Weekly Toll: Death in the American Workplace

Murder-Suicide Idenity

January 2, Santya Cruz, California - Santya Cruz Officials say Nichole Schrock, 24 an employee of the 7-Eleven store on Ocean Street was shot by 42 year-old San Jose resident lllya Cavlan, who then took his own life. Police found the two in the back of the store after customers reported no clerk in the store. No one else was involved. Investigators are trying to use surveillance video to gather information.


Employee dies at Albuquerque Wal-Mart

January 2, Albuquerque, New Mexico - A Wal-Mart employee is dead and Albuquerque police are investigating to see if a pair of shoplifting suspects had something to do with it. Stunned Wal-Mart shoppers, whispered, pointed and stared as police tried to unravel what happened inside an Albuquerque Wal-Mart on Coors and Interstate 40. As of Saturday afternoon Albuquerque Police Officer Nadine Hamby called it a "suspicious death." However, the initial call was for shoplifting.


Police: Man Kills Girlfriend, Then Shoots At Ex-Wife Among Others

January 2, Dekalb County, Indiana - "It's sad. Very sad. It's shocking. It will take a while to get over," said Laurie Ford, a life long resident of Waterloo, Indiana. Similar feelings are resonating across the small communities of Waterloo and Auburn after police arrested 39 year old Ronnie Jones following Friday's shooting death of 32 year old Melissa Patrick. "Well the buzz I've heard is shock and surprise that something like that would happen in a small town like this," said Milt Moore, a long-time bar manager in Waterloo...Officers say they arrested Ronnie Jones, who allegedly killed his girlfriend Melissa Patrick Friday morning, after an argument about their relationship at her job in Auburn.


Store employee fatally shoots co-worker in Pittsburg, police say

December 31, Walnut Creek, California - Pittsburg police believe one employee of a convenience store fatally shot another employee this evening. The shooting occurred about 7:50 p.m. at the Golden Star Market, 44 W. 10th St., Pittsburg police Lt. Brian Addington said. The shooting is being investigated as a homicide, although it may have been accidental, he said. When officers arrived at the market, they found the victim, a 25-year-old Pittsburg resident, dead. The other employee was still inside the store. Police were interviewing him Thursday night.


Firefighter dies during training

January 1, Millers Creek, North Carolina - A 24-year-old Millers Creek man, who was employed as a firefighter for the Town of Belmont, died Tuesday afternoon during a physical training session at the Belmont Fire Department. Richard Miller, who was also a lieutenant with the Millers Creek Volunteer Fire Department and respiratory therapist at Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital in Elkin, collapsed just after 5:30 p.m., while running on a treadmill. Other firefighters at the department at the time attempted to resuscitate Miller while paramedics were en route. Miller was transported to Gaston Memorial Hospital in Gastonia, where he later died.


Scott’s Employee Dies In Plant Accident

January 1, Masrysville, Ohio – A 53-year-old man is dead after an industrial accident at The Scotts Company in Marysville Thursday. The Marysville Police and Fire Departments responded to a report of an injured person at The Scotts Company in Marysville around 5:43 p.m. A 53-year-old male employee was found unresponsive in the east manufacturing plant located at 14101 Industrial Parkway. He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to police, the man was working around a freight elevator and was found by other employees pinned underneath it. He had been working alone in the area.


Plymouth fire chief dies on Christmas Eve

December 30, Salt Lake City, Utah - As volunteer fire chief of Plymouth, Craig Starr carried an emergency radio and pager with him, ready to drop everything for a call. On Christmas Eve, the alarm sounded as he left for a dinner at his aunt's house in Portage, his wife Barbara said. "We didn't have a chance to say anything," she said. He ran for the door and headed out to help an elderly woman who fell in Fielding, said Plymouth training officer Jerry Estep. Starr was in the ambulance caring for the woman on the way to the hospital when he collapsed. Barbara, meanwhile, had decided to go ahead and meet him at the dinner when she got a call from one of the other EMTs saying Starr was down.


