March 7, 2009 - A 21-year-old sheriff's deputy died Saturday after his motorcycle collided with a car. Isaac Zaldivar, of Pico Rivera succumbed to his injuries just over an hour after the crash. The crash occurred about 5:40 p.m. on Rosemead Boulevard at Terradell Street. Zaldivar was riding his motorcycle northbound on Rosemead Boulevard when it collided with a Toyota Camry that was westbound on Terradell Street being driven by a 75-year-old woman. He was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he later died of multiple traumatic injuries. Zaldivar's 17-year-old brother was riding with him at the time of the crash, but suffered only minor injuries. Zaldivar was assigned to the Twin Towers jail facility in Los Angeles as well as the jail ward at County-USC Medical Center.

After a brief and unexpected battle, Eddie passed away on Feb. 6, 2009 due to complications of leukemia and pneumonia in San Pedro, CA. At the time of his death he was 57 years old. Eddie devoted his life to public safety, currently a Battalion Chief for the Beverly Hills Fire Dept. as well as a reserve Patrol Officer for the city of Montebello. Eddie leaves behind a loving wife of 38 years, Patricia(Snyder) and a son, Edward Louis La Fouge Jr. A viewing will be held Wed. Feb. 11, 2009 from 12-5pm with a vigil service at 7:00pm, both at Green Hills Mortuary in RPV. A funeral mass will be held Thursday, Feb 12, 2009, 10:30am at Mary Star of the Sea Church.

On December 15, 2008, at 0420 hours, Santa Fe Springs Area Officer Sanders, #18781, was directing traffic at a prior traffic accident on eastbound SR-60 west of Azusa Avenue in the city of Hacienda Heights. A subsequent collision between two vehicles caused one of the vehicles to veer out of control and strike Officer Sanders causing major injuries. Officer Sanders was airlifted to USC Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries on December 15, 2008, at 0525 hours.

Sanders is the third officer from the Santa Fe Springs office of the highway patrol to die in the line of duty since 2004. He is the 214th death in CHP history. Sanders, a Marine Corps vet who served in Iraq, is survived by his wife and three children, ages 7, 3 and 10 months. His wife is pregnant with their fourth child.

A fund has been set up for donations to help the family:

Officer Sanders Donation Fund
PO Box 826
San Dimas, CA 91773
909-599-9329

August 3 , 2008 - Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Juan Escalante was not in uniform and was walking when shots rang out from a passing white car at about 5:40 a.m. in the gang plagued area of Cypress Park. Witnesses said they heard about 5 shots. Deputy Escalante died at the scene. Sheriff Lee Baca, who went to the scene, said he was a two-year veteran who worked at the downtown Men's Central Jail. It was not immediately clear whether the killers knew the victim or were aware he was a law enforcement officer. LAPD Chief William Bratton also went to the scene. He said it was too early to determine whether the shooting was gang-related.

UPDATE 12/12/08 - Los Angeles Police have arrested two men in connection with this murder. They announced the arrests of Guillermo Hernandez, 20, and Carlos Velasquez, 24, both of Los Angeles. Escalante worked in the jail system but investigators haven't said whether they believe the shooting was work-related or might have been a random attack in an area plagued by gang violence.

February 7, 2008 - Shortly, after 9:00 last night, the Los Angeles Police Department's Communications Division received a 911 call from a home in West Valley in the 19000 block of Welby Way. The caller indicated he had killed 3 of his family members. West Valley Patrol Units responded to conduct an investigation. The suspect refused to leave the home and LAPD SWAT was called to the scene. Around 12:30 this morning, SWAT made entry into the home and an exchange of gunfire between the officers and the suspect occurred. Two veteran officers were shot and the wounded officers were brought out by their colleagues and were taken to Northridge Medical Center. Police tried to contact the suspect, employing assistance from members of his family. About 5 a.m., SWAT officers fired tear gas into the residence, Moore said. At that time, a woman came out of the rear of the residence and was rescued. Officers tried to get the gunman to surrender, to no avail. About daybreak, a fire began in the residence, which eventually consumed the home. Wednesday morning, hours after the first gunbattle, the suspect again presented himself as a risk and a threat to the officers. A further exchange of gunfire occurred and the suspect went down with injuries. He was later secured and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Killed in the shooting was LAPD SWAT Officer Randy Simmons, 51 years old. Simmons was married with two children. Critically wounded but expected to survive was Officer James Veenstra, the 51-year-old husband of an LAPD captain. Veenstra underwent about three hours of surgery on his jaw, police said. The two officers have served more than 25 years apiece in the LAPD, more than 20 years in the SWAT team.

