Police Officer Paul Rutherford was struck and killed by a vehicle near the intersection of 75th Avenue and Indian School Road at 8:30 am.

He was at the scene of an earlier accident when a call involving an armed subject was dispatched at a location across the street. He was attempting to cross the street to respond to the call when he was struck by a vehicle. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.

Officer Rutherford served with the Phoenix Police Department for 23 years. He is survived by his wife and two children.

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Police Officer David Glasser succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained the previous day after responding to a burglary in progress at a home near the intersection of 51st Avenue and Baseline Road.

The homeowner had called 911 to report that his son was stealing items from the home. As officers arrived on the scene they encountered the son sitting in a van in the driveway. The subject immediately opened fire on the officers, striking Officer Glasser. Other officers returned fire and killed the subject.

Officer Glasser was taken to a local hospital where he remained in critical condition until succumbing to his wounds the following day.

Officer Glasser had served with the Phoenix Police Department for 12 years and was assigned to the Neighborhood Enforcement Team. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Detective John Hobbs was shot and killed as he and other members of the Fugitive Apprehension Team attempted to serve a felony warrant on a man who had recently been released from prison.

The subject fled in a vehicle and was pursued by the detectives until crashing at the intersection of 43rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road. The subject then fled on foot. He opened fire on the detectives as they pursued him, striking Detective Hobbs and a second detective. Despite being mortally wounded, Detective Hobbs was able to return fire and fatally shot the subject.

Both wounded detectives were transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital in critical condition. Detective Hobbs succumbed to his wounds at the hospital.

Detective Hobbs had served with the Phoenix Police Department for 21 years. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Police Officer Daryl Raetz was struck and killed by an SUV while making an arrest for DUI.

At approximately 3:30 am Officer Raetz, along with several other officers, was processing a DUI suspect on the side of the road when a passing SUV struck Officer Raetz. He was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital where he died.

The driver of the SUV fled the scene and remains at large.

Officer Raetz was a veteran of the Iraq war and had served with the Phoenix Police Department for six years. He is survived by his wife and child.

Sergeant Sean Drenth was shot and killed while on duty near the Arizona State Capitol Complex.

At approximately 10:00 pm dispatchers and other officers were unable to reach him by radio. A search was initiated and approximately one hour later officers from the Arizona Capitol Police located his patrol car in an alley approximately one block from the Capitol Complex. They located his body nearby.

The suspect(s) in the case remain at large.

Sergeant Drenth had served with the Phoenix Police Department for 12 years. He is survived by his wife and mother.

Officer Travis P. Murphy was shot and killed when he confronted a suspect who had fled the scene of a shots fired call earlier in the night.

Officers in a neighboring precinct responded to a report of shots fired. When they arrived, the perpetrator had fled, but they transmitted a description of the suspect’s vehicle over their department radio. Several minutes later, dispatchers received reports that a man was seen attempting to hide a vehicle under a tarp at a vacant home. Officer Murphy, along with several officers, responded to the scene and started searching for the man on foot.

Officer Murphy encountered the suspect and was shot 10 times in the legs and lower abdomen. Other officers immediately placed him in a patrol car and took him to St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds a short time later.

The suspect was taken into custody after being found hiding in a nearby shed.

Officer Murphy had served with the Phoenix Police Department for four and a half years. He is survived by his wife, 2-year-old daughter, and 2-week-old son.

Police Officer Shane Figueroa was killed when his patrol car collided with a vehicle driven by a drunk driver.

Officer Figueroa was northbound on 19th Avenue near Roeser Road responding to a shots fired call when a truck turned in front of his patrol car. The impact spun the patrol car and sent it into a block wall. The officer was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center where he died from his injuries.

The truck driver had four outstanding warrants and was arrested on manslaughter and aggravated assault charges. In June 2009, he was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to serve 16 years. A passenger in the truck was seriously injured.

Officer Figueroa had served the Phoenix Police Department for more than two years. He is survived by his wife and a 3-month-old child.

Officer Nick Erfle was shot after he and his partner approached three people for jaywalking and obstructing traffic on 24th Street, one block north of Thomas Road.

One man gave a fictitious name that had a misdemeanor warrant and as they attempted to take him into custody, the suspect drew a weapon and shot Officer Erfle twice in the back of the head. He was rushed to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center where he died from his injuries an hour later.

The suspect then carjacked a vehicle and took the driver hostage. About an hour later, an unmarked special assignments unit spotted a car and suspect matching the carjacked vehicle’s description.