Firefighters cope with sudden death of crew member

December 31, Charlotte, North Carolina - Belmont firefighters are struggling to cope with the sudden death of a crew member Tuesday. Richard Adam Miller, a 24-year-old firefighter and EMT, collapsed while on duty at Belmont's headquarters station, fire Chief George Altice said. Altice said fellow firefighters immediately began working to resuscitate Miller, and he was taken to Gaston Memorial Hospital but died there. Authorities have not determined a cause. Matthews police seek help finding missing woman.


Silo fall victim was Bluffton resident, 26

December 31, Fort Wayne, Indiana - The man who died Tuesday when he fell 80 feet into a 100-foot grain silo in Adams County has been identified as a 26-year-old Bluffton resident. Timothy J. Buhlmahn of Melody Lane was pronounced dead at 4:20 p.m. He died of blunt-force trauma, and his death was ruled an accident, according to Adams County Deputy Coroner Leslie Cook. Deputies were called about 2 p.m. Tuesday to Peterson Grain, 4815 North 400 West, on a report of a fall.


Police seek suspect who shot Granite Falls pawnshop employee

December 29, Granite Falls - Granite Falls police are looking for a man who may have been involved in the murder of a pawnshop employee found dead in Granite Gun and Pawn on Monday. Police got a call at about 1:45 p.m. from two customers who discovered Tony Lee Myers on the floor of the shop at 90 S. Main St. with what appeared to be a gunshot wound. Investigators say it was a robbery-homicide, said Granite Falls Police Chief Richard Bolick. He would not say what was stolen.


Update: Funeral arrangements set for Elkhart officer

December 31, Elkhart, Indiana - Elkhart City Police are shocked after losing one of their officers on duty Tuesday night. Elkhart County Coroner John White says 43-year old Corporal Michael Swygart died of natural causes. He was found in his squad car outside Elkhart General Hospital Tuesday night. Elkhart police say they didn't know of any health problems Swygart may have been having, and they say he'd been his usual self around the station just hours before he died.


Cab driver in Nutley fender bender killed by passing pickup

December 29, Nutley, New Jersey - A man was killed on Route 21 late Tuesday morning when he stepped out of his car following a fender bender with another vehicle. The man, who authorities have not identified, was driving a taxi when the minor accident occurred between exits 9 and 8 at about 11:45 a.m., said Gregory DeMattia, director of the homicide squad for the Essex County prosecutor’s office. Both drivers pulled their vehicles to the side of the road, but may have been blocking part of the travel lane, DeMattia said.


Winston man dies in mill accident

December 29, Winchester, Oregon — A 39-year-old sawmill worker died in an accident at Douglas County Forest Products early Monday morning, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. Holger Dietmar Fussel of Winston had been working at a lumber stacker at about 8:15 a.m. Monday when he was found by a co-worker underneath the machinery, the sheriff's office reported. Police said Fussel had been severely injured. Employees immediately began administering first aid and CPR. Sheriff's deputies and emergency crews from Douglas County Fire District No. 2 responded to the call. Fussel was transported to Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. His family has been notified.


West Virginia man killed in work-related accident

December 29, Frederick County, West Virginia - A West Virginia man was killed Monday afternoon in a work-related accident at Gladhill Tractor Mart on Mount Zion Road, according to the Frederick County Bureau of Investigations. Thomas L. Creamer, 46, of Ranson, W.Va., died from injuries suffered while repairing a large piece of equipment, the agency said. A John Deere 332 Skid Steer fell on him around 1:15 p.m., police said. A detective and a Maryland Occupational Safety and Health employee investigated the accident at the tractor business on 5509 Mount Zion Road.


Ex-Barona employee kills manager, then himself

December 29, Lakeside, California — A Barona Gaming Commission employee who was fired last month walked into a commission office armed with a shotgun Tuesday morning and shot and killed a manager, then turned the gun on himself, authorities said. San Diego County Sheriff Bill Gore identified the shooter in the murder-suicide as Donnell Roberts, 38, of El Cajon. He worked as an investigator for the commission before he was terminated in November. Roberts’ ex-wife, Maria Small of Racine, Wis., said Roberts was a former Marine who was discharged from the service in 1994 after serving in the Gulf War. She described him as a man who was sometimes violent and “always angry.” The name of the victim was not immediately released.


