These officers gave their lives while committed to the motto “To Protect and Serve.” We honor these brave officers and their families.
Sadly, across the country, many law enforcement officers will lose their lives this year while performing their duties. The Steve Young Memorial Scholarship Program, created by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, is administered by the National Fraternal Order of Police Foundation to assist the spouses of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
When you visit the Phoenix Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 2, take the time to remember our fallen officers Our “Phoenix Police Fallen Officers Memorial” was established to honor and remember all of our brothers and K-9’s that paid the ultimate sacrifice. The memorial is in the front lobby of the Lodge at 12851 North 19 Avenue in Phoenix.
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 White and Officer Jason Wolfe 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.
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PHOENIX – The Fraternal Order of Police conducted a day of fundraising for the family of a fallen Phoenix police officer.
We collected both money and diapers at FOP Lodge 2 — located at 12851 N. 19th Ave., at Sweetwater.
Officer Travis Murphy was gunned down in the line of duty in May, leaving behind a wife and two young children.
His widow is left behind to deal with both the loss of her husband and a significant loss of the family’s income.
“Our goal is to try and raise some money to kind of tide them over and help them out — and, not worry about the mortgage payment and things like that — until they can get back on their feet and live some kind of a normal life again,” said Phoenix Police Officer Dave Hopkins.
The FOP served breakfast, lunch and dinner for a $5 donation.
Murphy’s widow, Danielle, was among those at the pasta dinner that raised more than $38,000 to support the couple’s two young children, Kailee, 2, and infant Cody. The officer’s baby boy was born just two weeks before he was shot and killed during a suspicious-vehicle stop in central Phoenix. The lodge traditionally hosts fundraisers for officers killed or injured in the line of duty.