CCJA Quickfire Recap: Fourth Week of August

Aug. 29, 2014
Officer.com and the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Academy present this week's top stories.

It can be hard to keep up with all of the news that occurs on a daily basis.

Because of this, Officer.com and the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Academy present the "Quickfire Weekly Recap."

Here are some of the stories you may have missed that ran on our site this week:

Weekend (Aug. 22-24)

The police chief of a small Texas town was killed Saturday while attempting to arrest a man on a warrant.

Elmendorf Police Chief Michael Pimentel died after he was shot once in the shoulder and once in the abdomen and a 24-year-old man was taken into custody.

A San Bernardino, Calif. police was fighting for his life after being shot in the head on Friday.

Officer Gabriel Garcia was listed in very grave condition after surgery for wounds he suffered after being shot with an assault rifle during a gun battle.

Supporters of a Ferguson, Mo. officer, who fatally shot an unarmed black man, gathered Saturday at a rally in south St. Louis.

Many of the supporters asked the public to withhold judgment on Officer Darren Wilson in the case surrounding the death of Michael Brown.

Thousands of people marched peacefully through Staten Island on Saturday to protest the custody death of an unarmed black man by a white NYPD officer.

Police reported no arrests after the afternoon rally and march that drew well over 2,500 people to the streets.

Monday (Aug. 25)

A Puerto Rico police officer was taken off life support after being severely wounded during a drug investigation on Aug. 19.

Agent Geniel Amaro-Fantauzzi was shot several times during the investigation at the April Gardens 1 public housing complex.

An Oklahoma City police dog that was stabbed by a man who led authorities on a pursuit Sunday night died Monday afternoon.

K-9 Kye, who was involved in the pursuit, suffered multiple stab wounds Sunday night and underwent emergency surgery before succumbing to the injuries.

A 24-year-old man was charged in the shooting death of a small-town police chief over the weekend.

Joshua Manuel Lopez faces a charge of capital murder of a police officer in the killing of Elmendorf Police Chief Michael Pimentel.

An Iowa deputy is recovering after an inmate grabbed his weapon and shot him before turning the gun on himself at a hospital on Sunday.

The Fayette County Sheriff's Office said the jail inmate was being treated at the West Union hospital when the incident occurred.

Tuesday (Aug. 26)

A critically wounded San Bernardino, Calif. police officer remained in a coma at a hospital as a prayer service was held at a local baseball stadium.

Police Chaplain Ray Miller asked the 2,000 people attending the service at San Manuel Stadium to pray for Officer Gabriel Garcia's healing and for his complete recovery.

A Los Angeles County sheriff's detective was injured and a suspect was killed during a shootout in Lynwood.

The incident unfolded when two detectives from Century Station went to an apartment building when a gun battle ensued.

Two NYPD officers helped save the life of a newborn baby that was having problems breathing.

Sgt. Michael Dario and Officer Elias Khan were on routine patrol in Brooklyn when they heard the distress call and came to the aid of the 2-week-old who started turning blue.'

The Panama City Beach, Fla. Police Department mourned the loss of one of its K-9s after a deadly lightning strike over the weekend.

K-9 Officer Argo was found motionless in his kennel behind after a thunderstorm passed through Bay County.

Wednesday (Aug. 27)

Attempted murder of an officer and firearms possession charges were filed against three men in connection with the shooting of a San Bernardino police officer.

District Attorney Michael A. Ramos announced the filing of charges against Jonathan Contreras, Gonzalo Medina and Orlando Cruz in the shooting of Gabriel Garcia, who remained comatose and in critical condition.

A lawsuit settlement is forcing the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies to change their policies.

Practices will need to be revamped to ensure Mexicans accused of living in the country illegally are properly informed of their right to a hearing before an immigration judge.

Police say that a serial killer opened fire on Los Angeles-area streets for five straight days until his arrest.

The rampage left three people and two dogs were dead and four other people critically injured.

Missouri's governor appointed a new state public safety director following the unrest in Ferguson.

The decision gave Gov. Jay Nixon's administration its only black Cabinet member nearly three weeks after the shooting of a black 18-year-old by a white police officer led to violent protests in the St. Louis suburb.

Thursday (Aug. 28)

A veteran Titus County, Texas constable was killed in a wreck in his patrol vehicle while driving home from work.

Constable Cleve Johnson was traveling on FM 1734 in Mt. Pleasant just before 10 a.m. when his vehicle left the roadway and struck a concrete culvert.

A Klamath County, Ore. Sheriff's deputy was shot during a traffic stop Wednesday and two suspects were arrested early Thursday morning.

Deputy Jason Weber was shot in the face and side and William Jack Parkerson and Karey Leigh Pascoe were both taken into custody following a manhunt.

Police in Omaha, Neb. were investigating the death of a crew member of the television show "Cops" who was killed during a shootout with a suspect.

Officials said that the employee of the show was struck by "friendly fire" from one of the officers and that a bullet slipped past his bulletproof vest and killed him.

The recent fatal shooting of a mentally ill man by LAPD officers in the South Los Angeles neighborhood has exposed lingering tensions.

Police officials are now working to mend the goodwill the department has worked so hard for so long to build in that community.

Friday (Aug. 29)

A federal judge this week ended an 11-year-old agreement that kept a federal monitor watching over the Detroit Police Department.

U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn accepted the request filed jointly by the city and the U.S. Justice Department to end the federal oversight.

More police departments are equipping officers with wearable cameras in an effort to capture video evidence, but the spread of the devices is raising some questions.

While the release of footage from deadly incidents can held head off public protest, police and their critics often differ on what constitutes a justified shooting.

In the aftermath of the police shooting in Ferguson, Mo., some police departments are renewing efforts to reach out to black communities to build trust.

Officials are holding public meetings, fielding questions and letting people voice the anger they feel toward officers who patrol their neighborhoods.

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