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The BLUES - DECEMBER ‘25 1

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VOL. 41 NO. 12 DECEMBER 2025

FEATURES/COVER

84 FEATURE/COVER STORY

JOSHUA BITSKO:

THE COURAGE TO LIVE

98 THE RESURGENCE OF COCAINE

136 SPECIAL INSERT : HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

DEPARTMENTS

PUBLISHER’S THOUGHTS

EDITOR REX EVANS THOUGHTS

WORDS OF FAITH - JOHN KING

GUEST COMMENTARY - F.W. WILLIAMSON

GUEST COMMENTARY - JACK MILLER

OFFICER INVOLVED - DANIEL CARR

GUEST COMMENTARY - PAULA FITZSIMMONS

GUEST COMMENTARY - DOUG GRIFFITH

GUEST COMMENTARY - DOUG GRIFFITH

NEWS AROUND THE US

BREAKING NEWS

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN HEROES

WAR STORIES

AFTERMATH

HEALING OUR HEROES

DARYL’S DELIBERATIONS

BLUE MENTAL HEALTH DR.

LIGHT BULB AWARD

ADS BACK IN THE DAY

PARTING SHOTS

NOW HIRING

BACK PAGE

06

08

12

14

16

18

24

26

28

30

52

106

110

118

120

126

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132

158

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118

136

GUEST COMMENTARY

DOUG GRIFFITH

26

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4 The BLUES DECEMBER ‘25

FOUNDER, PUBLISHER, EDITOR-N-CHIEF

MICHAEL BARRON

OUR TEAM

EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Chief Rex Evans(Ret)

SENIOR EDITOR

Dr. Tina Jaeckle

CREATIVE EDITOR

Jessica "JJ" Jones

COPY EDITOR

Lt. John King (Ret)

OUTDOOR EDITOR

Rusty Barron

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Lt. Daryl Lott (Ret)

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Sam Horwitz & Det. John Salerno (Ret)

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Doug Griffith

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Art Woolery

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Daniel Carr

FEATURE STORIES

Joshua Bitsko

Michael Barron

OUR CONTRIBUTORS

WAR STORY

Sgt. Michael Barron (Ret)

AFTERMATH

Retired LAPD Officer

CONTRIBUTING COMMENTARY

Daniel Carr, F.w. Williamson

Paula Fitzsimmons, Jack Miller

Doug Griffith

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jenna Curren, Law Enforcement Today

Greg Hoyt, Law Enforcement Today

Joanna Putman, Police 1

Lauren Girgis

Aileen Wingblad

Alyssa Johnson

John Tunison

Louis Aguilar

Mark Price

Scott Axelrod

Thaddeus Miller

Rocco Parascandolg

Sara Roebuck

Missy Wilkinson

Richard Chumney

Jackie Smith

Milena Malaver

Our Thanks to:

Fox News, Associated Press,

Police Magazine

The Law Officer, Police 1.com

& Law Enforcement Today

The BLUES is published monthly by Kress-Barr, LLC, PO Box 2733, League City Texas 77574. The opinions expressed in some

articles, op-eds, and editorials are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of The BLUES or its parent company.

Rebuttals or submission of news articles and editorials may be submitted to: The BLUES @ bluespdmag@gmail.com.

The entire contents of The BLUES IS copyrighted© and may not be reprinted without the express permission of the publish-


FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK

Legacy Continues

Hard to believe it’s December

again—and another milestone

anniversary for The BLUES.

Forty-one years ago, on December

20, 1984, the very first

issue of The County Blues Newspaper

was quietly distributed in

the middle of the night to 5,000

readers who had no idea what

in the world a “County Blues”

even was. Over the decades, that

little paper evolved into simply

The Blues, becoming a staple for

damn near every cop in Texas

from 1983 to 2018. The Blues became

as much a part of law

enforcement history as the

.357 revolver, the flap holster,

and the speed loader.

Unfortunately, in August of

2018, The Blues Police Newspaper

rolled off the press for

the final time. The publisher—who

had been a faithful

custodian of the tradition for

more than 25 years—closed

that chapter quietly, much

like so many other ink-andpaper

publications fading

into the sunset. And as a new

generation of rookie cops

filled the ranks, the absence

of The Blues in roll-call

rooms across Texas was barely

noticed.

That is, until December 2019.

In the very same place where

the original Blues was conceived

35 years earlier—the Old Humble

Café—a new tradition was born.

This time, it would be digital.

A new name. A new concept. A

completely new audience.

The BLUES Police Magazine

was launched, and that first issue

reached just over 12,000 officers

in Texas—7,000 more than the

original debut back in ’84. What

we didn’t know then was that six

short years later, that number

would explode into the millions.

In 2025, The BLUES became one

of the top ten most-read magazines

on the YUMPU platform,

generating more than 32 million

views from January through November—an

average of 3 million

a month. But October delivered

the real shock: 9.8 million views

from more than 6 million readers

across 22 countries.

That, my friends, is extraordinary.

And once again, The BLUES has

earned its title as “The Largest Police

Magazine in the World.”

Sure—there are law enforcement

websites that attract millions

of visitors each month with

daily updates, and we respect

the important work they do.

But The BLUES stands apart.

We offer a traditional magazine

experience, carefully

crafted and converted into an

easy-to-read digital format

that millions of readers return

to month after month.

Let me close with this:

If you own, work for, or

know someone connected to

the law enforcement industry,

there is simply no better place

to market your products or

services than The BLUES. Our

advertising rates are extremely

competitive considering our massive

reach, and our worldwide

audience is constantly searching

for the latest tools, gear, and solutions.

The BLUES is your ticket to getting

them to your business.


Fighting for Public Safety & The Rule of Law

30+ years of Corporate, Real Estate & Family Law Practice Experience

Board Certified & Nationally Recognized Attorney

Member of the Board of Directors of the Houston Bar Association

Lifelong Conservative Republican

Endorsements

BRAZORIA COUNTY

C O NSERVATIVES

PD POL ADV TODD FRANKFORT FOR JUDGE The BLUES - DECEMBER ‘25 7

FROM THE EDITOR-AT-LARGE

Happy Holidays!

Well, my friends, here we are—the

Holiday Season of 2025. Can you believe

it? Already? Wasn’t it just May

or June a minute ago? Sure seems

like it to me. But hey, I’m grateful.

We’ve made it another year. We’re

here to see our family and friends.

We’re here to work alongside all our

crazy a$$ co-workers through the

Holiday Season.

Funny thing about the Holiday

Season for a First Responder: we see

people all year long acting crazy,

funny, mean, violent, and downright

deadly. Then come Thanksgiving and

Christmas… and we see all of that

and more. A lot more.

Enter not only the usual problems

and people—now the Universe infuses

our shifts with the insanity of holiday

cheer. Uh huh… yeah. But cheer

for who? All the family disturbances,

motor vehicle accidents, thefts, and

burglaries. Ahhhh… but there’s a plot

twist here.

The funny ones.

You know exactly what I’m referring

to. Don’t you sit there acting like

you don’t.

Like that one time when two

brothers literally got into a knockdown,

drag-out fight at the Thanksgiving

dinner table over the last

damn slice of Honey Baked Ham.

Remember that? Tore the whole

house up. Turkey, dressing, mashed

potatoes, and green bean casserole

everywhere. Sigh. The best part was

the booking photos—bits of Thanksgiving

dinner still in their hair. LOL. It

was priceless.

Then there was the trailer park

brawl. You know the kind: “Your

cousin parked his truck in our spot

and we’ve got family here for Christmas!”

Your sorry cousin has weed,

warrants, and no redeeming qualities

whatsoever. So the fistfight begins.

Next thing you know, you’re the

lone Deputy rolling into the trailer

park staring at about 15 to 20 people

covered in “mud, blood, and beer,”

as the old Johnny Cash song goes.

Or the best one yet, a truck on fire

under a dude’s metal carport with

the wife and kids yelling at him in

the front yard. See his wife said don’t

fry that damn turkey on the patio

like last year and get oil everywhere,

so he puts the burning pot of oil

in the back of his old Ford Truck…

which was parked under the carport

(because it was supposed to rain

officer) and the oil spills and sets

the truck on fire, which melts said

carport. Oh yeah they were yelling

“when are we eating the turkey?”

Now, I don’t know about you, but I

never minded working the holidays.

I really didn’t. They are what you

make of them. And there’s always

the comp time or overtime to be

made—just sitting there waiting

to be claimed! It always felt like a

little Christmas gift to myself. Time

and a half for me, and none for you!

Seemed fair enough.

Seriously though, when you’re out

there riding around all alone, remember

this: you’re not really alone.

All across this great state, this nation,

and the world, there are people

just like you who suited up, saddled

up, and went to work—while asking

themselves, “Why didn’t I learn

how to be anything else but a First

Responder?”

Here’s the short answer: if we

didn’t do what we do, can you

imagine how much more jacked up

the holidays would be? If Dispatchers

didn’t come in to answer the

phones or work the radio? If no cops,

firefighters, or medics came in to

face the night? Someone’s got to do

it. We, the lucky few, are the ones.

We’re the people who get out there

and get the job done.

My sincerest hope for all of us

is this: first, that we make it home

alive and well. Secondly, that we

find someone—somewhere—who is

having a far worse holiday than we

could ever imagine, and that we…

you and I… get to take a little bit of

their trauma, sadness, or whatever

negativity they’re carrying, and

replace it with some semblance of

hope, goodness, and light.

And if we can’t?

Well, we can at least take them to

a safe cell at some county jail where

they can sleep off whatever they got

themselves into!

Lastly… HO HO HO… Now I have a

machine gun!!!

That movie IS, in fact, a Christmas

movie!!!

I love and appreciate each and

every one of you. God bless you and

keep you all safe.


START SHOPPING




Chaplain's Corner

Lt. John King, Ret

The Christ of Christmas, and Every Day

Greetings fellow Blues readers!

As we all know, December 25th is

Christmas Day. Millions of people here

in the USA, and around the world for

that matter, will take time to gather

with family and friends, have a meal,

and exchange gifts. Perhaps go look at

Christmas decorations in their neighborhood,

and some will attend special

church services. All these activities

are fun and enjoyable, and they give

us good reasons to break from our

usual activities and routines. However,

I know from past personal experience

that for First Responders, getting a

break from work during the holidays

is not always possible, and in fact,

it’s a certainty that there will be First

Responders on duty this Christmas

and we say, “Thank You!” to those who

keep us safe, even on holidays.

Since Christmas originated as a

holiday on which to celebrate Christ’s

birth it’s only natural that much attention

is given to The Nativity, Baby Jesus

and all circumstances surrounding

His birth. While it is right and proper

to do so, I want to call your attention

to what Paul Harvey would have referred

to as, “The Rest of the Story.”

God the Father, in His infinite wisdom

and sovereignty willed and

purposed that his only begotten Son

come into the world as a human baby,

born of a virgin woman under what

appeared to be very common circumstances.

However, this Baby Jesus was

unlike any human being ever born,

past, present, or future. In the Book of

Luke, we find several verses that give

us some insight into the childhood and

youth of Jesus. “And the child grew,

and waxed strong in spirit, filled with

wisdom: and the grace of God was

upon him.” (Luke 2:40 KJV) And then

by the time Jesus was twelve years

old, God, through the Apostle Luke

says this about his Son: “ And Jesus increased

in wisdom and stature, and in

favour with God and man.” (Luke 2:52

KJV) So we see that the Baby Jesus

grew into a child, and then an adolescent,

and eventually an adult, just like

every other human being. But Christ

was and is special. The author of Hebrews

was moved to write this about

Christ: “Without father, without mother,

without descent, having neither

beginning of days, nor end of life; but

made like unto the Son of God; abideth

a priest continually.” (Hebrews 7:3 KJV)

And yet we know from Scripture that

Jesus, although conceived immaculately,

had a human mother and father:

Mary and Joseph. What appears to be

a conundrum actually points to the

fact that Christ was and is the one and

only God-man.

A little over fifteen years ago I had

the honor and pleasure of leading a

Bible study at the church my wife and

I were attending at that time. The subject

of the study was the Names and

Titles of Christ. The study ran a little

over a year and in that time we looked

at nearly four hundred (400) names

and titles found in the King James

Version of the Bible that refer to Christ.

The list is by no means exhaustive and

in fact, Christ may be found on every

page of Scripture in name, title, type,

or shadow if we will but look for him.

I want to present to you a representative

sample of the names we studied

that year (no, not all four hundred, so

you can relax) but as you read them

let them be a reminder to us all that,

yes, Christ came into our world as a

baby born in a manger but He is much,

much more than that, then, now, and

for eternity. We hear the saying, “Keep

Christ in Christmas,” and that is a good

saying, however I want to suggest that

we keep Christ in every day, hour, minute,

and second of our lives. He is so

much more than a baby in a manger.

Let me take this opportunity to wish

you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Advocate- “My little children, these

things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

And if any man sin, we have an advocate

with the Father, Jesus Christ the

righteous: “ (I John 2:1 KJV)

Author of Eternal Salvation- “And

being made perfect, he became the

author of eternal salvation unto all

them that obey him;” (Hebrews 5:9

KJV)

Author and Finisher of our Faith-

“Looking unto Jesus the author and

finisher of our faith; who for the joy

that was set before him endured the

cross, despising the shame, and is set

down at the right hand of the throne

of God.

Christ the Lord- “For unto you is

born this day in the city of David a

Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

(Luke 2:11 KJV)

Unspeakable gift- “ Thanks be unto

God for his unspeakable gift.” (2 Corinthians

9:15 KJV)

King of kings and Lord of lords-

“which he will display at the proper

time—he who is the blessed and only

Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord

of lords,” (1 Timothy 6:15 ESV)

If you are a Chaplain for your department,

or know a Chaplain who

would like to contribute an article for

The Chaplain’s Corner please contact

our office at: bluespdmag@gmail.com



WORDS OF FAITH

GUEST COMENTARY

F,W. Williamson

I failed... don't you.

Look at where you are and where you're headed and make changes.

I read Sgt. Barron’s words on

retirement, and I’ll be honest—none

of it describes me.

I didn’t plan for anything. I

didn’t prepare for anything. I

didn’t build a life I could step

into once the badge came off.

I just hit 35 years, felt tired,

and figured it was time to go.

What I didn’t realize was

there was nowhere to go to.

At first, retirement felt like

freedom: sleeping in, lingering

in bed as long as I pleased,

letting the TV drone on just

so the house didn’t feel so

damn quiet. I tried fishing and

nearly fell out of the boat.

Tried golf, came in dead last

and felt twice my age by the

ninth hole. After a month, I

understood something that

should’ve terrified me but

didn’t hit until it was too late:

I had worked my entire life

dreaming of the day I could

retire peacefully… and the day

arrived I walked out the door

of the precinct and was totally

lost. My life as a cop was over

and now what.

I’m not asking for pity. I’m

writing this because maybe

my mistakes—every one of

them, stacked high like a lifetime

of bad decisions—might

be the flashing warning lights

some young cop needs to see

before they repeat them.

When I was a rookie, I

chased all the wrong things.

I cared more about getting

laid than learning how to be

a good cop. And there were

always women—inside the department,

outside the department,

at clubs on my days off,

in the back of a patrol car on

nights when I should’ve been

doing my damn job. That was

the life then. But today? With

body cams, GPS, car video?

You try that now and you’ll

lose your badge before you

can finish buckling your belt.

I tried settling down. God

knows I tried. But every marriage

ended the same way—

me walking away, my wife

in tears, and no one really

surprised because I was never

home anyway. I was the worst

husband a woman could’ve

picked. And if there’s anything

worse than a bad husband, it’s

a bad father—and I managed

to be both.

My kids grew up while I

was on shift. I worked their

birthdays, their holidays,

their milestones. I missed

Christmas more times than I

can count. Midnight on New

Year’s? Hell, half the time I

didn’t even know it struck

until the radio got quiet for

a moment. I blinked, and my

kids were grown, gone, building

lives that didn’t include

me.

Now I’m in my 60s, sitting

in a quiet house that echoes

every mistake I ever made.

And that’s why I’m telling

you this: no matter how long

you’ve been on the job—five

months or twenty years—you

need to stop and picture your

life twenty years from now.

If you don’t like the person,

you see sitting there, alone

at a table meant for a family,

then you’d better make some

changes. Today. Not tomorrow.

Today!

Set goals. Be the best at

what you do. Promote if you

can. Build a career you can be

proud of. But don’t sacrifice

your family for the sake of the

job. Find someone you love

and hold on to them like your


life depends on it—because

one day it will. Have kids and

raise them with faith and purpose.

Go to church. Put God

in the center of your home,

not the badge. Don’t miss

birthdays. Don’t miss holidays.

Don’t miss the moments you

can never get back. Fight to

stay together, even when it’s

hard. Especially when it’s hard.

Because if you don’t, you

may end up like me—sitting in

the dark, with more memories

of who you used to be than

people who still know who

you are.

And if all that doesn’t make

you rethink your choices, then

think about the moments that

forever changed your life. Like

the night your 22-year-old

partner died in your arms, his

blood soaking into your uniform

while you scream for

help that’s already on the way

but not fast enough. The night

you had to walk into a stranger’s

living room and tell a

young cop’s wife she’s a widow.

The night two kids learn

their daddy is never coming

home.

That’s when you learn how

fragile life really is. That’s

when you realize the hourglass

runs out quicker than

you ever expected, and the

sand left at the top is far less

than you thought.

It’s too late for me.

But you? You still have time.

Use it wisely. Before it slips

away.


GUEST COMENTARY

Jack Miller

ANOTHER FARMER FADES AWAY

Just like cops, farmers aren't appreciated until they're gone.

My name is Jack Miller, and

on Saturday at ten o’clock I’ll be

standing in my own driveway

watching my life get sold by the

piece.

They call it an estate sale, but

it feels more like a yard sale for a

dead man who just hasn’t had the

decency to lie down yet.

I’m seventy-four. My boots are

cracked, my flannel is soft from a

thousand washings, and the Nebraska

wind still smells the same

as it did when I was six years old

riding on my daddy’s shoulders to

check the cows.

This ground has had a Miller on

it since 1924. My granddad turned

the first sod with a team of mules.

My dad kept it alive through the

eighties when the bank tried to

eat us. I thought I’d be the last one

to leave it, but I figured I’d leave

feet first in a pine box, not watching

strangers load my combine

onto a lowboy trailer headed for

Kansas.

The sign at the road doesn’t say

Miller Farm anymore. It says AB-

SOLUTE AUCTION – NO RESERVES

– EVERYTHING GOES.

All week people have been

poking around like crows in a

cornfield. A woman in yoga pants

held up Grandma’s butter churn

and asked if it was “real” or “just

for looks.” A guy with a man-bun

tried to talk me down on the price

of my hay rake because he only

wanted the wheels to make a

chandelier.


Yesterday a young couple

stopped at the old wooden gate

my dad built the year I was born.

The paint’s mostly gone, but you

can still read MILLER in faded

green letters.

“Oh my gosh,” the wife said,

snapping pictures. “This is perfect

for our entryway. So rustic.”

Rustic.

That gate held back stampeding

cattle the night lightning hit the

barn. It’s got hoof marks and blood

stains and a patch from the time I

backed the pickup into it at sixteen.

But sure, honey, hang it over

your subway tile and call it rustic.

I stood there with my coffee getting

cold and didn’t say a word.

It wasn’t one big thing that killed

this place. It was a million little

cuts.

The elevator started paying thirty

cents less a bushel because “the

world market.”

The seed corn went up forty dollars

a bag because “research and

development.”

The fertilizer plant shut down, so

now it comes from Morocco and

costs twice what it did in 2010.

The grocery store sells sweet

corn flown in from Peru cheaper

than I can grow it thirty miles away.

Two years ago I had the prettiest

stand of corn you ever saw.

Ears filled clear to the tip. I ran

the numbers and it would cost

me more to harvest it than I’d get

paid. So I fired up the shredder and

turned a hundred and sixty acres

of gold back into dirt. Sat in the

tractor cab and cried like a baby

while the stalks fell.

My granddaughter Lily is sixteen.

She helped me sticker everything

with lot numbers last week. She

stopped at the old John Deere and

ran her hand across the seat worn

smooth from three generations of

Miller backsides.

“Why sell it, Papaw?”

“Nobody needs what it does anymore,

darlin’. It’s made for growing

food. The world don’t want food

grown this way now. It wants food

grown cheaper, farther away, by

somebody else.”

She didn’t get it. How could she?

She’s never seen a grocery store

shelf empty. She thinks food just

appears.

That’s the joke, really. Shelves

are full, but the people who filled

them are disappearing.

Saturday they’ll sell the tractor,

the tools, the gate, the butter

churn. They’ll sell the kitchen table

where my wife and I paid bills and

held hands and raised two kids.

Some of it will end up in landfills.

Some will end up as “farmhouse

décor” in houses that have never

smelled silage or heard a rooster.

I don’t hate the buyers. They’re

just folks wanting a piece of

something solid. I hate that the

only piece they can still afford is

the memory of it.

When the last item is gone and

the auctioneer says “Sold,” I’ll still

be standing here. The barn will

be empty. The fields will already

belong to an investment group in

Omaha that’s never felt this soil

between their fingers.

But the wind will still blow. The

red-winged blackbirds will still

call from the cattails. And somewhere

under all this black dirt, my

granddad’s sweat and my dad’s

blood and my own broken heart

will still be feeding next year’s

crop—only it won’t be mine anymore.

If you ever bite into an apple

and it tastes like sunshine, or pour

milk on your kid’s cereal without

a second thought, just remember:

somebody loved you enough to get

up before dawn for fifty years so

you wouldn’t have to.

Most of us are almost gone now.

When the last small farm disappears,

don’t be surprised if the

food gets a little less sweet.

Because love was the secret ingredient,

and nobody’s figured out

how to import that yet.


GUEST COMENTARY

police law news

Daniel Carr

OFFICER INVOLVED:

Elroy Clarke

The Elroy Clarke case. We

know what the narrative will

be…Unarmed black man shot

and killed by law enforcement

on his own property.

But, of course, there is a lot

more to this case.

On October 23, 2024 deputies

with the Charlotte County (Florida)

Sheriff’s Office were dispatched

to a call in reference to

a dispute.

The caller (later identified as

Elroy Clarke) requested assistance

as he wanted law enforcement

to remove a man

from his residence - that he had

allowed to stay there for the last

few months.

Deputies investigated and

determined that this was a

civil dispute and that they were

unable to take any law enforcement

action.

SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT

During the initial contact with

Mr. Clarke it was clear that

something was not right.

When deputies asked if Mr.

Clarke had any weapons on him

- he responded, “I am the weapon.”

He also repeated the phrase,

“the peace must be maintained”

in a robotic tone.

WARRANTS

During this interaction deputies

learned that Mr. Clarke had

outstanding warrants for his

arrest.

One of the involved deputies

requested backup and verbalized

the reasons for this:

• Mr. Clarke was a sovereign

citizen.

• Mr. Clarke was a “pretty big

dude”.

• Mr. Clarke had also given

deputies a false name.

The combination of these

factors led to the decision by

deputies to not rush the arrest

but to allow additional resources

to arrive on scene. This was

a sound decision.

CLICK TO WATCH

ARREST

A deputy informed Mr. Clarke

that he was under arrest for an

outstanding warrant.

Mr. Clarke repeated that his

name was “Ben Day” and disputed

that his name was “Elroy

Clarke”.

Mr. Clarke ordered deputies to

leave the property and refused to

follow instructions to place his

hands behind his back.

As Mr. Clarke ordered deputies

to leave he stated, “I am calm,

and it’s not about to be”.

A deputy informed Mr. Clarke

that force would be used against

him (including being “tased”) if

he did not comply. This information

did not help to achieve the



goal of gaining the compliance

of Mr. Clarke.

USE OF FORCE

After over three minutes of

failed negotiations - force was

utilized:

• A Taser was deployed - he

swatted the probes away.

• A second Taser deployment

had no effect as well.

• OC spray was deployed and

had no effect - he wiped it from

his face like bathwater.

• A “takedown” was attempted

but the deputy failed to force Mr.

Clarke to the ground.

• A third Taser deployment had

no effect.

• A fourth Taser deployment

did cause neuromuscular incapacitation

and Mr. Clarke locked

up in a standing position.

• A deputy successfully pushed

him to the ground.

• Two deputies attempted to

control his arms for handcuffing

and were unsuccessful.

• During this another deputy

deployed the Taser in drive stun

mode multiple times.

• Mr. Clarke was able to get to

a standing position, throwing a

deputy from his back like it was

a child.

• A few more Taser deployments

and empty hand tactics

were attempted and failed to

achieve the desired result.

• A deputy then fired three

rounds from a bean bag shotgun

- that struck but were absorbed

by Mr. Clarke like they were Tic

Tacs.

• This entire exhausting process

took place over ten minutes with

continual verbal de-escalation,

negotiation, and force warnings.

• Mr. Clarke then charged at a

deputy who hand his handgun

out.

• The deputy backed away

and fired multiple rounds as Mr.

Clarke was within a few feet of

him.

• Despite the rounds striking Mr.

Clark - he was still able to grab

the deputy’s gun as he attacked.

Mr. Clarke sustained fatal injuries.

ANALYSIS

Deputies had a lawful objective

to arrest Mr. Clarke (warrant).

Deputies gave Mr. Clarke clear

commands, employed de-escalation

tactics, and did not rush

the situation as they allowed

time for negotiation.

Multiple deputies utilized

multiple deployments of four

less lethal weapon systems over

a ten minute plus interaction.

Including three rounds from a

bean bag shotgun - that struck

Mr. Clarke, but had zero effect.

Mr. Clarke had successfully

demonstrated his physical superiority

over the deputies and their

weapon systems.

So, when he charged at the

deputy and reached for the deputy’s

gun - deadly force was a

reasonable force option.

Had the deputy not utilized

deadly force - there is no doubt

that Mr. Clarke would have been

easily able to overpower, pummel,

and disarm the deputy. With

this reality in play - deadly force

was the only logical option that

the deputy had in the moment.

The use of deadly force was

objectively reasonable.

In covering this case - I have

witnessed a lot of criticism

of the involved deputies. I will

address some of those in this

section.

TACTICS

The main criticism online goes

something like this, “four deputies

couldn’t take down one

guy?”

My typical response, “If only

you were there. Hero.”

I do not know why Mr. Clarke

was so much more powerful

than the four deputies on scene.

If you want to critique the empty

hand tactics used by the deputies,

fine, it’s obvious that none

of them were black belts in jiu

jitsu. But, he also defeated Taser

deployments and bean bag shotguns

rounds. Show me the cop

that more effective that a bean

bag round and I will entertain

this line of criticism.

JUST LEAVE

The deputies are being criticized

for staying in the fight. It

was a warrant. There was no

active victim that was in danger.

Give Mr. Clarke the option to

retain counsel and turn himself

in. Regroup and come back later

with more resources and maybe

when he is not as agitated.