Due to overwhelming support for LAPD Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team Officers Randal Simmons and James Veenstra, trust funds have been established in both their names through the Los Angeles Police Federal Credit Union (LAPFC).

To make a donation, please go to: www.lapfcu.org and click on the red square titled “LAPFCU Community Corner.” Donations may also be received by mail:

LAPFCU
Blue Ribbon Trust Fund/ Officer Randal Simmons
Acct. 2030077-product code S4.12
16150 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA 91410
(877) 695-2732

LAPFCU
Blue Ribbon Trust Fund/ Officer James Veenstra
Acct. 2030077-product code S4.13
16150 Sherman Way
Van Nuys, CA 91410
(877) 695-2732

June 14, 2007 - Two veteran Pasadena firefighters were killed Thursday when their private plane plunged into the Sea of Cortez in an off-duty accident. Kenneth Soltis, 47, of La Verne, and John Kiesow, 49, of Agua Dulce, were killed in the late-morning crash in shallow water off the east coast of Baja, Mexico. The chief said the men were on a fishing vacation and were returning to Pasadena when the crash occurred. They were scheduled to report to work at 7 a.m. Friday. Kiesow, a 26-year department veteran, was an avid flier who owned several planes and was piloting the plane that crashed. Kiesow worked at Fire Station 33 on Lake Avenue near Villa Street. Soltis was stationed at Fire Station 39 on Avenue 64. Pasadena firefighters were offered grief counseling Friday.

Soltis, also known as Barney, served 20 years with the department. He is survived by his wife, Shanna, and three daughters ages 20, 18 and 13. Soltis devoted countless hours towards the restoration and operation of the Old Fire Rig, an antique fire engine that is the pride of the department. He was also known as the Fire Department's handyman for his specialty in carpentry work.

Kiesow leaves behind a wife, Verlene, and two daughters and a son, all grown. Firefighters who worked with him recalled how he much he loved model planes and how he taught them how to build and fly them. Kiesow was an avid airplane enthusiast who was taught to fly at a young age by his father, Bud, a flight instructor. His enthusiasm for mechanics translated into his work as he was always repairing fire apparatus. Firefighters spend one-third of their lives with each other and away from their families.

May 2 , 2007 - Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Randy Rousseau, 44, passed away Wednesday, May 2, after a long and courageous battle with leukemia. A 20-year veteran of the Sheriff's Department, Rousseau began working at the CV Station in 1990. But he had strong ties to the community long before he joined law enforcement. Rousseau was raised in the foothills, attending Our Lady of Loudes School in Tujunga and graduating from St. Francis High School in 1981. He was always an active member of the community, returning to coach basketball and flag football at Our Lady of Lourdes while he attended Glendale Community College. He was diagnosed with leukemia in April 2004 and over the next three years had extensive chemotherapy treatments along with a bone marrow transplant. Whenever he was able, he would return to work. During his battle with cancer, Rousseau exhausted his paid leave from the Sheriff's Department. The station and community members held several fundraisers to help him and his family. The outpouring of support was overwhelming at times. The community continued to hold fundraisers and support the family. Since the initial diagnosis he had been in and out of the hospital, he returned to work in March 2005 but suffered a relapse and returned to the hospital. Rousseau died at his home.

In the early morning hours of October 22, 2006, Los Angeles Police Department Northeast Area Officer Landon Dorris and his partner, Officer Marc Fujiwara, were investigating a minor traffic collision at Riverside Drive and Hyperion Avenue. Officer Dorris was outside his cruiser when a car heading west on Riverside Drive struck him. The force of the impact caused Dorris to hit another car that was waiting to turn left onto the Golden State Freeway onramp. Officer Dorris was transported to University of Southern California Medical Center in critical condition with major head trauma. Despite the best efforts of the hospital emergency staff, Dorris did not survive his injuries. At the time of his death, Officer Dorris was 31-years-old and had been with the LAPD for 3 years and 4 months. Prior to his service with the LAPD, Dorris served six years with the California Highway Patrol as a motorcycle officer.