They began surveillance and managed to box in the vehicle at 27th Avenue and McDowell Road. The suspect pointed his gun at the hostage and he was shot and killed by an officer. The suspect was later identified as an illegal alien with a felony record. He had been deported in 2006 and illegally re-entered the country.

The driver of the vehicle was not injured. The two females who were with the suspect when he was initially stopped were taken into custody for questioning.

Officer Erfle had served with the Phoenix Police Department for 8 years. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Officer George Cortez was shot and killed after responding to a check-cashing store to investigate reports of a forgery-in-progress.

At approximately 8:30 pm, Officer Cortez responded to a call that a man and woman were passing forged checks at a check-cashing business on 83rd Avenue, near Encanto Boulevard. Officer Cortez entered the business and was placing the male suspect in handcuffs when he drew a gun and shot Officer Cortez twice in the head.

Officer Cortez was rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital where he died from his injuries.

The suspects fled the scene, but were apprehended the next day. They were charged with capital first-degree murder, burglary and forgery. The male subject was convicted of murder and was sentenced to death on October 19, 2010.

Officer Paul Salmon died from injuries received in an automobile accident.

Officer Salmon was responding to a domestic violence call in south Phoenix. His vehicle left the roadway for unknown reasons and crashed into a light pole at the intersection of Baseline Road and 31st Avenue and crashed. A resident reported the accident and the Phoenix Fire Department extricated him from the vehicle. He was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center with extensive head injuries where he died the following day.

Officer Salmon had served with the Phoenix Police Department for only 6 months. He is survived by his parents, two sisters, four brothers, and fiancee.

Officer David Uribe was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop on West Cactus Road at approximately 1110 hours.

Officer Uribe called in a license plate check and approached the vehicle. As he walked to the driver’s door the suspect opened fire, striking him in the head and neck.

The suspects fled the scene and abandoned the car in a residential area a few blocks away. A witness to the shooting immediately called 911 and started CPR on Officer Uribe. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Two suspects were arrested two days later and charged with Officer Uribe’s murder. In 2009 they were convicted of all charges.

Officer Uribe had served with the agency for 22 years. He is survived by his wife, five children, two step-children, five grandchildren, parents, stepfather, and siblings. One of his sons also serves as an officer with the Phoenix Police Department.

Officer Wolfe and Officer Eric White were shot and killed while investigating a shooting call at an apartment complex on West Las Palmaritas Drive.

The first officers to arrive at the scene located a male who sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. The shooting victim was transported to a local hospital as officers began evacuating residents and searching for a suspect.

The suspect was located in an apartment in the complex and several officers converged on that location. Fearing the gunman was holding a hostage, Officer White, Officer Wolfe, and a third officer kicked the door in and attempted to enter the apartment. The gunman immediately opened fire, striking all three officers. Officer White and Officer Wolfe were killed, and the third officer was wounded. When another officer returned fire, the suspect retreated back into his apartment and committed suicide.

Officer Wolfe had served with the Phoenix Police Department for 4 years. He is survived by his wife, who is also a Phoenix police officer, two children, parents, brother, sister, and grandparents.

Officer Wolfe and Officer Eric White were shot and killed while investigating a shooting call at an apartment complex on West Las Palmaritas Drive.

The first officers to arrive at the scene located a male who sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. The shooting victim was transported to a local hospital as officers began evacuating residents and searching for a suspect.

The suspect was located in an apartment in the complex and several officers converged on that location. Fearing the gunman was holding a hostage, Officer White, Officer Wolfe, and a third officer kicked the door in and attempted to enter the apartment. The gunman immediately opened fire, striking all three officers. Officer White and Officer Wolfe were killed, and the third officer was wounded. When another officer returned fire, the suspect retreated back into his apartment and committed suicide.

Officer White had served with the Phoenix Police Department for 4 years. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Officer Schultz drowned in a canal in North Phoenix while searching for evidence in a murder case.

Officer Schultz was a master diver and part of the department’s nine-member dive team. On May 10, 2004, the team entered a canal in North Phoenix, near 19th Avenue and Hatcher Road, to search for evidence in a murder investigation. While in the water, Officer Schultz was separated from his tender line and was pulled into the canal gate. He was under water for as long as 10 minutes without a breathing device. Rescuers pried open the canal’s gate and freed him from the 1-foot opening where he had become trapped.

Officer Schultz was taken to John C. Lincoln Hospital-North Mountain, where he remained in critical condition on life support. His family elected to remove him from life support on the afternoon of May 12, 2004, following two days of intensive efforts to revive him

Officer Schultz had served with the Phoenix Police Department for 20 years. In addition to his duties as a member of the dive team, Officer Schultz also served full time as a helicopter pilot for the Phoenix Police Department.

