When he spoke of his work and his K9 partner, his joy and delight were very evident.

Officer Tonn worked tirelessly to make this world a safer place for all of us. His presence will be greatly missed, but not forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues.

Huntington Police Officer Killed in Crash - Huntington, NY Patch

Huntington Police Officer Killed in Crash - Huntington, NY Patch

An off-duty Suffolk County police officer was killed early Friday morning in a crash along Jericho Turnpike in Commack, police said.

Patrick Curley, of Huntington, was driving an SUV west on Route 25, near Siracusa Boulevard, when his vehicle collided with a Winters Brothers garbage truck that was backing out of a business onto Route 25 at 3:33 a.m, according to police. 

Curley, 40, was pronounced dead at the scene by a physician assistant from the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner. The driver of the garbage truck, James Jarosch, 59, was not injured.

Curley was a member of the Suffolk County Police Department for 17 years and served in the Second Precinct.

Insp. Edward Brady, commander of the Second Precinct, said Curley was a dedicated officer. “He was well respected and much loved by officers here,” Brady said. “Everyone warmed up to him and enjoyed him. He always had the best intereste of the community and the department."

---

”We lost an excellent officer and a  terrific person," Brady said. "His passing is a terrible loss for the Second Precinct and the department.”

Brady said Curley enjoyed talking about, and “had obvious pride in his daughter.”

Curley had recently moved from overnight patrol duties in the Melville area to covering the Commack and Dix Hills area. Brady said Curley had been off from work for a couple of days when the accident occurred.

The SUV was impounded for a safety check and the garbage truck was inspected by Motor Carrier at the scene. Jarosch was issued summonses for unsafe backing and equipment violation, police said. 

Tony Farina, the Long Island district manager for Winters Bros Waste Systems, Inc., said that Jarosch has worked for the company for the past eight years and has always been an upstanding employee, with a clean track record.

"He is an outstanding employee, probably one of our best. He comes in all of the time. His truck is always very clean. I have nothing bad to say about the gentleman," Farina said.

He said that the company is looking into how the accident occurred.

"The police are doing an investigation and we are also doing an investigation ourselves, but the way we understand it is that we were backing out of a business on the regular route and got rear ended by the vehicle."

Farina said that the company trucks all have back up alarms, cameras, lights and an audio mechanism to allow people to hear when they are backing up.

"As a company we extend our sympathies. Tragedies like this are an unfortunate part of what could happen. We take it very seriously, regardless of whose fault it was," he said.

Suffolk County police closed Jericho Turnpike in Commack in both directions until late Friday morning.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Fourth Squad detectives at 631-854-8452 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential.

Trotwood officer killed in crash | www.daytondailynews.com

Trotwood officer killed in crash | www.daytondailynews.com

ENGLEWOOD — 

A Trotwood Police officer died Wednesday morning when his pickup truck drove off Taywood Road and into a creek.

The crash occurred at about 5:40 a.m. in 700 block of Taywood Road in Englewood.

The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office has confirmed that the deceased man pulled from the water this morning is David Yaney. Yaney is an officer with the Trotwood Police Department. Trotwood Police personnel were at the scene of the crash this morning and escorted the coroner’s vehicle from the area.

Yaney’s daughter Sarah is a police officer with the New Lebanon Police Department.

Trotwood Officer Dave Yaney swears
in his daughter, Sarah Yaney, as
New Lebanon's newest police officer
at a New Lebanon council meeting
Oct. 7, 2008.

According to Englewood Police Sgt. Mike Lang, a witness called police at 5:42 a.m. reporting that the red S-10 pickup was in the southbound lane of Taywood when the driver suddenly lost control, crossed the northbound lane and hit a guard rail. The truck went airborne and plunged down the 35-foot ravine into a pool in Buttermilk Falls Creek. The roadway was wet at the time of the crash, but it is still unknown why the driver lost control suddenly.

A surveillance video from a nearby car wash shows the truck traveling normally and then driving into a snow bank without braking. Reporters on the scene said there are no skid marks on the roadway.

Lang said if the witness had not seen the accident they may not have found the truck for hours as it was completely submerged. He said the first officers on the scene could barely make out the dim headlights and taillights of the truck under the water.

The first responding police officers could not go into the icy water. “We can’t have any more victims,” Lang said.

Divers were called in from the Piqua and West Milton fire departments were able to go in the water and begin the search for the victim. They said the visibility in the extremely cold water was about 12 to 18 inches.

Emergency crews worked until nearly 10 a.m. to pull the red pickup truck out of the water using a large crane. The truck had extreme front end and roof damage.

Divers found the victim outside of the vehicle. All of the glass was broken out of the truck’s windows.

There was a trail of broken tree limbs leading from the guardrail down to the creek showing the path the vehicle traveled.