On September 12, 2006, Captain II Lane A. Kemper lost a bravely fought battle with cancer. Lane was a 31-year active duty member of the Los Angeles City Fire Department. He was a Task Force Commander assigned to Fire Station 17. He was a nationally recognized authority on forcible entry/forcible exiting techniques. Lane was responsible for many of the forcible entry/exit techniques that the fire service uses today, although he wouldn't admit to it due to his humble personality. Lane had taught thousands of firefighters across the country. Lane also raised hundreds of thousands of dollars by organizing and running fundraisers for fellow firefighters in need. Lane's humble personality and his desire for anonymity have allowed many of these phenomenal deeds to go unnoticed.

Bret Harris passed away on August 4, 2006 after a two-year battle with cancer. He joined the LAFD in February 1989.

Juan Ojeda passed away on July 17, 2006 with his family by his side. He worked in OCD "C" Platoon.

On July 3, 2006, the Covina Police Department lost a 21-year veteran and their first officer In the Line of Duty. Sergeant Scott A. Hanson succumbed to injuries sustained in a traffic collision nearly three years earlier. On August 14, 2003, Sgt. Hanson was traveling westbound on Badillo Street in his police unit. Upon entering the intersection at Citrus Avenue, Sgt. Hanson’s unit was struck broadside by another motorist who entered the intersection against the red light. As a result of the collision, Sgt. Hanson suffered extensive head trauma and never regained consciousness. After years of hospitalization and round-the-clock care, Sgt. Hanson passed away from multi-organ failure. Sgt. Hanson started his career as a dispatcher with the Fullerton Police Department. Covina hired him as a police officer in 1985. He worked as a patrol officer, field training officer, detective, senior officer and patrol sergeant. Just two days before the collision that eventually took his life, Hanson celebrated his 18th anniversary with the Covina Police Department and the completion of a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Chapman University. Sgt. Scott Hanson was laid to rest at Oakdale Memorial Park in Glendora wearing his uniform and his badge. In honor of him, the department will never use his number again – Sergeant No. 4.

On Tuesday, March 28, 2006, Deputy Maria Rosa, assigned to the Inmate Reception Center, was found shot in the City of Long Beach and subsequently died from her injuries. Shortly after 6 A.M., a Long Beach Police personnel responded to the 2900 block of South Eucalyptus Avenue regarding a person down. Upon their arrival, officers discovered Rosa in front of the residence suffering from a gunshot wound. Rosa was immediately transported to a local hospital where she, unfortunately, succumbed to her injuries. Robbery appears to have been the motive, but Homicide Detectives are systematically investigating all possible leads. Currently, Long Beach Homicide Detectives are requesting the public’s assistance in locating two possible suspects. Suspect #1 is described as a male Hispanic in his late teens to early twenties, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Suspect #2 is described as a male Hispanic in his late teens to early twenties. Both suspects were seen riding bicycles near the residence at the time of the incident. An unidentified bicycle was found near the scene. Anyone with information regarding this crime, please contact Long Beach Police Department Homicide Detectives Bryan Mcmahon or Patrick O’Dowd at (562) 570-7244.

A Pasadena police officer who appeared to be in excellent health died Friday morning, February 24, 2006, while jogging at the Rose Bowl, police spokesman Janet Pope Givens told the Weekly late Friday afternoon. Officer Kyle Ballard, 30, collapsed after running two laps around the stadium. Pope said Ballard was training for an annual Baker to Las Vegas relay race that he and other officers participated in every year. Pope said Ballard veered away from several other police officers he was running with at the end of a second lap and collapsed. The other officers immediately began performing CPR. Paramedics who happened to be at the site also attempted to revive Ballard before rushing him to Huntington Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:06 a.m. The preliminary cause of death has been determined as a heart attack. Officer Ballard has been with the Pasadena Police Department for 8 years. He is survived by his wife and three young sons.