This is all logical - if you know

how this case ends. If the deputies

were psychic and knew that

this would end in an OIS - maybe

those other options would

have been utilized. But, typically,

police do not retreat and reward

the behavior of resisting arrest.

Especially when it is four cops v.

1 unarmed man.

MENTAL HEALTH

It’s apparent that Mr. Clarke

was in the midst of some mental

health breakdown. Why did the

deputies not request a mental


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health clinician to assist with

communication?

That is also a reasonable

question.

Not every agency has those

resources. Also, these types of

programs are a great tool for

law enforcement. But, even when

available - the mental health

clinician does not make contact

with the individual until the

scene is safe. And, this is was

never “safe”. If a counselor was

on scene - they would have been

in a police car, waiting, from a

safe distance away.

FINAL THOUGHTS

No law enforcement officer

wants to use deadly force.

The few who are forced into

this terrible situation, by a violent

maniac - this stays with

them.

I encourage you all to watch

the immediate reaction of the

involved deputy - after the OIS.

CLICK TO WATCH

It’s an uncontrolled, raw human

reaction and a predictor of

the sleepless night he will have.



GUEST COMENTARY

Paula Fitzsimmons

A Year to the Midterms:

Where we're at with police legislation and why we can't succeed without you.

Since the earlier part of the

year I’ve been prepared, talking

points in hand, to provide testimony

on Capitol Hill in support

of police and public safety bills.

Certainly, with Republicans holding

the balance of power, we’d

finally get meaningful legislation

across the finish line, I reasoned.

I didn’t think for a moment

that any of this was going to be

easy. We’d still have to persuade

members of Congress why passing

crucial legislation is so necessary,

especially in this climate.

The Qualified Immunity Act of

2025, in particular, was going to

be a tough sell. We were, however,

motivated and committed

to putting in the work. And we

still are.

WE’RE WORKING WITH A

DYSFUNCTIONAL CONGRESS

What I didn’t expect was that

ten months after the 119th Congress

was sworn in, that such

little progress would have been

made. The key police bills we’re

watching are still stuck in Committee,

many having attracted

little co-sponsorship.

Even bills like the Combating

Organized Retail Crime Act,

which was introduced in April

and continues to gain solid bipartisan

support, are struggling.

(In the House, this bill has 106

Republican co-sponsors and 72

Democrat co-sponsors.)

The Republicans were handed

a gift last November. They also

had a mandate to pass legislation

that advances public safety.

What I see, however, is an

Executive branch doing most of

the heavy lifting, as congressional

Republicans reap (or believe

they’re reaping) the rewards.

Exceptions to this generalization

are noted; there are those in

Congress who I believe are genuine

but who must operate in a

dysfunctional environment.

Our goals will become even

more difficult to achieve if

Republicans lose a chamber in

the mid-terms

The power structure may

very well change during the

mid-terms. If that happens, our

opportunity to get solid legislation

passed will have been made

that much more difficult, if not

impossible.

This will depend, of course, on

whether the citizenry chooses to

elect moderate Democrats, some

of whom have indeed been solid

law enforcement supporters this

session.

Take the Protect and Serve Act

of 2025, for example. Though this

bill has just 23 co-sponsors (all

Republican) on the Senate side, it

has 93 co-sponsors in the House,

18 of whom are Democrats; note

that at least one of these is not

running for re-election.

The good news is that we still

have a year to get bills passed

That’s why, with so many

uncertainties, it’s critical to get

these bills passed now, when we

at least know what we’re working

with.

The Judiciary Committees will

consider holding votes on our

police bills, but only if they think


they have a chance of passage.

This means we need some

Democrat support, especially on

the Senate side. Given that 60

votes in the Senate is often needed

to stop filibusters (and thus

for a bill to pass) a bill requires

some level of bipartisan support

if it’s to succeed in this climate.

Our coalition’s co-founder, Bert

Eyler(one of the hardest working

police advocates you will ever

meet) is working with several

Blue Dog Democrats who are

quite interested in some of our

bills.

Democrats are unlikely to

support bills that incorporate

minimum penalties and the

death penalty. This includes the

Back the Blue Act of 2025, which

imposes minimum penalties for

killing, attempting to kill, or assaulting

an officer; and the Thin

Blue Line Act, which expands

federal death penalty eligibility

for the murder or attempted

murder of a state or local police

officer.

While I’m not ready to give up

on these bills just yet, I believe

that our best chance of success

at this given point in time

is with bills like the Protect and

Serve Act of 2025, the Fighting

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Act of 2025, and the LEO K9 Protection

Act, and several others

less “controversial” bills.

There are some things you can

do to help.

LOBBY FOR POLICE OFFICERS

What we need -and this is

imperative- is for more of you to

call your federal lawmakers asking

them to support these bills.

Shout out to those of you who’ve

taken the initiative by contacting

your legislators. Your support

means everything!

Citizen lobbying still works!

Every time we send an alert or

hold a lobby event, the number

of co-sponsorships increase. If

we remain focused and consistent,

we’ll have a better chance

of success.

• You can find information on

key bills here.

• You can find contact information

for your U.S. senators here.

• You can find contact information

for your U.S. representative

here.

• Or you can call the U.S. Capitol

switchboard and asked to be

directed to your legislators. That

number is 202-224-3121.

SIGN AND SHARE OUR ON-

LINE PETITION

Our petition urges Congress

to prioritize police and public

safety bills. Once we reach a

significant number of signatures,

we’ll deliver a copy each to Sen.

Chuck Grassley and Rep. Jim Jordan,

chairs of their Judiciary.

Get briefed on key legislation

Consider joining the National

Police Association’s call to

action team, where we send out

periodic briefs on specific bills.

It’s free to sign up and you can

unsubscribe at any time.

I understand your reluctance

Yes, Congress is dysfunctional

and politics is often dirty.

While I enjoy certain aspects

of lobbying, like analyzing bills,

growing our network and knowing

that these efforts are supporting

police officers, I despise

the game playing, the posturing

and the egos.

Despite our lowered odds,

however, we still have an opportunity

to get at least some

of these bills across the finish

line. This will only happen if we

maintain focus and consistency

and speak out with confidence

for our police officers.

As always, I look forward to

hearing what’s on your mind.


GUEST COMENTARY

Doug Griffith

RELATIONSHIPS

With the Local Media

The Houston Police Officers’

Union has always been proud

of the relationships we have

with local media outlets. The

HPOU has always been open

and transparent with the media

and the public. But recently we

had officers involved in a critical

incident in which one officer

was stabbed in the head, and

his partner was forced to shoot

the suspect killing him. Sadly,

reporter Nick Natario found

some “professor” from University

of Houston – Clear Lake who

claimed our officers were untrained

and handled the situation

inappropriately.

Needless to say, Nick did not

contact the HPOU, who is representing

the officers, prior to

putting this story on the five

and six o’clock news cycles.

The “professor” claimed that

the officers were not properly

trained and should have handled

the situation differently. How

does she know what training

they received? Her assertion

was that they would not have

had to shoot this individual had

they waited on a mental health

professional. This incident took

place in a matter of moments,

and no clinician would have

been able to handle this any

differently and could have been

killed. It is obvious from her

comments that she has NEV-

ER had to deal with a mentally

disturbed individual who was

aggressive and with a weapon. I

am confident that her vast experience

with the mentally ill were

in an office setting with mood

lighting and soft music. I am

quite sure her training did not

include fighting for her life or

the life of another. I have serious

concerns about her teaching

about incidents like this at any

university, much less the University

of Houston.

This incident was very traumatic

for our officers and the

public we serve who had to see

this incident. Officers were getting

a drink inside the CVS when

the suspect came in and began

yelling and screaming at them

and others. Officers were able

to de-escalate and get the suspect

outside away from others.

This is when our officers were

assaulted by a mentally disturbed

individual with a deadly

weapon. Not only does the officer

have to deal with the trauma

of being stabbed, but his partner

then has to draw his weapon

and stop the suspect. No one

takes this job to harm another

individual and when you have to

take a life, it is very traumatic.

Both of these officers should be

hailed as heroes for what they

had to do that night, but ABC 13

would rather use some unknown

to run a narrative that is completely

untrue. Her comments

were not only false, but uneducated

as to what the department

does with regard to Crisis

Intervention Training. HPD leads

the nation in this area!

What transpired that night is

a tragedy and our officers now

have to live with the scars and

memories that will never fade.

For ABC 13 to run with such a

narrative is irresponsible and

reduces the trust of the public

in their reporting. This incident,

like all officer involved shootings,

is under investigation by

the department’s Homicide

division, Internal Affairs, and the

DA’s office. We look forward to

the body camera footage being

released so this “professor” and

the public can see the dangers

our officers faced.



GUEST COMENTARY

Doug Griffith

RELATIONSHIPS

With City Council - Some Better than Others

For many years the HPOU has

had a good relationship with

most of city council. But as of

late, there are several on council

have truly disappointed my

in their comments. This started

a couple of weeks ago when

we put out a flyer recruiting

New York officers to come to

Houston after they elected an

individual that called cops

“racist, anti-queer, and corrupt.

Council member Plummer

put out an email claiming that

the HPOU was anti-Muslim and

that we degraded the trust

between the Muslim community.

At no point did the HPOU

say anything or post anything

discussing the mayor elects

religious beliefs, his race, or

nationality. I attempted to

speak with Council member

Plummer, and it quickly got

contentious. She who claimed

that she was Muslim and was

offended by our attempts to

get officers from New York to

come here. There was absolutely

NOTHING wrong with

what the HPOU put out to attract

new officers. In fact, our

recruiting flyer quickly spread

nationwide, and the recruiting

division is now receiving calls

from all over the country. Fox

news, Newsmax, and CNN all

ran stories about our recruitment

of New York Officers.

The following week, I was

asked to come to city Council

because some did understand

our interactions with ICE

agents. I explained to council

members that the only time we

interact with ICE is when we

run someone, and they have

any open warrant. I explained

our policy and had a short exchanged

with council member

Kamin over her belief that we

were cooperating with ICE. I

explained that the department

does not have the manpower

or time to coordinate with

ICE on anything. Sadly, council

member Plummer was not in

that meeting and did not hear

my comments. A few days later

Council member Plummer

puts out a proposal to take

to the public asking that we

violate state law. I have done

multiple interviews telling

everyone exactly what we do

and how we do it with relation

to ICE and the citizens of Houston

seem to understand much

better than city council. Last

week, council Member Tarsha

Jackson, stated that she did

not believe what the HPOU or

the department has stated and

that we were not being transparent

about our interactions

with ICE. I sent her a message

advising that her comments

were inappropriate and irresponsible.

The HPOU has been open

and available for each of the

city council members. Each

of them has my phone number

and email address, yet they

chose to run their own narrative

and not seek the truth

before making comments. It

should be noted that each of

these individuals are running

for a different office and need

to stay relevant. Needless to

say, that there is no need for

these individuals to seek our

endorsement for any office in

the future!



AROUND THE COUNTRY

FORT PIERCE, FL

Detective Corporal Christopher Mock suffered a fatal heart attack after responding

to multiple investigations.

FORT PIERCE, FL. — A St. Lucie

County Sheriff’s Office detective

has died following a sudden

medical emergency, according to

the Officer Down Memorial Page.

Detective Christopher Mock

experienced a medical emergency

on Oct. 4 and had been

receiving care at Cleveland Clinic

in Weston.

On Oct. 3, Mock was called to

the scene of a homicide. Officers

called the bomb disposal

team after finding an article that

looked like an explosive device.

Immediately after leaving the

scene, Mock was called out to

investigate a suicide, according

to the page.

Mock died on Oct. 15. He was

posthumously promoted to detective

corporal.

“Detective Mock served our

agency and community with

honor, unwavering dedication,

professionalism and integrity. He

was a deeply respected member

of our law enforcement family,

and his loss will be profoundly

felt by all who had the privilege

of working beside him,” the

sheriff’s office said.

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There really is no way to put into

words the devastation left behind

by the floods in the Texas Hill

County. The loss of life, especially

those lost from the camps along

what was the peaceful Guadalupe

River, is just incomprehensible. If

you’re the sheriff or police chief

of the town in the center of the

disaster, you are obligated to hold

daily press conferences. You share

what you know and when you

knew it. That’s what Kerr County

Sheriff Larry L. Leitha tried to do.

But each time he stood in front of

the cameras, the idiots from the

mainstream media, launched into

their blame-game questions.

Owning a police magazine

means you must wear two hats,

one of a First Responder and

another as a representative of the

media. While I am proud to be a

member of the first, I am embarrassed

to admit I have anything

to do with the latter. The outright

disrespect I witnessed from the

media towards the officials in Kerrville,

just trying to do their jobs

in unimaginable circumstances,

was unbelievable.

Sheriff Leitha showed great

restraint in dealing with these

lowlife reporters. Most I assume

were not from Texas. His job was

hard enough without Monday

Morning Quarterbacks criticizing

him for his every move. I wish my

good friend Sheriff Grady Judd

from Florida could spend a day

SPECIAL MEMORIAL ON PAGE 229


AROUND THE COUNTRY

MIAMI-DADE, FL.

Deputy Sheriff Devin Jaramillo was shot and killed while responding

to a traffic crash at the 12200 block of Southwest 128th

Street, near Kendall.

Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie

Cordero-Stutz said Friday’s fatal

shooting of 27-year-old MDSO

deputy Devin Jaramillo “was

not an ambush” but happened

during a “minor traffic crash”

investigation.

Cordero-Stutz said the suspect

— who has been identified as

21-year-old Steven David Rustrian

by M-DSO officials — fought

with the deputy, snatched his

service revolver and then shot

Jaramillo multiple times before

killing himself.

Jaramillo, she said, was dispatched

late Friday afternoon to

the scene of a minor traffic crash

in the 12200 block of Southwest

128 Street.

A verbal dispute between

Jaramillo and Rustrian then

“escalated to a physical altercation,”

said Cordero-Stutz, who

said Rustrian, “during that fight,

disarmed our deputy of his own

service weapon and used it to

shoot him multiple times.”

Rustrian then went to his

vehicle and “took his own life,”

Cordero-Stutz said.

She said witnesses to the

shooting called 9-1-1 as Jaramillo’s

fellow deputies provided first

aid to him. The deputy was taken

to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital,

where he later died.

"Jaramillo responded as any

deputy in this county would and

he handled himself in a professional

and tactically sound

manner,” Cordero-Stutz told

reporters.

Cordero-Stutz described Jaramillo

as a “homegrown hero,”

noting that he graduated from

Miami Killian Senior High School

and graduated magna laude

from University of Central Florida.

He was “an athlete, a football

player, and he was smart, strong,

handsome and young,” Cordero-Stutz

said.

“He could have done anything

with his professional career, but

he chose public service and he

chose to do it in this community

to serve us. And he gave the

ultimate price and his service,”

she said.

This is a painful reminder of

the risks our law enforcement

officers take each day to keep us

safe," she said.

Miami-Dade State Attorney

DEPUTY DEVIN JARAMILLO

Katherine Fernandez Rundle, in a

statement issued Saturday, expressed

profound grief over the

deputy's murder.

Deputy Jaramillo had served

with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's

Office for one and a half years

and had previously served with

the Coral Gables Police Department

for nearly four years. He is

survived by his mother, father,

who is a retired Miami-Dade police

detective, and siblings.

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AROUND THE COUNTRY

GARNER, N.C.

Police Officer Roger Smith was shot and killed at the Emergency

Department of the WakeMed Garner Healthplex.

A police officer died after

being shot at a hospital in North

Carolina over the weekend. Saturday

morning, Garner officers

responded to the WakeMed Garner

Healthplex, where the officer

had been shot inside the emergency

department lobby.

WakeMed Campus Police

Officer Roger Smith, 59, despite

life-saving attempts by medical

staff and first responders, died

from his injuries. The police department

said medical personnel

at the scene described Smith

as a hero whose actions likely

prevented further loss of life.

Following what the Garner

Police Department called

an extensive investigation and

after consulting with the Wake

County District Attorney’s Office,

the suspect, Benji Martin Jr.,

29, of Garner, has been charged

with murder in connection with

Smith’s death.

“This is a heartbreaking and

senseless act of violence,” said

Garner Police Chief Chris Adams.

“Officer Smith dedicated his

career to protecting others, and

even in his final moments, he put

the safety of others before his

own. Our condolences go out to

the Smith family, the WakeMed

Campus Police Department,

and the entire WakeMed staff.

The Garner community mourns

alongside you today.”

Garner Police detectives continue

to work closely with the

WakeMed Campus Police Department,

the State Bureau of

Investigation (SBI), and the Wake

County District Attorney’s Office

to ensure a thorough review of

OFFICER ROGER SMITH

all evidence in this case.

Officer Smith had served with

the WakeMed Campus Police &

Public Safety Department for 14

years and had previously served

with the Knightdale Police Department

for 16 years.






AROUND THE COUNTRY

DELAWARE CNTY, IN.

Corporal Blake Reynolds was struck and killed while helping a disabled

motorist on northbound Interstate 69.

DELAWARE COUNTY, IN. — A

Delaware County sheriff’s deputy

was killed after being struck

by a semi-truck while assisting

a stranded motorist, ABC News

reported.

Corporal Blake Reynolds, who

joined the department in 2022,

was providing aid to a disabled

vehicle around 3:30 a.m. when

the fatal crash occurred, according

to Indiana State Police.

Reynolds had stopped behind

a semi-truck that was partially

in the roadway to protect the

stranded driver and had activated

his emergency lights. While

outside his vehicle, a second

northbound semi-truck lost control

and collided with Reynolds’

patrol vehicle and the disabled

truck, striking the deputy.

“Despite immediate emergency

response efforts, the deputy

did not survive his injuries,” said

Chief Deputy Jeff Stanley of the

Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.

The driver of the second semitruck

was hospitalized and

underwent surgery. His condition

has not been released, according

to the report.

Reynolds, who was with the

sheriff’s department for four

years, “quickly distinguished

himself through his hard work,

professionalism, and leadership,

Chief Deputy Jeff Stanley described.

The sheriff’s office said Reynolds

married his wife in June

2025 and also served in the Army

CORPORAL BLAKE REYNOLDS

Reserve.

“His passing is an immeasurable

loss to his family, his brothers

and sisters in uniform, and

the entire community he served

with pride,” Stanley added.





Honoring the Fallen, Telling the Story

of American Law Enforcement, and

Making it Safer for Those Who Serve.

Memorial

Museum

Officer Safety

and Wellness

The National Law Enforcement

Officers Memorial, located in

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state, and local law enforcement

officers who have made the ultimate

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The National Law Enforcement

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AROUND THE COUNTRY

VIVILAN, LA.

Police Officer Marc Brock was shot and killed while serving a search warrant

at the 1700 block of North Pine Street in Vivian.

Officer Marc Brock was part

of a six-man team serving a

warrant to 58-year-old Nicholas

Alexander when he was shot

through the door of Alexander’s

mobile home.

“Not only did I hear officer

down, I could see the officer

down,” said Vivian Police Chief

Ryan Nelson, who was part of

the team.

Brock cut the gate lock and

rushed to the mobile home door

with a battering ram. Chief

Nelson said Brock had to hit the

door several times before shots

were fired.

“When Brock hit that door with

that battered ram, he should

have knocked the hinges off of

it. And he had to hit it several

times. In fact, Captain Melvin actually

had to get on it with him, I

think, the third time to help him

because he didn’t get it the first

or second time when he hit it,”

Nelson said. “And I think they hit

it three times before the shots

were fired. And he shot through

the door.”

Brock was knocked down by

the gunfire, and his team had to

retreat until Caddo SWAT arrived.

“In that situation, I mean, I’ll be

honest with you, my heart just

dropped or whatever. I didn’t expect

to... That’s something that’s

the last thing we expected to

hear,” Nelson said.

Officers had tried to serve an

arrest warrant a couple of days

before but said it was dark and

Alexander didn’t come out.

On Friday morning, officers

revised the warrant to be more

specific — now a search warrant

to find evidence linking Alexander

to cyberstalking.

Alexander is now in custody

at Caddo Correctional Center,

charged with second-degree

murder and cyberstalking.

“I mean, he’s a local living

resident, been here for years. The

complaint we had on him for

cyberstalking and the victim was

actually his family members. He

OFFICER MARC BROCK

had made several threats over

the years to his sister’s post,”

Nelson said.

Chief Nelson said Alexander’s

family was afraid of him.

“He was a good young man,

and eye-wise, he’s a hero. And

that’s the way I would like him to

be remembered as a hero,” Nelson

said. “And, you know, I just

wanted him to be remembered

as a hero and be recognized for

the sacrifice that he made for this

department and this community.”



AROUND THE COUNTRY

GRAYSON CNTY, VA.

Corrections Officer Jeremy Hall was attacked and killed by an inmate at the River

North Correctional Center at 329 Dellbrook Lane in Independence.

GRAYSON COUNTY, VA. (WDBJ/

Gray News) - Virginia authorities

say a correctional officer has

died and two others were injured

in a prison attack.

According to the Virginia Department

of Corrections, Officer

Jeremy Lewis Hall, 40, was the

officer who was killed in the

attack that occurred on Monday

morning.

Hall had been an employee

with the department since April

2024.

“Our agency, the Commonwealth

of Virginia, and corrections

professionals around

the nation join us in mourning

the loss of Officer Hall,” said

VADOC Director Chad Dotson.

“Our hearts continue to be with

Officer Hall’s family, friends, and

his fellow public safety heroes at

River North.”

The two injured officers were

treated at an area hospital following

the attack before being

released.

Authorities said an investigation

is continuing at River North

Correctional Center.

“Please join me in wishing a

full recovery to those officers,

along with extending support to

their families and friends,” Dotson

continued.

The state’s corrections department

said an inmate is responsible

for the attack, and later

identified him as 32-year-old

John Holomon Russell.

“The facility is secure and the

criminal investigation is underway,”

Virginia Governor Glenn

OFFICER JEREMY HALL

Youngkin said. “God bless all the

men and women who put their

lives on the line every day as Virginia

Department of Corrections

officers.”

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AROUND THE COUNTRY

JACKSON CNTY, MS.

Police Officer Alec Sanders was killed in a vehicle crash near the intersection

of West Valley Boulevard and Edgewood Drive in Alhambra.

An Alhambra police officer and

another person were killed early

Thursday during a car chase that

ended in a traffic collision.

Alhambra Police Chief Garrett

Kennedy identified the officer as

28-year-old Alec Sanders during

a news conference outside the

Los Angeles General Medical

Center, where the officer was

taken following the crash.

Sanders had been with the

department for eight months

and previously served at the Long

Beach Police Department for

about a year.

“He’s known for his unwavering

reliability,” Kennedy said.

“He was the type of officer who

responded to every call whether

he was dispatched to it or not;

he was one of those officers.”

Kennedy said Sanders would

be remembered for his “dedication,

his kindness and the positive

impact he had on everyone.”

“In fact, last night he came

into work and covered a shift for

somebody,” he said.

California Highway Patrol

Assistant Chief Joe Zizi said the

traffic collision occurred just

after 3 a.m. at the intersection of

West Valley Boulevard and Edgewood

Drive.

CHP investigators said that a

Hyundai, driven by 27-year-old

El Monte resident Steven Zapata,

was traveling northbound

on Edgewood Drive and passed

through the intersection of Valley

Boulevard at an unknown speed.

At that instant, investigators

said, Sanders’ patrol vehicle was

traveling westbound on Valley

Boulevard through the intersection

and the crash occurred.

An unidentified 33-year-old

female was ejected from the

SUV and pronounced dead at the

scene. Zapata and an unidentified

52-year-old male were

taken to local hospitals with

moderate and non-life-threatening

injuries, respectively.

Zapata was allegedly driving a

stolen vehicle, according to the

preliminary investigation.

OFFICER ALEC SANDERS

Standing outside of the hospital,

Kennedy described Sanders

as a devoted “fiance and a dedicated

family man.”

He said Sanders was passionate

about fitness, liked to travel

and was an “enthusiastic Dallas

Cowboys fan.”

“He will be deeply missed by

his family, friends and co-workers,

who are all one and the

same,” he said.


By Jenna Curren

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A statement

sent to U.S. Border Patrol

agents that was obtained by

NewsNation states that border

patrol agents will stop using

body-worn cameras immediately

By

in

Matthew

all field operations.

Holloway,

Law

The announcement

Enforcement Today

comes

after

REVERE,

social

MA.

media

- An

posts

illegal

revealed

immigrant

how to identify

from

border

the Dominican

patrol

Republic

agents as

was

well

arrested

as Customs

for possession

and

Enforcement

of over

(ICE)

$1 million

agents.

worth

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of

memo

fentanyl

stated,

and

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an

U.S.

AR-15

Border

rifle

on

Patrol

December

Agents

27

will

in

cease

a state

the

taxpayer-subsidized

use

of body-worn cameras

hotel room

(BWC)

of

Massachusetts’

in all operational

emergency

environments."

housing

The

program.

directive follows notification

"regarding

Leonardo

a

Andujar

potential

Sanchez,

security

28,

as

risk."

reported by Fox News, was

arrested

The statement

by the Revere

read, "Pending

completion

Police

Department and

of

was

investigation

arrested

on

and

firearm

risk mitigation,

charges, including

all Agents

an

alien

will stand

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down the

of

use

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of their

and

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until further

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notice.

lethal

Additional

guidance and information

synthetic

drug.

will

According

be disseminated

to a press

as

release

it is

from

received."

Immigration

On the social

and Customs

media

platform Reddit,

Enforcement (ICE) Andujar

one user

Sanchez

claimed

is currently

that agents

in state

could

custody

be

identified

and is under

by using

an immigration

BLE Radar by

detainer.

F-Dorid. BLE Radar is a mobile

application

Enforcement

that

and

functions

Removal

by

Operations

scanning for

Boston

Bluetooth

acting

low-energy

devices

Field

Office Director

like

Patricia

phones,

H.

smartwatches,

Hyde

told reporters,

and speakers.

“Mr. Andujar

has

Other

been

social

accused

media

of serious

posts

crimes, and ERO Boston takes

stated that the devices can be

tracked from a distance of 100

yards or more and can trigger

improvised explosive device attacks.

Fox News reported that the

cameras used by border patrol

agents are Avon body cameras,

which the social media post

claims are devices BLE Radar and

can be detected.


AROUND THE COUNTRY

VERO BEACH, FL.

Deputy Sheriff Terri Sweeting-Mashkow was shot and killed while serving an

eviction notice at the 1100 block of Governors Way in Vero Beach.

A Florida sheriff’s deputy was

killed in the line of duty while

serving an eviction notice Friday

morning, officials said.

"It is with profound sadness

and heavy hearts that we announce

the passing of Deputy

Terri Sweeting-Mashkow, who

was killed in the line of duty

on November 21st, 2025 while

faithfully serving our community,"

the Indian River County

Sheriff’s Office in Vero Beach

wrote on its social media Friday

afternoon.

"Her loss is felt deeply by every

member of our agency, as

well as by the community she

served with pride."

Sweeting-Mashkow, 47, served

with the sheriff’s department

for 25 years and 16 days, Sheriff

Eric Flowers said at a news

conference.