One Dead In Fire At Rock Island Trucking Co.

January 4, Davenport, Iowa - Officials are investigating an early morning fire at a Rock Island trucking company where one person died. The call for help came in around 4:30 Tuesday morning at USF Holland at 8401 51st Street W. in south Rock Island. When firefighters got there, they found two tractor-trailers on fire and an employee unaccounted for. The victim was located inside one of the semi cabs after the fire was put out. The victim's name has not been released while family is being notified. Officials say damage estimates on the two vehicles is in excess of $300,000, but the huge fire didn't spread to the loading dock because a sprinkler system was activated.


Liberal Man Dies In Oil Rig Accident

December 28, Near Ames, Oklahoma - An area man has died following an accident on an oil rig in Northwestern Oklahoma. Authorities say 31 year old Gabriel Ovalle Tellez of Liberal died Saturday morning near Ames in Northwestern Oklahoma. The rig apparently collapsed just after six that morning. Another man, David Gonzalez of Hugoton, Kansas, was injured in the accident. The rig is owned by Wichita-based Tomcat Drilling.


Truck rolls over, killing driver

December 27, Saratoga, New York — An early morning traffic accident killed one man and left 3,500 gallons of Sodium hydroxide trapped in an upside-down tanker truck. Assistant Chief of the city fire department John Betor said that the department responded around 5 a.m. this morning to a traffic accident involving a tanker truck from Slack Chemical on Route 9, opposite the former Weather Vane restaurant. The Slack Chemical Company is located in the Grande Industrial Park. The truck was traveling from Saratoga Springs to Middletown, N.Y., and was south-bound on Route 9 at the time of the crash. Upon arriving at the scene, emergency personnel found both the tractor and trailer in a ditch off of the road’s south-bound lane, having sustained heavy damage.


Connelly Springs man killed in construction accident

December 24, Shelby, North Carolina - A Connelly Springs man died at a construction site Thursday morning when he fell in a hole and dirt collapsed around him. Chris Parkhurst, 30, died at a sewer line construction site near Shelby. He was working for Neill Grading Co. of Hickory. Workers dug Parkhurst out and Emergency Medical Services workers took him to Cleveland Regional Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 10:02 a.m., about an hour after the accident.


Tractor-Trailer Driver Dies in Fiery Crash in Putnam County

December 24, Winfield, West Virginia - A tractor-trailer driver is dead, following a fiery crash on Interstate 64 in Putnam County overnight. The wreck happened around 1:30 a.m. beneath the new Crooked Creek interchange. Authorities said the driver veered off the interstate and struck the side of the bridge. The cab of the truck caught fire. Putnam County Sheriff Mark Smith said the driver's body was so badly burned that dental records will have to be used to make an identification. The body has been sent to the medical examiner's office. Investigators are still trying to figure out what caused the crash.


2 dead, 1 critical in Louisiana shooting

December 23, Baton Rouge, Louisiana - An ex-worker opened fire at a mobile office of a Baton Rouge, La., construction firm Wednesday, killing two people and critically wounding a third, police said. East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office deputies apprehended the alleged shooter after the 2 p.m. shooting at the Grady Crawford Construction Co. office, the Baton Rouge Advocate reported. The newspaper said the man allegedly first shot and wounded a female dispatcher, then shot two employees in an office before leaving through a rear door when another employee tackled him and wrestled away the gun.


Two men indicted in beating death of Newark resident on his way to work

December 23, Essex County, New Jersey - An Essex County grand jury indicted two men in the March killing of a construction worker in Newark, who was beaten to death during a robbery, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office announced today. The two defendants made off with $20 from the victim, authorities said... Authorities say the two men confronted the victim, Santos Quezada, 27, on March 11, just after 6 a.m., as he walked to his construction job. They beat the Newark resident with their fists, Loriquet said, stole his pocket money and fled.