A crash reconstruction team is on scene and will have Taywood closed until about 2 p.m. as they investigate.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

BELLEVILLE: 'I harbor no grudges': Belleville police chief lifts ban on officers eating at Denny's

BELLEVILLE: 'I harbor no grudges': Belleville police chief lifts ban on officers eating at Denny's

BELLEVILLE — Police Chief William Clay lifted a ban on officers taking a meal or coffee break at the Denny's Restaurant on South Illinois Street following a meeting with a Denny's executive Thursday.

Clay imposed the ban as a result of an incident New Year's Day where a detective was asked to remove her gun or leave the restaurant.

On Friday, the restaurant will offer free meals to Belleville police officers. "We'll be happy to take care of them," general manager Mike Van said.

Police Capt. Don Sax said Van Catchings, director of company operations for Denny's, met with administrators at the police department Thursday.

Sax said Catchings was sincerely apologetic for the actions taken by restaurant management. Catchings conveyed these actions were inconsistent with Denny's corporate policy, which welcomes any law enforcement officer to carry their weapon while inside their restaurants, according to Sax.

Clay said he's a fan of social media, but sometimes it puts "an issue in the public domain that should be resolved in private face-to-face meetings."

Word about the incident involving the Belleville police detectives circulated rapidly Tuesday and Wednesday on social media sites such as Facebook.

"Denny's on South Illinois is a Belleville business. They pay sales tax and provide employment for many Belleville residents," Clay said in a released statement. "I have patronized Denny's in the past and will continue to do so in the future. I harbor no grudges. This was an unfortunate incident by an individual employee; it has been made right."

Five on-duty detectives, wearing plain clothes, were eating about 10 a.m. Tuesday when restaurant manager David Rice approached and advised a female detective that she needed to take her weapon, which was visible to patrons, out to her car or leave the restaurant, Sax said.

Rice was advised by the detectives that they were on-duty Belleville police detectives. Sax said the manager notified them company policy dictates only officers in uniform may have weapons.

Sax said the detectives advised the manager they would not leave weapons outside while on duty and left the restaurant without finishing their meal or paying for their food.

Denny's Corp. spokeswoman Liz DiTrapano said Wednesday, "Denny's policy permits law enforcement officials to carry their firearms in the restaurant, and we regret any misunderstanding."

Mayor Mark Eckert said he's pleased the matter has been resolved. "Everybody seems satisfied with Denny's response," he said. "It was unfortunate that it happened. I think everything got worked out accordingly."

Read more here: http://www.bnd.com/2013/01/03/2446475/belleville-police-chief-lifts.html#storylink=cpy

New NYPD cop Erin Coughlin gets badge number of her dad, who died on 9/11 - NY Daily News

Newly graduated NYPD officer Erin Coughlin, 27, whose father lost his life as a first responder to 9-11, at her graduation at the NYPD Academy graduation ceremony at Barclays Center in Downtown Brooklyn.

New NYPD cop Erin Coughlin gets badge number of her dad, who died on 9/11 

This new cop wears a true badge of honor.

Officer Erin Coughlin was given the shield number of her late father — a veteran NYPD cop killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11 — when she graduated from the Police Academy on Friday along with 1,158 other recruits.

Coughlin, 27, said taking the oath during the Academy’s graduation ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn was a dream come true. “It’s an absolute honor,” she said. “I had goosebumps the entire ceremony.”

Her father, Sgt. John Coughlin, an 18-year department veteran who served with the Emergency Services Unit, died trying to save people from the twin towers on 9/11. His daughter, who is one of three, said she was proud to continue the heroic cop’s legacy by wearing his badge No. 3751 on her chest.

“I know he was looking down and was proud of me,” she said. “It was kind of surreal that here I am standing here taking the same oath he did almost 30 years ago.”

Coughlin said that she took the Police Academy test three years ago. She had previously been pursuing a teaching career, but had trouble landing a steady job. It was then that she began to notice NYPD advertisements for recruits.

Erin Coughlin (right, in red shirt), with her father, NYPD Sgt. John Coughlin, who died on 9/11.

“Little by little, I think (my father) was sending me signs that I should probably take the test,” she recalled. “And now, here I am!”

Her mother, Patty Coughlin, said she was thrilled to see her daughter follow her husband onto the force. “It’s an amazing day,” the proud mother said. “I’am very proud of her. She worked very hard for it.”

Joining Coughlin in the graduating class was the son of Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch, who made his first collar during his time as a recruit. Patrick Lynch Jr., 21, was driving home from the academy with three fellow recruits on Sept. 13 when they spotted a man beating another man on a Queens street.

The recruits put a stop to the assault, and Lynch helped slap handcuffs on the suspect as another called for backup.

“It was an exemplary display of teamwork and professionalism,” NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

“It’s something I always wanted to do my entire life,” said the younger Lynch. “To be able to share that with my father made it one of the proudest days of my life.”