Sweeting-Mashkow had

reported to a home at Bermuda

Club, a gated community

in Vero Beach where a mother

was evicting her son, identified

as Michael Halberstam.

"What an awful day. Six days

before Thanksgiving," Flowers

told reporters.

Once Sweeting-Mashkow,

other deputies and a locksmith

arrived in the entryway to the

home, Halberstam allegedly

grabbed a gun and began "indiscriminately

firing at our deputies

on scene."

Another deputy was shot in

the shoulder and is recovering,

and the locksmith is in surgery

in critical condition, Flowers

said. The suspect is also in critical

condition after deputies fired

back at him.

Flowers noted Sweeting-Mashkow's

death was only the

second in the line of duty for

the Indian River County Sheriff’s

Office in its 100 years.

Sweeting-Mashkow started

her career 25 years ago as a

dispatcher, worked for 20 years

on patrol and was moved to the

legal process civil unit in 2023.

Halberstam has a 2006 narcotics

charge and a 2015 misdemeanor

assault charge out of

Virginia, Flowers said.

He said the department had

seven calls this month, mostly

from Halberstam’s mother,

about him at the residence,

leading her to eventually decide

to evict him.

The suspect was not on the

department’s radar, Flowers

said, adding that the eviction

DEPUTY TERRI

SWEETING-MASHKOW

duty was a "standard call to

service."

"The regular duties that our

deputies bravely do every day in

and out, and today Deputy Terri

Sweeting-Mashkow, 25 years of

service, 47 years old, gave her

life for this community," he said

at the end of the news conference.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis

earlier Friday said his office was

monitoring the situation after

the deputies were shot.





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AROUND THE COUNTRY

LOS ANGELES, CA.

173-mile Calif. pursuit ends with driver crossing into Mexico.

LOS ANGELES — In Southern

California, where police pursuits

are common, this was one for

the books.

A suspect in an allegedly

stolen minivan led authorities

on a two-hour, 170-mile chase

through four counties Monday

that ended with her escaping

into Mexico, officials said.

The driver was detained by U.S.

Customs and Border Protection

officers when she reentered the

country the next day. The Ventura

County Sheriff’s Office was

due to take her into custody, and

charges were pending.

It began around 11 a.m. when

deputies responded to reports

of a Toyota Sienna taken from

outside a sober living home in

Thousand Oaks, about 40 miles

(64 kilometers) northwest of Los

Angeles, according to the Ventura

County Sheriff’s Office.

The deputies chased the vehicle

at speeds reaching 90 mph.

The California Highway Patrol

took over the pursuit as the minivan

headed south on Interstate

405 into Los Angeles County.

TV news helicopters followed

as the minivan swerved to avoid

a spike strip that the CHP placed

in its path. A second spike strip

attempt also failed, and by noon

the suspect had sped into Orange

County on Interstate 5.

After the chase reached San

Diego County, the CHP notified

Customs and Border Protection

just after 1 p.m. that the vehicle

was nearing the border.

CHP units were called off from

the pursuit on State Route 905

around 1:20 p.m. because of

public safety concerns, a common

practice for chases near the

border to protect officers and

motorists.

“We don’t want this car forcing

its way through the entry,

hurting other people,” CHP Sgt.

Esteban Hernandez told the Los

Angeles Times.

Shortly before 1:30 p.m., CHP

officers were notified that the

minivan had made its way

through the San Ysidro crossing

into Mexico, Hernandez said.

She reentered through the same

crossing Tuesday, the highway

patrol said in a statement.

Officials at Customs and Border

Protection did not immediately

respond to a request for

additional details.



AROUND THE COUNTRY

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK.

House Bill 1597 creates a misdemeanor for bystanders who fail to

back off at least 25 feet when ordered to do so by a first responder.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK. — Oklahomans

will have to give law

officers and other first responders

a wider berth as the result

of a law that became effective

last week.

House Bill 1597, by Rep. John

George, R- Newalla, creates a

new misdemeanor for bystanders

who fail to back off at least

25 feet when ordered to do so

by a first responder performing

their duty.

The penalty is a fine of up to

$500 and one year in jail.

The law is similar to “halo” or

“buffer” laws passed by several

states in the past few years. In

August, a federal appeals court

ruled Indiana’s to be impermissibly

vague. Courts stopped

implementation in Louisiana

and Arizona, and a lawsuit

against Tennessee’s halo law is

pending.

Laws passed more recently in

Florida, Georgia and Alabama

have been allowed to stand.

The constitutional test seems

to be the laws’ specificity.

Judges have said the disallowed

laws are too broad and

too easily subject to abuse.

Oklahoma’s says the person

being ordered to move back

must show “intent to: 1. Impede

or interfere with the ability of

the first responder to perform

such duty; 2. Threaten the first

responder with physical harm;

or 3. Harass the first responder.”

Casey Roebuck, a spokeswoman

for the Tulsa County

Sheriff’s Office, said the new

law should be a help for law

enforcement.

“Our deputies, and all law enforcement

officers, encounter

this issue frequently,” Roebuck

said in an email. “We believe

this new law will help to address

it.

“The key element of this law

is that a clear warning must

first be issued,” she said.

“What this bill does — what

I hope it does — is protect

the officer and citizens from

unnecessary confrontation,”

George, a retired Oklahoma City

police officer, said earlier this

year. “If a first responder is performing

their duty and they ask

a citizen to stay back 25 feet,

then they have to stay back. If

they come forward after being

warned, it’s a misdemeanor and

they can be arrested. But this

should cut down on unnecessary

confrontations that lead to

bad things.”

The bill passed through the

Legislature with very little discussion

or debate and few negative

votes. It gained attention

when some law enforcement

agencies around the state last

week began posting the language

of the measure on social

media.

Roebuck clarified that people

may continue to record video of

officers performing their duties,

as long as it does not cause any

delay, obstruction or interference.

“Importantly, this law does

not prohibit individuals from

recording law enforcement

activity in public,” she said.

“Previously, there was no clearly

defined distance or safety

perimeter established by statute.

As a result, individuals

could lawfully stand immediately

adjacent to a traffic stop

or investigation, which divided

the officer’s attention and increased

risk in already hazardous

situations.”


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AROUND THE COUNTRY

SANTA CLARA, CA.

California judge frees second murder suspect without bail as DA

warns 'people's lives' are at risk.

A California judge has released

a second murder suspect without

requiring a cent in bail to be

posted, just weeks after freeing

another accused killer.

Agustin Sandoval and Vicente

Aguilera-Chavez were both

charged with murder in connection

with a June 8, 2017, shooting

that left a 21-year-old dead and

a 24-year-old injured, according

to KTVU. The Sunnyvale, California,

nightclub parking lot

shooting was allegedly gang-related

and resulted in the death of

21-year-old Edu Veliz-Salgado,

according to Mercury News.

The case went cold until 2024,

when detectives with the Sunnyvale

Department of Public Safety

identified the suspects in 2024.

Both men were charged with

the murder of Salgado, but a

spokesman for the Santa Clara

County District Attorney told Fox

News Digital that Sandoval was

the driver of the car that shots

were fired from.

During a court hearing on

Friday, Judge Hector Ramon

released Sandoval on his own

recognizance, meaning he does

not have to pay bail, the spokesman

said.

Aguilera was also charged

with murder. Ramon released

him during an Oct.

31 hearing.

Santa Clara County

District Attorney

Jeff Rosen told

Fox News Digital

that two accused

murderers are now

roaming through the

community.

"It was bad

enough that an

accused murderer with a violent

past was let out of custody,

now there are two. The odds of

re-offense or fleeing from justice

just doubled. People’s lives ride

on those odds," Rosen said.

Rosen said he was "shocked"

by Ramon's initial decision to

release Aguilera.

"This is an individual who not

only committed a murder, who's

not only been to prison once, but

has been to a prison twice, and

is a documented gang member,

this is a dangerous person,

and I'm the district attorney and

as the chief law enforcement

officer, my job is to protect this

community's safety," Rosen said.

"This person is absolutely a danger

to our community."

"I think that there's a range in

which judges can make decisions

that are reasonable and

reasonable people can disagree.

The reason I'm speaking

out about this case is this is not

a reasonable decision. This is

outside the bounds of what's

acceptable and it's dangerous to

the public," he added.

The district attorney's office

also said it tried to get Ramon to

change his mind about the decision

to release Aguilera, but was

unsuccessful.

"The court is gambling he

does not pose a risk to public

safety because he has not been

arrested for the last few years,"

the DA's office said in the filing

asking Ramon to reconsider Aguilera's

release. "The court should

give equal weight to his criminal

history … and the fact that he

brazenly murdered a stranger in

front of a crowd because the stranger

was drunk and mouthing off."


BLUE HONOR

Join us for a formal evening of honor

and tribute to our fallen heroes

during National Police Week.

Thursday, May 14th

6:00 PM

Washington Hilton

$150/Ticket - $1,400/Table

Must be purchased by May 1, 2026.

Blue/Black formal attire is expected.

Uniforms are acceptable.

Purchase tickets by scanning

the QR code or visit:

concernsofpolicesurvivors.org

Musical guest will be announced at a later date.

GALAThe BLUES - DECEMBER ‘25 51

AROUND THE COUNTRY

ACROSS THE US

The Latest Breaking News as we go LIVE.

MAN POINTS GUN AT SEAT-

TLE OFFICERS BEFORE OIS

By Lauren Girgis,

The Seattle Times

SEATTLE, WA. — Seattle police

have released body camera

footage from officers who shot

and killed a 46-year-old man

in Sodo last week, showing the

man appeared to pull out a gun

and aim it at officers.

The 46-year-old man was

identified by the King County

medical examiner’s office as

Jack Paleli.

The King County sheriff’s office,

the agency responsible for

investigating the officers’ use of

force, said last week that police

responded to reports of a man

holding an ax in the area of Fifth

Avenue South and South Holgate

Street.

Body camera footage released

by the Police Department shows

the man walking throughout the

intersection, apparently holding

a bag and another item. Officers

by their patrol vehicles tell the

man he is detained and needs to

put down the ax, which he does

not do.

Don’t put your hands on me, in

the name of the Lord,” the man

yells at officers.

“We won’t touch you, but you

still gotta stop so we can talk to

you,” an officer said through a

vehicle intercom.

A few moments later, the man

jogs through the street and

disregards another officer’s demands

that he get on the ground.

That officer states she is deploying

a less lethal weapon.

Seconds later, in-car video

shows the man, standing on the

sidewalk, pulling from his hoodie

pocket what appears to be a

handgun.

“Hey, he has a gun, the officer

exclaims. At least two officers

shoot about a dozen times. Paleli

CLICK TO WATCH

appears to drop the gun as the

first shot from officers is fired.

He died at the scene.

Court records show Paleli

was charged twice in previous

run-ins with police: in 2023 for

allegedly trying to disarm and

resist an officer, and in 2005

when he swung his elbows at

an officer and tried to take their

Taser.

Thursday’s shooting marks the

first by Seattle officers since the

federal consent decree was lifted

last month. Under the decree,

the Seattle Police Department

released officers’ body camera

footage shortly after shooting

someone.


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SUSPECTED DUI DRIVER

CRASHES INTO BEAUTY STORE

WHILE FLEEING MICH. POLICE

By Aileen Wingblad,

The Oakland Press

ROYAL OAK, MI. — Royal Oak

police have released additional

information about a woman

crashing her vehicle into the

Ulta Beauty store on Woodward

Avenue early Sunday morning

— alleging she had been fleeing

officers and is suspected of

drunk driving.

Katrina Deann-Renee Patterson,

26, is charged with multiple

felonies:

• Fleeing police — third-degree;

Assault/resist/obstruct

police; Two counts of felonious

assault; Malicious destruction of

a building; Malicious destruction

of personal property; Malicious

destruction of police property

According to a news release

from Royal Oak Police Lt. Rich

Millard , the incident unfolded at

around 12:40 a.m. Nov. 9 when

officers responded to a report

of a white SUV driving on the

railroad tracks near West Fourth

Street and South Center Street.

Officers reportedly spotted an

open container of alcohol in

the SUV, which had a tire “going

flat,” and the driver — identified

as Patterson — refused to cooperate

with them. She then took

off in her SUV, down Washington

Avenue.

The police pursuit continued

onto Farnum Avenue, onto

Oakridge Avenue and then into

an alley paralleling Woodward

where Patterson reportedly

turned; she accelerated and lost

control of her vehicle, crashing

into the Ulta store, the release

states.

CLICK TO WATCH

Patterson allegedly tried to flee

while her SUV was fully lodged

in the building, “backing up

and ramming a patrol car,” the

release states. She kept trying

to drive away, moving the SUV

further into the store where she

caused thousands of dollars in

damage, the release states.

After the SUV became lodged

on debris, Patterson was taken

into custody without further

incident, the release states.

Patterson is suspected of being

under the influence of alcohol at

the time, but that determination

is pending blood test results, the

release states.

The amount of damage caused

in the crash has not yet been

determined.

Patterson and a male passenger

— who was cited for having

open alcohol in the vehicle —

were medically evaluated for minor

injuries suffered in the crash.

No officers were injured.

“We are extremely fortunate

this suspect did not seriously

injure or kill our officers, herself,

her passenger or anyone else

during this reckless incident,”

said Police Chief Michael Moore.

Of the criminal charges Patterson

faces, malicious destruction

of a building carries the stiffest

possible penalty — up to 10 years

in prison. The other crimes have

possible penalties ranging from

two years to five years incarceration.

Patterson is held in the Oakland

County Jail with bond set

at $50,000 — with no 10% provision.

Her next court appearance

is tentatively scheduled for Nov.

21.

Patterson’s criminal history

includes a 2023 conviction for

operating while intoxicated in

Port Huron.

SEVEN NEW MEXICO COPS

WIN $1M IN NEPOTISM CASE

AFTER BEING PENALIZED FOR

REPORTING CADET’S MISCON-

DUCT

By Joanna Putman, Police1

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The

City of Albuquerque has been

ordered to pay more than $1

million in damages after a jury

found that seven Albuquerque

Police Department training officers

were retaliated against for

reporting misconduct involving a

cadet with family ties to department

leadership, KRQE reported.


Each of the officers was

awarded $155,000 in emotional

damages by a Bernalillo County

jury following a trial that centered

on claims of nepotism and

improper discipline, according

to the report. The case involved

Cadet Joshua Vega, son of a

high-ranking APD deputy chief,

who was accused of being untruthful

with academy staff in

2023.

The officers reported that Vega

lied about shaving his head, a requirement

under academy rules.

He was initially dismissed from

the academy but reinstated a day

later. The lawsuit claimed that

the decision followed a phone

call from his father to Police

Chief Harold Medina.

Soon after, the seven officers,

six instructors and their sergeant,

were removed from their

academy positions and investigated

for allegedly hazing Vega.

Their attorney, Shayne Huffman,

said the accusations stemmed

from a longstanding practice

known as a “smoke session,”

where cadets are required to

perform physical training while

a violation is addressed. Huffman

said Vega was asked to shave his

head in front of the class as part

of that process.

An internal investigation later

found no evidence of hazing.

The officers, however, were not

returned to their original roles,

according to the report.

Huffman called the verdict

unprecedented and said it sends

a message about the importance

of protecting employees who

report misconduct.

“We should encourage and

incentivize people to have the

courage to come forward,” he

said.

All seven officers remain employed

with APD, as does Vega

and his father.

In a statement, the city of Albuquerque

said it would appeal

the verdict and defended the

investigation into the training

staff’s conduct as appropriate.

BARRICADED SUSPECT FALLS

THROUGH CEILING AND INTO

SWAT CUSTODY

A suspect who had pledged

a shootout with police before

going back to jail was taken into

custody without incident, other

than falling through a ceiling and

into the hands of SWAT officers.

The Indian River County Sheriff’s

Office (Florida) released

video of when the barricaded

man fell through the ceiling and

was arrested.

Deputies received an alert

from license plate readers about

a stolen Ford F350, reported

stolen out of Osceola County on

Oct. 19, that was hauling lumber.

Through surveillance, investigative

efforts, and use of the

department’s real time crime

CLICK TO WATCH

center, suspect Keith Rodgers,

37, was identified after purchasing

the lumber at the Sebastian

Home Depot, still using the stolen

vehicle. The stolen truck was

found parked in the driveway

of a home, and the suspect was

seen unloading wood.

But he fled into the residence

upon seeing law enforcement.

Rodgers barricaded himself in

the house and refused to respond

to verbal commands.

The sheriff’s department said

that due to his extensive criminal

history and previous statements

that he would get into a

shootout before going back to

jail, SWAT and Crisis Negotiators

were deployed. It was believed

that he was hiding in the attic.

After several hours, Rodgers

fell through the ceiling into the

arms of SWAT members, the

sheriff’s department reported.

He now faces multiple felony

charges from Indian River and

Osceola Counties.

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FREE SUBSCRIPTION


BWC SHOWS OHIO OFFICER

RESPONDING TO MAN RIDING

BULL IN PARKING LOT


ALLIANCE, OH — A report of

suspicious activity in a Walmart

parking lot took an unexpected

turn when an Alliance police

officer found a man riding a bull

near the store entrance, WFMJ

reported.

According to the Alliance Police

Department, Officer Ronald

Hook was dispatched to the 2500

block of West State Street on

Nov. 6 after a caller reported “a

male with a cowboy hat riding a

whitish bull” in the parking lot,


“If I’m reading this right, is he

actually riding a real bull?” Hook

asked the dispatcher, according

to a post on the department’s

Facebook page.

Upon arrival, Hook confirmed

the unusual sight: a man on

“bullback,” riding through the

Tractor Supply parking lot. The

rider and his animal were en

route to a rodeo event at Garwood

Arena in Columbiana

County.

“I have so many questions,” the

officer said.

No violations were issued.

Instead, the officer took the

opportunity to pose for a photo

atop the bull, marking what the

department called a memorable

moment during a “routine” shift.

Body camera video posted to

the Alliance Police Department’s

Facebook page brought in thousands

of comments.

“Imagine being the person who

called the police… just to see

the police officer riding the bull,”

one commenter stated.

“Chief: so Tim why tf did you

get on the bull? Tim: well sir it

was a once in a life time opportunity,”

another stated.

“That cop had to get on that

bull and take a photo because

no one would have believed him

otherwise,” another joked.

$500M GRANT PROGRAM

LAUNCHED TO HELP LE COUNT-

ER ILLEGAL DRONES AHEAD OF

2026 WORLD CUP


WASHINGTON —Amid safety

preparations for the 2026

World Cup, the White House

Task Force, alongside DRONER-

ESPONDERS and the Commercial

Drone Alliance, announced

a $500M grant program aimed

at helping communities combat

illegal drone use, according to a

news release.

The C-UAS (Counter-Uncrewed

Aircraft Systems) Grant Program

was announced at the “Countering

the Threat: CUAS Industry

and SLTT Grant Forum,” on Nov.

12.

“The $500 million in funding

from the One Big Beautiful Bill

will help ensure that all eleven

host cities are fully prepared and

connected in their opportunity

to protect their stadiums and

CLICK TO WATCH

cities during the tournament and

thereafter,” said Andrew Giuliani,

executive director of the White

House Task Force on the FIFA

World Cup 2026.

The White House Task Force is

working with law enforcement,

federal agencies, local and state

governments, community organizations,

and private entities

to help ensure safety, security

and hospitality at the World Cup

events, according to the statement.

The first $250 million will be

awarded to areas hosting FIFA

World Cup 2026, the Olympics

and America 250 national events

in the coming years, as well as


to the National Capital Region.

The remaining money will be

distributed in 2027 to “all states

and territories with an expanded

focus on building national

detection and response capacity,”

according to the release.

“The CUAS Industry and SLTT

Grant Forum brought together

all of the critical stakeholders,

from federal to local governments

and industry to law enforcement

agencies, to bolster

our critical collective efforts

to enhance the security of our

airspace, particularly around

high-profile mass gathering

events,” said Lisa Ellman, chief

executive officer of the Commercial

Drone Alliance. “The

industry was able to share opportunities,

ask questions, and

connect with law enforcement

agencies to bolster efforts to

protect communities.”

Other topics addressed at the

conference included updates on

legalities around CUAS technology

use, information on FBI

Schoolhouse training opportunities

for CUAS operators and

discussions on the future of

CUAS solutions.

NEB. MAN FATALLY SHOOTS

SELF IN BACK OF CRUISER AF-

TER BEING SEARCHED, HAND-

CUFFED

By Alyssa Johnson.

Lincoln Journal Star, Neb.

LINCOLN, Neb. — Forty-five

minutes after officers arrived, a

Lincoln man fatally shot himself

in the back of a police cruiser

Sunday, police say.

Eleazar Oceguera, 45, shot

and killed himself after officers

handcuffed, searched him

and placed him in the back of a

cruiser near South 53rd and Lowell

Avenue, Police Chief Michon

Morrow said at a Wednesday

news conference.

In addition to identifying Oceguera,

the Lincoln Police Department

released still images of

footage from body cams and a

cruiser camera.

At 7:45 p.m. Sunday, police were

called to the area of South 54th

and Meredeth streets on reports

of a man having a mental health

crisis. Thirteen minutes later, police

were dispatched to the area.

When two officers arrived at

8:02 p.m., Oceguera was allegedly

attempting to break into a

home through a basement window,

Morrow said.

He was then handcuffed and

searched by officers. Morrow

showed still images on Wednesday

and said the officers began to

search his body including dumping

his pockets, searching his

waistband, legs, socks and shoe

area, before sitting him in the

back of the cruiser.

Morrow said Oceguera was

“frustrated” while being taken

into custody but wasn’t being

exceptionally difficult or resisting

the officers.

“They were very kind and

patient with him as they talked

to him and tried to get him to

understand why we were placing

him into custody, so we didn’t

have any concern at that point

for anyone else in the neighborhood,”

Morrow said.

While officers were interviewing

witnesses, including a woman

who had driven to the location

and knew Oceguera, police

said Oceguera was able to move

his handcuffed hands to the front

of his body, pull a firearm from

his pants, and shoot himself at

8:45 p.m.

“When he made that decision,

he made it a personal choice,”

Morrow said.

The Lincoln Police Department’s

policy says a person who

is handcuffed should be supervised,

except in special circumstances.

Morrow said that one of

the officers was standing close

to the cruiser while completing

interviews to determine if Oceguera

should be placed in emergency

protective custody.

Morrow also said that the officer

had been in and out of the


cruiser and interacting with Oceguera

before the shooting and

noted it was dark in the back

seat. Morrow did not know how

long it took him to maneuver his

cuffs to the position to get the

gun.

The second officer was by

the house that Oceguera was

allegedly trying to break into,

speaking to the homeowners.

After Oceguera shot himself,

Morrow said the officers on

scene immediately removed him

from the cruiser and started rendering

aid. Lincoln Fire and Rescue

crews arrived on scene and

transported him to the hospital.

Oceguera died at 9:30 p.m.,

according to Morrow.

No officers were injured and

the officer whose cruiser this

occurred in was placed on paid

administrative leave pending the

outcome of the investigation, as

required by LPD policy.

Morrow said the second officer

was not put on leave because

when Oceguera fired the gun, the

second officer wasn’t nearby.

The administrative leave will

continue during the investigation

with interviews and an autopsy,

but also to give the officer “time

to decompress.”

Morrow said the officers followed

policy by searching the

man when he was taken into

custody and handcuffing Oceguera,

but missed the gun. He

was handcuffed behind his back

with his palms out, and double

locked, according to Morrow.

When handcuffs are double

locked, they cannot be tightened

without unlocking a second lock

with a handcuff key. Morrow said

this is policy for when a person

in custody is placed in a cruiser

so as they lean back, the handcuffs

do not close further, which

can cause discomfort or cut off

circulation.

Police on Wednesday released

numerous still images from

body-cam and cruiser camera

footage that show officers

searching Oceguera and Oceguera

in the back of the cruiser

as he pulled the gun out of his

pants.

But Morrow said police would

not release video of the incident,

citing the graphic nature of the

video and the need to respect

Oceguera’s family.

“It would be incredibly disrespectful

to publicize his last

moments,” Morrow said. “Quite

simply, it’s unnecessary.”

18-YEAR-OLD SUSPECT

SHOOTS AT MICH. OFFICERS

AS THEY APPROACH HIM TO

DISCUSS STOLEN FIREARM

By John Tunison,

mlive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A

man who exchanged gunfire

with Grand Rapids police is now

charged with attempted murder.

Kent County Prosecutor Chris

Becker announced the charges

Thursday, Nov. 13 against the

CLICK TO WATCH

18-year-old man.

MLive is not naming him pending

arraignment.

He is charged with seven felonies,

including two counts of

attempted murder, resisting and

opposing police, felony firearm

and carrying a concealed weapon.

Grand Rapids police released

bodycam and dashcam video of

the encounter Wednesday.

Officers were patrolling around

1:40 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 11, near

Blaine Avenue SE and Adams

Street SE when they noticed a

man walking in the area, Grand

Rapids police Chief Eric Winstrom

told reporters at a press

conference Wednesday.

Investigators wanted to speak

with the man about a stolen

firearm. The man was familiar to

police, Winstrom said.

After police tried to talk to

him, the man began to walk

away from the officers. He then

abruptly turned around and fired

at least four gunshots at officers.

Police returned nine shots in the

exchange. No one was struck.

Soon after, the man ditched

the handgun. Police found that

and then located the man a few

blocks away.


BALTIMORE OFFICER INDICT-

ED ON ATTEMPTED MURDER

CHARGE AFTER BYSTANDER’S

VIDEO OF PURSUIT GOES VIRAL


BALTIMORE —A Baltimore Police

officer is being charged with

attempted murder after a video

circulating online appeared to

show him driving off a roadway

after a suspect fled on foot, CBS

News reported.

Robert A. Banks was indicted

on charges of second-degree

attempted murder, first- and

second- degree assault, reckless

driving and misconduct, according

to the report.

The Oct. 28 incident began

when Parks asked a group of

people to disperse. Many individuals

appeared to comply. The

officer went back to his vehicle

before driving forward to speak

with one person.

He called the person by name,

but the person ignored him and

walked away. Parks then radioed

in that an individual was

fleeing in the alleyway. He drove

after the person in his vehicle,

allegedly striking the person as

they continued to flee.

The charges allege that the

officer continued to pursue the

person with his vehicle on a

sidewalk and through a backyard

before the person climbed over a

fence. The incident was captured

on a bystander’s video.

The Baltimore Police Department

has launched an internal

CLICK TO WATCH

investigation into the incident.

“The charges brought forward

in this indictment reflect the seriousness

and dangerous nature

of the actions we all witnessed


in the viral video of Officer Parks

driving his vehicle directly at a

civilian while on duty,” State’s

Attorney Ivan Bates said while

announcing the charges on Nov.

12.

Parks violated two department

policies by using his “motor vehicle

as a weapon” to hit a civilian,

Bates said. The use of force

and operation of emergency

vehicle policies are “combined to

prevent this type of pursuit.”