REPORT: Ten Mile man killed in Monroe County industrial accident

December 23, Monroe County, Tennessee – An East Tennessee man was killed early Tuesday afternoon in a Monroe County industrial accident. James Bales, 51 of Ten Mile died of injuries he received after being struck by glass at the SCHOTT Gemtron plant in Sweetwater according to the Monroe County Advocate. No foul play is suspected. Gemtron first opened the Monroe County plant in 1973. Today it is used to design, process and produce a number of items in the glass fabrication industry.


One worker dies, other injured in fall from roof

December 23, Methuen, Massachusetts — A roofer fell to his death and another worker was injured while working on an unoccupied, two-story house on Annis Street yesterday afternoon. John Nadeau, 43, of 40 Danbury Drive, Methuen, was dead on arrival at Lawrence General Hospital. Michael Larochelle, 36, of 2 Nightingale Court, Lawrence, also was taken to Lawrence General Hospital, but airlifted to New England Medical Center in Boston. His condition was unavailable last night. Police said there was a three-man crew from the 3ML Construction Co. of Lawrence working on the house at 28 Annis St. when they received 911 calls about two men falling off a roof at 1:47 p.m.


Truck driver identified as Riverton man in fatal Cove crash

December 22, Cache County, Utah - A semi truck jack-knifed in Cove Tuesday killing its 81-year-old driver, Cache County Sheriff's Officials say. Emergency crews responded to 1631 E. 12600 North on the report of the jack-knifed vehicle and found the driver, Daniel Newman of Riverton, unconscious and unresponsive, sheriff's officials said. The doors of the vehicle were locked and employees from a nearby business reportedly were able to break a window to get to Newman.


Owner shot dead in East Oak Cliff doughnut shop

December 22, Dallas, Texas - Two masked gunmen fatally shot a much-beloved doughnut shop owner shortly after he opened up his east Oak Cliff business Monday morning. Kee-Sun Chung died at the scene during a failed attempt to rob the store. He had been robbed twice before. No arrests have been made in the case. Authorities hope that surveillance camera video will lead them to the identity of the 46-year-old Chung's killers.


Tavern operator dies trying to save friends; other state briefs

Blanchardville, Wisconsin - The owner of a burned-out tavern in Blanchardville died while trying to save three others who were killed. Authorities said Daniel Hardekopf, 45, was found in a stairwell on the lower level of the three-story building and died later at a Monroe hospital. His girlfriend Jelayne Hughes, 44, was found on the second floor apartment level, along with two of the couple's mutual friends: Brian Monte, 34, and Cody Olson, 23. The fire was reported just after 3:20 a.m. Monday in a building that housed the Silver Dollar Saloon, which Hardekopf and Hughes operated. According to Wheeler News service, Monte and Olson were staying in the couple's apartment after a night of poker and watching football.


Workplace death at Seekonk trucking company probed

December 22, Seekonk, Massachusetts - An employee of a local trucking company has died in an apparent accident when he was fatally injured after being pinned between a forklift and cement barrier. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene after police received a call around 4:40 a.m. Monday to respond to Estes Express Lines. The company is located in the Industrial Park of Seekonk, at 10 Industrial Court, which is off Route 6. Officers attempted to resuscitate the victim, identified by Channel 12 as 44-year-old Emile Emond Jr., but were not able to revive him.


Paint inspector killed at DIA had 30 years of experience

December 12, Denver, Colorado - A paint inspector who fell to his death Saturday in a freak accident down a 40-foot shaft into a dark pool of water at Denver International Airport was a family man in Windsor who had more than 30 years of experience in the contracting business, according to family members. "Ben had a quirky sense of humor, was fun to be around and loved teasing kids," said his sister, Verva Enoch. "He was very dedicated to his wife and family and was a hard worker. He was open-hearted and a good, solid upstanding citizen." Benjamin Remley, 54, left behind a wife of 34 years, a married daughter in Denver and a son in the Navy who is stationed in Japan.


