It can be hard to keep up with all of the news that occurs on daily basis. Because of this, the Officer.com staff presents the "Quickfire Weekly Recap."
Here are some of the stories you may have missed that ran on our site this week:
Weekend (July 12-14)
A Killeen, Texas police officer was fatally shot and another was wounded on Saturday after a gunman opened fire on them with an AK-47.
Officer Robert Hornsby, 32, was killed and Officer Juan E. Obregon Jr., 33, was hospitalized in stable condition after they responded to a disturbance call around 11:40 p.m. at the Grandon Manor Apartments.
Jurors found former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old black teenager Trayvon Martin late Saturday night.
The six-member, all-woman jury deliberated for more than 15 hours over two days before reaching their verdict.
A new Missouri state law makes it harder for municipalities to fire police chiefs unless there is misconduct, insubordination, violation of a written policy or a felony committed.
The law, which takes effect Aug. 28, says police chiefs must be given written notice at least 10 business days before a governing board's meeting seeking a termination.
The Milwaukee Police Association, which represents the city's rank and file police officers, has asked a judge to force the city to obey a new law allowing public employees to move out of the city and stop enforcing the old rule.
Monday (July 15)
Demonstrations large and small broke out across the country as protesters decried the not guilty verdict in the trail of George Zimmerman.
Around the same time, the Justice Department revealed that it is looking into the shooting death of Trayvon Martin to determine whether federal prosecutors will file criminal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman. Attorney General Eric Holder called the killing of Trayvon Martin a "tragic, unnecessary shooting," and said the Justice Department will follow "the facts and the law" during its review.
Sen. Charles Schumer is lobbying for New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to take over the Department of Homeland Security Secretary vacated recently by Janet Napolitano.
Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, the notoriously brutal leader of the feared Zetas drug cartel, was captured before dawn.
It's the first major blow against an organized crime leader by a Mexican administration struggling to drive down high levels of violence.
Tuesday (July 16)
After experiencing violent protests following the acquittal of George Zimmerman LAPD officials said that patrols would be boosted to insure the disturbances did not continue.
The beefed up presence did the job as protests eased that night.
Two Lakeland, Fla. police officers resigned in a sex scandal that has rocked the department after two other officers were fired the previous day.
Sgts. Rusty Longaberger and David Woolverton were terminated, while Lt. Albert Wilson and Officer George Vidal quit. All four men were named in a report alleging that up to 10 officers had sexual contact with a female crime analyst over the past seven years.
An NYPD officer recounted in court how he feared for his life after being shot by a teenager during a shootout inside a Brooklyn apartment building in 2010.
Officer Ricardo Ramirez testified that he was chasing Elijah Foster-Bey up a stairwell when the teen ran up to a locked door, then turned and pointed his gun at him.
Wednesday (July 17)
A House committee moved to eliminate funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services program.
COPS, slated to get $440 million in President Barack Obama's budget, would instead get "zeroed out" in a spending bill to fund the DOJ for the upcoming 2014 budget year.
The use of license plate scanners has drawn opposition from the ACLU, but law enforcement officials say the devices are a crucial part of the job.
The scanners can help track suspicious cars, aid in drug busts and find abducted children.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder pledged $10 million to the Puerto Rican government as part of a deal to reform the territory's police agency.
Puerto Rico's police have long been accused of illegal killings, corruption and civil rights violations.
Thursday (July 18)
A Massachusetts State Police photographer released images of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev during his capture as a response to a Rolling Stone cover he believes glamorizes the teen.
Sgt. Sean Murphy found himself in hot water after the photos were published by the Boston Magazine because he wasn't authorized to release them and faces a hearing ahead of an investigation.
The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that police seeking to locate a criminal suspect by tracking cellphone calls must first obtain a warrant.
The unanimous decision said use of cellphone tracking technology had the potential to violate a person's privacy rights and must be subject to judicial review.
A federal appeals court in Manhattan revived enforcement of a law that permits the indefinite detention of people suspected of supporting terrorists.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the ruling Wednesday in a lawsuit challenging the law that allows the U.S. government to detain anyone who "substantially" or "directly" provides "support" to radical forces, such as al-Qaida or the Taliban.
Friday (July 20)
The Ford Motor Co. unveiled a new surveillance system for police cars that detects someone approaching the vehicle from behind.
The system automatically sounds a chime, locks the doors and puts up the windows if it detects someone approaching the car from behind. The system is the first of its kind.
Vice President Joe Biden rallied support from law enforcement officials for Senate immigration legislation; arguing that a sweeping new law would help public safety.
The bill would boost border security and provide a path to citizenship for immigrants who are in the country illegally.