Parks could face up to 65 years

in prison, according to the report.

He was suspended without pay

on Nov. 11 and turned himself

into police on Nov. 12.

LVMPD OFFICER DRAGGED

FROM PARKING LOT BY VEHI-

CLE, SHOPLIFTING SUSPECT

ARRESTED


LAS VEGAS —A Las Vegas

Metropolitan Police Department

Officer was dragged by a suspect

vehicle while responding

to a shoplifting incident, video

obtained by 8 News Now shows.

The Aug. 1 incident began

when officers responded to a

reported shoplifting at a Target.

Body camera footage shows Officer

Chadly Dingle beckoning a

group of women seen exiting the

building.

The women had been captured

on camera putting clothing in

their bags and leaving without

paying for it, according to the

report. As Dingle worked to take

one of the women into custody,

she struggled and was able to

reach her vehicle.

She got into the driver’s seat

and began to drive away while

the officer, still trying to take her

into custody, was partly inside

her vehicle. Bystander video

shows the woman’s car gaining

speed as she attempted to leave

the parking lot, while the officer’s

legs dangled from one of

the rear doors.

Video from an Aramark delivery

van shows another police

cruiser colliding with the suspect

vehicle to stop it as the

suspect attempted to turn onto a

main road.

Body camera footage shows

another officer responding to

help the injured officer, now fully

in the woman’s back seat. The

woman, along with three teenagers,

were taken into custody.

Dingle told a Grand Jury he

was “just trying to survive,” according

to the report. He suffered

a herniated lower disk in his

back, along with other shoulder

and knee injuries.

The suspect is facing charges

of burglary, resisting a public

officer with the use of a dangerous

weapon and second-degree

kidnapping. The three teenagers

involved were also arrested and

face various charges, including

CLICK TO WATCH

robbery, conspiracy to commit

robbery and kidnapping.

DETROIT POLICE UNION SUES

TO HALT CITY LAW REGARD-

ING BODY, DASH CAM FOOTAGE

RELEASE

By Louis Aguilar, The Detroit

News

DETROIT — The Detroit Police

Officers Association is asking

a Wayne County Circuit Court

judge to place a temporary

injunction on a new city ordinance

that requires the release

of body and dash cam footage

of a police officer causing great

bodily harm to the public within

30 days of the incident.

The police union contends the

new law can lead to the public

release of identifiable images

and information of police officers,

potentially endangering

their lives, according to a lawsuit

filed Monday in Wayne County

Circuit Court.

Detroit Corporation Counsel

Conrad Mallett said Wednesday

the police union is misinterpreting

the new ordinance.


“Either the DPOA did not thoroughly

read the ordinance, or

they simply misunderstand it,”

Mallett said in a statement to

The Detroit News. “This could

have been sorted out with a

phone call instead of a lawsuit.”

The new ordinance the City

Council passed on Oct. 28

changes the department’s existing

requirements to release body

and dash cam footage related to

shootings within 30 days of the

incident. The new ordinance extends

the requirement to footage

involving the use of bodily harm

by an officer. It also requires the

city “to create and maintain a

publicly accessible website or

similar portal dedicated to the

posting” of the footage.

In addition to the safety concerns,

the new policy violates

the collective bargaining agreement

between the police union

and the city, the union’s lawsuit

contends.

Mallett said there is “no basis

for this lawsuit or the request for

a temporary restraining order.”

The new ordinance takes steps

to protect the identity of officers.

“It is codified in the council-approved

ordinance that any

and all contractually protected

officer information shall not be

released through this process,”

Mallett said.

“In fact, whether the release of

video would violate the collective

bargaining agreement, per

the ordinance, is the first question

that must be answered” in

the court case.

MAN TAKES GAS STATION

CLERKS HOSTAGE, SHOOTS

COLO. OFFICER IN LEG BEFORE

FATAL OIS

DENVER, CO. — A man was fatally

shot by police after firing at

officers during an armed standoff

at a gas station in Denver, the

Denver Post reported.

One officer and two store

clerks were injured in the Oct. 27

incident, according to the report.

According to police, the suspect

entered the gas station and

became agitated when the clerks

did not have his preferred brand

of cigarettes. He then displayed

a firearm and ordered employees

to lock the doors, turn off the

lights and call police.

When five officers arrived, they

heard a gunshot from inside and

forced entry through a glass

door.

“Where’s he at?” the officers

can be heard asking the clerks.

As they moved toward the

clerks, the suspect fired several

rounds from behind a store shelf,

striking one officer in the leg.

Four officers returned fire,

discharging a total of 57 rounds

and striking the suspect multiple

times. He was pronounced

dead at the scene. A Springfield

Armory 9mm Hellcat pistol was

recovered near him.

Both clerks sustained minor

injuries believed to be caused by

shrapnel. One was hit in the foot

CLICK TO WATCH

and the other in the leg. Authorities

believe the injuries were

the result of a ricochet or debris

from an officer’s round, though

ballistic testing is still underway.

The incident is under investigation

by the Denver District Attorney’s

Office’s Critical Incident

Response Team, which reviews

all officer-involved shootings,


DASHCAM VIDEO SHOWS

OFFICERS RESCUE MAN FROM

BURNING CAR

The South Brunswick Township

Police Department released

dashcam video of two of its

officers pulling an unconscious

man from a burning car following

a crash. Just as they pulled

the man free, flames engulfed

the car.

“I have watched the video,

and it is the definition of heroic.

The driver is severely injured,

trapped, and his car is on fire.

The fire was quickly spreading

and appeared to be almost at

Officer Sites' feet when they

could free the driver. It is the

split-second actions of these

officers that this 26-year-old is

alive today,” said South Brunswick

Police Chief Raymond


CLICK TO WATCH

CLICK TO WATCH

Hayducka.

Officer Thomas Sites and Officer

Yash Shroff were dispatched

to Route 27 for a motor vehicle

crash. The Nov. 9 crash was in

Franklin Township, but the two

South Brunswick officers were

the closest officers.

According to the department,

the officers arrived within minutes

and discovered the 26-yearold

male driver unconscious in

the driver’s seat. The man was

unresponsive, the vehicle's doors

were locked, and smoke was

pouring out of the front of the

vehicle.

Shroff attempted to break the

window with his baton without

success, so Sites retrieved his

“breaching tool” from his patrol

car as flames began to show

from the front of the vehicle. He

then smashed the rear passenger's

window, hoping to unlock

the door. Sites then smashed the

driver’s side window, reached

through the broken glass, and

unlocked the door.

As Sites opened the driver’s

door, flames approached his feet

from the undercarriage of the

car. The two officers worked together

to pull the man from the

burning car.

Within seconds of pulling the

driver out, flames consumed

the front of the car. The officers

dragged the heavily injured driver

further away from the vehicle

to safety. Within minutes, the

entire car was fully engulfed in

flames.

Robert Wood Johnson University

Hospital transported the

driver to the hospital. He continues

to recover in the hospital

and is listed in stable condition,

police said

FLORIDA DEPUTY SHOOTS

MAN, RESCUES CHILD BEING

HELD AT KNIFEPOINT

By Mark Price,

Miami Herald

BRANDON, FL. — Dramatic body

cam video shows a terrified boy

was being held by the throat

when his knife-wielding captor

was killed by a deputy, the Florida

investigators say.

The rescue happened around 2

p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, in Brandon,

and it was the boy’s older sister

who called for help, the Hillsborough

County Sheriff’s Office

said in a news release.

Among the disturbing details:

The suspect, who was also a

sibling, had been repeatedly

“cutting her” with a knife, officials

said.

“The caller advised that the

suspect, Mario Camacho, 27, was

armed with a knife and choking

their 7-year-old brother,” the

sheriff’s office said.

“The suspect barricaded himself

with his brother in a back

bedroom. Deputies heard the

child screaming for help and

kicked down the door. Deputies

encountered the suspect, who

was holding a knife and refusing

to let go of the child. The suspect

was wearing a motorcycle

helmet and two tactical vests

with ballistic plates.”

Video shows Camacho was

downed with a single shot after

he refused multiple commands

to release the boy, officials said.

Camacho was taken to Brandon

Regional Hospital and pronounced

deceased, the sheriff’s

office said.

Investigators did not release

details of injuries to the boy and

his sister.

“The deputy involved is Antonio

Gonzalez , 25, and has been with


HCSO for just under six years.

... Deputy Gonzalez has been

placed on administrative leave

with pay pending completion of

the investigation.”

MAN POINTS HANDGUN AT

NYPD LIEUTENANT BEFORE

FATAL OIS

By Scott R. Axelrod,

Staten Island Advance, N.Y.

NEW YORK — Police have released

body-cam footage showing

the moment a lieutenant

fatally shot a man who allegedly

pointed a gun at officers on a

Brooklyn street after ignoring

multiple commands to drop his

weapon.

The incident occurred on

Sunday, Oct. 5 just after 9 a.m.,

when Lt. Richard Custodio and

five other officers responded

to a 911 call reporting a violation

of an order of protection

and harassment at a residential

building on East 86th Street near

Avenue B in East Flatbush, the

report said.

According to the outlet, as

officers arrived at the location,

Bacchus walked past them with

his hands in his hoodie pockets.

He then turned left and continued

down the sidewalk.

The body-cam footage shows

Bacchus standing in the street

facing officers as Lt. Custodio

yells “drop it” 10 times.

As Custodio approached,

Bacchus began backing toward

the curb while holding a gun in

his left hand. Bacchus raised the

weapon slightly and pointed it

toward Custodio, who then fired

a single shot. Struck in the chest,

Bacchus fell onto the curb in

visible pain, the report said.

“He had a firearm in his hand,”

NYPD Assistant Chief Francis

CLICK TO WATCH

Giordano , commanding officer of

Patrol Borough Brooklyn South,

told reporters following the incident.

“He was ordered numerous

times, multiple times to drop that

weapon. After repeated warnings

were given to drop his weapon,

the subject did not comply with

those orders.”

Officers provided medical assistance,

handcuffing Bacchus

before performing CPR and rushing

him to Kings County Hospital,

where he was pronounced

dead. According to police, they

recovered a loaded firearm at the

scene, the report said.


Wed-Sat 12pm - 8pm

5306 Washington Ave

Houston, TX 77007

832-627-3729



CALIFORNIA OFFICER USES

CRUISER TO STOP GUN-TOTING

ATTEMPTED CARJACKER

By Thaddeus Miller,

The Fresno Bee

FRESNO, CA — An 18-year-old

fleeing arrest after firing a handgun

in a River Park parking lot

was struck by officers in a Fresno

patrol car, according to video

released Friday by police.

Officers were in the River Park

area near Blackstone and El

Paseo avenues about 5:30 p.m.

Aug. 20 when they heard a single

gunshot, according to police.

George Ruiz, 18, had fired a

round at a passing car before

fleeing west across Blackstone,

according to police.

An officer chased after Ruiz

on foot as he ran through parking

lots while another officer

pursued him in a police cruiser,

video shows.

Police said Ruiz attempted to

carjack a vehicle in the parking

lot but was unsuccessful. Video

shows Ruiz approaching a truck

or SUV before the driver sped

away.

Police said Ruiz fled past the

north end of Sam’s Club while

headed west. The police video

shows he almost reached San

Pablo Avenue before an officer

in the police cruiser struck Ruiz

from behind.

Video appears to show Ruiz

carrying a handgun while on the

run. The officer in the patrol car

can be heard saying, “He’s reaching,”

before driving the cruiser

into the back of Ruiz.

The 18-year-old partially rolls

onto the hood of the car before

he falls to the ground, video

shows. The gun he appeared to

be carrying can be seen lying

nearby.

The officers then handcuffed

Ruiz, video shows.

Ruiz was transported to a Fresno

hospital after complaining of

leg pain, police said. No one else

was injured in the incident.

Ruiz remains in Fresno County

Jail in lieu of $575,000 bail,

according to jail records. He

has pleaded not guilty to eight

charges, including assault with

a firearm and several other gun

charges as well as resisting arrest.

His attorney did not immediately

respond to a request for

comment.

MAN KILLED IN OIS AFTER

STRIKING AN OFF-DUTY COP

IN THE FACE WITH A GUN

The Milwaukee Police Department

released video from last

week when one of its off-duty

officers was struck in the face

with a handgun following a minor

traffic collision. The officer

responded, fired multiple shots,

and the assailant was pronounced

dead at the scene.

CLICK TO WATCH

According to police , last

Thursday, about 8:25 a.m., an

off-duty Milwaukee Police Department

(MPD) officer was

involved in a minor vehicle accident

while on his way into work.

The video, released by the

department, shows both drivers

pulling over and exiting their

vehicles. As they were assessing

the accident, the driver of the

other vehicle approached the

off-duty officer and produced a

firearm.

That other motorist then struck

the off-duty officer in the face

with a firearm. The video shows

the other man then pointing his

weapon at the officer, who then

drew his department-issued firearm

and fired.

The two individuals exchanged

gunfire, and the subject was

struck.

The subject, a 26-year-old

male, was pronounced deceased

at the scene. No one else was

struck by gunfire. The officer was

taken to the hospital for treatment

of injuries sustained during

this incident.

The officer who discharged his



duty weapon during this incident

is a 40-year-old male with more

than 21 years of service. He was

placed on administrative duty

as is routine in officer-involved

shooting investigations.

The Milwaukee Area Investigative

Team is investigating this

incident. The West Allis Police

Department is the leading agency.

THREE COLORADO OFFICERS

SHOT IN SEPARATE AMBUSH-

ES DURING SEARCH FOR RI-

FLE-WIELDING SUSPECT BE-

FORE FATAL OIS

PUEBLO, CO. — The Pueblo Police

Department released bodyworn

camera footage showing

a search for a homicide suspect

that led to the ambush shootings

of three officers at three separate

times, including one who

was shot in the head, according

to a critical incident release.

The March 18 incident began

when officers launched a

search for a suspect on the FBI

Southern Colorado Safe Streets

Taskforce’s Wanted Criminal list

because of an attempted homicide

warrant, according to the

department.

When two officers arrived

in the search area, the suspect

walked by on a sidewalk, armed

with a rifle. He immediately

began firing shots at them as

they parked their cruisers, dash

camera footage released on Nov.

13 shows.

The man fired 27 shots at the

officers within 8 seconds, according

to the department. One

of the officers was struck in the

head by the gunfire and incapacitated,

and the suspect fled the

scene on foot.

Body camera video from the

wounded officer shows he had

put the car in park seconds

before he was struck by gunfire

through his windshield.

The second officer started

rendering aid to the first officer.

A bystander, who was an Army

veteran, assisted the officer in

rendering aid, allowing the officer

to communicate details to

dispatch.

Officers from multiple agencies

in the surrounding area responded

to the scene and established

a perimeter and an incident

command post, according to the

department.

Officers continued to search

the area for the suspect as the

wounded officer was transported

to a hospital.

CLICK TO WATCH

A group of officers were working

to open what appeared to

be a backyard gate when they

encountered the suspect approximately

40 minutes later, body

camera shows. The officers can

be seen standing in front of a

wooden fence when shots ring

out. A muzzle flash can be seen

from behind a fence.

The officers appeared unsure

of where the shots came from

and could not tell where the suspect

had gone as they called for

an ambulance and dragged the

wounded officer to safety. One

officer asked if a drone was on

the way to assist in the search.

About 11 minutes later, officers

encountered the suspect a third

time. An officer was using his

flashlight to alert the arriving


drone unit to their location when

another shot can be heard ringing

out.

“Oh shit, I’ve been hit,” the officer

can be heard saying.

Officers were able to pinpoint

the suspect’s location as he shot

and wounded the third officer.

As teams from the Pueblo Police

Department and the Pueblo

County Sheriff’s Office moved

into position, the suspect began

shooting again.

Officers returned fire, striking

the suspect. They rendered

medical aid, but the suspect was

declared deceased at the scene.

The Pueblo County Office of the

District Attorney has since released

its review of the incident.

The DA’s office found that all officers

and deputies were justified

in their enforcement actions.

LAS VEGAS ADDS 10 NEW CY-

BERTRUCKS TO ITS FLEET

The Las Vegas Metropolitan

Police Department will roll out

a new fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks

this month.

The fleet includes 10 blackand-white

Cybtertrucks with

flashing lights, sirens, and police

logos. They are also equipped

with tactical gear, such as shotguns

and shields, as well as additional

battery capacity to meet

policing needs.

They also include a 360-degree

camera view exterior to ensure

officers have a complete view of

their surroundings.

The Cybertrucks also feature

a “ride-high” mode that allows

officers to transition from city

streets to off-road terrain as

needed.

“This is just the next evolution

in continuing to keep our community

safer than it's ever been,”

said Clark County Sheriff Kevin

McMahil during a recent press

conference.

These vehicles were donated

to the department by Ben and

Felicia Horrowitz, owners of a

Silicon Valley firm, thereby saving

taxpayer funds.

NYPD COMMISSIONER JES-

SICA TISCH WILL CONTINUE

TO LEAD DEPARTMENT UNDER

NEW MAYORAL ADMINISTRA-

TION

By Rocco Parascandola, Thomas

Tracy, Graham Rayman and

Chris Sommerfeldt

New York Daily News

NEW YORK — NYPD Commissioner

Jessica Tisch has accepted

an offer from Mayor-elect

Zohran Mamdani to remain New

York City’s top cop under his

administration — a move that

comes despite differences in

their outlooks on public safety.

In a Wednesday email to NYPD

officers announcing she will stay

on as commissioner, Tisch hinted

at those political differences. But

she wrote she ultimately agreed

to remain in the job following

“several conversations” with

Mamdani, a democratic socialist

who’s being sworn in as mayor

Jan. 1.

“Do the mayor-elect and I

agree on everything? No, we

don’t. But in speaking with him,

it’s clear that we share broad

and crucial priorities: The importance

of public safety, the need

to continue driving down crime

and the need to maintain stability

and order across the department,”

she wrote to cops in

the email, a copy of which was

obtained by the Daily News. “We

also agree that you deserve the

city’s respect and support.”

She wrote that she appreciates

that Mamdani “wants a team

with different points of view — a

team where ideas and policies

are debate on their merits.”

“In those discussions, you can

trust that I will be a fierce advocate

for you and for this department.

You know how I operate: I

don’t mince words,” her message

said. “When I say something, I

mean it. And that is not going to


change.”

Mamdani has pledged to keep

the NYPDs headcount flat, abolish

the department’s controversial

Strategic Response Group

and get rid of its gang database

— all proposals Tisch has publicly

voiced skepticism about.

Additionally, Mamdani has said

he will as mayor seek to launch

the Department of Community

Safety, a $1 billion agency that

would absorb some responsibilities

currently handled by cops,

such as mental health calls.

Tisch has not said what she

thinks of that idea.

Years before launching his

campaign for mayor, Mamdani

posted messages on social media

in 2020 calling for the need

to “defund” and “dismantle” the

NYPD. In one particularly incendiary

post from 2020, Mamdani

called the NYPD “anti-queer,”

“racist” and “a danger to public

safety.”

Since launching his mayoral

run, Mamdani has apologized

for those remarks and promised

to keep NYPD funding levels flat.

Still, some Mamdani critics have

seized on his past rhetoric about

police.

The decision by Tisch to stay

on comes just under a year after

she was sworn in as the city’s

48th police commissioner and

amid widespread speculation

about her staying on as police

commissioner under Mamdani’s

leadership.

BYSTANDERS PULL ATLAN-

TA OFFICER FROM BURNING

CRUISER CRASH

ATLANTA —The Atlanta Police

Department is praising a group

of bystanders who stepped in to

rescue an officer from his burning

cruiser.

The Oct. 21 incident occurred

when Officer Malik Safi was responding

to a call of an officer in

need of assistance, the department

posted on social media.

While en route to the call, his

cruiser crashed into the side of a

house, causing both the vehicle

and the home to catch fire.

Before first responders arrived,

a group of good Samaritans

pulled Safi from the cruiser.

Safi’s own body camera footage

shows the bystanders pulling

him away from the vehicle.

“We just went off our heart…

” Ryan Beck told Atlanta Police.

“We didn’t want to see anyone

suffering in that type of situation,

so we just hopped out and

sprung into action.

As the group pulled Safi away,

one of the firearms in the burning

to vehicle started to go off. The

group then moved Safi further

away from the wreckage.

“We just tried to comfort him

and let him know that he wasn’t

there by himself,” Robinson said.

Another bystander, a woman

who has not yet been identified,

used Safi’s radio to call

other officers and responders to

the scene. Help soon arrived to

transport Safi to the hospital.

Beck and Robinson, who are

brothers, credited their mother

for teaching them the golden

rule.

The police department did not

provide an update on Safi’s condition

in the post but said that

the group of bystanders “saved

his life.”

“These residents remind us

that community truly means

neighbors looking out for one

another when it matters most,”

the PD stated. “From all of us at

the Atlanta Police Department,

thank you for your extraordinary

courage.”

Hayducka said in a statement.

“The driver is severely injured,

trapped, and his car is on fire.

The fire was quickly spreading

and appears to be almost at

officer Sites’ feet when they are

able to free the driver. It is the

split-second actions of these officers

that this 26-year old is still

alive today.


TENSIONS RISE IN HOUSTON

AFTER POLICE UNION REJECTS

ICE POLICY OVERHAUL AS “IL-

LEGAL”

HOUSTON, TX - A member of

the Houston City Council issued

a proposal to change the current

Houston Police Department

(HPD) policy on ICE warrants,

and the police union calls it "impossible."

Houston City Council Member

Letitia Plummer is pushing

to revise HPD's policy on when

officers contact federal immigration

authorities. She claims

that the proposal would give

officers more discretion without

violating state law, according to

Click2Houston.

The Houston Police Union,

however, does not agree and

argues that the proposed change

cannot happen and is not needed.

The union said that ICE has

picked up only eight people this

year after HPD contacted the

agency about open warrants.

Under HPD's current general

order, officers "shall contact U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

(ICE) if a background

check through NCIC/TCIC (National

Crime Information Center

and Texas Crime Information

Center) returns a possible hit

from ICE regarding a wanted or

detained."

This means that when officers

run a person's name and a

warrant appears, administrative

or criminal, they are required to

contact the agency that issued it,

including immigration authorities.

Plummer wants that requirement

softened. Her proposal

would change the wording

from "shall contact ICE" to "may

contact ICE," allowing individual

officers to determine whether

the warrant requires ICE involvement.

"The officer would have the

discretion to say, we don't need

to report this to ICE because it's

a low-level violation," Plummer

said.

"Very simple wording, but it

changes it tremendously in terms

of what their level of discretion

is." Plummer reportedly began reviewing

the department's policies

after a June domestic violence

case where the victim herself had

an ICE warrant.

Critics of her proposal questioned

whether giving officers

discretion would conflict with

Texas Senate Bill 4, the new state

law allowing law enforcement to

arrest people suspected of crossing

the border illegally. Plummer

says the revision is fully compliant.

"The revision complies with

Texas Senate Bill 4 by not prohibiting

or materially limiting

cooperation with ICE, only prohibiting

unconstitutional detention,"

she said. "We were very careful

about protecting not only our HPD

officers but [also] protecting our

immigrant community."

She stressed that the goal is not

to restrict the police. "We're not

preventing HPD from doing their

job. I mean, clearly, we want to

keep Houston safe in every way

possible," Plummer said. The

Houston Police Officers' Union

strongly opposes the change.

Union President Doug Griffith

argues that officers cannot legally

ignore warrants issued by any

agency, local or federal.

"What she's asking us to do is

basically illegal," Griffith said. "If

you have an open warrant, you

have to contact the agency ... no

matter if it's Harris County, Fort

Bend County, Austin County, or

ICE."

Griffith said officers already

follow a consistent and lawful

process. They notify the issuing

agency, wait for direction, and

document the encounter if that

agency declines to take custody.

"If they want them, we'll

hold them ... If not, we document

it and let them go," he

said. "That's exactly what we do

with ICE."

He also argued that changing

HPD's policy could risk federal

and state funding. He said

Plummer's proposal is unnecessary

because the number of

people actually detained due

to ICE warrants is extremely

small. He said the low number

shows HPD is not engaged in

mass detentions tied to immigration

status.

Plummer needs one more

council member's signature to

advance the proposal for formal

discussion. Even then, she does

not expect the idea to go to a

vote immediately. "I don't expect

this document to get voted

on," she said. "I expect this to

now be a formal conversation

to where we refer it to a committee."

TEXAS TROOPER RELIEVED

FROM GAME DAY DUTY AFTER

VIDEO SHOWS HIM BUMPING,

POINTING AT S.C. PLAYERS

By Sarah Roebuck

A Texas Department of Public

Safety trooper was removed

from his game day assignment

Saturday after video from the

northeast tunnel at Kyle Field

showed him bumping into two


South Carolina players following

a touchdown.

The trooper was seen on video

making contact with South Carolina

Gamecocks wide receiver

Nyck Harbor and running back

Oscar Adaway III after Harbor

scored an 80-yard touchdown

in the second quarter, KBTX

reports. Harbor, who appeared

to be limping as he entered the

tunnel after the play, turned to

rejoin his teammates when the

trooper stepped toward him and

made contact. The video then

shows the trooper bumping both

players before turning toward

them, yelling and pointing a

finger.

Texas A&M Police confirmed

the response in a statement

posted on X, writing, “We are

aware of the incident in the NE

tunnel involving a DPS trooper.

He has been relieved of his game

day assignment.”

DPS also confirmed the response

on social media, stating

the trooper was “sent home” and

that the department’s Office of

Inspector General is reviewing

the interaction. No additional

details have been released.

South Carolina head coach

Shane Beamer said he had not

seen the interaction when asked

about it post-game.

“I did not see that. Wasn’t

aware of that,” Beamer said,

adding that he has “a ton of

respect” for the staff overseeing

game operations at College Station.

“They do a great job and are

first-class people. I appreciate

them handling that the right way

and sending him home.”

The investigation remains ongoing.

The video quickly spread

across social media, where

many weighed in — including

Lakers star LeBron James.

NOPD OFFICER FIRES ONE

SHOT AT MAN HOLDING GAS

STATION EMPLOYEES HOS-

TAGE, ENDING STANDOFF

By Missy Wilkinson,

The Times-Picayune | The New

Orleans Advocate

NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans

police on Thursday released

footage of a special ops officer

shooting a man as he allegedly

held a woman hostage at gunpoint

in a barricaded gas station

on Halloween.

Emmanuel Harris, 54, remains

hospitalized and is paralyzed

from the waist down after a

string of violent, erratic incidents

captured on body-worn

cameras and the store’s surveillance

video.

Though police say Harris never

fired his weapon, they believe

he did brandish it at a motorist

while pulling on their vehicle’s

handle in an attempted carjacking.

Shortly thereafter, at around

8:30 p.m., he wielded it as he

entered the gas station and con-

CLICK TO WATCH

venience store at the intersection

of North Galvez and Canal Street.

