Officer Gregory John Bailey
California Highway Patrol California
Officer Gregory Bailey was struck and killed by a drunk driver while conducting a traffic stop on I-15 in Hesperia.
He had approached the stopped vehicle on the passenger side to speak with the driver. As he did so, another vehicle traveled onto the shoulder at a high rate of speed and struck Officer Bailey's motorcycle, the stopped vehicle, and the officer.
The vehicle struck with such force that the stopped vehicle was pushed back into the freeway and overturned. All three parties were flown to a local hospital where Officer Bailey succumbed to his injuries. The suspected drunk driver was taken into custody at the hospital and charged with felony driving under the influence.
Officer Bailey was a veteran of the California National Guard and had just returned from serving a tour of duty in Iraq during the War on Terrorism. He had served with the California Highway Patrol for 10 years, and was assigned to the Rancho Cucamonga office. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, two sons, and parents.
Deputy Sheriff Pierre Walter Bain
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department California
45 year old Deputy Pierre Bain was killed in a motorcycle accident when he was attempting to pull over a speeding motorist.
Deputy Bain was following a speeding car at approximately 1730 hours when he entered the intersection of Avenue K and 20th Street on a green light. A car alongside him veered into his lane. Deputy Bain swerved to avoid the car, but the car just nipped the motorcycle, causing it to crash. The motorcycle hit a tree, and Deputy Bain was thrown off the bike and into another tree, then into another, and suffered massive injuries. He was transported to Antelope Valley Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
On March 23rd, 2007, a park in Lancaster, at Avenue I and Fifth Street East, was renamed the Pierre W. Bain park.
The driver who struck Deputy Bain was charged with vehicular manslaughter. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to appear at court to face the charges in April 2007. In August 2008 he was convicted of involuntary manslaughter.
Deputy Bain had served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 14 years and was assigned to the Lancaster station. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, and his parents.
Patrolman T. Micheal Byrd
Pascagoula Police Department Mississippi
Patrolman Byrd 26, was killed in a motorcycle accident while on patrol in Pascagoula at approximately 0800 hours.
He was thrown from his motorcycle and then struck by a passing truck. He was transported to Singing River Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Patrolman Byrd had served with the Pascagoula Police Department for 5.5 years. He is survived by his wife and child.
Deputy Sheriff Donald Ellis Wass
Washington County Sheriff's Office Texas
Deputy Wass 35 was killed in a motorcycle accident while en route to the department headquarters. A speeding vehicle entered his lane and struck his motorcycle head-on.
Six years earlier, in December 2000, Deputy Wass arrested the murderer of Deputy Barrett Hill, of the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Deputy Wass had served with the agency for 10 years. He was survived by his wife, child, parents, and a brother.
Police Officer Robert Daniel Targosz
Gilbert Police Department Arizona
Officer Rob Targosz died from injuries received the previous day when his motorcycle was struck by a drunk driver.
The collision occurred when the drunk driver passed several stopped cars and ran a red light at the intersection of Price Road and Apache Boulevard. After the collision, the driver and a passenger both fled the scene. The driver was later captured and the passenger was taken into custody after returning to the scene.
The officer was taken to Scottsdale Osborne Healthcare Hospital where he died in surgery at approximately 1:30 am. Officer Targosz had served with the Gilbert Police Department for 12 years. He is survived by his wife.
Deputy Sheriff Charles Aubrey Fisher
Portsmouth Sheriff's Office Virginia
Deputy Charles Fisher 52, succumbed to injuries sustained the previous day when he was involved in a motorcycle accident on the ramp from Portsmouth Boulevard to I-264. A passing motorist used Deputy Fisher's radio to call for assistance. He was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the following day. Deputy Fisher was en route to escort a funeral procession when he was involved in the single-vehicle crash. He was kept on life support after being pronounced dead so his organs could be donated.
Deputy Fisher was a US Navy veteran. He had served as a full-time deputy for 4 months and had previously served as an auxiliary deputy for 9 years. He is survived by his wife, two children, three grandchildren, mother, and three siblings.
