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 19-21)
A Mississippi officer was fatally struck Saturday while removing debris from a highway.
Jackson Police Officer Bruce Jacobs was loading a barbeque grill he moved from the road in his trunk when a motorist struck him and his vehicle from behind. The five-year veteran of the department was transported to the University of Mississippi Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.
On Friday, President Obama addressed the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin in the White House briefing room.
During his speech, the President hinted that the Justice Department is unlikely to charge Zimmerman with violating the black teen's civil rights, despite intense pressure from the NAACP and others.
The 'Stand Your Ground' law that played a role in the trial is most likely here to stay for Florida and the at least 22 states that have similar laws.
Many of the states, which are primarily conservative and pro-gun, aren't expected to repeal or change the laws, which generally eliminate a person's duty to retreat in the face of a serious physical threat.
Police officers in Lawrence, Mass. likely saved the life of a 30-year-old woman they talked down from a crane on Sunday.
The woman was threatening to kill herself while standing on top of the construction crane with a bucket 30 feet in the air.
Monday (July 22)
A Las Vegas Metro police officer was killed while helping hoist a stranded hiker to a rescue helicopter at night.
Officer David Vanbuskirk, a 14-year veteran of the department, became detached from the line and fell to his death.
An East Cleveland, Ohio man was charged with aggravated murder after three bodies wrapped in trash bags were found over the weekend.
Police responded to the home of 35-year-old Michael Madison after receiving a call and brought him into custody following a standoff.
With an aging arsenal of pistols, the St. Louis police union and department officials are debating the need for higher-powered weapons.
Beretta has stopped making the 9 mm semi-automatic they've been carrying for more than a decade and the Police Officers' Association has lobbied for the larger .40-caliber pistols.
With funding possibly being an issue, the union also is pushing to allow officers to use personally owned rifles on duty. Police Chief Sam Dotson said allowing officers to carry their own rifles is a "terrible idea," and that the union should propose ways to reduce the need for officer-involved shootings rather than simply ask for bigger guns.
Dennis Farina, who served with the Chicago Police Department for 18 years before turning to acting, died at the age of 69.
Farina played a TV cop on "Law & Order" and was known as a character actor who displayed remarkable dexterity when it came to taking on different roles.
Tuesday (July 23)
An Orlando police officer was wounded in a shootout and two suspects were arrested following a manhunt.
Officer Jason Hajek, 25, underwent surgery after being shot in the abdomen below his protective vest and was expected to be released from the hospital later this week.
A 17-year-old in North Texas, who authorities were trying to arrest in the death of a 6-year-old girl found wrapped in a tarp three weeks earlier, opened fire, seriously wounding an officer.
Arlington Police Detective Charles Lodatto suffered non-life threatening injuries in the shooting, and the suspect, Tyler Holder, was shot in the head and transported to a local hospital.
A Massachusetts State Police trooper who leaked photos of the arrest of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was disciplined, but isn't expected to be fired.
State Police Superintendent Timothy Alben said that Sgt. Sean Murphy broke protocol and will face discipline, but his termination isn't likely.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed the most ambitious plan proposed in years for oversight of the NYPD.
The long-expected veto puts the proposals on course for their possible revival in an override vote later this summer. The measures passed by the City Council would create an outside watchdog for the police department and allow for more latitude for lawsuits claiming discriminatory policing.
Wednesday (July 24)
A New York State Police trooper died Wednesday of injuries he suffered more than two years ago while assisting at the scene of a plane crash in the town of Wawayanda.
Trooper Winston Martindale Jr. was helping with the rescue attempt after two small phanes collided on May 6, 2011 when he fell on a piece of equipment, causing internal bleeding to his abdomen. He underwent several serious medical procedures before dying at the age of 40 on at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
A gang member convicted of killing two undercover NYPD officers in 2003 was sentenced to death.
It took a jury only about five hours to reach the decision in the case against Ronell Wilson, whose previous death sentence was overturned.
Detectives Rodney Andrews and James Nemorin were shot execution-style by Wilson during an undercover buy and bust operation on March 10, 2003.
An Orange County, Calif. deputy pulled a man from a burning car seconds before it burst into flames earlier in the month, and officials have released dashcam video of the rescue.
Deputy Shayne Stiefel was patrolling Yorba Linda in the early morning hours of July 18 when they spotted a burning minivan taxi that had crashed into a pole.
Thursday (July 25)
Albuquerque's police chief faced harsh criticism after making comments about extramarital affairs among his officers.
Police Chief Ray Schultz faced told a television reporter that it's all "nature at play" when asked about the mistresses and "officers carrying on with officers" revealed in the recent murder trial of former Officer Levi Chavez.
Schultz had already planned to step down from his posted next week.
Six years after a deadly home invasion in Cheshire, Conn., officials are still refusing to answer questions about the emergency response.
Two paroled burglars broke into the Cheshire home on July 23, 2007, and killed Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her two daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11, after holding them hostage for hours.
The police chief of Gilberton, Pa. has come under scrutiny for a series of profanity-laced videos he posted to YouTube.
In one video, Police Chief Mark Kessler fires a weapon and screams, "Come and get it!"
Friday (July 26)
The man who held three women captive in his Cleveland home and subjected them to rapes and beatings for a decade, pleaded guilty in a deal to avoid the death penalty.
In exchange for his plea, prosecutors recommended Ariel Castro be sentenced to life without parole plus 1,000 years.
Atlanta Police Chief George Turner planned to officially introduce the Path Force Unit, which gives the Atlanta Beltline its own police force.
The new unit -- funded by a $1.8 million federal grant -- has been patrolling for the last month on the biking and pedestrian trail. It will replace other officers who have been assigned there to calm citizen fears after several high-profile crimes near the paths.