Video shows Harris hunkering

behind the store’s counter,

throwing items and occasionally

pointing his gun in a side grip

as two other employees, one

of them also armed, extricate

themselves from that area. He

appears to barricade himself

behind a shelving unit and a

stool, crouching and pointing his

gun from behind the makeshift

bunker before jumping over the

counter and allegedly taking aim

at a female employee hiding

near the freezers.

That’s when senior police

officer Aaron Muse, a six-year

veteran assigned to the special

ops division, fired a single shot

at Harris, striking him in the

shoulder.

Muse was reassigned after the

shooting and has since been returned

to full duty.

The use of force remains under

investigation by the Public Integrity

Bureau’s Force Investigation

Team. The Independent Police

Monitor and federal consent

decree monitors have also been

notified, the NOPD said.

The NOPD furnished the foot-



age to the media in accordance

with its policy on critical useof-force

incidents, an area

revamped under the consent

decree. That practice will remain

in place when NOPD exits federal

oversight, said deputy superintendent

Keith Sanchez.

IOWA POLICE CHIEF CALLS

RIFLE LEFT ON CRUISER ROOF

A ‘SERIOUS MISTAKE’

DES MOINES, IA. — The Des

Moines police chief has responded

after bystander video showed

a rifle sitting atop a moving

cruiser, KCCI reported.

Video taken by another driver

shows the rifle resting on the

back left corner of the cruiser’s

roof. A driver was able to

flag down the officer driving the

cruiser and warn him about the

gun.

“I approached him with caution

and just told him, and he was

completely stunned, and I could

just tell on his face like he was

a little confused,” Andrea Jones,

the driver who spotted the rifle,

told KCCI. “And I keep telling him,

and I’m like pointing, ‘There’s

something up there that you

might want to get.’”

Des Moines Police Chief Michael

McTaggart clarified that

the officer driving the cruiser,

seen in the video, is not the one

who put the rifle on the roof. The

chief called the incident a “serious

mistake.”

“At shift change, an officer was

offloading his equipment, set his

rifle on top of the car, and then

left and left that rifle there. Next

officer came in, checked that car

out, and didn’t see the rifle on

the roof and drove away,” said

Sgt. Paul Parizek, the department’s

public information officer.

“I think we’ve all had a situation

in our lives when we’ve misplaced

something, we’re looking

for it. We walk by it two or three

different times. That might help

explain it. But it definitely does

not excuse what happened.”

The incident is under internal

review, according to the report.

HOW TEXAS ICE SACRIFICED

PAYCHECKS TO TAKE DOWN

PREDATORS AND KILLERS

By Jenna Curren

HOUSTON, TX - U.S. Immigration

and Customs Enforcement

(ICE) arrested 3,593 criminal

illegal immigrants in Southeast

Texas during the longest federal

government shutdown in history.'

According to a press release

from ICE, "Among the criminal

illegal immigrants arrested

by the ICE Houston Field Office

during the shutdown were: 13

murderers, 51 child predators,

67 sex offenders, 366 criminal

aliens convicted of DWIs, 261

criminal aliens convicted of

aggravated assault, 103 criminal

CLICK TO WATCH

aliens convicted of burglary or

theft, 46 criminal aliens convicted

of weapons offenses, 23 gang

members, and 10 illegal aliens

with outstanding criminal arrest

warrants."

Of the 23 gang members, an

MS-13 gang member charged

with a triple homicide in Dallas

was arrested.

Other criminal convictions

and charges represented among

those arrested included aggravated

kidnapping, drug-related

offenses, weapons offenses, human

trafficking, making terroristic

threats, evading and resisting

arrest, prostitution, hit-andrun,

bribery, auto theft, forgery,

falsifying documents, human

smuggling, trespassing, arson,

illegally operating a game room,

illegal entry, illegal reentry, and

numerous other crimes.

"Our entire team understands

how critical ICE's mission is

to public safety and national

security, and despite many of

them going without pay, they

continued to show up every day

and give everything they had to

protect this community from



dangerous criminal illegal alien

gang members, child predators,

murderers, and rapists," said ICE

Enforcement and Removal Operation

Houston Field Office Director

Bret Bradford.

"As a result of those efforts, 51

dangerous child predators are

no longer free to prey on our

children, 10 fugitives have been

apprehended and will now face

justice for their alleged offenses,

and thousands of other violent

criminal aliens have been removed

from local communities

throughout Southeast Texas and

will be removed from the United

States."

Among some of the criminal

illegal immigrants arrested

were 23-year-old Brayan Josue

Pineda-Ayala, an MS-13 gang

member from Honduras who

was released into the U.S. by the

Biden administration in May 2024

and went on to allegedly commit

a triple homicide in Dallas

County. He was arrested by ICE

on October 7.

Baldomero Perez-Quezada,

56, was removed from the U.S.

four times and is a convicted

child predator from Mexico. He

was arrested on October 17.

Juan Jose Moreno-Renteria, 40,

illegally entered the U.S. seven

times and was arrested by ICE on

October 15.

He has been convicted of attempted

sex assault of a minor

under 14, sexual indecency with

a minor under 14, indecent exposure

to a minor under 14, aggravated

assault with a weapon,

and illegal entry.

Francisco Cuevas-Cesar, 41, is a

drug trafficker from Mexico who

has illegally entered the U.S. 12

times. He was arrested by ICE on

October 15. He was previously

convicted of trafficking cocaine,

burglary, larceny, obstructing

police, DWI, twice for illegal

entry, and three times for drug

possession.

During the government shutdown,

ICE also "arrested 10

criminal illegal aliens who have

active arrest warrants and were

wanted for serious crimes either

in the U.S and/or abroad."

Edgar Tomas Reyna Garcia,

36, is from Venezuela and is a

local fugitive wanted for allegedly

practicing dentistry in

Harris County without a license.

He was arrested by ICE on October

28. Octavio Cruz-Garcia, 48,

is a five-time removed criminal

immigrant from Mexico. He is

wanted for homicide in Harris

County and was arrested by ICE

on October 8.

He has previously been convicted

of aggravated assault

causing serious bodily injury, illegal

reentry and twice for theft.

BWC VIDEO SHOWS

SHOOTOUT WITH SUSPECT

THAT LEFT ARIZ. OFFICER FA-

TALLY WOUNDED


APACHE JUNCTION, AZ. — The

Apache Junction Police Department

released body camera

video from a standoff with an

armed suspect, which led to the

death of Officer Gabriel Facio.

The June 2 incident began

when a 911 caller reported a

man in a car brandishing a gun.

Video shows officers responding

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to the scene. One officer began

to speak with the suspect, who

abruptly pulled a gun out of his

glove box.

The officer drew his gun and

ordered the suspect to drop the

weapon as he backed away. The

suspect got out of the vehicle

and began yelling at officers.

“You’re going to have to shoot

me,” the man can be heard saying

as he walks away.

The officer followed the man,

still carrying the gun, and continued

to issue commands to

drop the weapon. Another officer

followed in a cruiser as additional

officers arrived.

More officers joined in following

the suspect, taking cover

behind the cruiser. They shot

pepper balls at the man in order

to get him to drop the gun. Less

lethal methods were unsuccessful.

Body camera footage then

shows an officer at the back of

the cruiser recoiling as the man

fired shots at them. He briefly

dropped to one knee before

standing up to message on the

radio that shots had been fired.

As the suspect fired shots, Facio

was shot and wounded in the

face. Officers returned fire. They

placed Facio in a patrol car and

continued to issue commands to

the suspect, who had dropped to

the ground but still had control

of the weapon.

The suspect got up from the

ground, still holding the weapon.

“You’re going to have to kill

me,” the man said.

As the suspect stood up and

turned around, an officer fired a

shot, striking him.

Facio was transported to a

hospital in a cruiser while some

officers remained to attempt to

take the suspect into custody.

The suspect was on the ground

and injured but still had the firearm

near him.

The man was arrested and

transported to a hospital. He was

treated and released into custody

on multiple charges, including

first-degree murder.

Facio spent six days fighting

for his life in the hospital before

he succumbed to his wounds on

June 8.

SPARKS FLY AS CALIF. OFFI-

CERS ARREST MAN WHO FLED

TRAFFIC STOP, CRASHED INTO

ELECTRICAL POLE


FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA. — The

Fountain Valley Police Department

released body camera

CLICK TO WATCH

CLICK TO WATCH

footage showing unorthodox

arrest conditions after a fleeing

suspect struck an electrical pole.

The Nov. 15 incident unfolded

when a sergeant initiated

a traffic stop of a suspect. The

department did not provide a

reason for the initial stop.

The suspect fled from the stop,

prompting a pursuit, according

to the department. The sergeant

quickly called off the pursuit due

to the suspect’s reckless driving

in poor weather conditions.

Other officers later located the

suspect and initiated a second

pursuit. The driver continued to

flee recklessly, including by driving

on a wheel rim. That pursuit

ended when the suspect lost

control and struck an electrical

pole.

Despite sparking cables, the


suspect was safely taken into

custody. Video from the scene

shows a totaled white pickup

truck next to the damaged

pole. As officers approached the

vehicle, loud booms were heard

overhead as the electrical cables

sparked.

The driver was charged with

DUI and felony evading, according

to the department.

MAN ATTACKS WASH. SRO

WHO STOPPED TO HELP AT

CRASH, TRIES TO GRAB HER

GUN


THURSTON COUNTY, WA. — The

Thurston County Sheriff’s Office

released body camera footage

showing an incident where onand

off-duty law enforcement

officers stepped in to aid a deputy

after a suspect attacked her

and tried to grab her gun.

The Oct. 15 incident began

when a school resource officer

came across a traffic collision

and stopped to assist. Video

shows the officer speaking with

parties involved in the incident

and establishing radio communications

with dispatch.

As she continues to manage

the scene, she instructs the

driver who caused the accident

to have a seat. He ignored the

instruction, instead getting in

and out of his vehicle and pacing

around the scene. The officer

told the dispatcher that the man

was ignoring her instructions.

Video then shows the man

beginning to walk toward the

other parties involved in the collision.

The officer placed herself

between the man and the other

drivers, raising her TASER and

instructing him to stop.

As the man continued walking

toward her, she deployed the

TASER. While the man ran away

from the TASER and appeared

to have a reaction when he was

shocked, he did not stop his

approach. He continued moving

toward the officer, who backed

away as she continued to deliver

TASER stuns.

The man eventually caught up

with the officer and grabbed her,

starting a physical altercation.

Dash cam footage shows the

man reaching for the officer’s

gun as they struggled.

Nisqually Tribal Police officers

responded to the scene to

assist, as well as an off-duty

corrections officer. The Nisqually

officer took the suspect and the

SRO with him to the ground and

fought to take him into custody.

“Drop it or I’ll f***ing kill you,”

the Nisqually officer told the

man.

“I’m already dead anyway,

m*****f*****,” the suspect can be

heard replying.

The off-duty corrections officer

can be seen hitting the man

in the head with his gun. The

altercation ended when another

responding deputy arrived on

scene and successfully deployed

a TASER to take the man into

custody.

A bystander stepped in to subdue

the man’s legs as they took

him into custody.

“The deputy in this incident

was beyond professional, and

tried to gain verbal compliance

while utilizing time, distance,

and cover tactics,” Thurston

County Sheriff Derek Sanders

stated in the video release.

“Despite those efforts, the suspect

continued to attack, diminishing

the argument that there

are magic words which can be

uttered to gain compliance from

violent persons. Law enforcement

cannot “de-escalate” those

who refuse to cooperate.”

AGITATED MAN PUNCHES

CONN. OFFICER, PUTS HIM IN

CHOKEHOLD

By Richard Chumney,

New Haven Register, Conn.

NEWTOWN, CT. — Police

footage released Monday shows

the moments a New York man

punched an officer and placed

him in a choke hold outside a

residence on Hanover Road.

Daniel Morris, 40, was arrested


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AROUND

HE COUNTRY

Saturday after an officer responded

to the home for a report

of a “physical dispute,” Newtown

police have previously said.

The footage shows Officer Barry

Hyvarinen approach Morris at

the home’s driveway and instruct

him to put his cell phone in his

pocket, but Morris refuses and

starts to back away.

Hyvarinen can then be seen

reaching for Morris and telling

him he is being detained, leading

Morris to punch at the officer

and pull him to the ground in a

struggle.

The footage, which was recorded

by dash and body cameras,

shows Morris attempting

to put the Hyvarinen in a choke

hold. After a brief struggle,

Hyvarinen can be seen overpowering

Morris and placing him in

handcuffs.

Morris can be heard telling Hyvarinen

he is in pain due to a recent

hip replacement and asking

for medics. He also can be heard

apologizing to the officer.

“I’m sorry,” Morris said, according

to the footage.

Newtown police have said both

men sustained “minor facial

injuries.” Morris was taken to

Danbury Hospital after being

evaluated by medics at the scene

and later cleared.

Morris was charged with assault

on public safety personnel,

interfering with an officer/resisting

arrest and disorderly conduct,

Newtown police said.

DRIVER STOPPED ON HIGH-

WAY PUSHES MICH. SHERIFF’S

OFFICE CRUISER INTO TRAFFIC

By Jackie Smith, mlive.com

BRIGHTON, MI. — A driver was

arrested over the weekend after

pushing a patrol vehicle into a

lane of travel on Interstate 96,

according to video released by

police on Monday.

A deputy with the Livingston

County Sheriff’s Office responded

to the report of a vehicle

stopped on I-96 near Spencer

Road late Friday, Nov. 21, in

Brighton.

According to a release on Monday,

Nov. 24, the driver initially

appeared to be passed out in the

vehicle while stopped in a lane

of travel with his foot on the

brake and the car in drive. Upon

waking up, police said he refused

multiple commands to put

the vehicle in park and exit.

Video shared on Monday on the

sheriff’s office Facebook page

shows the driver instead accelerating,

pushing the deputy’s

vehicle into an adjacent lane of

traffic.

The deputy first pulled up behind

the vehicle while stopped,

and after local fire personnel


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appeared to pull along side the

male subject’s car, the deputy

maneuvered in front of the

subject’s car. Screeching tires

can be heard briefly through the

video, captured by a rear-vehicle

camera.

Once the driver stopped, the

deputy and other arriving police

approached the vehicle. According

to police, the subject continued

to argue with deputies before

he was physically removed

from the car and arrested.

The Brighton Police Department

assisted in arresting the

driver, who was not identified,

before he was lodged in Livingston

County Jail on suspicion of

operating while intoxicated. The

sheriff’s department used the

video as a reminder of the dangers

of drunk driving.

HOMICIDE SUSPECT FLEES UP

TREE, REACHES INTO WAIST-

BAND BEFORE FLA. DEPUTIES

SHOOT HIM IN THE HAND

By Milena Malaver,

Miami Herald

MIAMI — Newly released

body-camera footage shows

what happened moments before

Miami-Dade deputies shot a man

accused of a double murder at a

Pembroke Pines home in September.

The suspect, Isaiah Collins,

was spotted days later by an

off-duty Miami-Dade deputy at

a Miami Gardens park, where he

was shot and then apprehended.

The nearly six-minute edited

video, released by the Miami-Dade

Sheriff’s Office on

Tuesday, offers a step-by-step

breakdown of what led to deputies

opening fire. Collins, 27,

survived the shooting and was

later charged with two counts

of first-degree murder in connection

with the Pembroke Pines

killings.

“We recognize that incidents

of this nature raise questions and

concerns within our community,

and I believe the public has the

CLICK TO WATCH

right to see critical incidents involving

law enforcement,” Sheriff

Rosie Cordero-Stutz said in a

statement.

According to Pembroke Pines

police, Collins is accused of killing

Octavis Anthony Myers and a

woman identified only as T.Y.B. in

arrest records. Both victims were

found dead on Sept. 10 at a home

on the 11700 block of Northwest

109th Avenue. Myers was found

dead in the garage, while the

woman was found dead in a

bedroom.

Investigators say Collins shot

both victims, and while his arrest

paperwork does not reveal a

motive, it states that the shootings

were premeditated.

Days later, on Sept. 14, an


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off-duty Miami-Dade deputy

with the Narcotics Bureau requested

backup after locating

Collins at Rolling Oaks Park, 1401

NW 183rd St., around 11:15 a.m.

“I have the person of interest

for that homicide in Pembroke

Pines walking through the park,”

the deputy can be heard telling a

dispatcher as he followed Collins.

Collins spotted the deputy

before backup arrived and ran

toward the Florida Turnpike,

crossing lanes in both directions

before jumping into a canal and

climbing a tree along the east

bank, according to the Sheriff’s

Office. Deputies reached the west

side of the canal moments later.

Body-camera footage shows

the off-duty deputy — wearing a

plain T-shirt and a backpack —

pleading with Collins, who was

perched in a tree overhanging

the water.

“Just come to me,” the deputy

can be heard yelling. “Isaiah, I

just need you to come to me.”

“That’s all I need you to do, just

relax.”

“Don’t do that,” the deputy

shouted at another moment.

Another deputy then warned

the off-duty colleague to step

back because Collins was “going

into his pockets.” When Collins

made a “rapid hand movement,”

a deputy fired, hitting Collins in

the left hand.

The initial shot did little to persuade

Collins to come down, so

deputies moved to the east side

of the canal to get closer. According

to the video, Collins still

refused to descend and “kept his

right hand hidden.”

Deputies then decided to bring

in “less-lethal beanbag rounds.”

“Let’s see your hands,” one

deputy said. “It ain’t that bad,

let’s go. You’re not gonna die.

Let’s go.”

Collins could occasionally be

CLICK TO WATCH

heard responding, though his

words were unclear. Deputies repeatedly

yelled that they would

help him if he kept his right hand

out of his pants.

When Collins still wouldn’t

comply, a deputy fired several

more beanbags until he announced

he was out of ammunition.

After nearly 20 minutes, Collins

finally climbed down and deputies

apprehended him, rendered

medical aid and had him airlifted

to the hospital.

Court records show Collins has

pleaded not guilty to the double

homicide.



THE COURAGE

TO LIVE

A Story of Survival,

Writing, and the Cost

of Carrying What We

Don’t Process

By Joshua Bitsko

WORDS BY MICHAEL BARRON

PHOTOS BY DAVID BECKER/GETTY IMAGES

COPYRIGHT 2017




The first time someone told me I should

write a book, I laughed it off. Every cop

hears it. You tell a few stories at a barbecue

and someone says you ought to

put it all in print. It sounds simple in

the moment. Sit down, open a laptop,

and start typing. But when you finally

do it, you run into something nobody

prepared you for. The memories aren’t

just memories. They carry weight. They

come with sounds, smells, guilt, adrenaline,

and all the emotions you spent

years stuffing into the deepest corners

of your mind.

I found that out the hard way.


For twenty four years I wore a uniform in Las Vegas. I worked K9,

Internal Affairs, detective work, command assignments, and critical

incidents that pushed every part of me to the edge. I spent so much

of my career trying to be courageous in chaos that I never thought

about the courage it would take years later to sit down and finally

face what those moments did to me. Writing The Courage to Live

became its own kind of critical incident. It forced me to slow down,

feel everything I had avoided, and try to turn decades of experience

into something useful, not just to police officers, but to anyone carrying

more than they know how to process.



Route 91: The Moment That

Changed Everything

On October 1, 2017, Las Vegas experienced

the deadliest mass shooting in

modern American history. More than

22,000 people were attending the

Route 91 Harvest music festival when

a gunman opened fire from the 32nd

floor of the Mandalay Bay. The attack

lasted about ten minutes. Fifty eight

people were killed that night (two

have died since). Hundreds more were

wounded. Thousands experienced

trauma that statistics can’t capture.

For many people, Route 91 is something

they saw on the news. For me, it

started with a radio transmission.

I was a K9 sergeant, training with

my team that night, when the sound

of automatic gunfire came across the

radio. It wasn’t a dispatch update or

an officer callout. It was the gunfire

itself coming through another officer’s

radio transmission. I had worked the

streets for years at this point, and this

was the first I heard fully automatic

gunfire outside of training. My body

reacted before my brain caught up. I

looked down at the channel.

THE STRIP

I didn’t know the scale yet. Nobody

did. Officers were calling out multiple

shooters, multiple locations, panic

in every direction, improvised triage

areas, people running for their lives.

Later we would learn it was one suspect

firing out of broken windows of

the Mandalay Bay into the crowd below.

In the moment, though, it felt like

a coordinated attack on the city.

By the time my team and I reached

Mandalay Bay, the situation was still

unfolding. We were moving fast,

grabbing what little information we

could from chaotic radio traffic, and

trying to get to the 32nd floor. The

gunman had set up surveillance cameras

outside of his room and barricaded

an adjacent fire escape door

P

C


HOTOS BY DAVID BECKER/GETTY IMAGES

OPYRIGHT 2017


with an L-bracket, slowing the our

response and adding to the confusion.

When we got into the hallway, we

found a room service cart with wires

running beneath the suspect’s door.

With all the chaos unfolding around

us, reports of multiple shooters, and

the underlying feeling that this was a

coordinated attack, we all thought the

cart was a bomb. I felt it in my chest.

In my stomach. My legs tightened. My

mind told me stepping past it might

be the last decision I ever made.

“We had seconds to respond

to something the gunman spent

months planning.”

People imagine courage as confidence.

But most of the time courage

feels like uncertainty, fear, and a

heartbeat you can hear in your own

ears. It’s not a clean moment. It’s

messy. It’s human. And you only know

you have it when the moment arrives.

When we breached the door, the

gunman had already taken his own

life. Inside was an overwhelming

scene: rifles, casings, shattered glass,

and the view of a city torn open below

us.

That moment marked the end of the

tactical incident. But it was the beginning

of a very different kind of battle;

the one I would face privately in the

years that followed.

“Courage wasn’t the absence of

fear. It was choosing to move anyway.”

SURVIVING THE INCIDENT IS ONE

THING. SURVIVING THE AFTERMATH

IS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.

Law enforcement trains you to

compartmentalize. It’s how we get

through horrific scenes and keep

our heads straight when everything

around us is falling apart. The problem

is that if you use that skill long

enough, you start applying it to everything.

October 1st wasn’t the last traumatic

event I dealt with. A few weeks later

I was involved in a shooting with a

double murder suspect. Not long after

that, I lost my brother to suicide.

My father passed away from cancer a

few years prior.

Each time something broke inside

me, I told myself I was fine.

Avoidance works. For a while.

“When you numb the pain, you

numb the joy too.”

Over time avoidance doesn’t just

numb hurt; it numbs connection, creativity,

and even the ability to recognize

the good parts of your life. I was

functioning, but I wasn’t present. I

was performing, but I wasn’t myself. I

was alive, but I wasn’t living.

P

C


HOTOS BY DAVID BECKER/GETTY IMAGES

OPYRIGHT 2017


It took a friend pulling me aside and

telling me she could see the change

in me before I finally sat across from a

therapist.

That conversation took more courage

than anything I did in a hallway

that night.

THE WRITING PROCESS BECAME

ITS OWN JOURNEY

When I finally decided to write the

book, I assumed it would be easy. I

had the stories. I had the experience.

I had the perspective. What I didn’t

have was the willingness to slow

down and feel what those stories carried.

I wrote like a cop; short, factual,

emotionless. It read like a report.

Then my wife, Jenna, found an Author

Adventure with Joan of Arc Publishing.

A structured writing retreat

in Costa Rica. It included meditation,

breath work, drumming, and even red

light therapy. None of that is standard

in police culture.

But shutting out the world for five

days was exactly what I needed.

When I finally let myself fully participate,

something cracked open. I

wrote ten thousand words a day. I

wrote stories I had buried so deep I

didn’t know I still carried them. Some

days were heavy and overwhelming.

When emotions peaked, they walked

us outside for grounding or controlled

breathing. That rhythm kept me from

shutting down.

“Some stories stay buried until

you finally sit still long enough to

hear them.”

But life didn’t make the process easy.

After I signed the publishing contract,

I lost my retirement job. Our air conditioner

broke. Money was tight. Jenna

and I had to bet everything on our

consulting business and on this book.

At the time it felt like setback after

setback. But looking back, it was resistance

that pointed toward growth.

WHAT THE BOOK BECAME

The Courage to Live became much

more than a collection of police stories.

It became a book about fear, resilience,

and what it means to choose

growth when shutting down feels

safer. It weaves together:

Critical incidents like Route 91, a

shooting with a murder suspect, and

K9 operations.

Personal losses such as losing my

father and brother, and how grief reshapes

your identity.

Emotional tools like my OAKS method

for self-regulation and the frameworks

I now teach to officers, leaders,

and civilians.

Vulnerability; the part of me that people

never saw when I wore the badge.



There is an image from the book

that I've never shaken. I wrote that

avoidance is like carrying another version

of yourself on a stretcher. Every

unprocessed memory, every buried

emotion, every piece of guilt adds

WORDS weight to BY it. Eventually MICHAEL the BARRON load becomes

too heavy.

“Every unprocessed memory

is another version of you on the

stretcher.”

Writing forced me to set that

stretcher down.

WHAT I HOPE READERS TAKE AWAY

The book is for cops, but not just

for cops. It’s for anyone who has ever

avoided their own pain or convinced

themselves they were fine because it

was easier than facing the truth.

Courage isn’t about being fearless.

Fear is part of being human. The goal

isn’t to erase fear; it’s to navigate it. To

regulate. To anchor yourself to your

values. To keep moving in the direction

of growth, not avoidance.

If the book gives readers anything, I

hope it gives them permission. Permission

to be human. Permission to

get help. Permission to slow down

long enough to face what they’re carrying.

WHY THIS STORY STILL MATTERS

People still ask about the cart on

the 32nd floor. How we walked past

something that looked like a bomb.

How we made decisions with so little

information. The real answer is

that courage isn’t built in the moment.

It’s built in the years before. It’s built

through training, through choices,

through values.

But another truth is this: some of

the hardest decisions aren’t tactical.

They’re emotional. They’re relational.

They happen in quiet moments at

home when you finally tell the truth

about what hurt you.

Route 91 changed my life. Writing

this book changed it again. Not because

I relived trauma, but because I

stopped running from it.

If readers of The BLUES take anything

from my story, I hope it’s this:

the courage to live isn’t found only in

the dramatic moments. It’s found in

the simple decision to stop carrying

everything alone. It’s found in choosing

growth over avoidance. It’s found

in believing you’re worthy of healing,

even when numbness feels easier.

This book is my attempt to show

that path. It is a blueprint for everyone

that has experienced both professional

and personal hardships. A

reminder that there is a way forward

even after the hardest nights of your

life. And that courage doesn’t end

when the incident does.

Sometimes that’s exactly where it begins.



The Resurgence of

Cocaine Revives an

Existing Challenge

for Law Enforcemen

By Michael Brown

In the aftermath of the COVID pandemic and

global lock downs, America focused on combating

fentanyl smuggling and addiction, primarily

due to the extreme numbers of deaths and related

social harm caused by the opioid. However,

while law enforcement has focused on fentanyl,

and fatalities have decreased, the production,

distribution, and consumption of cocaine in

America has escalated.