Man killed in bridge rollover

December 17, Alberta, California - An Edmonton man was killed when the semi truck he was driving went over a bridge and plunged into an icy river off Sundance Road on Dec. 17. Police are still investigating what happened. Edson RCMP Const. Peter Lavallee said that the truck was heading northbound and was approaching an oncoming vehicle on the narrow road. The other vehicle managed to turn off safely, but the truck driver was not able to stop in time and went over the bridge. Fire, police and ambulance crews were on scene for much of the day, as were Alberta Occupational Health and Safety officials.


Wlfd. employee dies during snowstorm Sunday

December 21, Wallingford, Connecticut - Donald Nygard, a 22-year town employee, died of a heart attack Sunday morning while clearing snow from the Wallingford Senior Center, according to Director of Public Works Henry McCully. "He was working with our snow removal crew at the Wallingford senior citizens center and apparently died of a heart attack," McCully said Monday. The Wallingford Fire Department responded to a report of an unresponsive person at the Wallingford Senior Center at 8:14 a.m., according to Captain Joseph Czentnar, and transported Nygard to MidState Medical Center in Meriden.


Oakland Security Guard Shot Dead

December 20, Oakland, California - Police in Oakland are searching for two gunmen who shot and killed a private security guard Friday night. It happened shortly after 7 p.m. at the AutoZone store on International Boulevard. Investigators say the deadly shooting came after the guard, Bounhom Manyvong got into a heated argument with the two men. One man fired three times, killing him. Robert Walker, who owns C&J Building maintenance, says Manyvong was a wonderful employee. ”He was a real good guy,” said Walker. “He lived out in west Oakland. He would come out and work for me after he left here.”


Man cooperated with robber but was shot anyway

December 17, St. Louis, Missouri - Police said a man, 67, arriving at work at the Smiley Urgent Care Center, 5535 Delmar Boulevard, handed his wallet and car keys to a gunman on the parking lot about 5:13 a.m. Wednesday but was shot anyway. He was reported to be in stable condition at a hospital with wounds in the chest and arm. The robber fled. Police said the victim was not able to provide a detailed description.


Trucker Killed; Suspects in Custody

December 16, Los Angeles, California - Two men are expected to be charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of a truck driver Wednesday morning as he drove onto the 10 Freeway, said Ontario police. Police said they captured the two suspects after they fled the scene. One was sniffed out of bushes near a car dealership by an Ontario police dog. Police say they don't yet know a motive, robbery obviously played a part. They say the suspected killers took the victim's wallet. The 52-year-old trucker managed to pull himself from his cab after he was shot. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.


United Cab Co. driver's murder leaves fellow cabbies wary of some neighborhoods

December 16, New Orleans, Louisiana - Mahyar Kasravi, one of their drivers, was shot and killed Dec. 8, 2009.Taxi driver Carlo Fiore was already reluctant to accept fares in certain New Orleans neighborhoods. The murder of his fellow United Cab Co. driver Mahyar Kasravi in the 7th Ward last week makes him leery of that neighborhood too. "I'd rather be safe ... than take a chance like that for money," said Fiore, idling on a recent afternoon in his taxi near Treme's Armstrong Park.


Widow of the Man Killed at Fosters Freeze Speaks Out

December 11, Atwater, California - The widow of David Ortiz is speaking out for the first time after her husband was shot to death at a Fosters Freeze in Atwater Tuesday Night. Joanna Ortiz says her husband of nearly 11 years was a loving family man, a hard working employee at a local RV dealer, and a math whiz. But she says it was his thoughtful nature that led the 33-year-old to the Fosters Freeze in Atwater the night he was murdered there.


Logs crush driver of logging truck

December 11, Delza, South Carolina - A 58-year-old Dalzell man driving a logging truck was killed Thursday afternoon after he apparently collided with a station wagon, ran off the road and was crushed in the cab by the displaced logs. Henry Ray Mathis, of 337 Fatback Road, died at 2:05 p.m. from massive trauma, said Sumter County Coroner Harvin Bullock. An autopsy will be performed today at Newberry Pathology Associates, he said.


