Officer.com Top 20 Most-Viewed News Stories of 2020
The year of 2020 has come to an end, and while most of us would like to soon forget the year that was, the editorial staff of Officer.com has complied a list of the 20 most-viewed news stories posted to the site over the past 12 months.
Firefighters in Hingham said they won't comply with an order from the police and fire chiefs to take "thin blue line" flags off firetrucks, and have asked them to reconsider the decision. The flags were originally purchased to show support to the police department after the 2018 killing of Weymouth Police Sgt. Michael Chesna. The flags were eventually taken down, but would then go on a tour around the state.
2. HEROES Act Would Create Federal Tax Holiday for First Responders
The Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Emergency Situations, or HEROES Act of 2020 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, April 3. The bill would have created a federal tax holiday for individuals working to combat the coronavirus crisis. The House would pass the bill, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to bring the HEROES Act to the Senate floor, arguing that it was too large and contained too many provisions unrelated to the coronavirus.
3. North Dakota Police Officer Killed in Shootout Identified
The Grand Forks Police Department confirmed in May that 29-year-old Officer Cody Holte died from injuries sustained in a shootout in Grand Forks. Grand Forks County Sheriff's Cpl. Ron Nord, who was also injured by gunfire, was discharged from the hospital.
4. Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Shot and Killed
Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Joseph Bullock was fatally wounded in the line of duty while assisting the public on I-95 in Martin County in February.
5. Pennsylvania Police Officer Dies Inside Station While On Duty
Chester City Police Officer Bronelle Barrett Lee died suddenly in March while on duty at the police station. She became unresponsive inside the station around 7:16 a.m. when Crozer-Chester EMS was called.
6. Two Honolulu Police Officers Fatally Shot
Honolulu police officers Tiffany Enriquez and Kaulike Kalama were fatally shot in January after a man opened fire after stabbing his landlord as she sought to evict him.
7. Beverly Hills Police Chief Retires Following Lawsuits
Beverly Hills Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli announced her retirement in April, marking the end of a rocky tenure that saw the city pay out millions to settle lawsuits alleging that she had made racist remarks to subordinate officers and engaged in acts of harassment.
8. California Sheriff's Deputy Shot in the Face After Gunman Opens Fire on Police Station
A gunman opened fire in downtown Paso Robles in June, wounding a deputy. The San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol responded around 3:45 a.m. to a call that a man was firing shots at a police station in Paso Robles on Park Street. One deputy, who who was later identified as Deputy Nicholas Dreyfus, was shot in the face.
9. Kansas Police Department Shifts Strategy to Land More Recruits
For several years it was nearly impossible to find anyone willing to consider a career as a Topeka police officer. Things are on the upswing, however, and lead recruiting officers for the Topeka Police Department are crediting a shift in strategies for their newfound success.
10. 57 Members of Buffalo Police Riot Response Team Resign
All 57 of the members of the Buffalo Police Department's Emergency Response Team in June resigned from the unit which responds to riots and other crowd control situations.
11. Texas Sheriff's Deputy Shoots, Kills Man Who Reached for Gun
There was a deadly struggle between Bexar County deputies and a despondent man in August. Protesters questioned the absence of a mental health professional in the incident after Damian Lamar Daniels, who was the subject of four mental health-related calls, was killed during the struggle with three deputies.
12. New York State Trooper Who Shot Out Tire During Pursuit Put on Unpaid Leave
A New York State Trooper who shot out the tire of a car during a pursuit in January was put on unpaid leave. Trooper Shawn Windoloski, a three-year veteran with the New York State Police, fired his gun toward a car its driver tried to drive away from police.
13. Florida Highway Patrol Troopers Rescue Abducted 3-Year-Old Girl
A 3-year-old girl who was abducted outside her Apopka home in February was found safe about five hours later on Interstate 10 in the Florida Panhandle. Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Jessie Sunday spotted a black Honda Accord traveling westbound on I-10 in Leon County that matched the AMBER alert for Madeline Mejia and pulled it over with assistance from three other troopers. Two suspects were taken into custody and Madeline was found unharmed.
14. 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe Suits Up for Duty
General Motors Fleet in May continued its tradition of providing law enforcement with capable and dependable vehicles with the announcement of the 2021 Chevrolet Tahoe.
15. Dashboard Camera Video Shows Suspect Open Fire on Florida Sheriff's Deputy
Shoplifting at a Indian River County Walmart in June turned deadly when the robber sent a deputy on a parking lot chase, shooting a mother and father and then eventually killing himself.
16. Virginia Police Officer Killed After Being Dragged During Traffic Stop Identified
Newport News Police Officer Katherine M. “Katie” Thyne was killed during a traffic stop in January. She was a well-liked new officer who just graduated from the police academy in June 2019.
17. NYPD Employs U.S. Marshals Task Force to Locate Murder Suspect
After evading police for more than a month, Patshawn McMitchell, the suspect in a Queens murder was found at a Stone Street in October by the Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Off-duty Roselle Park Police Officer Edward Nortrup fatally shot himself after crashing his car into two parked vehicles in Matawan in January.
19. San Diego Police Officer Uses Dog Leash to Rescue Two Girls and Man
San Diego police Officer Jonathan Wiese was almost at Sunset Cliffs in June when a lieutenant radioed that the suicidal driver police had been looking for had just driven off the cliffs.
20. Kentucky State Police Says Change in Hiring Policy Has Attracted More Applicants
A Kentucky State Police change in its hiring policy has proven successful in attracting more applicants to the agency. Officials said that while the change has helped, more needs to be considered to draw strong candidates to the state police.