98 The BLUES - DECEMBER ‘25 ‘25

t

The The BLUES BLUES - DECEMBER - ‘25 ‘25 99 99

While law enforcement can take credit

for the reduction in fentanyl deaths,

cocaine is proving to be a different

challenge. The U.N. Office on Drugs and

Crime (UNODC) World Drug Report 2025

(WDR25) shows that in 2023, the latest

year for which comprehensive data is

available, "the cocaine trade went from

strength to strength."

The WDR25 shows that cocaine production

and seizures experienced a 68% increase

between 2019 and 2023. Moreover,

North America is one of the largest markets

for cocaine globally, and cocaine consumption

in the western US has increased

by 154% since 2019.

The UNODC ascribes the rise in cocaine

usage (and other narcotics) to global

instability and a "relentless and adaptive

illicit trade, both of which inflame – and

are inflamed by – global instability, in a

vicious cycle." One of the beneficiaries of

the battle against fentanyl and the current

federal focus on border security is the

Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG),

which is cashing in on America's cocaine

boom.

Whether it's CJNG or another cartel,

losing customers is not a good business

strategy, leading these gangs to refocus

on cocaine and other drugs that don't have

the deadly reputation of fentanyl. They

already have many smuggling routes that

cross the globe (as well as the U.S.), and

they use these to transport increased volumes

of cocaine.

SMUGGLING ROUTES EVERYBODY

KNOWS ABOUT

The cartels' smuggling routes are not

unknown, but degrading their transportation

networks is proving a monumental

task. Recent U.S. maritime counter-smuggling

operations have concentrated on

‘go-fast-boat’ routes through the Caribbean.

This is but one of many trafficking

networks that supply dangerous drugs to

the U.S. Moreover, the Venezuela maritime

cocaine smuggling route is not the largest

supply artery into America. Irrespective of

the supply chain specifics, the primary cocaine

route into America is through Mexico.

Once the cocaine transshipped through

Venezuela, is collected in Mexico, mostly

originating from Colombia, the cartels use

a variety of methods to smuggle it into the

U.S., with the vast majority coming through

official Points of Entry on the southern border.

The smuggling operation is not a simple

one, comprising many well-organized

parts, similar to a well-managed supply

chain, that have been refined over decades.

The cartels, for example, have their tentacles

in many Mexican manufacturing operations

to support their criminal activities.

The cartels have created Drug Concealment

Industries (DCI) that specialize in concealing

tons of drugs in vehicles, commercial

cargo, express mail parcels and on human

couriers.

DCI installations are used to create specialized

hidden compartments in vehicles

and commercial trucks called 'traps', that

conceal illicit drugs, increasing the difficulty

for U.S Customs officials, drug K-9s

and scanning technologies to locate. These

compartments are not limited to vehicles,

however, as they can be built into almost

any cargo, from furniture to mechanical

components, before being driven across the

US border.

0The latest figures from the Bureau of

Transportation Statistics (BTS) show that

over 5.9 million trucks crossed into the U.S.


The The BLUES BLUES - DECEMBER - ‘25 ‘2510101

from Mexico in 2024, along with over 39

million personal vehicles, and over 20 million

pedestrians. Customs and Border Protection

(CBP) personnel lack the necessary

human resources and technology to thoroughly

search everyone. This means smuggling

drugs, including cocaine, into America

is almost guaranteed to be successful.

Of course, the cartels understand this

and use a very low-tech method called

“shot-gunning” to get cocaine into the

country. This tactic is currently defeating

millions of dollars in anti-smuggling technology

deployed at the U.S. Southern border.

It enables the cartels to send a large

number of shipments in a variety of vehicles

to border crossings simultaneously

expecting a minimal number to be discovered.

To ensure success, they will sometimes

taint a limited number of vehicles

with narcotics to ensure they get the attention

of custom inspection teams. Then,

while officers are inspecting a few vehicles,

the others drive into America, without

incident, and deliver their cargo to local

distributors.

One reason the cartels know that

shot-gunning will continue to be their

most successful smuggling methodology is

because too much of a delay at the border

will impact the commercial operations of

many American and Mexican companies.

The high volume of legitimate cross-border

trade complicates enforcement efforts

at the southern border. This is the one key

constant the cartels rely on for success.

COMPROMISING MORE THAN ROAD

TRAFFIC

Apart from roads and rail, cartels also

utilize tunnels to smuggle cocaine and

fentanyl into the country. Tunnelling under

the border is highly technical and the cartels

have the financial means to hire engineers

to build high-quality tunnels with

air circulation, and rail tracks if needed. On

rare occasions, law enforcement finds and

destroys a tunnel, but this is an infrequent

occurrence as they are typically constructed

far below the surface, making them

harder to discover.

The tunnels allow various narcotics to be

packed safely in Mexico, transported underground,

unhindered, and surfaced within

America, far from law enforcement’s prying

eyes. From there, trucks or vehicles take

the goods safely along America’s network

of highways to every part of the country.

Arguably, one of the most effective tactics

of the cartels is their intelligence network.

They have spent years observing and learning

how law enforcement at the border

operates, often using drones to monitor

patrols and even identifying who is on duty

at any given time. Their intelligence networks

also penetrate deeply into Mexican

law enforcement and politics, where bribes

and violent behavior make them almost

untouchable.

As a result, they often become aware of

new policing objectives and tactics simultaneously

with law enforcement. This advanced

knowledge enables them to quickly

adapt their smuggling methods to avoid

unexpected challenges that can disrupt the

flow of their illicit goods. The intelligence

network also allows them to identify informants

who may be providing law enforcement

with information about couriers

or drug shipments, to the detriment of the

whistle-blowers.

Law enforcement options to address the


cocaine surge

This illustrates how immense the challenge

of stopping the supply of cocaine

is for law enforcement agencies. It also

shows how important counter narcotics

intelligence has become, and the sharing of

information between American intelligence

and law enforcement agencies.

The use of classified intelligence to identify

and perform mitigation operations on

cartel activity should not always be limited

to what can be prosecuted in court.

For example, intelligence agencies can be

used, as a starting point, to track precursor

chemicals as they move from their point of

origin into Mexico and other South American

countries allowing US law enforcement

to seize them before they reach drug laboratories.

Strategies that focus on providing U.S.

Customs officials with drug identification

technology for presumptive analysis tools

that can accurately and rapidly identify

suspicious substances is also essential. An

accurate analysis, conducted immediately

on the scene, provides officers with probable

cause to search or arrest individuals.

Increasing the number of officers focused

on narcotics detection and trained in the

use of the latest presumptive analysis technologies

is also vital.

Furthermore, the U.S Administration must

attempt to further develop the bi-lateral

relationship with China and Mexico to do

more to degrade the precursor chemicals

supply networks that continue to support

the production of illicit drugs in Central

and South America.

The U.S. Administration has in the past

coordinated a number of successful international

enforcement strategies like ‘Plan

Colombia’ which was initiated in 2000 and

succeeded in stabilizing the country, but

only temporarily reduced cocaine production,

despite America spending around $10

billion. It was replaced with ‘Peace Colombia’

in 2016, again with no reduction in cocaine

production. In fact, UNODC noted record

production in 2023 of over 2,600 tons

of pure cocaine hydrochloride, and over

253,000 hectares devoted to coca plant

cultivation – a 53% increase over 2022.

Similarly, the Mérida Initiative with Mexico,

which ran from 2007 to 2021, was

succeeded by the U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial

Framework for Security, Public Health, and

Safe Communities, which remains ongoing.

Once again, the billions spent by the USA

have not achieved much, at least not for

America.

Diplomatic efforts must be intensified to

make the task of manufacturing and transporting

cocaine more challenging and less

rewarding. America cannot defeat the cartels

based in Central and South America

alone-international cooperation is a must.

ENHANCED BORDER SECURITY

The final and possibly most difficult challenge

is to significantly hinder the cartels'

capabilities to smuggle cocaine across the

country's southern border. This is a highly

complex issue, mainly because most individuals

and commercial vehicles crossing

these ports of entry are compliant

with America’s immigration and customs

laws. Any strategy to enhance security and

search capabilities at these checkpoints

will lead to prolonged delays in processing

cross-border traffic, resulting in negative

consequences.

The outcomes will include slowing the


flow of commerce, as well as the operations

of cross-border manufacturing and

agriculture, not to mention the daily lives

of countless commuters who depend on

timely passage for legitimate reasons,

such as work. The implementation of more

stringent interdiction measures, therefore,

requires a delicate balance: maximizing the

detection and seizure of illicit substances

without crippling the economic and social

activities inherent to the US-Mexico border.

Unfortunately, there is no alternative if

America is to reduce the flow of cocaine

and other deadly drugs like fentanyl. The

delays and consequences can be partly

addressed by increasing the use of advanced,

non-intrusive inspection technology,

data-driven intelligence gathering,

and efficient resource allocation, rather

than simply expanding manual stop-andsearch

protocols. Obtaining the budget to

purchase more presumptive analysis tools

and train additional Customs officials is a

challenge the nation must overcome if it is

to decrease the volume of cocaine crossing

the border.

The cartels may have the reputation of

being cruel and prone to unspeakable violence,

and this is true, but it is often overlooked

that they are running a business for

maximizing profits. They require a continuous

influx of proceeds to pay engineers to

design smuggling tunnels, as well as those

designing and manufacturing traps for

vehicles and submersibles. Narco-production

facilities add further operating costs,

and laundering money typically incurs high

fees.

The resurgence of cocaine in America

stands as a stark reminder that, the problem

of drug trafficking remains very real.

The scale of cocaine production and distribution

highlights a well-organized and

deeply embedded criminal system that

overwhelms current interdiction efforts.

Without an updated and well-funded, unified

national strategy, the cartels will continue

business as usual, claim more victims

while generating billions in profits, leaving

cities and states to spend billions in a never-ending

and ultimately futile effort to

combat the ongoing crisis.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael W. Brown is the global director

of counter-narcotics technology at

Rigaku Analytical Devices. He has a distinguished

career spanning more than 32

years as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement

Administration (DEA). Most recently

he was the DEA Headquarters staff

coordinator for the Office of Foreign Operations

for the Middle East-Europe-Afghanistan-India.

Prior to that he served

as the country attaché in India and Myanmar

providing foreign advisory support

for counter narcotic enforcement. He also

spent 10 years in Pakistan as a special

advisor to the US Embassy on various law

enforcement issues. Michael is a graduate

of the United States Ranger Training Battalion

and has a master’s degree in Interdisciplinary

Technology and Management

from the University of Eastern Michigan.

Contact him at michael.brown@rigaku.

com


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HONORING OUR

DETECTIVE CORPORAL CHRISTOPHER DALE MOCK

ST. LUCIE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, FLORIDA

END OF WATCH: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2025

AGE: 45 TOUR: 21 YEARS BADGE: 471

Detective Corporal Christopher Mock suffered a fatal heart attack after responding to multiple investigations. On October

3, 2025, Detective Mock was called to the scene of a homicide. During the investigation, they called the bomb disposal

team after finding an article that looked like an explosive device. Immediately after leaving the scene, he was called out to

investigate a suicide. The next day, when Detective Mock suffered a heart attack, life-saving measures were performed,

and he was rushed to the hospital, where he stayed until he passed away on October 15, 2025.

Detective Mock had served with the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office for 21 years, assigned to the Criminal Investigation

Division. He is survived by his wife and two children.

110 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE


FALLEN HEROES

DEPUTY SHERIFF DEVIN JARAMILLO

MIAMI-DADE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, FLORIDA

END OF WATCH: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2025

AGE: 27 TOUR: 5 YEARS BADGE N/A

Deputy Sheriff Devin Jaramillo was shot and killed while responding to a traffic crash at the 12200 block of Southwest

128th Street, near Kendall, at approximately 4 p.m. Late Friday afternoon, Deputy Jaramillo was dispatched to a traffic

crash where, upon arrival, he was attacked. During the altercation, the man grabbed Deputy Jaramillo's gun and shot

him in the neck. Bystanders reported the attack, and Deputy Jaramillo was transported to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital,

where he succumbed to his injuries. The suspect, found nearby, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound; a second

person was taken for questioning. Deputy Jaramillo had served with the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office for one and a half

years and had previously served with the Coral Gables Police Department for nearly four years. He is survived by his

mother, father, who is a retired Miami-Dade police detective, and siblings.


HONORING OUR

POLICE OFFICER ROGER SMITH



WAKEMED CAMPUS POLICE & PUBLIC SAFETY DEPT, N.C.

END OF WATCH: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2025

AGE: 59 TOUR: 30 YEARS BADGE:N/A

Police Officer Roger Smith was shot and killed at the Emergency Department of the WakeMed Garner

Healthplex at approximately 9 a.m. Officer Smith was working in the hospital emergency department

when a struggle ensued, and Officer Smith was shot. Immediate life-saving efforts were performed by

medical staff before Officer Smith was transported to WakeMed Raleigh; however, he succumbed to

his wounds later that morning. The shooter was shot and wounded before being apprehended. He was

charged with murder.

Officer Smith had served with the WakeMed Campus Police & Public Safety Department for 14 years

and had previously served with the Knightdale Police Department for 16 years.

FALLEN HEROES

CORPORAL BLAKE REYNOLDS

DELAWARE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, INDIANA

END OF WATCH: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2025

AGE: 31 TOUR: 3 YEARS BADGE: N/A

Corporal Blake Reynolds was struck and killed while helping a disabled motorist on northbound Interstate 69. Around

4:00 a.m., Corporal Reynolds parked behind a disabled semitruck with his patrol vehicle's lights activated. While assisting

the driver, another tractor-trailer crashed into his patrol car, the disabled semitruck, and Corporal Reynolds, who was

standing outside of his patrol vehicle. He was transported to IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, where he succumbed to

his injuries.

Corporal Reynolds was a United States Army National Guard veteran and had served with the Delaware County Sheriff's

Office for three years. He is survived by his wife.


HONORING OUR

POLICE OFFICER MARC BROCK

VIVIAN POLICE DEPARTMENT, LOUISIANA


AGE: 25 TOUR: N/A YEARS BADGE: 22

Police Officer Marc Brock was shot and killed while serving a search warrant at the 1700 block of North Pine Street

in Vivian. When Officer Brock arrived at the suspect's home shortly before 5:30 p.m., the suspect fired multiple shots

through the closed door, striking Officer Brock. The suspect barricaded himself in the house until surrendering to SWAT

and law enforcement officials around 9:10 p.m. Officer Brock was transported to the North Caddo Medical Center,

where he succumbed to his wounds.

The suspect was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and cyberstalking.



FALLEN HEROES

CORRECTIONS OFFICER JEREMY LEWIS HALL

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, VIRGINIA

END OF WATCH: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2025


Corrections Officer Jeremy Hall was attacked and killed by an inmate at the River North Correctional Center at 329 Dellbrook

Lane in Independence at 7:53 a.m. He was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

Two additional officers were injured and released from the hospital. The inmate was serving time for an armed carjacking

offense, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony offense, and a shoplifting offense.

Corrections Officer Hall had served with the Virginia Department of Corrections for a year and a half.


HONORING OUR

POLICE OFFICER ALEC SANDERS

ALHAMBRA POLICE DEPARTMENT, CALIFORNIA

END OF WATCH: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2025

AGE: 28 TOUR: 2 YEARS BADGE: 154

Police Officer Alec Sanders was killed in a vehicle crash at 3:00 a.m. near the intersection of West Valley Boulevard and

Edgewood Drive in Alhambra. Officers were pursuing an SUV when it collided with Officer Sander's patrol vehicle. Officer

Sanders was transported to the Los Angeles General Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. The driver and

one of the passengers were injured, and a third passenger died at the scene.

Officer Sanders had served with the Alhambra Police Department for eight months and previously served with the Long

Beach Police Department for over a year. He is survived by his fiancée, two younger sisters, and a brother.

116 116 The

The BLUES

BLUES POLICE

- DECEMBER

MAGAZINE

‘25 ‘25

FALLEN HEROES

DEPUTY SHERIFF TERRI SWEETING MASHKOW

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE, FLORIDA



Deputy Sheriff Terri Mashkow was shot and killed while serving an eviction notice at the 1100 block of Governors Way

in Vero Beach. When three deputies and a locksmith entered the home at 8:42 a.m., a subject approached them in the

entryway and fired at them. One deputy was struck in the shoulder before fleeing into the garage. Deputy Mashkow was

struck and killed. A sergeant returned fire, wounding the shooter. The locksmith was critically wounded. The suspect was

transported to the hospital and is in critical condition.

Deputy Mashkow had served with the Indian River County Sheriff's Office for 25 years. She is survived by her husband,

daughter, step-son, and mother.


WORDS BY SGT. MICHAEL BARRON, RET

The Night Deputy Henry A. Went Missing

It was just a few days before

Christmas in 1981 when my good

friend Deputy Henry A. went missing

while on patrol. There were no

signs of his patrol car and he didn’t

respond to calls from dispatch.

For more than 12 hours, hundreds

of officers from dozens of police

agencies in the Clear Lake area

desperately looked for a deputy

that made his last radio call at

6:30pm the day before. He just

vanished without a trace.

The day before, I had talked to

Henry just like any other day. He

and I both worked for the Harris

County Sheriff’s Dept. Henry

worked evenings in District 3C,

the Harris County area of Clear

Lake, which just happened to be

where my parents lived on Clear

Creek. I worked patrol in District

2A in Humble and since it was my

day off, I decided to drive down to

Clear Lake to see my parents and

invited Henry to stop by while he

was working to eat dinner with

us. Something he had done a dozen

times before. Only this time he

never showed up. I just figured he

got tied up on a call and couldn’t

make it. No big deal. I ate dinner

with my folks and headed back to

Humble, because 4am comes damn

early when you work the day shift.

Henry and I had met when I was

briefly assigned to patrol in District

3. Other than the Clear Lake

Area, I had no damn idea where

Market Street, Del Dale or any

street north of I-10 was. So the

sergeant moved me to Clear Lake

to back up Henry. Given the fact

I lived 40 miles north of my new

assignment, I often stayed at my

parents and that’s when Henry and

I became best friends. And he became

good friends with my parents

as well. Hell, he ate dinner

with them even when I was wasn’t

there. So, for him to miss a free

meal, something big must have

come up. And in the 80’s there

were no cell phones, so you never

knew where anyone was. We lived

in the dark ages back then.

At 10:30pm, my sergeant called

and asked if I had seen Henry. I

told him no; he was supposed to

check by my parents at 6pm but

never showed. I just assumed he

got tied up.

Sarge says the last time they

had radio traffic from him was at

6:30pm when he checked in from

a traffic stop. Nothing after that.

He was supposed to drop the unit

off at 10pm for his car share partner

and he never showed up.

“Barron, he is MIA and we have

no idea where he is. If you have

your patrol car, get in service and

get your ass down to Clear Lake.

They are setting up a command

post at NASA Road 1 and I-45.”

OK, I’m on the way.

“Barron, we need to find him.

You hear me?”

Yes sir, I’m on it.

Luckily my car share partner was

off that night, and my patrol car

was in the driveway. I ran Code

all the way to Clear Lake. By the

time I arrived, a command post

had been set up in the parking lot

of a strip center and there were

dozens of patrol cars everywhere.

I let the Captain in charge know

everything I knew, and he told me

to start at my parents and check

every inch of roadway between his

last traffic stop and their house.

But fog had rolled in just after I

left my parents the night before

and it was so damn thick in some

areas it was hard to even see the


road much less cars parked on the

side of it.

By 2am, hundreds of cops were

looking for Henry. The technology

back then was nonexistent. No

GPS, no cell phones to track and

very few traffic cams that could

be accessed. The only way to find

him was to look. By 6am, we had

covered every damn roadway in

the Clear Lake area. He was nowhere

to be found. The Sheriff

called for a press conference at

7am to advise the public that we

had a missing deputy and needed

the public’s help to locate him.

By 8am the fog has just begun

to lift and shortly thereafter,

dispatch advised that a county

maintenance crew had found an

overturned vehicle in a ditch in

the 800 block of West NASA Road.

Holy shit, that was just down the

street from my parent’s house.

Myself and damn near everyone

at the command post including

the Sheriff, headed to the scene

that was just 2 miles away. Sure

enough, there in a bar ditch

alongside what was a sharp curve

on Old NASA Road, was Henry’s

patrol car upside down and barely

visible from the road. In the thick

fog, it had been totally hidden. I

had driven past him all night long

and never saw a thing.

Henry was alive but severely injured,

and the race was on to get

him out and get him to a hospital.

I’ve never seen so many firemen,

EMTs and cops work so hard in my

life. He was transported to a local

hospital and then life flighted to

Hermann Hospital. When I arrived

at the trauma department, the

team of doctors said Henry was

in bad shape and in a medically

induced coma. They said had we

not located him when we did, he

wouldn’t have survived the crash.

His recovery was slow and painful,

and when he finally woke up,

he had no idea who anyone was,

including his mom. For the longest

time, I felt like the wreck was my

fault. Had I not invited him to dinner,

he wouldn’t have been on that

stretch on road in the fog. But as

time went on, I realized that God

has a plan for all of us and our

job was to save Henry’s life.

Once he returned to work, Henry

left Harris County a few months

later and went to work for the

Houston Police Department where

he served for 34 years before retiring.

Over the years, I lost touch

with Henry until he called the

BLUES office one day to say, “hey

Mike Barron, this is Henry, do you

remember me?” How could I forget

my friend that almost lost his

life driving to meet me.

Henry said the only thing he

remembered about that night was

a truck with a super bright light

bar on top and he swerved to the

right to avoid hitting him. The next

thing he remembered, he was

waking up in the hospital. Henry

said he never returned to that

lonely stretch of West NASA Rd

that almost ended his life.

Unfortunately, I drive by that exact

spot at least twice a week and

every time I do, I thank God for

saving my best friend Henry’s life.


WORDS BY AN LAPD WORDS OFFICER BY INSIDE SGT. MICHAEL THE BORDERLINE BARRON, BAR RET

Six Unarmed Cops / One Shooter

On October 1, 2017, Las Vegas

experienced the deadliest mass

shooting in modern American

history. More than 22,000 people

were attending the Route 91 Harvest

music festival when a gunman

opened fire from the 32nd

floor of the Mandalay Bay.

One of the survivors from that

horrible day was T. David Anderson,

23, of Newbury Park, California

who ironically had survived

the mass shooting. The following

incident occurred on November 7,

2018 and Anderson was front and

center when it started.

The aftermath is always the

same no matter where it occurs.

In nearly every shooting there are

those, both ordinary citizens as

well as responding officers, who

rush towards the shooter to stop

the carnage. Ultimately though,

dozens of innocent citizens and

first responders are killed before

the gunman is either killed, commits

suicide or taken into custody.

So, what’s different about this

story? There were six off-duty

officers inside when the shooting

started. Unfortunately, in

California it’s illegal for off-duty

officers to conceal carry inside

a club that sells alcohol. On this

night, six officers and their wives

and girlfriends knew the risk

when they went they decided to

visit the Borderline Bar & Grill in

Thousand Oaks California. But

they all come here often, and they

had a plan in case something did

go down. Park their cars with

guns accessible near the side

exit, sit as close to that door as

possible and have at least one

person in the group watching the

front door. But the BBG was a

quiet place and outside of a few

drunks now and then, it’s a decent

place to hang out.

Two of the six officers had

worked security there in the past

before joining an undercover task

force. But since it was a Wednesday

night, the only security was

a bouncer sitting outside the

front door. The following article

is what the mainstream news

printed. The paragraphs in bold,

are taken from the officers inside

the bar when the shooting

began. And once again, you can

see what a different picture the

media paints as to what actually

when a gunman decides to kill

people in a bar.

THOU-

SAND

OAKS, CA

– It was

college

night

at the

Borderline

Bar

and Grill,

which

describes itself as Ventura County’s

largest country dance hall

and live-music venue. Located in

Thousand Oaks California, a city

of 130,000 located northwest of

Los Angeles and in 2018 it was

ranked as the “third safest city in

the US,” according to FBI crime

stats.

On this particular night, there

were over 250 people inside

the bar, many of them college

students drawn by the “college

country night” promotion. Also,

inside, were six off-duty police

officers from various law enforcement

agencies. All were

there just to enjoy a night off

and not working security. Since

it was a Wednesday and the

crowds were not nearly the size

as weekends, the only security

120 The BLUES - DECEMBER APRIL ‘25 ‘25 ‘25

that night was a security guard

posted at the door.

It was just past 10pm when

our little group met up at the

BBG. It was our weekly ritual

to all go out, eat and then

meet up for drinks and some

dancing at the BBG. Wednesday

was always a pretty quiet

night especially when they

ran their college special. I say

quiet because outside of a few

drunk college students getting

loud, there weren’t any fights

or red neck assholes causing

problems. My buddy Pete and

I have worked extra jobs there

in the past and we knew just

about all the staff. The only

problem going to the BBG was

it’s a 90/10 establishment. That

means 90% of their sales are

alcohol and 10% food. Which

also means regardless of who

you are, you can’t conceal

carry inside. Only uniformed

officers were legal to carry

inside. Which meant we had

to leave our guns in our cars,

but we always parked on the

side of the building near the

exit door. And then sit as close

to that door as possible once

inside. As we walked up to

the entrance, we stopped to

say hi to Sean who was working

part-time as bouncer/bar

tender. Sean was probably the

oldest guy working there on

any given day, but he enjoyed

the work and watched over the

younger students that worked

there as well. We made our

way inside and noticed it

was pretty busy for College

Wednesday. Our regular table

near the exit was taken,

so we wound up sitting near

the back. But it was all good.

We ordered drinks and talked

about anything but work.

At 11:18 p.m. Pacific time. Chris

Brown’s “Turn Up the Music” was

blaring on the dance floor. Just

outside a man in dressed in all

black clothing approached the

front door. The security guard

saw the man approaching and

started to question him as he

looked out of place for someone

coming to college night.

But before he could say a word,

the gunman, identified as David

Long, shot 48-year-old Sean Adler

point blank with .45-caliber

handgun, and walked inside the

bar.

I guess it was around 11:15

that I heard what sounded like

a car backfiring in the parking

lot, but the music was so

loud I couldn’t really tell. I saw

the front door opening just a

second or two later and that’s

when I saw the shooter for the

first time. He was dressed in

all black and carrying a Glock.

The backfire I thought I heard

was the gunman shooting our

friend Sean point blank in the

head.

Inside, the first person to see

the gunman was David Ander-

The The BLUES BLUES The BLUES - DECEMBER - - APRIL ‘25 ‘25 121

121

son, 23, of Newbury Park, Ca.

who ironically had survived the

mass shooting at the Route 91

Harvest country music festival

in Las Vegas. That event back

in October 2017 left 58 people

dead and hundreds more injured.

Now when he went out, Anderson

liked to keep his eyes on the

door.

“Looking at the door on this

night, I saw the gunman enter

the club and raise a gun. I knew

exactly what it was, the moment

it was,” Anderson said.