County employee killed by oncoming vehicle

December 9, Lake Hamilton, Florida - Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies are investigating a traffic accident that claimed the life of a county road maintenance employee near Lake Hamilton on Wednesday morning. The accident happened at Jim Edwards Road and Hatchineha Road, according to Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Donna Wood. The Sheriff's Office identified the victim as Jimmy P. Justicee, 59, of Dickins Road in Lake Wales. The Sheriff's Office received the call about the accident at approximately 11:02 a.m., Wood said.


Mechanic killed on Mass Pike

December 10, Grafton, Massachusetts - A mechanic called to repair a disabled tractor-trailer on the Mass Pike was struck and killed by a passing truck around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. Mechanic Dennis Scott, 36, of Whitinsville, died after stopping to fix a broken down tractor-trailer. The driver of a tractor-trailer was in the breakdown lane on the westbound side of the highway when he called for a repair truck. Police said Scott was hit by a truck traveling in the right lane.


Bus driver from Denver killed

December 6, Denver, Colorado - The driver of a commercial bus died and five people remain hospitalized with non-lifethreatening injuries after it collided with an overturned tractor-trailer east of central Casper on northbound Interstate 25 early Saturday morning. David Bonner, 61, of Westminster, Colo., was driving a 1998 Setra motorcoach with 47 passengers on Arrow's daily route from Denver to Billings when it was approaching Casper at 1:36 a.m., said Bruce Neuharth, president and chief operating officer of the Omaha, Neb.-based Busco Inc., which does business as Arrow Stage Lines.


Coca-Cola Truck Driver Killed in Jersey Crash

December 5, Paramus, New Jersey - A Coke truck driver was killed when his rig rear-ended another tractor-trailer in Paramus Saturday morning. The Coca-Cola truck was headed south on Route 17 near Powers Drive at about 3:30 a.m. when the accident occurred, officials said. The weight of the Coke cans moved forward during the smash up and the cab of the truck was crushed from both directions. "We're still investigating," Paramus PD Deputy Chief Jim Sheehan told NBC New York. "The load definitely shifted -- a lot of it is on the highway right now."


Officer who dies in line of duty gets headstone

December 18, Springville, Utah - Levi Washington Davis, the first Springville law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty, has finally received a headstone at his grave. A ceremony was held Friday to honor Davis, who died after being shot during an 1860 gun battle with a suspect when he was a 24-year-old deputy marshal. Davis and others were dispatched to arrest horse thief and prison-escapee Jack Cole. Cole claimed he was going to surrender when they arrived, but instead opened fire and hit Davis. Both Davis and Cole died several days later.


School resource officer killed in tractor-trailer crash in Morris/Laurens

January 20, Ostego, Delaware - A tractor-trailer and a state police car collided on state Route 23, according to troopers. Multiple sources have confirmed that the trooper has died. The crash occurred at around 3 p.m. near the Morris/Laurens town line, and emergency dispatchers described it as resulting in serious personal injury. A call for extrication equipment was made to local fire departments. The highway was closed in that area and traffic was being rerouted around the scene. A 6½-year veteran of the state police, Trooper Jill E. Mattice, 31, was assigned to the Oneonta trooper barracks and worked as a school resource officer for Unadilla Valley Central School and Franklin Central School, according to troopers.


Port Authority officer killed on bridge

January 16, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A 16-year veteran of the Delaware River Port Authority Police Department died early Saturday as he rushed across the Walt Whitman Bridge to help another officer who was handling a car accident. At about 1:30 a.m. Saturday, Cpl. Christopher Milito, a 40-year-old who lived in Media, left his car in the 300 block of Packer Avenue and ran across the five-lane highway when a Nissan Altima driving east on the bridge hit him. Milito died at about 2 a.m. at Cooper University Hospital. Milito was not married and had no children, a DRPA spokesperson said.