Officer Schultz was survived by his wife and mother.

Officer Beryl Scott was killed in a motorcycle accident at 1510 hours, shortly after starting his shift.

He was en route to a local hospital to assist with a fatal DUI investigation when a vehicle pulled onto North Seventh Street from a parking lot directly into his path. Officer Scott’s motorcycle struck the passenger door and he was thrown over the vehicle. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries 30 minutes later.

The spot where Officer Scott was killed was the exact same spot where Officer Patrick Briggs was killed in a motorcycle accident on June 20, 1990, under identical circumstances.

Officer Scott had been employed with the Phoenix Police Department for ten years, and is survived by his expectant wife.

Officer Beuf was killed when both he and a suspect were struck by a tractor-trailer while struggling on the side of a roadway. Officer Beuf had responded to a call and was approaching a man, when the man began to run. Officer Beuf chased the suspect and caught him on the side of a roadway. As the two struggled, they fell into the path of a slow moving tractor-trailer.

The truck stopped, but Officer Beuf and the suspect were entangled in the front axle. Officer Beuf was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The suspect was critically injured in the accident. When he recovered he was sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay $9000 in restitution for the death of Officer Beuf.

Officer Beuf had been with the agency for one year and is survived by his wife and four children.

Officer Atkinson was shot and killed after being ambushed by suspected drug traffickers. Officer Atkinson was driving a marked patrol car while following the suspects, who turned a corner, stopped their vehicle, and waited for Officer Atkinson. As he turned the corner the three suspects opened fire, striking him twice in the head, killing him.

A citizen who witnessed the incident engaged the suspects in a gunfight with his own weapon, seriously wounding one. The other two suspects fled but were later arrested.

Officer Atkinson is survived by his wife and six-month-old child.

Sergeant Kieffer died on May 21, 1997, from injuries he had sustained on May 7, 1977, when his patrol car was struck by a drunk driver. His vehicle was struck as he was responding to an emergency call. The drunk driver was killed in the incident. The crash left Sergeant Kieffer as a quadriplegic and he died as a result of complications of injuries sustained in the crash.

Sergeant Kieffer is survived by his wife and four children.

Officer Kolodziej was shot and killed by a man who sprayed a residential street with gunfire from a high powered weapon. The suspect then held police at bay for over five hours before they stormed the house and found the suspect dead.

Officer Kolodziej was 43 years old and is survived by his wife, two sons, daughter, three stepdaughters, stepson, mother and seven grandchildren.

Sergeant Tunney and Sergeant John Domblisky were killed when a vehicle crossed over the median and struck their patrol car head-on. The driver of the other vehicle was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the incident.

Sergeant Tunney is survived by his wife and five children.

Sergeant Domblisky and Sergeant Danny Tunney were killed when a vehicle crossed over the median and struck their patrol car head-on. The driver of the other vehicle was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the incident.

Sergeant Domblisky is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Officer Briggs was killed while in pursuit of a speeding motorist. Officer Briggs swerved to avoid a motorist and struck a concrete median and tree. He had recently been chosen to be a Recruit Training Officer for the Phoenix Police Training Academy.

Officer Briggs had been with the agency for seven years and is survived by his parents and two siblings.

Officer Collings was shot and killed while working a uniformed off-duty security job at a local bank. He was in the process of arresting two robbery suspects when one of the suspects opened fire, fatally wounding him. One of the suspects was arrested shortly thereafter and the second suspect was arrested in Mexico in June 2000 after being wounded in a shootout with police. The suspect was extradited to Arizona after state prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty. In November 2002 the suspect was sentenced to life in prison.

Officer Collings had been with the agency for eight years and was survived by his mother and four sisters.

Officer Fike was shot and killed by a suspect while standing next to his patrol car. Two citizens found him after the shooting and used his radio to call for help.

Officer Fike was a former Officer of the Year and had been with the agency for ten years. He was survived by his wife and two young sons.

Officer Robertson was shot and killed while working a uniformed off-duty security job at a local hotel. He was questioning a suspect behind the hotel about the robbery of two truck drivers when the suspect opened fire. Officer Robertson was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries two days later.

Officer Robertson had been with the agency for eight years and was survived by his wife and two young children.

Officer Forsythe was stuck and killed by a semi-truck while directing traffic.

Officer Forsythe had been with the agency for seven years and was survived by his wife, son and stepson.