“He took two to three steps

in, and his stance and the way

that he was aiming at everyone

was very uniform and you could

tell he had training,” Anderson

said. “And it was like slow motion.

I watched the gun.” Anderson

estimated that he fired 10 to

15 times. “He had a very stern,

straight-faced, focused face, and

he never say anything.”

Long first killed the cashier,

then started shooting at the

patrons. He fired a total of 61

rounds and threw several smoke

bombs. Many of the victims died

in the first few minutes of the

shooting while they were lying

on the floor or trying to charge

at Long.

The minute he fired the first

round was the instant I yelled

shooter and grabbed my wife

and pushed her under the table.

He fired multiple rounds

within seconds and threw at

least two smoke grenades into

the crowd. Once the smoke

filled the room, it was nearly

impossible to see where

the shooter was. Except that

when he fired a shot, a laser

on his gun would light up

and you could see the laser

line through the smoke. We

all knew we had to get outside,

get our wives to safety,

and get our fucking guns.

Problem was that the shooter

was between us and the exit.

And we had no way of knowing

how many shooters there

were. I grabbed the table next

to us and turned it on its side

to use as a shield and one of

my buddies did the same. We

were sitting ducks inside a

smoke-filled room with people

screaming and running in

every direction.

“People dived for cover or began

to run. “It was sheer panic,”

said Teylor Whittler, 19, who

was inside the venue at the time.

“I ran to the side. We all dogpiled

on top of each other. I kept

getting stomped on. Just trampled.”

She said she ran to the

back door, where people crowded

during a pause in the gunfire.

“And then, all of a sudden, a

couple of guys started running

to the back door and said, ‘Get

up, he’s coming.’”

Some hid under a pool table

as the shooter emptied his gun

and then paused to reload. Some

threw bar stools through a window

and escaped. Other survivors

credited Cody Coffman with

acting heroically, warning others

to run.

“At first I thought it was robbery,”

said Sarah Deson, 19. “A

smoke bomb then went off and

Cody was yelling, ‘Everyone get

down!’ He then told me to run

for the front door because the

shooter had moved further into

the bar. I ran fast — so fast — all

the way across the street to a

gas station. Then I heard the second

round of shots.”

Just to our right was a

plate glass window. I yelled

to the group, when he stops

to reload, grab the tables and

throw them through the glass.

We’re getting the fuck out

of here. I could see several

victims just feet from us and

knew he might walk up on us

any minute. And then the shots

stopped. It was now or never.

NOW I yelled. I grabbed the

center post of the bar table

and launched it as hard as I

could towards the window.

It broke a huge hole in the

glass but too small to climb

out. Pete got up and did the

same with his table and the


entire window fell out and the

light from the parking lot was

almost blinding. By this time,

the shooter had made his way

towards the back of the bar,

but I guess he heard the glass

breaking and fired several

rounds towards us. I grabbed

two of the girls and pushed

them out the window. There

were several other college

students that had been sitting

near the window and we

shoved them out as well. In all

we managed to get 20 people

out the window without being

hit by gunfire, but most of us

were cutup by the shattered

glass. As we ran around the

front of the building, I could

see at least 2 or 3 patrol cars

and I knew more would be on

the way.

Rochelle Hammons, 24, said

she heard a volley of shots before

she was able to flee. “All of

a sudden we heard four shots,

you know, ‘bang, bang, bang,

bang.’ Everyone got down on

the floor. Everyone ducked and

covered each other,” she said.

“As everyone crouched down on

the floor, I figured that my only

chance would be to run out to

the nearest exit. I saw the door

and I ran out as fast as I could.”

At 11:19 p.m., two California

Highway Patrol (CHP) officers

arrived on the scene and Hammons,

who had made it to her

car, rolled down her window and

told the officers “there is an active

shooter inside, you’ve got to

hurry, you’ve got to get in there.”

At 11:22pm nearby, Ventura

County Sheriff’s Sgt. Helus was in

his patrol car, talking to his wife,

when he got the call. He told her

he loved her before hanging up

and moving toward the bar. At

11:24 Helus told the dispatcher he

was outside the entrance with

two California Highway Patrol

officers. “I’m going in.”

The three made their way

across the parking lot towards

the building. At 11:25 Helus and

one of the CHP officers entered

the front door while the second

CHP officer went around

to the back door. Once inside,

Helus and the CHP Officer almost

instantly came under fire from

Long, who had been monitoring

their movements through the

nine security cameras visible

on a monitor in the front office

where he had been taking shelter.

In the ensuing gunfight, Helus

was shot five times by Long, who

used a laser sight on his pistol


in the large, darkened, smokefilled

room. Positioned between

Long and the CHP officer, Helus

was also accidentally struck by

a bullet from the officer’s rifle

that went through his heart and

fatally wounded him. Moments

later, responding Ventura County

Sheriff’s deputies, who were

securing the perimeter, located

and evacuated Helus to safety

outside. A SWAT team and other

police officers arrived on the

scene shortly afterwards.

As soon as we got around to

the front of the building, we

ran into two Ventura County

Deputies who recognized

us and saw that we were all

bleeding and covered in blood.

“Holy shit, you guys were

inside?” Yes, but our fucking

guns are out here. I told them

I thought there was just one

shooter armed with a Glock

and smoke bombs. That’s the

only gun I heard being fired.

And it’s a fucking nightmare

inside. Over 200 people when

it started. I have no idea how

many were hit. As we were

talking the shooting started

all over again. I heard on

their radio that an officer was

down. “Officer Down, Officer

Down…get fucking SWAT in

here.” By this time the parking

lot was filled with patrol cars

from dozens of nearby agencies.

I could hear at least two

air units and K9s barking in

the background. The shooting

inside was different. I could

tell it was officers firing assault

rifles. A few minutes

later, SWAT came out the front

door with the officer that had

been hit. I could tell immedi-

ately that he wasn’t going to

make it. At this point all we

could do was help those in the

parking lot that were bleeding

from broken glass and gunshot

wounds. I guess it was around

11:40 when we heard the last

single gunshot.

Long stopped shooting victims

following the exchange of gunfire

with police. At 11:38 p.m., he

fatally shot himself in the bar’s

front office

For many of those inside, there

was a grim benefit to being

young in America during an age

of massacres: They knew exactly

what this was, and they knew

exactly what to do, in the way

that past generations knew how

to hide from tornadoes or nuclear

bombs.

“They ran out of back doors,

they broke windows, they went

through windows, they hid up

in the attic, they hid in the bathroom,”

Ventura County Sheriff

Geoff Dean said. “Unfortunately,

our young people at nightclubs,

have learned that this may happen.

They think about that.”

The following day, Sheriff Dean

identified the deceased officer as

Sgt. Ron Helus, a 29-year veteran

of the Ventura department.

“He died a hero,” said the sheriff,

with his voice cracking, “because

he went in to save lives.”

As to the six officers inside,

Dean said Los Angeles Mayor Eric

Garcetti reported on Twitter that

there were three off-duty LAPD

officers there at the time, while

Oxnard police confirmed that

they had two officers.

“It’s just amazing, there were

probably six off-duty police

officers in there, from a couple

different agencies,” an emotional

Dean said. “I’ve already talked

to a parent that came up and

said, ‘they stood in front of my

daughter.’”

None of them were armed,

Dean said, and none of them

were injured. Dean said he had

no idea what set Long off or

what caused him to target the

bar and kill innocent people.

Dean went on to say that unfortunately

this wasn’t the first

mass shooting, nor would it be

the last.

The following day the news

media learned six cops were

inside when the shooting started.

That we were uninjured and

OK. And yes, we did help as

many people as we could. But

what they didn’t mention was,

had we been allowed to carry

inside that bar, we could have

taken the shooter out within

seconds. We could have saved

more lives had we been armed.

It’s a sickening feeling to be in

the middle of an active shooter

and not be able to do a damn

thing to stop it. And of course,

the very first thing I saw online

was some politician saying we

needed more gun control. What

we needed was OUR guns. I do

thank GOD for getting us all out

alive and uninjured. I attended

Sgt. Helus’ funeral a few days

later. I was almost ashamed to

say, “Yes I was there, I was inside,

and I couldn’t do a fucking

thing to stop it.” And while I

agree with the Sheriff that this

may not be the last mass shooting,

I can tell you for certain,

that if we or anyone else in that

bar had been armed, we could

have taken that asshole out and

Sgt. Helus would still be alive.



A BADGE OF HONOR

healing our heroes

Verbal Assaults are:

“The Ticking Time Bombs”

“Verbal assaults on police officers,

such as profanity or name-calling, are

often protected by the First Amendment

unless they constitute a direct

threat, disrupt the performance of

duties, or incite immediate violence.

While the Supreme Court has affirmed

that police must tolerate a higher

degree of verbal criticism, speech that

poses a direct threat to an officer's

safety is not protected.”

If verbal assaults don’t bother you,

think again. They affect us—sometimes

even more than the physical or

visual traumas we encounter. We all

grew up hearing, “Sticks and stones

may break my bones, but words will

never harm me.” But while words may

not injure you physically, they can

harm you mentally.

We have been trained and conditioned

to mentally prepare for most

traumatic events we may see daily.

We prepare ourselves for gunfights,

bar fights, and chaos at domestic violence

calls.

But what prepares us for the unprovoked,

unsolicited hate speech we are

assaulted by each day while simply

trying to do our jobs?

We swore an oath to protect and

serve, to save lives, and—if necessary—to

lay down our own lives for

the life of a stranger. You do not deserve

to be screamed at or treated in

such a hostile manner. You’re a good

person just trying to do your job, but

the climate has changed.

Between false or biased narratives

in the news, social media content, and

politicians who allow this behavior to

continue without consequence, it can

take a toll on even the strongest, most

well-balanced officer out there.

Police officers are not robots. We

are just as human as anyone else—

we have feelings, emotions, and we

bleed when cut. We feel joy, pain, and

anger. If you poke a bear, you get a

reaction. If someone stands within a

foot of an officer’s face and screams,

it deserves a reaction. Yet some commanders

and politicians expect you

to be an empty shell until “activated.”

That’s a robot.

When these incidents happen, our

bodies enter the stress response

known as Fight, Flight, or Freeze.

In Fight, our bodies surge with energy

to confront the danger, releasing

the pressure building inside us.

In Flight, we seek cover or distance,

giving ourselves a moment to breathe,

gather our thoughts, and reset.

But many officers are not accustomed

to Freeze—becoming immobilized,

unable to act, allowing the

verbal assault to hit us at some of the

deepest emotional levels. We become

ticking time bombs waiting to explode.

Unlike physical assaults, we often

cannot react. We have to sit there and

take the hits—over and over. Departments

vary on what an officer can or

cannot do in these situations, but the

damage is already done. A supervisor

might arrive and pull you away, but

the anger and adrenaline remain. It

can take 10, 20, even 30 minutes—or

longer—to calm down.

So you stop for a cup of coffee to

breathe, and bam, someone confronts

you with, “Look at my tax dollars at

work—sitting here drinking coffee

when you SHOULD be out protecting

SAMANTHA HORWITZ &

JOHN SALERNO

the community. What’s your badge

number? Do you know who I am? Do

you know who I know?” All while

holding a phone in your face for the

next TikTok video.

I bet you felt a surge of anger just

reading that—because it happens to

you, and it triggers a stress response.

The brain releases stress hormones

and neurotransmitters like adrenaline,

noradrenaline, and cortisol when we

feel anger. We’ve learned through

our PTSD workshops that the continuous

release of these chemicals can

cause irreversible medical harm—not

to mention the mental health issues

associated with it.

This buildup can also cause us to

release our anger on the people we

love, or lead us into addiction issues.

These verbal assaults are increasing

every day as perpetrators chase social

media views. With no end in sight,

I wish I had a solution—but I don’t.

What I can offer is praise, respect, and

deep gratitude to all of you out there

protecting and serving the law-abiding

citizens of your community.

You don’t hear it enough—but thank

you, and God bless you.

Law enforcement is still the greatest

and most rewarding profession in the

world. Don’t let some scumbag ruin

your day with words.

John Salerno

A Badge of Honor


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• Bath Remodels

And so much more!


DARYL LOTT

daryl’s deliberations

Their Last Christmas

Have you ever sat with someone

knowing it would be their

last Christmas? Sadly, as we

grow older, it happens more

and more. The friends and

family we’ve lost in 2025 who

were here in 2024 form a long

and heart-rending list. I will

miss them greatly: especially at

Christmas. Please keep these

good people in mind as you read

this newsletter. Our Texas roots

require us to celebrate Christmas

with the sacrifices of others

in our collective memory.

The Road to Independence

Christmas

is often

remembered

as a season

of family,

feasting, and

faith — but

for the men

and women

embroiled

in the Texas

Revolution

of 1835–1836,

the holiday

arrived not

with comfort,

but with uncertainty. Their

world was changing, their cause

still in doubt, and many Texans

spent the holiday far from home.

Yet even in wartime, the Christmas

season became a reminder

of why they fought: land, liberty,

and a better future for their

children.

VICTORY IN SAN ANTONIO,

DECEMBER 1835

The Siege of Bexar concluded

on December 9, 1835, when

Texian forces defeated General

Martín Perfecto de Cos and

secured San Antonio de Béxar.

For the first time in the conflict,

Texas held a major city — and

spirits soared. “We did feel as

though the star of Texas was in

the ascendant,” said Noah Smithwick.

That Christmas was a rare

moment of celebration — campfires

burned bright, and music

and food were shared as a brief

peace settled in.

CHRISTMAS AT GOLIAD UN-

DER COLONEL FANNIN

While San Antonio celebrated,

Fannin’s troops at Presidio

La Bahía were short on supplies

DARYL LOTT

and facing rumors of Santa Anna’s

imminent arrival. One volunteer

wrote,

“We had our

little celebration…

but our

minds were

on the enemy.”

Santa Anna

was, indeed,

on his way. He

split his army

to make better

time and sent

General Jose

de Urrea to

destroy Fannin’s

forces at

Goliad. Homesickness ran deep,

and the coming fate of Goliad lay

hidden in the new year ahead.

CHRISTMAS ON THE TEXAS

FRONTIER

Not all Texans were soldiers.

Daily life persisted beneath a


growing shadow of war.Families

continued traditions as best they

could:

• Cedar and mesquite decorations

• Cornhusk dolls and simple

toys

• Las Posadas in Mexican homes

• Candlelit hymns in German

settlements

LEADERS AND THE WEIGHT

OF DECISIONS

Texas leaders spent the holidays

debating independence,

military command, and diplomacy.

Stephen F. Austin was in New

Orleans seeking supplies, while

Sam Houston rode across Texas

urging unity. They celebrated

little and planned much.

The same men who lit fires in

victory at San Antonio would

soon stand at the Alamo. Those

sharing humble meals at Goliad

would face tragedy in the spring.

But at Christmas, there was still

hope:

“May the next Christmas find us

a free people.”

— Texian volunteer’s letter

Why This Matters Today

Christmas in the Texas Revolution

shows us timeless truths:

• Joy persists even in hardship

• Hope survives fear

• Freedom is worth sacrifice

The Republic of Texas would

be won less than a year later — a

gift long prayed for.

Christmas has a way of stirring

both joy and ache at the same

time. The lights seem to shine a

little softer, the music sounds a

little sweeter, and yet our hearts

remember who is missing beside

us. We feel the empty chair

at the table, the silence where

laughter once lived. Grief does

not ignore the calendar; if anything,

it presses closer during

this season of love and memory.

But Christmas also speaks into

that longing. It reminds us that

hope was born into a weary

world — a world not unlike ours,

filled with tears and questions.

The Child of Bethlehem came not

only to save us, but to stay with

us. Because of Him, love does

not end when life on earth does.

Those we miss are not gone

from God’s keeping. They are

held in His presence, whole and

unbroken, and their story continues

in His grace.

So, we honor their place in our

hearts. We light candles, we

tell their stories, we smile at the

memories that still bless us. And

we lift our eyes to the promise

that separation is not forever.

The same Savior who came in

a manger has prepared a home

where all things are made new

— where every tear will be

wiped away, and reunion will be

the sweetest celebration.

May this Christmas bring gentle

peace to your spirit, comfort

to your sorrow, and the steady

assurance that hope still lives —

and will carry you forward until

the day joy and love are complete

again.

Merry Christmas & God Bless

Texas


DR. TINA JAECKLE

blue mental health

The Other Side of the Mic:

A Brief Experience with Dispatcher Mental Health Support

I have had the blessing to

continue to connect with countless

professionals in the mental

health field and am grateful to

share the journeys that have

greatly impacted their lives and

dedication to serving others. In

this month’s “Voices from the

Field” series, we focus on the

powerful words of Saralynn

Brown and her experience as a

dispatcher.

The Other Side of the Mic: A

Brief Experience with Dispatcher

Mental Health Support

I distinctly remember the first

call that truly “stuck” with me.

It was early in my communications

career, within six months of

putting on the headset. The call

involved an infant, so it made

sense that I had to process it afterwards…but

it wasn’t until my

own child was born that I realized

this event had truly impacted

me. After I began my journey

as a mental health professional,

I then recognized the signs of a

trauma response.

I began my career as a dispatcher

when I was 24 in police

dispatch at the local 911 center.

After the birth of my youngest

child, I made the decision to seek

my degree in social work to balance

family needs, and I moved

to part-time. After a brief but re-

warding 6 years I ended my time

in communications and began

my journey in mental health.

In 2024, my current role gave

me the opportunity to put on

a headset again in an observation

capacity. I serve as an

embedded licensed clinician

with Responder Support Services

in North Carolina and provide

evidenced-based clinical interventions

and support for first

responders. It has been over a

decade since I was the rookie

dispatcher taking medical calls

right out of EMD training, but the

experiences linger. I am grateful

for the memories associated

with my years behind the console;

they were rewarding, and

I will always value the lessons I

can apply to my work now.

As the daughter of an LEO,

dispatch felt like the perfect way

for me to fit into the dynamic

world of first responders. It

was as if I had found my own

puzzle piece that allowed me

the opportunity for connection

when, in the past, I was simply

viewing the culture from the

outside looking in. Wearing the

hat of telecommunicator gave

me a brief opportunity to truly

be a part of the conversations

with my law enforcement and

fire rescue familial counterparts.

This was something I had

DR. TINA JAECKLE

not experienced previously and

have not truly experienced since

I changed careers. Despite the

new and strengthened bonds I

gained from serving as a dispatcher,

support for navigating

the emotional impact of trauma

exposure still felt non-existent.

I must give credit where credit

is due and offer this disclaimer.

I was extremely supported

by my peers during my time in

communications. From my fellow

telecommunicators to the

sworn officers, I always felt I had

individuals in my corner. Now

that I am a Licensed Clinical

Social Worker, I have a deeper

understanding of how our social

support system plays a role

in our resilience. Although I am

forever grateful for those who

were there for me, looking back,

I realized we did not receive the

resources we deserved for the

job…and that is still the reality

for many communications cen-


ters.

It is common to hear a dispatcher

minimize their role,

stating that since they’re “not

really out there” they don’t have

as much reason to feel the aftermath

of a critical incident.

It is a statement I muttered to

myself throughout my time answering

and dispatching calls.

As we continue to work towards

increased mental health support

for first responders, it is so

important for us to realize the

inaccuracy of that statement.

Despite popular belief, trauma

is not bias. Your brain does not

care which of your senses and

body parts witnessed an incident,

whether you visually saw

the wreckage with your eyes

or heard the screams with your

ears. Stress does not care about

environment; support is needed

whether the impact is based on

personal or professional experiences.

Emotional responses

between professional and personal

settings are an everlasting

cycle and have the opportunity

to turn vicious if there is a misconception

that focus should be

placed on one and not the other.

The blunt reality of the situation

is that the trauma individuals

are exposed to on duty directly

impacts their behaviors at home

and vice versa. We cannot simply

leave the experiences behind

while they linger in the back of

our minds and avoidance provides

the opportunity for them to

come out at the worst time.

The effect of trauma varies

by individual, but we must

recognize it has the opportunity

to negatively impact everyone.

There is inaccuracy surrounding

the belief that dispatchers do not

experience trauma in the same

way as others and mental health

support is often not recognized

or encouraged. In my personal

experience, when navigating

my physical and mental health

as a dispatcher, I was actually

encouraged by providers to

resign from my job to avoid

working nightshift. As I continue

to work towards supporting first

responders, I have now learned

my experience was not isolated

and it leads to further barriers to

seeking support.

When I first began my work

as an embedded clinician, there

were no words to express my

excitement when I realized I was

attending debriefings that included

dispatch. It was amazing

to observe the processing opportunities

for closure that CISM

debriefings can provide for those

responding to critical events.

During my time in communications,

I was never invited to a debrief.

It felt as if telecommunicators

were isolated from the rest

of the first responder community

and left to debrief from behind

the console between calls.

When considering the connections

telecommunicators make

with the callers, it is imperative

they receive follow-up support.

There is no way to truly know

how many individuals have been

touched by a dispatcher or how

many people were given hope

in their most difficult moment. I

take pride in my ability to offer

support to the agencies served

by our RSS clinicians. I am always

in awe of the ways my own

embedded agency prioritizes

and encourages my ability to

serve their dispatchers. Although

strides have been made since my

own dispatch experience, other

communities still fall behind

in serving their dispatchers and

recognizing the impact on their

mental health. Our telecommunicators

are truly the calm voice

in the dark for our communities,

but we must increase effort to

ensure we do not leave them

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Saralynn Brown, MSSW,

LCSW is a Licensed Clinical

Social Worker from Wikes

County, NC, who currently

serves as an Embedded

Clinician with Responder

Support Services. Before beginning

her career in mental

health, Saralynn worked as a

telecommunicator in an E911

Center, comes from a Law

Enforcement Family, and is

the spouse of a police officer.

Saralynn utilizes her experiences

working in dispatch to

assist in serving and supporting

the mental health of first

responders in her area.


NOT SO BRIGHT AWARD

Light Bulb Award

NYC-MAYOR ELECT MAMDANI

New York City’s mayor-elect plans to redirect mental health, homelessness

and outreach duties to a new civilian agency under a $1.1B proposal.

In other words, he wants to defund NYPD.

NEW YORK — With Assemblyman

Zohran Mamdani, a self-described

Democratic Socialist,

now elected as New York City’s

next mayor, one of the biggest

questions facing officers is how

his leadership will affect the nation’s

largest police department.

Once an outspoken critic of the

NYPD, the 34-year-old softened

his tone during the campaign

and pledged to keep Commissioner

Jessica Tisch in place. His

public safety platform differs

from the approach taken under

Mayor Eric Adams, proposing

changes to how the department

coordinates with City Hall.

Here’s what his record and

proposals indicate about what’s

ahead for the NYPD.

Mamdani announced during an

October debate that he intended

to retain Police Commissioner

Jessica Tisch. According to CNN,

he made the announcement

publicly before ever speaking to

Tisch directly, telling the network,

“I haven’t had a private

conversation with her on that.”

Mamdani expressed confidence

she would remain in the role:

“I am confident that we will be

working together,” he said.

He has publicly credited Tisch

with rooting out corruption

within the NYPD and overseeing

a decline in crime rates, according

to CNN.

A central component of Mamdani’s

agenda is the creation of

a Department of Community

Safety (DCS) — a new civilian

agency with a proposed $1.1 billion

budget, according to a plan

released by his campaign. About

$605 million would come from

existing programs moved under

the department and $455 million

would be new funding, generated

through efficiencies and

reallocated resources.

Mamdani says the department’s

mission is to “prevent violence

before it happens” by addressing

root causes such as poverty,

mental illness, housing instability

and inequality. The DCS, he

says, will take a public health

approach to crime prevention,

prioritizing “prevention-first,

community-based solutions.”

While the new department

would absorb many responsibilities

currently shared with the

NYPD, the plan stresses that police

“have a critical role to play.”

Mamdani’s proposal contends

that officers are too often tasked

with handling mental health

crises, homelessness and other

social issues — work that he says

has contributed to 20% longer

response times and clearance

rate declines.

The DCS would oversee and

expand several major initiatives:

• Behavioral Health Emergency

Assistance Response Division

(B-HEARD): Moved under DCS

and expanded citywide, with

peer counselors on every team,

trauma-informed training, and

24/7 service.


• Community Mental Health

Navigators: New neighborhood-based

outposts connecting

residents to care and reducing

911 mental-health calls.

• Transit outreach: Teams of

peers, EMTs and mental health

professionals stationed in 100

subway stations to engage people

experiencing homelessness

or crisis, replacing police-led

outreach.

• Gun violence prevention:

A 275% funding increase for

the city’s Crisis Management

System, expanding “violence

interrupter” and hospital-based

programs modeled on Cure

Violence.

• Victim and hate-violence

services: Expanded funding for

Safe Horizon, Family Justice

Centers and anti-hate education

programs.

The department would also

coordinate across city agencies,

hosting quarterly safety summits

to review progress and share best

practices — a “whole-of-government”

approach, according to the

proposal.

Another Blue City Tried This....It Didn't Work!

Five years ago, cities across five years later I’m happy to

the country were in the midst of report that said city has all new

‘defunding’ the police. Most just elected officials and once again

suggested it. Some were stupid has a fully operational police

enough to do it. One such unnamed

department. But we can’t help

city, replaced the entire but rewind to 2020 and visit this

police department with civilians. all over again.

One of the town former officers, In 2020, I wrote a story for

who chose to take early retirement,

The BLUES about the first day

wrote us back in 2021 de-

our city elected to defund our

scribing the towns first 12-hours police department and replace

what would have

My eyebrows? I paid a lot of money for them.

of this insane experiment. Some

been

two academy classes with civilian

replacements. If you read my

first story recounting that first 12

hours, then you already know this

city was headed for deep shit.

Well, it’s became one giant cesspool

for a period of time, before

the citizens realized they f-up big

time and recalled all the idiots

that were in charge. But before

that here’s what transpired.

If you’ll recall, last September


our city decided that a non-violent

social alternative to law

enforcement was the right thing

to do in 2020. So, they voted

and succeeded in defunding the

police department and replaced

officers with civilians who supposedly

were better suited to

policing than the actual police.

These replacements were known

as “Crime Prevention Specialists.”

If you call 911 and say you need

the police, a Crime Prevention

Specialists or CPS Team Member

would be dispatched. (I swear

that’s what they call each other,

Team Members) CPS reports

to the Civilian Crime Bureau or

CCB. Now I’m sure you’re asking,

“what about crimes in progress?”

Who is going to respond

to a man with a gun or a robbery

in progress? Why COP’s of

course – that’s “CIVILIANS ON

PATROL.” They are supposedly

trained to intervene in a non-violent,

non-lethal interaction

with citizens to maintain peace

within the community. I swear

that’s what they train their “Team

Members” to do. I have no damn

idea what that even means.

What I can tell you is what

happens when you try that crap

with a man robbing a convenience

store at 2am. The “COPs”

and the “CPS Team Members”

attempted to “interact” with the

suspect, excuse me the “troubled

individual” and he shot all three

of them plus the store manager

and made off with the cash

and scratch off lottery tickets.