On Saturday, February 25, 2006, Officer Gregory “John” Bailey had completed “B” watch (afternoon shift) and was en route home to Victorville northbound on I-15, when he made an enforcement stop on a violator's vehicle. Officer Bailey made a right side approach to speak with the driver of the vehicle he had stopped. A DUI driver in 1991 Honda Accord drove onto the right shoulder at a high rate of speed, struck the CHP motorcycle, the violator's vehicle, and Officer Bailey. The violator's vehicle was struck with such force it overturned, landing in the freeway traffic lanes. All three parties were transported by ambulance to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton. Officer Bailey died from his injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital. The DUI driver, Mr. Domingo Esqueda, age 20, of Adelanto, reportedly had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit. Officer Bailey is survived by his wife Teresa; daughters Hanna (10) and Megan (8); and sons Jared (6) and Dylan (5). He is also survived by his parents Len and Layonne.

On Sunday, October 2, 2005 at approximately 11:15 p.m., officers from the Long Beach Police Department’s Gang Enforcement Section were conducting a residence search in the 1200 block of Loma Vista Avenue, of a known parolee. While searching the residence the suspect ran out the rear of the residence and officers pursued him on foot.  During the pursuit the suspect ran into an alley in the 1300 block of Cedar Avenue, were he turned on the officers and using a handgun, shot at the officers. A perimeter was immediately established and Long Beach Police SWAT members conducted a systematic search of the area. At about 2:50 a.m., the suspect was found hiding under a porch at a residence in the 1300 block of Cedar Avenue. The suspect was ordered numerous times to surrender before a Police K-9 was sent in after him.  The suspect fired at SWAT members who, fearing for their safety engaged the suspect in gunfire.  The suspect who was pronounced dead at the scene was a Long Beach resident, identified as a male Hispanic in his 20’s who is a known gang member and was on active parole for assault with deadly weapon at the time of this incident. Police K-9 “Ranger” was struck once by gunfire and was airlifted to an emergency animal care facility in the city of Tustin.  Unfortunately, Ranger, a 4 year-old Malinois succumbed to his injuries during surgery from a gunshot wound to the chest.  Ranger, who was born in Holland, had been with the Police Department for two years.

On September 23, 2005, at 0953 hours, Officer David Marin Romero, Badge #10116, was on patrol, stopped at a red traffic signal in the left hand turn lane on northbound Turnbull Canyon Road at Valley Boulevard in the City of Industry. Officer Romero was struck from the rear and ejected. Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics responded to the scene and provided treatment. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Air Rescue 5 was immediately dispatched and airlifted Officer Romero to Los Angeles County/U.S.C. Medical Center where he succumbed from injuries. Officer Romero, age 47, was a 23 year veteran of the department. He was assigned to the Santa Fe Springs/Walnut sub-station. He is survived by his wife Sandra, three children, Austin, Windsor, and David, ages 20, 17, 8 and two stepchildren, Victor and Vanessa, ages 17.

Gary Sauls, an Engineer with San Gabriel Fire Department and member of San Gabriel City Firefighters Association, Local 2197, lost his battle with occupational brain cancer on Tuesday morning, September 6, 2005. Brother Sauls, a 37 year veteran of the San Gabriel Fire Department, was highly involved in the Swift Water Rescue Program for his department, as well as all of San Gabriel's rescue system training. Gary, along with his wife Robin, enjoyed traveling and motorcycle riding. They were married for over 30 years.

Deputy Ortiz was shot and killed June 24th, 2005, after knocking on a door during an investigation. He had gone to the home to speak to a woman as part of a gang investigation when an unknown person came out from the residence or a nearby apartment and shot him in the head, killing him. Deputy Ortiz had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 15 years and was assigned to the Anti-Gang Unit. He is survived by his wife and two children.
 