On May 4th, 1984, Motorcycle Officer Polmanteer was killed in a head on collision with a van that turned in front of his motorcycle. Officer Polmanteer had been a police officer for fifteen years, five of which were with the Phoenix Police Department. He was thirty-seven years old at the time of his death. Officer Polmanteer was survived by his wife and three children.

Officer Hawkins was struck and killed by a pickup truck. He was on a nighttime undercover assignment attempting to cross a freeway frontage road when the accident occurred. Officer Hawkins helped establish a hostage/barricade negotiations unit and was a negotiator in hostage situations.

Officer Hawkins had been with the agency for 12 years and was survived by his wife and two children.

Officer Campbell was killed in an automobile accident while pursuing a speeding motorcycle.

Killed at age 28, Officer Campbell had been with the agency for three years and was survived by his wife and sons.

Officer Davis and Officer Ignacio Conchos were shot when they entered a bar to search for bank robbery suspects. Officer Conchos died at the scene and Officer Davis died one month later from his wounds.

Officer Davis had been with the agency for 12 years and was survived by his wife and two children.

Officer Conchos and Officer John Davis were shot when they entered a bar to search for bank robbery suspects. Officer Conchos died at the scene and Officer Davis died one month later from his wounds.

Killed at age 39, Officer Conchos was survived by his wife and four children.

Officer Del Gaudio was killed while in the pursuit of an impaired and reckless driver. The officer collided with another police car and then careened into the wall of a home. His death was instrumental in persuading the State Legislature to enact the Unlawful Flight statute.

Killed at age 26, Officer Del Gaudio was survived by his wife who was pregnant with their first child.

Police Guard MacInnis died of a heart attack while in foot pursuit of a suspect at the Sky Harbor International Airport. A passerby stopped to assist him. He was driven to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Police Guard MacInnis had been with the agency for nine years and was survived by his wife, thirteen children and five grandchildren.

Officer Chavez was shot and killed by a juvenile during a burglary of a Phoenix radiator business. Officer Chavez had entered the business after dispatchers received an anonymous tip that a burglary was in progress. The officer located the suspect and a struggle ensued. Officer Chavez was critically wounded but managed to radio for help before dying.

Officer Chavez had been with the agency for one year and was survived by his wife.

Officer Hemschmeyer was killed in a traffic accident while responding to another officer’s call for assistance. A sedan that had pulled over for the officer’s emergency lights was struck from behind by a garbage truck. The force of the collision threw the vehicle into the path of the approaching patrol car, killing officer Hemschmeyer.

Officer Hemschmeyer had been with the agency for four years.

Officer Haywood was killed in a motorcycle accident when a truck turned in front of him, causing a collision. Other officers rushed him to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Officer Haywood had been with the agency for four years and was survived by his wife and two young sons.

Officer Stone collided with another vehicle and was pinned underneath it. Bystanders lifted the vehicle off of Officer Stone in an attempt to save him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officer Dale Stone was killed while responding to an officer down call put out when Officer Albert Bluhm was shot and killed.

Officer Stone’s father, a Maricopa County Sheriff, was shot and killed three weeks after this incident.

Officer Bluhm was driving his department motorcycle at the time when he was shot and killed. He had been following a pickup truck with a camper on the back when he was killed.

Officer Stewart was killed when his police motorcycle was struck by a hit-and-run driver. A truck turned in front of his motorcycle and he swerved to avoid a collision, causing severe head injuries. The suspect fled the scene but was later apprehended and charged with negligent homicide.

Shortly after this accident, the Phoenix Police Department required all motorcycle officers to wear helmets while on duty.

Officer Stewart was survived by his wife and two young children.

Officer Burch was shot and killed when he attempted to stop two men from siphoning gasoline from a car.

Unknown to Officer Burch, the men were on the run for murdering law enforcement officers in Texas and Oklahoma.

The next day, both suspects were captured by Constable R. L. McDonald. Constable McDonald had received word from a farm worker who reported a pair of unsavory looking individuals climbing up the side of Tempe Butte. McDonald, armed with a high powered Winchester rifle, drove to the base of the butte where he left his vehicle and began slowly making his way up the hill on foot. Near the top of the incline, he spotted the pair of fugitives sleeping under a large rock. The officer easily got the drop on the pair, whom he described as completely exhausted, sweat-soaked, and disheveled.

One of the suspects was convicted in Arizona of murdering Officer Burch and hanged on January 8, 1926. The other brother was convicted in Texas of murdering of Deputy Morgan and was sentenced to life in prison.

Haze Burch would go down in history as first officer from the Phoenix Police Department to die in the line of duty.

Officer Burch was survived by his wife and three young children.