State Trooper Shot, Killed, Suspect Found Dead

January 13, Cranberry, Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania state police believe a man fatally ambushed a state trooper responding to a domestic dispute, and also killed his wife before turning the gun on himself, investigators said Wednesday. Lt. Col. Lenny Bandy said a man police couldn't see yelled from a window as two troopers responded to a dispute at the home of Michael J. Smith, 44, shortly after 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. When the troopers yelled back for the man to present himself, a man they believe is Smith instead fired one shot, striking Trooper Paul G. Richey as he attempted to enter a side door, according to Bandy...Richey, 40, of Franklin, is survived by a wife and two young children.


Arlington police mourn motorcycle officer killed in the line of duty Wednesday

January 13, Arlington, Texas— A 34-year-old police officer running his lights and siren to pull over a speeding vehicle on South Cooper Street was killed early Wednesday in a collision with a school bus, police said. Officer Craig Gordon Story was pronounced dead at the scene in the 1800 block of South Cooper near the intersection with Lynda Lane. Witnesses said they heard a sound like an explosion and saw the motorcycle catch fire. The bus driver and nine passengers, ages 6-13, were taken to nearby Arlington High School, where investigators interviewed them, a school spokeswoman said.


Thousands remember slain Washington state deputy

December 28, Tacoma, Washington - Less than a month after law enforcement officers filled the Tacoma Dome for a memorial service for four of their own, they returned Tuesday for yet another sad ceremony for one of their colleagues. Thousands of officers from the Northwest and members of the public gathered to remember Pierce County sheriff's Deputy Kent Mundell, 44, of Puyallup. He died Dec. 28, the sixth law officer killed in two months in Pierce County and Seattle, days after he was shot by a drunken man at a home near Eatonville, 28 miles southeast of Tacoma.


Gunman, security officer killed in Las Vegas courthouse shooting


January 5, Las Vegas, Nevada - A 66-year-old retiree apparently upset over losing a lawsuit related to his Social Security benefits opened fire in a federal courthouse lobby Monday morning, killing one person and wounding another in a chaotic shootout. The gunman, identified by law enforcement sources as Johnny Lee Wicks, died from gunshot wounds after fleeing across the street as court officers returned fire. Stanley W. Cooper, a 72-year-old court security officer, was killed in the minutes-long gun battle.


Trooper killed as snow, ice make for dangerous Christmas driving

December 26, St. Louis, Missouri — A Christmas blast of winter weather led to dozens of stranded motorists and accidents on Friday, including one that killed a state trooper who was responding to another crash. Missouri Highway Patrol Cpl. Dennis Engelhard, 49, was on the scene of a minor accident on Interstate 44 near Eureka when he was struck by an SUV that lost control on the westbound section of the highway. Engelhard, a 10-year veteran, was hit while walking to the back of his patrol car to retrieve an item from his trunk.


Memorial For SFPD Officer Killed By Suspect

December 22, San Fransisco, California - San Francisco police will hold a memorial vigil at the Taraval police station tonight to honor police Officer Bryan Tuvera, who was killed while pursuing an escaped felon in 2006. Tuvera, 28, a four-year veteran who worked out of the Taraval station, attempted to take 33-year-old Marlon Ruff into custody on the night of Dec. 22, 2006. Tuvera chased him into the garage of a Sunset District home, where Ruff then shot and killed Tuvera. Ruff, who had escaped from a Northern California state correctional work camp in 2005, was struck by return fire from a second officer and then fatally shot himself.


Officer killed in chase was devoted family man

January 25, Phoenix, Arizona - Chris Marano committed his life to serving his country and keeping his community safe. A thief Thursday night took that life away, authorities say. The Department of Public Safety officer was struck and killed on Loop 101 by another DPS officer. Marano had just set out a spike strip to stop a motorist fleeing police. The motorist veered to avoid it. The officer in pursuit hit Marano. Marano was a 28-year-old married father of four. The motorist was a 43-year-old Phoenix woman with a record of theft and fleeing from police. She was driving a car with a stolen license plate, authorities said.