Officer Tommy Edward Scott, headed toward the airport, stopped the man walking along Lincoln just north of the airport about 11 a.m. on April 29, 2005, and a struggle ensued, police said. The man, identified by police as 46-year-old William Sadowski, somehow gained control of the officer's patrol car and drove off, carrying the officer outside the driver's side. As Scott tried to regain possession of the car, it ran into a fire hydrant, sending a plume of water into the air, according to police and reports from the scene. Moments later, Sadowski commandeered a red Ford Expedition that was passing the scene, but crashed it about a half-mile away, crashing into and over the airport's perimeter fence and landing on a second fence on airport property, police said. Airport Police Chief Bernard Wilson said it was unclear why Scott stopped Sadowski. In response to a question about whether Sadowski was stopped as part of an Airport Police policy to investigate people on or near airport property, Wilson declined to answer, saying he didn't want to go into detail about counterterrorism initiatives. Detectives were interviewing witnesses who saw Sadowski and Scott struggling, Wilson said. Sadowski had a record for grand theft arrest in San Bernardino County in 2003, Wilson said. Scott, 35, died at the scene. A white sheet covered his body, which lay a few feet from the crashed patrol car. Scott became the first in the Airport Police Department's 59-year history to die in the line of duty.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department is deeply saddened to report that Retired Battalion Chief James O. Page died suddenly on September 4, 2004, in Carlsbad, California, at the age of 68. Chief Page was an icon in the fire service and shaped its history in a visionary way.  He is often noted as the "father of modern emergency medicine," and distinguished himself in several arenas throughout his lifetime. He was a firefighter, an attorney, an accomplished publisher, and a beloved mentor to all.

In 1971, he became involved in the implementation of the Los Angeles County Fire Department's paramedic rescue services and saw its life-saving potential. As the technical advisor to the producers of the hit 1970's television series, "Emergency!," Chief Page helped bring the real-life rescues performed by County paramedics into living rooms across America each week. Countless people around the world chose the paramedic profession as a result. His life's work is truly immeasurable; his legacy will live on.

An off-duty Montebello, Calif., police officer was killed when he apparently lost control of the motorcycle he was riding on the Angeles Crest (2) Highway on August 24, 2004. Frank Torres, 24, was a four-year veteran assigned to his department's patrol division. The motorcycle went down at 9:28 a.m. Tuesday on Angeles Crest Highway east of mile marker 50, according to the California Highway Patrol. Torres was taken by helicopter to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, where he was pronounced dead in the emergency room. Montebello police Chief Garry Couso-Vasquez interrupted his vacation Tuesday to visit with the officer's family and brief co-workers.

On the afternoon of Saturday, August 14, 2004, Firefighter Jaime L. Foster was killed in the line of duty after having assisted in the extinguishment of a residential structure fire located in the community of Encino. As Firefighters were leaving the scene of the fire, there was a single vehicle accident near the scene that caused fatal traumatic injuries to Firefighter Foster. Despite the combined efforts of our Firefighters, Paramedics and Hospital Emergency Department personnel, Firefighter Foster was declared deceased at Tarzana Hospital. Her family, friends, and the members of the Los Angeles Fire Department are mourning this tragic loss.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Jaime Foster's honor to the LAFD Historical Society – Fallen Firefighter Memorial.

LAFD Historical Society
Fallen Firefighter Memorial
1355 North Cahuenga Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028 USA

We regret to announce the death of Captain Michael L. Sparkes, Commanding Officer of Harbor/UCLA Medical Center. Captain Sparkes was killed in the line of duty on Tuesday, August 10, 2004. Captain Sparkes was a 30-year veteran of the Los Angeles County Police. His wife, Deloris Sparkes, daughter Briana Mercer, son Michael L. Sparkes Jr., and grandchildren Amyr and Tavon survive him. He was born January 12, 1951, appointed to the Department November 19, 1975, End of Watch August 10, 2004. Los Angeles County Police Capt. Michael Sparkes, 53, was taking his regular predawn bike ride in Rosewood, where he lived, when two men confronted him about 5:35 a.m. near Redondo Beach and Avalon boulevards, authorities said. An argument ensued, followed by gunfire between Sparkes and one of the men, according to Deputy Brian Lendman of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Sparkes was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, where he died in surgery at about 8 a.m. It was the same hospital where Sparkes supervised a force of about 30 police officers. Sparkes, who was married with a 7-year-old son and a grown stepdaughter, had been on the force for three decades. He had led Harbor-UCLA's officers for the last two years. Before that, he was commander of the police unit at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department lost a captain in the line of duty Tuesday when Fire Captain Daniel Elkins was involved in a single-vehicle accident. Elkins, 47, was leaving the Pine Incident brushfire in the Lake Hughes area when he was involved in the accident. Elkins was a 20-year member of the department who lived in the Quartz Hill area of Los Angeles County, and is survived by his wife and two adult children. CHP officials said Elkins was driving east on Avenue I near 90th Street West about 8 a.m. in a newer model Toyota pickup truck that drifted onto the dirt shoulder. The truck flipped several times before landing on its wheels several hundred feet from the road. When rescue crews arrived a short time later, Elkins had to be cut out of the crumpled remnants of the Toyota. He was taken by ambulance to Antelope Valley Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
 

