Trooper Gerald Wayne Ellis
Illinois State Police, Illinois
Born: January 10, 1983
End of Watch: Saturday, March 30, 2019
Age: 36
Years of Service: 11 years
Badge: 6038
Military Veteran
Trooper Gerald Ellis was killed in a vehicle collision involving a wrong-way driver at 3:25 am. He was traveling westbound when he observed another vehicle traveling eastbound in the westbound lanes. He moved over two lanes of traffic and intentionally collided with the vehicle, preventing it from hitting another car containing a family that was traveling in the same lane. He was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries.
Trooper Ellis was a US Army Veteran. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, parents and brother.
Trooper Brooke Jones-Story
Illinois State Police, Illinois
Born: March 03, 1985
End of Watch: Thursday, March 28, 2019
Age: 34
Years of Service: 12 years
Badge: 5966
Trooper Brooke Jones-Story was struck and killed by a tractor-trailer while conducting a traffic stop. She had stopped another tractor-trailer and was conducting an inspection when another truck ran off the road, striking her patrol car which was thrusted into her and the truck she was inspecting.
She is survived by her husband.
Deputy Sheriff Peter Herrera
El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Texas
Born: December 12, 1983
End of Watch: Sunday, March 24, 2019
Age: 35
Years of Service: 11 years
Badge: 4928
Deputy Sheriff Peter Herrera died from wounds he sustained when he was shot after pulling a vehicle over. He had stopped the vehicle for a registration violation. He approached the car and asked the driver to step out. When the driver stepped out of the vehicle, he fired 15 rounds, striking the Deputy multiple times before he even had a chance to draw his own weapon.
The occupants of the vehicle fled the scene but it stalled out several blocks away. They then fled on foot but were located and apprehended a short time later by responding deputies. The driver was charged with first-degree murder. He was taken to the local hospital where he died from his wounds two days later.
He is survived by his wife.
Police Officer Paul Thomas Rutherford
Phoenix Police Department, Arizona
Born: May 1, 1967
End of Watch: Thursday, March 21, 2019
Age: 51
Years of Service: 23 years
Badge: 6403
Military Veteran
Police Officer Paul Rutherford was stuck and killed by a vehicle at 8:30 am. He was at the scene of an earlier accident when a call involving an armed subject was dispatched at a location across the street. He was attempting to cross the street to respond to the call when he was struck by a vehicle. He was transported to the local hospital where he died a short time later.
Officer Rutherford was a US Air Force veteran. He served in the Philippines, Korea, Alaska, California, and Arizona until 1995. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Deputy Sheriff Ryan Shane Thompson
Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, Washington
Born: August 24, 1976
End of Watch: Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Age: 42
Years of Service: 12 years
Badge: 35
Deputy Sheriff Ryan Thompson was shot and killed following a vehicle pursuit at approximately 7:45 pm. He had responded to a traffic complaint about a road rage incident and tried to stop the vehicle. The driver fled and exited the interstate where a city officer joined the pursuit. The vehicle then came to a stop. The driver fired at the officers, fatally wounding Deputy Thompson and wounding the other officer. The subject was killed in the return fire.
He is survived by his wife, children, parents and siblings.
Corporal Daniel H. Groves
Colorado State Patrol, Colorado
Born: 1967
End of Watch: Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Age: 52
Years of Service: 12 years
Badge: Not Available
Corporal Daniel Groves was struck and killed by a vehicle during a blizzard. He was assisting a driver who had slid off the road when another vehicle, which was traveling too fast for the weather conditions, also slid off the road and struck him at 11:20 am. He was transported to the hospital where he died from his injuries a short time later.
Deputy Sheriff Jacob Howard Keltner
McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, IL
Born: Not Available
End of Watch: Thursday, March 7, 2019
Age: 35
Years of Service: 13 years
Badge: Not Available
Deputy Sheriff Jacob Keltner was shot and killed when he and other members of the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force attempted to serve an arrest warrant in Rockford, Illinois. They were attempting to arrest the man at 9:15 am when he open fired with a rifle, striking the woman who was staying with him. The man then exited the room and open fired on the officers standing outside.
The man then fled from the hotel and led the officers on pursuit that lasted over 150 miles. The vehicle became disabled and the subject was taken into custody after barricading himself inside for several hours.
Deputy Keltner was transported to the local hospital where he died approximately six hours after being shot.
He is survived by his wife, two children, father and brother who work in DuPage County law enforcement, and other family members.
Police Officer Nathan Hayden Heidelberg
Midland Police Department, Texas
Born: December 2, 1990
End of Watch: Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Age: 28
Years of Service: 5 years
Badge: 180
Police Officer Nathan Heidelberg was shot and killed while responding to a burglary alarm at a residence. Officer Heidelberg, a probationary officer he was training, and two other officers responded to an alarm at 2:30 am. They were entering the residence and identifying themselves when the homeowner open fired at the officers. Officer Heidelberg was struck above his vest. He was transported to the hospital and died at 8:30 am. The homeowner in question was arrested and charged with manslaughter.
He is survived by his parents, siblings, nieces and nephews and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.