Officer Dan Rocha of the Everett, Washington Police Division responded to a name for a suspect transferring weapons from one automotive to a different, in accordance with physique digital camera footage launched by the Everett Police Division.
Rocha approaches the suspect and, after just a few transient minutes of dialog, tells him to attend till his accomplice will get to the scene. A wrestle ensues, and the suspect shoots and kills Rocha after which flees the scene.
Police caught the suspect two miles down the highway, and he was later discovered responsible and sentenced to life in jail. Rocha was a four-year veteran of the police drive.
“Officer Dan Rocha was devoted to retaining Everett protected,” Rep. Rick Larsen, D- Wash., mentioned in a press release final yr. “On the day he handed, he was doing the job he cherished – serving and defending his group. I do know the ladies and men of the Everett Police Division will proceed to hold on Officer Rocha’s legacy by upholding the Division’s dedication to service, integrity, professionalism and honor.”
Rocha was one of many 60 legislation enforcement officers that died feloniously within the line of responsibility in 2022, in accordance with FBI statistics launched this week.
That quantity, nonetheless, is down 18% from the earlier yr.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation seal is displayed outdoors the FBI headquarters, Feb. 2, 2018, in Washington.
T.J. Kirkpatrick/Bloomberg through Getty Pictures
In whole, there have been 118 officers killed within the line of responsibility in 2022 – 60 had been killed feloniously and 58 had been killed by accident, in accordance with the FBI. 2021 noticed one of many highest years for felonious officer line-of-duty deaths with 73.
“The five- and 10-year comparisons present a rise of three felonious deaths when put next with the 2018 determine (57 officers) and a rise of 33 deaths when put next with 2013 knowledge (27 officers),” the report mentioned.
Of the 60 officers that died in 2022, 49 had been killed with a gun, the common age of the officers who had been feloniously killed was 39. The officers had served in legislation enforcement for a median of seven years on the time of their deaths.
Ten of the recognized suspects within the officers’ deaths had prior felony arrests, and two had been beneath judicial supervision on the time of the incidents, in accordance with the FBI report.
At this level in 2023, 20 legislation enforcement officers have been fatally wounded and eight have died in accidents, federal knowledge exhibits.