A veteran CHP officer who was fatally gunned down in front of the Pomona courthouse was the randomly chosen target of a 16-year-old boy intent on "killing a cop," the Pomona police chief said this morning. Detectives arrested a suspect in the case, who lives both in Fontana and Pomona, early today. Authorities believe the suspect did not know the officer and just happened across him during a hunt for a police officer to shoot. Because the suspect is a juvenile, officials would offer few details about the case.  "It's clear he wanted to kill a cop, but not this particular cop," said Police Chief James M. Lewis at a press conference this morning. The shooting took place moments after the officer, Thomas Steiner, 35, had testified in a series of minor traffic cases, authorities said.

Steiner was struck repeatedly in the attack and suffered one gunshot wound to the head, authorities said. The five-year CHP veteran died at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. Steiner, in uniform, was shot about 2:50 p.m. as he walked to his patrol car. He was 200 feet from the courthouse steps and was preparing to cross 7th Street to a parking lot when a red car rolled to a stop nearby, witnesses said. A man with a shaved head stepped out from behind the wheel, raised a handgun and fired four shots, striking Steiner three times. The gunman stepped back into the car and sped away, witnesses told police. CHP Assistant Chief Art Acevedo said Steiner had testified in five traffic citations in Division One of the former municipal courthouse.

Steiner's jumpsuit and shirt were in bloody tatters lying on the entrance to the driveway, his badge and name tag in view.

CHP Commissioner Helmick said Wednesday's shooting comes at a time when police agencies throughout the state have seen officers killed or injured by gunmen. "Every year, we have officers killed. In the last week and a half, we've had four officers — in Watsonville, San Francisco and Merced — shot at point-blank range.... It's very, very disheartening. These young people that have their whole lives ahead of them."

Two weeks after community leaders urged an end to attacks on police, an officer was shot to death Friday while answering a report of domestic violence, prompting a huge manhunt that ended with one arrest. Officer Ricardo Lizarraga, 30, of Los Angeles, was shot in the lower abdomen, below his bulletproof vest, and died about two hours later at a hospital, police said. Lizarraga was a two-year veteran assigned to the Newton area, Officer Don Cox said.

Assistant Chief Jim McDonnell said a woman flagged down officers in the South Los Angeles community of Leimert Park at about 1 p.m. and directed them to a nearby apartment. Lt. Art Miller said the woman told officers that she was having problems with a male friend and asked that he be removed from the home. "As they approached him for a pat-down search, the suspect came up with a gun and began shooting," McDonnell said. The man fired several shots, striking Lizarraga while his partner returned fire. It was unclear whether the gunman was hit, authorities said. Lizarraga had no pulse when he arrived at a hospital but underwent 11/2 hours of surgery anyway. He was pronounced dead at about 3 p.m. Meanwhile, hundreds of police officers and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, including heavily armed SWAT officers, dog teams and helicopters, searched a 15-square-block area. About 31/2 hours later, a dog team found a man hiding in the trunk of an abandoned car in an alley three streets away from the shooting scene, police said. Kendrick William Johnson, 32, was arrested, McDonnell said. He described Johnson as a gang member and parolee with "an extensive" criminal record.

Television news reports showed SWAT officers surrounding a handcuffed man lying on the muddy ground. Officers lifted the sleeve of his sweat shirt to examine his left upper arm, apparently for a tiger tattoo that was one of the identification marks for the suspected attacker. Mayor James Hahn, state Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas and others expressed their sorrow for the shooting and called for an end to gun violence, particularly in the South Los Angeles area. "Certainly all of Los Angeles is in mourning for the loss of one of our finest," Hahn said during a press conference. The killing came two weeks after two dozen Los Angeles area ministers and activists made a public appeal to help stop attacks on police officers. There were 40 shootings targeting police officers last year, a 21 percent rise from the previous year. Two officers were wounded. More than a dozen of the shootings occurred in South Los Angeles, where many of the neighborhoods are poor and plagued by gangs. "Uniformed officers in black-and-whites are being routinely shot at, putting their lives in risk," Police Chief William J. Bratton said at the time. McDonnell said police have been waging a campaign against hardcore members of gangs. "I think that we have come out very aggressively against gang violence" and police shootings may be "pushback" from desperate gang members, he said.

