Rapid City police officer James Ryan McCandless was killed recently during an event that began as a routine stop. Two other police officers were injured during the same confrontation, according to a recent article in the Rapid City Journal.
The three officers were patrolling a neighborhood in North Rapid on a recent afternoon when they briefly stopped a group of four young men. The officers talked to the group for a few minutes before one of the young men pulled out a gun and began shooting. One of the officers managed to shoot back, wounding the gunman, who is currently being treated for his injuries at Rapid City Regional Hospital. The three officers were also transported to the same hospital, where Officer McCandless was pronounced dead. His fellow officers required surgery and remain in critical condition, according to a hospital spokesperson.
Police are not releasing the name or description of the suspect until they have investigated the case thoroughly. Preliminary reports indicate the suspected shooter is approximately 20 years old and may have a Native American background. The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office and the state Division of Criminal Investigation are working together to determine what happened to make what seemed like an ordinary part of an officer’s day end in tragedy.
The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Sevenish Law Firm go out to Officer McCandless’ loved ones and the families and friends of his fellow officers who were also injured. As a former Indiana police officer, I understand what our officers face every day on the streets and the profound sense of loss to the community when an officer is killed. That’s why I fight to represent injured officers and their families.
Terre Haute police officer Brent Long lost his life recently while helping the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force serve an arrest warrant on a probation violation suspect, according to a recent news report from WIBC.
Officers who were also at the scene report that the law enforcement team had knocked on the door of an apartment on North 8th Street, believing the suspect was inside. When the suspect did not come out of the apartment, Officer Long and his K-9 partner Shadow, along with several other officers, entered the apartment. Shots rang out, and the officers who had remained outside ran into the apartment to find that Officer Long, Shadow, and the suspect were all suffering from gunshot wounds. The K-9, Shadow, is recovering from his injuries at a local veterinary hospital, but unfortunately, Officer Long’s injuries proved fatal.
The suspect also died of his injuries. Police are waiting for the results of an autopsy to determine whether the suspect was shot by one of the officers or turned his own gun on himself.
The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Sevenish Law Firm are with Officer Long’s family and friends during this difficult time. As a former Indiana police officer, I understand the risks our officers face every day, and I know the price the entire community pays when an officer is lost or injured in the line of duty. That’s why our practice is devoted to representing injured public safety officers and their families when another person’s negligence is responsible for the harm caused.
On August 18, 2009, Deputy Sheriff James Awbrey of Parke County, Indiana was severely injured when his patrol car was struck by another vehicle. The injury left Deputy Awbrey paralyzed from the waist down. With additional therapy, the deputy’s doctors believe that he might be able to walk again – but additional therapy requires Deputy Awbrey and his family to purchase a quadriciser, which will cost them $14,500.
Recognizing that the deputy and his family are already facing extensive medical costs, the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) is offering each of us the chance to contribute to the purchase of this necessary medical equipment by participating in an online charity trivia game. If 2,383 people join in the trivia game, the ISA will have raised all the money needed to purchase a quadriciser, which gives Deputy Awbrey the chance to walk again. You can visit http://www.charitygamesonline.org between now and May 15 to play.
As a former Indiana police officer, I know firsthand what risks officers like Deputy Awbrey face every day in the field. When an officer is injured or killed in the line of duty, the family, the police force, and the community all suffer the loss. I often fight for police officers in the courts as an experienced Indiana police officer accident attorney, but winning a lawsuit doesn’t guarantee a paralyzed officer will ever walk again. Let’s take this chance to show Deputy Awbrey and his family how much we respect and appreciate his service by joining the game at charitygamesonline.org.
In 1970, Fountain City, Indiana lost two police officers in the line of duty: Town Marshal Donald Goodwin and Deputy Marshal William Peters. On Sunday, June 7 that year, the two men were on the track of two people who were suspected of committing burglary in Kentucky. Both officers, however, lost their lives in a gun fight that night. The men were brothers-in-law as well as fellow officers.
Fountain City police eventually captured Kenneth Francis and Shirley Blevins, who were both convicted of the murders of Town Marshal Goodwin and Deputy Marshal Peters. Currently, one of the two is serving a double life sentence for the murders; the other is serving a single life sentence. Both Francis and Blevins were denied parole in 2006.
In May 2011, however, Francis and Blevins will each have another parole hearing, at which a judge will determine whether one or both of them can be released from prison. Although parolees have to meet strict requirements as to their behavior and account for their whereabouts, parole is not right for every convicted prisoner. Petitions are currently circulating to ask the parole judge to ensure that Francis and Blevins cannot harm another person by keeping both in prison.
As a former Indiana police officer, I know first-hand the danger Indiana’s police officers walk into each day, and I have the utmost respect for those who pay the ultimate price in the service of their families, towns, and communities. That’s why I focus on representing officers and their families when an injury or death occurs.
An Indianapolis police officer who was shot early Sunday morning, January 23 during a traffic stop succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday, January 26, according to NPR. The 29-year-old officer had been on life support since the incident in which he received two shots to the face, one which narrowly missed his spinal cord; another shot to his thigh, and one more to his torso that his bulletproof vest was able to stop. Medical professionals at the hospital where the officer was taken stated that his injuries were too severe to survive, and the man was taken off life support Wednesday morning. He had been on life support since the incident.
Now, a 60-year-old ex-convict who was released from prison in October of 2009 has been accused of the shooting. The man has an extensive record of criminal activity that dates back to 1984, including theft, burglary, misdemeanor battery, and cocaine possession. He is being held in custody without bond. His parole in October came after a 1,000-day prison sentence for theft. The man was considered to be “low-risk” and was due to report to his parole officer in February. A judge has given prosecutors until this Friday to file official charges against the ex-convict for the shooting. The man’s parole officer was suspended after it was discovered they failed to perform monthly checks to determine whether the ex-convict had been arrested, and also failed to enter the convict’s information into a national database.
As a former SWAT commander and police captain, I would like to extend my condolences on behalf of my law firm to the family and friends of this brave Indianapolis police officer. This tragic event is a reminder that tomorrow is never guaranteed. May the memory and courage of this young officer be long remembered by the Indianapolis police department as well as all who knew him.