“It is a very special moment,” added the elder Lynch. “And he already made an arrest before he was out of the academy, so he’s off to a good start.”

jkemp@dailynews.com

Sgt. John Coughlin

3 Cops Shot: Gunman Dead in NJ Police Station Shooting | NBC 10 Philadelphia

3 Cops Shot: Gunman Dead in NJ Police Station Shooting | NBC 10 Philadelphia

A man who worked for the New Jersey Department of Corrections grabbed an officer's gun and opened fire inside the Gloucester Township Police station early Friday, injuring three officers before being shot dead.

The officers involved in the incident were Sgt James Garber, a 13-year veteran; Sgt. James Kevin Thyne, an eight-year veteran; and Officer Ruth Burns, a rookie.

• PHOTOS: 3 Gloucester Twp. Officers Shot

"Their actions of protecting the community quickly escalated from responding to call for service to performances of heroic actions by members of this police department," Chief W. Harry Earle said at an afternoon press conference.

It all started as a domestic violence call just after 1 a.m. when township police responded to a residential home for a report of a suspicious person. Investigating officers pulled over a man matching the description of the suspect.

Eddie Jones III, 39, of Willingboro, N.J. was arrested on suspicion of stalking his ex-girlfriend and other charges. He identified himself as an employee of the state Corrections Department, where he worked as a non-sworn in officer, Earle said.

• VIDEO: Cop Shooter Worked for NJDOC

"A violent struggle occurred while the suspect was being processed," Deputy Chief David Harkins said.

Police say Jones' handcuffs were removed for a brief time -- a common procedure -- so he could be processed. At that point he suddenly overpowered Officer Burns, knocking her to the ground, hitting her in the head and taking her weapon from its holster, Earle said.

The two sergeants heard the commotion and came running into the processing room, Earle said.

"Eddie Jones continued rapid fire at the officers while Sgt. Garber and Sgt. Thyne returned fire," Earle said.

Burns was shot in the foot during the barrage of bullets. Thyne was hit on his duty belt causing a laceration to his stomach and suffered a graze wound to his chin. And, Garber was shot in his bulletproof vest, in the abdomen and suffered a graze wound to his head.

Jones died at the scene after being shot multiple times.

Police said that Burns and Thyne were treated a released. Garber underwent surgery for his stomach wound at Cooper University Hospital where he remained in stable condition Friday afternoon, according to police.

A spokesperson for the hospital said that there were several puncture wounds in the officer's vest. 

"I'm so proud of the actions these officers because they placed themselves in harm's way to save the lives of their fellow officers, police dispatchers and the general public during this escape attempt," Earle said.

The N.J. Department of Corrections said that Jones worked as a civil communications officer at the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility in Chesterfield, Burlington County. He had worked at the DOC since September 1997.

Family members say that Jones had two daughters. According to court records, he was sentenced to four years probation after pleading guilty to resisting arrest in Camden County back in 1995.

Candlelight vigil tonight for Topeka officers killed

Candlelight vigil tonight for Topeka officers killed

Hundreds of residents and law enforcement officers attended a candlelight vigil in Topeka Monday night.  They gathered in holding candles and one another to honor the two officers shot and killed in the line of duty Sunday.

50-year-old Cpl David Gogian and 29-year-old Officer Jeff Atherly were shot and killed in the parking lot of a Dillon's store in Topeka.  22-year-old David E. Tiscareno is accused of killing them.  He died after a police stand off early Monday morning.

A tip from the public helped lead police to Tiscareno.  The Topeka Police Chief says he knew the public would come forward to help catch the guy who opened fire on the officers.

Gogian and Atherly were responding to a call from a citizen of a possible drug deal happening in the car.  When the officers went up to the car, they started to remove the driver and passenger from the vehicle.  Tiscareno was in the back seat. The Shawnee County Sheriff says Tiscareno got out of the car and shot both officers. 

The sheriff says a third officer responding to the scene, witnessed Tiscareno shooting the officers. The third officer fired back at the suspect. He then got into the car and took off alone. The two other people in the car were taken in for questioning as witnesses.  He says it's still unclear exactly what was happening inside the car.

The sheriff says once they were able to identify the suspect, they went to the media asking for help. Around midnight, they received a call saying Tiscareno was inside a residence on southwest Western Avenue in Topeka.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation brought in a special team to help arrest the suspect.  They used tear gas inside the home.  A short time later Tiscareno came out with a gun.  A spokesman from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation says Tiscareno fired one shot and then law enforcement returned fire.  Tiscareno was hit and died at the hospital.

The Topeka Police Chief says he would have preferred Tiscareno go through the judicial process instead.  He says it's frustrating because they will never know his motivations.  Tiscareno did have a criminal history.

Cpl David Gogian was retired from the military and worked full time as a Topeka officer for eight years. Before that, he worked as a reserve officer for 13 years. Officer Jeff Atherly was with Topeka PD for 18 months.

A memorial fund for the officer's families has been set up at the Topeka Police Credit Union.