Police Officer Phoenix M. Braithwaite
Haines City Police Department Florida
Officer Braithwaite 24, was struck and killed by a vehicle while en route to the department headquarters. His motorcycle was struck head-on by a vehicle that was attempting to pass a truck.
The driver of the other vehicle was convicted of driving without a license and causing serious bodily injury or death and sentenced to seven and half years incarceration. The suspect still faces a charge of leaving the scene of an accident for the collision that killed Officer Braithwaite.
Officer Braithwaite had served with the agency for 1 year. He was survived by his wife and child.
Corporal Christopher Metternich
Baton Rouge City Police Department Louisiana
Corporal Christopher Metternich was killed in a motorcycle accident at the intersection of Sherwood Forest Boulevard and Newcastle Avenue.
He had just completed an accident investigation and was leaving the scene when he collided into the side of a vehicle where the driver made a left hand turn in front of him.
In February 2007 the driver who caused the accident was convicted of negligent homicide and driving while intoxicated. She was sentenced to 5 years probation in a plea deal approved by Corporal Metternich's family.
Corporal Metternich had served with the Baton Rouge Police Department for 7 years. He is survived by his wife, 6-month-old daughter, 9-year-old stepson, mother, and sister.
Police Officer Dennis Shuck
Cheyenne Police Department Wyoming
Officer Dennis Shuck succumbed to injuries sustained two days earlier when his department motorcycle collided with a pickup truck as he attempted to stop a traffic violator.
Prior to the collision, he had activated his emergency equipment as he attempted to pass the pickup truck on the right. The truck driver also attempted to move into the right lane and struck the motorcycle.
Officer Shuck was transported to a local hospital where he remained in critical condition until succumbing to his injuries.
Officer Shuck was a US Air Force and National Guard veteran. He had served with the Cheyenne Police Department for 12 years. Officer Shuck, a widower, was engaged to be remarried and is survived by his son, daughter, and six grandchildren.
A Personal Note: I live in Cheyenne Wyoming and am going to be a part of the motor unit here next summer. I was inspired to be a motor officer by a man named Dennis Shuck. He was part of the Cheyenne Police Department and the Larimie County Sheriffs before that. He got into law enforcement after retiring from the Air Force. Just after 8:15 on the morning of the 21st of August officer Shuck was struck by pickup and thrown 20 - 30 feet. He was chasing a speeder on his police issue Honda through a dangerous and oddly shaped intersection. Whether the driver did not see him or was trying to get out
of the way is unknown. Officer Shuck died about an hour later at United Medical Center West in Cheyenne. The memorial service was set at the convention center where there was standing room only. On the stage was a police issue Harley. He will be missed by his family and the community as a whole. Gregg Smith
Officer Kevin Louis Weeks
Tempe Police Department Arizona
Officer Kevin Weeks 28 died after crashing his police motorcycle on the Loop 101 near Broadway.
Officer Weeks entered the freeway at the University ramp, where he ran into some railroad ties in the roadway and flipped his motorcycle at about 4:15 am. The railroad ties were part of construction debris from an adjoining light rail project. The accident occurred under a bridge where visibility was very limited. He was taken to a Scottsdale hospital after the crash and died shortly thereafter. Officer Weeks was a 7 year veteran of the department. He is survived by his parents, sister, and girlfriend.
Officer Steve Bastidas Favela
Honolulu Police Department Hawaii
Officer Steve Favela succumbed to injuries sustained five days earlier in a motorcycle accident on O'Malley Boulevard, at Hickam Air Force Base, while escorting the motorcade of President George W. Bush.
The motorcade passed over a rain-slicked section of pavement, causing Officer Favela and two other motor officers to go into a slide. Officer Favela suffered severe internal injuries as a result of the incident and remained in critical condition until succumbing to his injuries. The other two officers sustained non-life threatening injuries. Officer Favela had served with the Honolulu Police Department for 8 years. He is survived by his wife, daughter, and three sons.