Arrested SF Cabbie Attacker Left Cell Phone In Cab

January 13, San Fransisco, California - A source told KTVU Wednesday that the man arrested by San Francisco police for a brutal cab driver robbery and stabbing that left the victim hospitalized had left his cell phone in the vehicle. San Francisco police issued a press release Wednesday afternoon that announced the arrest of 26-year-old Pittsburg resident Bruce Griffin for the attack. The suspect was taken into custody at Post and Larkin streets at 1:40 A.M. The attack happened at about 7:15 p.m. Monday in the 200 block of States Street. Griffin, who was a passenger in a new Regents Cab SUV, allegedly beat the cabbie, 53-year-old Balvinder Singh, and stabbed him several times in the face and the chest before robbing him, police said.


Taxi driver killed by pick-up truck in Nutley was a Paterson man

December 29, Nutley, New Jersey - A taxi driver who was hit by a pick-up truck in Nutley and killed Tuesday morning was identified as 42-year-old Jose Jimenez from Paterson, police said.


Plant farm worker dies in accident

January 22, Jacksonville, Tennessee - An employee at Sessions Plant Farm in New Summerfield died in an industrial accident about 8:30 a.m. Thursday, Police Chief Paul Hammack said. “This fellow was working by himself around a machine,” Hammack said. “He went into the machine for some reason and went to do something when his right arm was severed. It sucked him into the machine by his jacket.” Hammack said someone nearby heard him scream a single time and rushed to hit the power switch, but it was too late. “He was pronounced dead by Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Vera Foreman at 8:43 a.m.,” Hammack said. He said the man’s last name is Guadalupe Lara Vera, about 56 years old, and he is a worker from Mexico. Hammack also said he was carrying his brother’s identification card at the time of the accident.


Kentucky miner dies in Leslie County mine accident

January 23, Frankfort, Kentucky — A miner was killed in an accident at the Abner Branch mine in Leslie County, Kentucky on Friday, officials said. The Bledsoe Coal Company worker, who worked as a continuous miner operator, was struck and killed by a rib roll early this morning, a spokeswoman for the state’s Energy and Environment Cabinet said. A rib roll occurs when the coal pillar block, which supports the mine roof, has layers of coal that is divided by a rock seam. When the coal pillar gives way it releases portions of the pillar of coal and rock. The miner died after being hit by this debris. Officials from the Kentucky Office of Mine Safety and Licensing are investigating the incident. The mine will remain closed until a site investigation and interviews are complete.


Worker dies after accident at Va paper plant

January 22, Lynchburg, Virgina — A worker at International Paper's Lynchburg plant has died from injuries suffered in an accident. Lynchburg police say 39-year-old Jerry Wayne Evans of Forest was operating heavy equipment when the accident occurred early Friday. He later died at a local hospital. Details of the accident weren't immediately available Friday. An investigation is continuing.


One worker killed, another injured at wastewater pipe construction site

January 23, Plano, Texas - An unidentified employee of an Melissa excavation company was killed and another was injured in an accident on a job site Thursday. A crew from Davis Excavation was working on a wastewater pipeline Thursday morning on Airport Road, just south of the U.S. 380 intersection at the time of the accident. The two affected workers were taken to a nearby hospital where one passed away from their injuries, city of McKinney and North Texas Water Municipal District officials said.


Worker identified in trench collapse

January 22, Dallas, Texas - The construction worker who died after a partial trench collapse on Thursday in McKinney as been identified as Jose Perez, 21, of Dallas. The cause of death was blunt force injuries, according to the Collin County medical examiner's office. Perez was killed while working on a wastewater pipeline project for the North Texas Municipal Water District on Airport Road near U.S. Highway 380. He was employed by Davis Excavation. Another worker injured in the collapse is expected to recover.


Worker killed in fall at refinery

Jannuary 22, Houston, Texas - A worker died after an apparent fall at the LyondellBasell plant this morning. According to spokesperson Erin Wood, the worker was in the northeast corner of the plant at about 8:30am when he apparently fell. It is an area of the plant where there are different structures 80 to 100 feet tall, but it wasn't a working area of the plant. The victim, who was fatally injured, was taken by ambulance to Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center. The name, age and gender of the victim have not been released. Plant operations were not affected by the incident.