Lizarraga is survived by his wife. A fund was set up for Lizarraga's family, and checks should be written to the Blue Ribbon Trust Account and mailed or walked into the LAPD Newton Station, at 3400 S. Central Ave., Los Angeles 90011. 

Officer Pavelka was shot and killed while backing up another officer during a traffic stop on November 15th, 2003 at 1845 hours. The driver of the SUV was unable to produce a driver's license or vehicle registration during the stop. Both occupants of the vehicle then exited the car, each with two handguns, and opened fire on the officers. The suspects fired over 30 rounds from the handguns, striking both officers.

Although critically wounded, both officers were able to return fire and killed one of the suspects. The second suspect escaped but was captured two weeks later in Tijuana, Mexico. He was charged murder and attempted murder changes and if convicted faces the death penalty. His two brothers were also arrested and charged with aiding in his escape. Several semi-automatic rifles and methamphetamine were also found in the vehicle during the ensuing investigation.

Officer Pavelka had only served with the Burbank Police Department for 10 months, and had previously served as a United States Air Force Security Police officer for four years. Officer Pavelka, who had been a Burbank police officer for just 10 months, was the first Burbank officer to die from gunfire in the past 83 years.

Donations to Officer Pavelka or to injured Officer Campbell can be made at the address below:

Burbank City Employees Federal Credit Union
1800 West Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91506
818-846-1710

Family, friends and the firefighting community will gather on November 12th in San Rafael to remember "The Ruck".

Steven Rucker, a 38-year-old Novato firefighter with a passion for his profession, died in the line of duty last week battling the Cedar Fire near the town of Julian in San Diego County. To honor his sacrifice, a memorial service for Rucker is scheduled for 11:00am on November 12th at the Marin County Civic Center Veteran's Auditorium in San Rafael.
 

Rucker and three of his Novato brothers were battling to save a home as part of a strike team called in to battle the immense San Diego County blaze. The four men, all CPF members, were working to save a structure when the swirling flames overwhelmed their position. "It just swept right over them," said San Diego County Sheriff's Sgt. Conrad Grayson. 
 

Rucker's three colleagues, Captain Doug McDonald, Engineer Shawn Kreps, and Firefighter/Paramedic Barrett Smith were injured on the lines before the group were evacuated by helicopter from the scene. All were members of a strike team that was called into action from the Marin County town of Novato by the California Office of Emergency Services.
 

Brother McDonald, 48 years old and a 17-year veteran with the Novato FPD received burns over 18% of his body and is currently being treated at a San Diego burn facility. His is in critical condition, and expected to recover. Brothers Kreps and Smith have been treated and released.
 

Rucker, a member of Marin Professional Firefighters, Local 1775 and known to his Novato colleagues as "The Ruck" was, like all firefighters, a man who loved his job and was passionate about firefighting.
 

A trust fund for the family of Steve Rucker has been set up at the Bank of Marin.
 

The Steven Rucker Fund
Bank of Marin
1450 Grant Avenue
Novato, CA 94945
(415) 899-7338

Deputy March was shot and killed after stopping a vehicle in Irwindale, California on April 29, 2002 at approximately 1040 hours. The suspect had stated to friends that he wanted to kill a police officer during a traffic stop. The suspect intentionally got stopped and waited for Deputy March to get in front of his patrol car so he could open fire, as Deputy March would have no place to take cover. Deputy March was shot several times in the head and chest.
 

The suspect, who was identified shortly after the shooting, fled to Mexico where he remains at large. The Mexican government refuses to extradite the murderer back to the United States.

Deputy March had been with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for seven years and is survived by his wife and step-daughter.

Please visit the website:

www.deputydavidmarch.com