Officer Quickfire Recap: First Week of April

April 4, 2014
Here are some of the news stories you may have missed that ran on our site during the week.

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 (March 28-30)

A Hillsborough County, Fla. Sheriff's deputy made an unusual rescue Friday after she helped save a bull from drowning in a pond.

Deputy Christina Ammons was the first to find the 1,000-pound, 20-year-old bull struggling in the Tampa pond and went in and lifted the bull’s head out of the water until a rescue crew arrived.

An off-duty Washington County, Ore. Sheriff's deputy made a rescue of her own when she pulled two men from a burning vehicle Saturday night.

Cpl. Cheryl Crecelius saw that the driver and front passenger were unconscious as the fire began encroaching into the passenger area and quickly jumped into action.

A gunman was killed and two Salt Lake City police officers were wounded in a shootout early Friday morning.

The officers stopped to investigate a mud-splattered SUV when the passenger pulled out a handgun and opened fire after exiting the vehicle.

Several hundred Arizona fans and Tucson police clashed in the streets late Saturday following the University of Arizona basketball team's loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament.

Authorities said 15 people were arrested after fans hurled beer bottles and firecrackers at officers, who used pepper spray to disperse the crowd.

Monday (March 31)

A Johnson City, N.Y. police officer was killed with his own weapon and the suspected gunman was fatally shot.

Officer David Smith responded to a reported disturbance around 7 a.m. when he was attacked by a suspect who took his duty weapon during a struggle before shooting him twice.

The New Bern, N.C. Police Department was also mourning a fallen colleague after an officer shot in the face on Friday succumbed to his injuries.

Officer Alexander E. Thalmann died at the hospital shortly after 1 p.m. with his family by his side. Officials say he was shot by Bryant Augustus Stallings during a confrontation.

A Kershaw County, S.C. Sheriff's bloodhound that was hit by a vehicle on Sunday died during surgery.

Sheriff Jim Matthews announced that K-9 Corley died while under anesthesia during an MRI.

A day after a protest over Albuquerque police shootings devolved into violence, the city's new police chief commended officers for showing restraint.

Police Chief Gorden Eden spoke to reporters after reforms to the department after more than 300 people took to the streets Sunday, calling for him and others to resign.

Tuesday (April 1)

A Plymouth, Mass. police officer was killed in a motorcycle crash while on patrol.

Officer Gregg Maloney was traveling with another motorcycle officer when the wreck occurred.

A Florida jury found a suspect guilty of fatally shooting a Brevard County Sheriff's deputy two years ago.

Brandon Bradley was convicted of killing Deputy Barbara Pill during a traffic stop in March 2012.

An Anaheim, Calif. police K-9 shot in the face during a violent encounter with a suspect late last month underwent emergency surgery.

K-9 Bruno was thought to be headed toward a full recovery when he was hurried into surgery to treat a stomach condition.

A small town in Colorado won't be issuing hunting licenses to shoot down UAVs anytime soon.

Voters in Deer Trail overwhelmingly defeated a proposal that would have authorized the rural community to issue "drone-hunting" permits.

Wednesday (April 2)

Tragedy struck Fort Hood again after an Iraq War veteran being treated for mental illness opened fire on fellow service members on the military base.

Officials say that Spc. Ivan Lopez killed three people and wounding 16 before committing suicide.

A Barren County, Ky. Sheriff's deputy died following a single-vehicle crash.

Deputy Ernest T. Franklin was on duty when the Ford Escape he was driving left the road and went into a small pond.

A Pittsburgh police officer who lost his K-9 partner in the line of duty is now training his replacement.

Officer Phil Lerza is now working with Beny after K-9 Rocco died of injuries from a stabbing attack in January.

A dive team recovered a weapon from a North Texas lake that officials say was used in the fatal shooting of a prosecutor last year.

District Attorney Mark Hasse was killed outside a courthouse in Kaufman County in January 2013.

Thursday (March 3)

A Harvard University report on the on the response to last year's Boston Marathon bombings shared some criticism, but was mostly positive.

The report spotlighted the manhunt for the suspects, stating that it ended in a chaotic gunfight that placed police and the public in danger because it lacked coordination and restraint.

A Fort Gibson, Okla. police officer was stabbed with scissors during a traffic stop, and the incident was captured on dashcam video.

Officer Brent Maddocks was conducting the stop when officials say that for unknown reason, Jessica Lugo walked over and stabbed him in the back.

A new poll shows that three-fourths of Americans believe that nationwide marijuana legalization seems inevitable.

The Pew Research Center survey on the nation's shifting attitudes about drug policy also showed increased support for moving away from mandatory sentences for non-violent drug offenders.

Friday (March 4)

Mexican officials this week stated that the country's vigilante groups should take steps to join the government's security force or disarm.

The government will continue to sign up self-defense members willing to become part of a federal Rural Defense Corps

Recent violence in Colorado has raised concerns among police, prosecutors and pot advocates that a black market for marijuana is alive and well.

Advocates say the state is in a transition period and that pot-related crimes will begin to decline as more stores open and prices of legal marijuana decline.

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