Luckily, the “troubled individual”

was a terrible shot and all three

CCB employees lived as did the

store manager. The “troubled

individual” was arrested a short

time later by the REAL COPS one

town over and charged with four

counts of attempted murder

and aggravated robbery. A CCB

spokesman said if they would

have had more time to reason

with the “troubled individual” a

different outcome might have

been possible. I swear you cannot

make this shit up.

Another interesting side effect

of hiring civilians to do police

work, is accidents. I don’t mean

the slip and fall kind; I’m referring

to traffic accidents. I witnessed

first-hand how a minor

traffic collision turned into 10-

car pileup with multiple injuries

and a huge fire. Seems that when

the CCB was formed, the mayor

and city council just assumed

that State Troopers or the Sheriff’s

Department would work all

the accidents. Well, the troopers

did work accidents on the state

highways but stayed out of the

city. The local sheriff, who now

referred to the city as “Whoville”

declared the city off limits

and told his deputies to stay the

hell out of the town and let the

“Town Clowns” handle all traffic

accidents.

So, when the first minor accident

occurred on CCB’s first day,

a two-car minor accident on

Main Street became the talk of

the town. You see, CCBs Team

Members didn’t receive any

training in accident investigation

much less directing traffic. So,

when the CPS and COPs arrived

on the scene, they just flipped

on the ole Blues Lights on them

Prius’ and blocked all traffic.

What they didn’t count on was

the accident was just beyond a

curve in the road and oncoming

traffic couldn’t see those Prius’

until it was too late. So, within

minutes of blocking the road, an

18-wheeler rounded the bend

and slammed into two of the

Prius’, pushing those into the two

cars involved in the fender bender.

While a Prius won’t normally

catch fire, when you destroy the

car with a semi, expose the battery

pack which causes sparks,

which ignites gasoline now leaking

from one of the cars involved

in the original accident, you have

one hell of a fire. And because

this is all on a hill and the gasoline

is flowing down hill, on fire,

and ignites another CPS Prius as

well as a couple of other cars

that had been stopped by the accident.

When it was all said and

done, 10 cars plus an 18-wheeler

were destroyed by fire. All

on their FIRST accident scene.

Eventually the State was called

in to work the accident since it

involved city vehicles.



Holiday Gift Guide


Holiday Gift Guide

PROFORCE’S WEBSITE

IS “BETTER THAN EVER”

THANKS TO BIG UPDATE!

Proforce Law Enforcement announced its first

major website update in 15 years, marking a new

focus on digital presence and ecommerce

capabilities. The Arizona based law enforcement

firearms distributor published their improved

website update three months ago. This

comprehensive update includes redesigns of every

aspect of the site, including the homepage,

product pages, and checkout. Featuring an intuitive

shopping experience and increased product

visibility, the new look is a distinctive improvement

over the legacy site.

Top Image: Website homepage, Middle Image: Website product page, Bottom Image: Agency Product Pages

As part of a new initiative to increase Proforce’s

overall digital capabilities, this is the first of many

advancements to come, according to company

leadership.

“Our team met at the beginning of last year to

discuss updating the website,” said Andrew

Dargue, Proforce’s Marketing Director. “To meet

the evolving needs of our customers, we decided

to make the investment. This project has really

set the tone for where we want to go in the future,

and I think all the changes we made will result in a

more enjoyable online experience for our agency

and individual officer customers.”

Here’s what law enforcement agencies, police

officers, and first responders can look forward to

from the new update:

• New and Improved Design

• Increased Product Availability

• Agency Account Quote and Order Tools

• FFL Transfers to a Preferred Dealer Network

• Improved Customer Service Support Menus

Proforce Law Enforcement is an Arizona-based law

enforcement firearms and equipment distributor

serving agencies, law enforcement officers, and

first responders across the US. An experienced

sales team and strong relationships with

industry-leading manufacturers allow Proforce

to move quickly while serving law enforcement

agenices. With the recent website improvements,

Proforce is excited to better serve individual

officers online. Proforce also has a retail store

in Brea, CA and a showroom in Prescott, AZ.

To learn more about Proforce or its products and

services call (800) 367-5855.

Email sales@proforceonline.com or visit their

website at www.proforceonline.com


Holiday Gift Guide

Holiday Gift Ideas for Your

Law Enforcement Family

Well Black Friday and Cyber

Monday have come and gone

—it’s officially time to let the

serious shopping shenanigans

commence.

Did you know there’s an entire

website devoted to tracking the

death toll and injury count in

shopping-related incidents on

the Friday following Thanksgiving?

I suppose it should have come

as no surprise that BlackFridayDeathCount.com

(which

currently gets my vote for best

ULR ever) was the third result

in an Internet search for “Crime

on Black Friday.” A blog post by

a bail bonds establishment and

another blog post from an attorney’s

office were one and two in

the search return, respectively—

seriously, I’m not kidding.

Wherever you patrol and

whatever your shift, there will

be mayhem and morons with

which to contend over the next

few weeks before Christmas.

Hopefully, however, you will

also enjoy some downtime

during which you can get ahead

on your holiday shopping for

family and friends—here is

handful of ideas from our trusted

supporters.

Streamlight has been a staple

in law enforcement even when

they weighed 5 pounds and also

served as a flashlight.

Today the favored choice is

the STREAM LIGHT STINGER

2020, a 2000 Lumen-Rechargeable

Flashlight with a Piggy

Back Charger. The Features are:

High, medium and low modes

plus strobe: High for a high lumen

beam: 2,000 lumens; 315m

beam; runs 2 hours, Medium for

bright light & longer run time:

850 lumens; 200m beam; runs

4 hours, Low for extended run

time: 100 lumens; 70m beam;

runs 24 hours, Strobe for disorienting

or signaling: runs 3.25

hours.

Looking for a off-duty gun? I

personally carry the Glock 43X

and I think it's the perfect size

and capacity Ideal for everyday

carry. The GLOCK 43X features

a slim line compact frame for

optimal fit and feel, a 10 + 1

capacity and a traditional Glock

Black finish for excellent durability.

Offering many of the latest

Gen5 features, the G43X has a

subcompact slide. Find both at

Centralpolicesupply.com.

Maybe non-lethal is what you

need to add to your daily arsenal

and your department doesn't

have the budget.

The BYRNA MISSION 4, available

at CopStop is a semi-automatic

AR-15 style rifle and does

not use any batteries or electronics.

The durable magnesium

receiver encloses the high-performance

in-line pneumatic


Holiday Gift Guide

bolt system. The M-LOK shroud

comes standard with 4 picatinny

rails, integrated sling mounts,

front and rear flip-up adjustable

sights and vertical fore grip. The

two position external safety lever

engages safe or firing mode.

The coupled black and orange

magazines each load 18 projectiles.

If you like LE designed t-shirts,

with the coolest designs and

printed on premium blend 60/40

combed, ring-spun cotton, then

RELENTLESS DEFENDER is the

place you need to shop. Slater

and his incredible staff have donated

over $2 million to families

of fallen and injured officers.

The “MERRY GRINCHMAS”

design features the infamous

Grinch, but with a unique twist:

he’s wearing a Santa hat that’s

shaped like the iconic Punisher

skull logo. This clever mix of

Christmas cheer and tough-guy

attitude is perfect for those who

like to celebrate the holidays

with a bit of edge and humor.

The most comfortable athletic

show you will ever wear - THE

BLUE-LINE SHOES BY HONOR

& RESPECT. Here's what their

customers say:

"I am daily amazed at how

comfortable my HR Blue Line

shoes are. I wore them on and

off for a while but I eventually

noticed that nothing else was

comfortable compared to the

Blue Line shoes."

"Highly recommended!! Great

company with an amazing mission!

Thank you!"

"They looked so amazing, that

I chose to put them in my Police

display case instead of wearing

them. Just placed an order for a

second pair to wear outdoors…

Very very happy!"

Thinking about a silencer for

your rifle? Pig Supply carry's the

Silencer Shop brand of silencer

and even have a Kiosk to speed

up the process.

The RD-LS3 Ti is precision-engineered

with aerospace-grade

titanium for unmatched strength

and lightweight construction.

Designed for high-pressure calibers,

it delivers consistent performance

while reducing sound

and flash to enhance accuracy

and minimize shooter fatigue. Its

compatibility with the KFM 5/8-

24 Flash Hider ensures secure

mounting and excellent muzzle

control, making it a reliable addition

to your firearm setup.

How about a Custom Throw

Blanket? Turn your favorite

memories into the ultimate

comfort gift with our Custom

Throw Blanket, the perfect blend

of cozy and personal. Whether

it’s a cherished photo of a loved


Holiday Gift Guide

one, your beloved pet, a hilarious

moment caught on camera, or

even your department badge or

business logo, we’ll bring it to

life in a way that’s unforgettable.

Here’s how it works: you upload

your photo or Ai image,

tell us what text you want on

the top and bottom, and we’ll

take it from there. Our design

team will create a professional,

high-quality layout, print it on a

soft, durable fleece blanket, and

get it shipped out within just 3

business days. It’s that fast, and

that easy.

This isn’t just a blanket, it’s an

experience. Imagine the look on

someone’s face when they unwrap

a gift that features their

favorite photo or a meaningful

message. Whether it’s for Christmas,

birthdays, graduations,

retirements, or just because, this

will be the gift they talk about

long after the holidays are over.

Available at RELENTLESS DE-

FENDER.

Here are a bunch more ideas

found online.

POLICE NOTEBOOK Personalized:

Police Officer Gift with

Agency Patch $17.25

HANDCUFF KEY Personalized -

Engraved

A PATROL BAG/SEAT ORGA-

NIZER: A patrol bag or seat organizer

is a lifesaver for any cop.

It keeps all the essentials—like

paperwork, snacks, and first-aid

supplies.

TACTICAL GLOVES for shooting,

driving, searching, etc.: a

pair of gloves comes in handy in

lots of different scenarios

DEPLOYMENT BAG for large

gear: Sometimes, a regular bag

just won’t cut it. A deployment

bag is designed to hold large

gear like helmets and larger

tactical vests. It’s the go-to bag

for special assignments; he uses

one for SWAT gear.

BALLISTIC GLASSES for the

range: Get some non-tinted ones

for night-time shooting training

scenarios. Safety first, especially

at the shooting range. Ballistic

glasses protect the eyes and offer

clear vision.

5.11 COOL TEES to wear under

the uniform shirt: He seriously

lives in these things. He wears

one every single day. They’re

designed to be worn under a

uniform shirt and are made with

moisture-wicking fabric.

SIRIUSXM RADIO: Okay… this

isn’t an essential, but if your department

doesn’t mind, it’s nice

to have on those slow nights. As

long as the department is cool

with it, a SiriusXM subscription

can make those long hours a bit

more enjoyable.

BINOCULARS: Most departments

provide binoculars, but

having a personal pair can be

a game-changer. They come in

handy for surveillance or when

you need to get a closer look

from a distance.

GOOD MULTI-TOOL: A multitool

can do everything from

cutting a seatbelt off someone

who’s stuck in a car to opening

bottles, making it a versatile

piece of equipment to have on

hand.

NON-SERRATED KNIFE: A

straightforward, non-serrated

knife is easier to clean and

maintain. It’s useful for cutting

through seat belts in emergencies

or for other utility tasks. It’s

also useful as a backup.


Holiday Gift Guide

View Our Inventory

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RiverOaksCars.com | 713-524-3801 | 4807 Kirby Dr, Houston, TX 77098


Holiday Gift Guide

Must Have Books

THE TWO FBIs:

THE BRAVERY AND BETRAY-

AL I SAW IN MY TIME AT THE

BUREAU HARDCOVER

BY NICOLE PARKER (AUTHOR)

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars

4.4 on Goodreads

#1 Best Seller in Political Corruption

& Misconduct

Two of Nicole Parker’s colleagues

were murdered while executing

a search warrant on a dangerous

suspect with no SWAT support.

Meanwhile, the FBI sent SWAT for

those charged with January 6 misdemeanors.

Special Agent Parker witnessed an

internal war between what she refers

to as the two FBIs - “FBI 1” and

“FBI 2.” While FBI 1 was comprised

of honest, unbiased employees

dedicated to keeping all Americans

safe, FBI 2 used their law enforcement

power to push their personal

political and social agendas. Lowering

hiring standards, unequally enforcing

laws, and aggressively going

after perceived political or social

enemies became commonplace, and

it seemed unstoppable.

Through the lens of her life story,

Parker chronicles the takeover of

the bureau. The Two FBIs tells how

Parker left her job in finance to

serve her country. Her faith carried

her through as she stared evil in the

face on a daily basis while investigating

the most heinous crimes.

Over time, FBI 2 seemed to be

winning the battles, but Parker was

adamant it would not win the war.

After over a dozen years of service,

she chose to leave the Bureau. FBI

1 warriors believe drastic changes

and accountability are necessary in

order to return the FBI to its greatness

and restore the trust of the

American people.

Filled with electrifying stories

of violent crime takedowns and

heart-wrenchingly tragic investigations,

as well as shocking revelations

about the administrative

state shackling patriotic heroes, The

Two FBIs will provide you with a

new appreciation for what it takes

to keep Americans secure—and

how real the efforts are to cripple

the brave souls who preserve our

security.

EDITOR: WATCH FOR FEATURE

STORY IN NEXT MONTH'S BLUES.

CLICK HERE TO

PURCHASE ON AMAZON

BEHIND THE BADGE: A

HEARTFELT LOOK AT THE

LIVES OF FIRST RESPONDERS

IN AMERICA HARDCOVER –

BY JOHNNY JOEY JONES

(AUTHOR)


4.3 on Goodreads

#1 Best Seller in Law Enforcement

First responders run toward

things the rest of us run away

from.

What makes a person want to

become a first responder? As in

his bestselling book Unbroken

Bonds of Battle, retired Marine

Johnny Joey Jones didn’t have

to look further than his closest

family and friends to find frontline

defenders—some he’s known

since childhood, some he served

with, and others have become

friends and mentors. In this

book, you will meet:

• A game warden whose “miracle

K-9” helped him save 22 lives

in search and rescue missions

• A firefighter who chose the

job over a lucrative family career

• A police officer who died

placing his squad car between

civilians and a drunk driver

going the wrong way on the

highway—and his sister, who

responded by becoming a deputy

• A border patrol medic working

to save lives in the desert heat

• A SWAT sniper describing

how to handle a high-speed

chase


Holiday Gift Guide

THE COURAGE TO LIVE

HARDCOVER

BY JOSHUA BITSKO

(AUTHOR)


“The cart wasn’t a bomb. But

it still haunts me.”

One thing all these people have

in common: none of them wants

to be called a hero.

Their inspiring and unique

stories are almost always

overlooked when it comes to

patri¬otic recognition of service

and sacrifice. With vivid storytelling,

Jones brings to life dramatic

res¬cues, heart-wrenching

losses, and awe-inspiring acts

of courage. He delves deep into

what drives these brave men

and women, offering an intimate

look at their personal and professional

lives.

Behind the Badge will leave

you moved, inspired, and reminded

of the true meaning of

heroism—because these first responders

are home¬town heroes

at heart.

CLICK HERE TO

PURCHASE ON AMAZON

On October 1st, 2017, Josh

Bitsko stood outside a hotel

room door on the 32nd floor of

the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

A suspicious room service cart,

wired and placed for maximum

damage, stood between him and

the gunman responsible for the

deadliest mass shooting in U.S.

history. It looked like a bomb.

Every instinct said run. He didn’t.

That moment didn’t just test

his tactical training. It rewired

everything he believed about

fear, courage, and what it means

to move forward while everything

in him told him to freeze or

to run.

In The Courage to Live, Retired

Police Captain Josh Bitsko

shares the untold story of that

night and the years of pain,

pressure, trauma, and guilt that

COMING SOON

THIN BLUE LINE, LIFE BEHIND THE

BADGE , BY MICHAEL BARRON

(AUTHOR)

Retired Sergeant Michael Barron

takes readers behind the badge as

he and dozens of fellow officers recount

over 41 years of policing the

streets of America.

followed. This book isn’t just

about the largest mass shooting

in American history. It’s about

what happened after. It grapples

with the emotional weight first

responders silently carry, and

how the scariest thing isn’t the

gunfire, but the aftermath, when

you realize you’ve stopped feeling

anything at all.

CLICK HERE TO

PURCHASE ON AMAZON


Holiday Gift Guide

THE PERFECT GIFT

The FIRST RESPONDER DISCOUNT CARD is the absolute perfect gift that will be used

everyday and save the First Responder recipient money everywhere they shop and eat.

This year marked the introduction

of THE FIRST CARD

— a powerful new initiative that

delivers meaningful savings to

Texas First Responders while

giving back to the families of the

fallen and injured.

Designed to recognize the service

and sacrifice of those who

protect and serve our communities,

the FIRST CARD provides

exclusive discounts at hundreds

of participating businesses

across the Greater Houston/Galveston

area — with plans to expand

statewide now underway.

“This card is more than just a

way to save,” said retired Sergeant

Michael Barron, Founder

and CEO of The BLUES. “It’s a

symbol of gratitude. Every card

purchased supports First Responders

who’ve been injured

or lost in the line of duty — and

their families.”

“Our goal is sell thousands of

FIRST CARDS and donate money

to dozens of non-profit organizations

in the Greater Houston

area,” said Barron.

How It Works:

The FIRST Card is available

to both active and retired First

Responders and is now available

for purchase across the Greater

Houston/Galveston region.

For just $25, cardholders unlock

discounts from 5% to 50%

off everyday purchases — from

restaurants to retailers, entertainment

venues, Astros Tickets,

and even new car purchases.

A portion of the FIRST Card's

profits are donated directly to

organizations supporting fallen

and injured First Responders and

their families.

KEY BENEFITS OF THE FIRST

CARD:

• Save 5–50% at participating

businesses across Texas

• Exclusive deals on major purchases,

including vehicles

• Supports First Responder

foundations with every purchase

• Available to both active and

retired First Responders

• ADDED BONUS: Upon activation,

Card holders receive an

email with over $2000 in bonus

coupons, a link to purchase

Astros tickets for up to 30% off

regular prices at select home

games, and when you sign up

for Fuel Rewards at Shell, you

get an additional $ .25cents

off your next fill up. (limited to

20-gallons)

Order your FIRST CARD on

line today at frdcard.com.


Holiday Gift Guide


REMEMBER THE GOLD C COUPON BOOKS?

Those Are Long Gone, But Now There’s a New Way to Save...

THE FIRST RESPONDER DISCOUNT CARD

FIRST RESPONDERS SAVE MONEY EVERY DAY

RESTAURANTS • ENTERTAINMENT

SHOPPING • ASTROS TICKETS

* A Portion of the Profits from the sale of FIRST Cards are

donated to Texas Based Organizations that provide

assistance to families of fallen first responders

and first responders in need.

PURCHASE YOUR FIRST CARD

TODAY AT FRDCARD.COM

OR TAP, CLICK OR SCAN

THE QR CODE.


Holiday Gift Guide

Please Support our Sponsors

this Holiday Season.

With the Christmas Shopping

Season in full swing, we kindly ask

that you and your family pay a visit

to one of our loyal sponsors.

Each month, for over four decades

in some cases, these folks have

literally made The BLUES what it is

today. They have the best products

for law Enforcement and in many

cases offer discounts to First Responders

that ordinary businesses

do not.

If a new vehicle with bow on the

hood is what rocks your world, River

Oaks and Planet Ford will make

it happen.

If great designs in t-shirts is your

thing, there is no better place to

shop than ReLEentess Defender

Apparel.

Looking for the most comfortable

athletic shoe on the market

with cool LE designs, go to Honor &

Respect.

For the widest selection of police

supplies, CopStop, Central Police

Supply and Pig Supply have everything

you need and more.

If you are collecting challenge

coins, you must check out Valor

Boards.

Looking for a new weapon, check

Proforce or one of the above police

supply sponsors.

Finally, maybe treat yourself or

your loved one to a special tattoo

at Prison Break in Houston.

Be sure and tell all these folks

thanks for supporting The BLUES.

Perhaps a new car is just the

ticket for that special someone

or just reward yourself for all

the mayhem you dealt with on

patrol this past year. We recommend

you stop in and see

the guys at River Oaks or Planet

Ford.

RIVER OAKS CHRYSLER, DODGE,

JEEP & RAM, 4807 KIRBY DRIVE •

HOUSTON, TEXAS • 713-524-3801

Alan & Blake Helfman are the

named and primary sponsor of

The BLUES. For over 65 years the

Helfman’s have supported local

area law enforcement and supported

The BLUES since our first

issue.

There is simply no better dealership

in Houston to purchase

your Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram

or Ford product. The sales team

provide honest, no BS pricing and

their service department ranks

among the top in the nation.

Call Alan or Blake Helfman

at 713-524-3801 when you are

ready to purchase your next vehicle.

It will be the best car buying

experience you’ve ever had.

NEW CARS WITH A BOW

PLANET FORD IN SPRING, 20403

I45 NORTH, SPRING TEXAS

Planet Ford on I-45 in Spring,

Texas has been the No. 1 Ford

Dealer in the greater-Houston

area for over 20 years.* Our Ford

dealership earns this distinction

year after year because our team

makes our clients and their vehicle

needs our top priority. Planet

Ford is part of the award-winning

World Class Automotive

Group. The dealership has earned

many top honors, including multiple

Triple Crowns, which is bestowed

upon only the best. In

order to be recognized, a dealership

must receive all of Ford’s top

awards, including The President’s

Award for customer service.

Planet Ford has been redesigned

from the ground up to provide a

superior customer experience.


Holiday Gift Guide

APPAREL

ReLEntless Defender has some

of the best designs you'll find

anywhere on the web, or in

store for that matter. If you live

anywhere in the greater Houston

I suggest you stop in and

see Slater and see what a great

selection they have.

RELENTLESS DEFENDER, 215

GONYO LN, RICHMOND, TX, 832 -

612-2200

ReLEntless Defender, the brand,

was established as a Thin Blue

clothing Line, built on a platform

of support for our brothers and

sisters in blue. Whether you’re

a retired peace officer or just

getting started, we understand

the obstacles officers face each

day. Many are spit at, threatened,

abused, hated and killed,

all by those we selflessly serve.

In defiance of these obstacles

we gear up and face them head

on, becoming an unbreakable

Thin Blue Line that separates the

predator and its prey.

In 2014, ReLEntless Defender

set out to design clothing apparel

that officers could wear with

pride. We discovered the available

market to be saturated

with clip art designs printed on

cheap shirts, hats, hoodies and

more, most from companies

that purported themselves to

be ‘police owned’. At ReLEntless

Defender, we only sell top of

the line apparel, bringing you

custom ‘soft ink’ designs that

aren’t found anywhere else in

the world. While our company

is young, our staff has decades

of combined Law Enforcement

experience, careers that have

successfully traversed every

facet of our police culture.

Giving Back: At ReLEntless

Defender, we make it a priority

to donate a portion of all sales

to various police charities. We

pride ourselves in always having

at least one item in stock,

where we’ve made the commitment

to donate 100% of the

proceeds to a police charity of

our choosing. Moving forward,

ReLEntless Defender has initiated

a program with your assistance,

where a sales portion

of all Thin Blue Line flags sold,

will go towards providing a

Fallen Officer’s family an embroidered

Thin Blue Line flag, at

no cost to them. A final gesture

of remembrance to honor their

ultimate sacrifice. We’re always

looking for ways to help,

but we can’t do it alone. We

need your eyes, ears and openhearts

to better assist those in

need.

Honor and Respect sell the

absolute most comfortable

athletic shoe you will ever wear.

Trust me when I say you must

own at least a couple of pairs.

HONOR & RESPECT, 3200 3RD

AVE., MARION, IA, UNITED STATES,

52302, 319-651-2929

Honor and Respect LLC is a

family-owned, veteran-operated

business based in Marion, Iowa,

that sells patriotic apparel and

athletic shoes, with 100% of its

profits donated to organizations

supporting veterans and first

responders. The company focuses

on promoting mental health

for military and first responder

communities and was featured

on Fox and Friends in 2019.

Our mission has always been

to let our first responders know

that they are not alone, and we

stand with them. We have had

the honor of being able to donate

to various organizations

that share our mission in helping

our nation’s heroes make their

mental health a priority by selling

our athletic shoes which are

US trademark protected. This is

bigger than a shoe, it’s a passion

to serve the people who have

served all of us. Consider the

way you can help first respond-


Holiday Gift Guide

ers by purchasing your pair of

Honor and Respect shoes, cap,

long or short-sleeve T-shirt,

flag, tumbler, wristband, sticker,

token, or gift card.

Honor and Respect LLC is also

CopStop is your one-stop shop

for everything Law Enforcement,

conveniently located in

Pearland Texas where owner

Rick Fernandez is not only a

former Pearland Cop he's currently

a City Councilman.

COPSTOP, 6831 BROADWAY ST

SUITE F, PEARLAND, TX 77581

PHONE: (281) 412-7358

Cop Stop Inc. Opened in 2003

with a vision and goal to service

first responders; “Our everyday

heroes.” Catering mainly to

Police, Fire, Military and EMS,

but also open to the public, Cop

Stop offers a variety of products,

gear and apparel. Open

and operated by Rick Fernandez,

a former officer of 10 years, he

prides himself on maintaining

the highest standards of

customer service. Cop Stop

POLICE SUPPLIES

involved in local initiatives, such

as sponsoring the #FirstResponderFriday

program and being an

Adopt A Highway sponsor for the

Iowa Department of Transportation.

understands its our customers

who drive our success, and we

strive to offer the best service

to everyone who walks through

our doors. At Cop Stop we offer

quality products at great low

prices. With access to over hundreds

of brands and products,

and constantly adding more, we

are confident we can fulfill your

needs.

“If you provide good service

and a fair price, customers will

talk about you and come back.

It’s that simple!” Rick Fernandez

Ray Simper is the original

owner of Central Police Supply

and was literally the Blues' first

advertiser. Ray co-founded the

business in 1972 with a group of

Houston police officers to provide

gear for their colleagues.

CENTRAL POLICE SUPPLY, 1410

WASHINGTON AVE, HOUSTON,

TX., 713-225-4392

The Original goal of Central

Police Supply (originally named

F-15) was to supply fellow officers

with equipment for promotion

exams.

Today the business is owned

and operated by Ray's daughter

Jacqueline Simper. Jacqueline

has carried on the tradition began

by her father and continues

to stock a full rage of police

supplies including all types of

HPD and HCSO uniform supplies.

Central Police Supply is also

your best choice for purchasing

a Glock under the Blue Label

Program. Not only do they have

a full range of rifles and handguns

in stock, they can order just

about any gun you might want.

Central Police Supply is also

noted for its full line of badges,

jewerly and ID holders.

Central Police Supply has

been serving Houston law

enforcement for nearly 50 years

with the absolute best customer

service and quality products.

Check them out online at https://

www.centralpolice.com/

Pig Supply is another original advertiser

and sponsor of The BLUES.

Rusty Mayfield, a retired veteran of

both Galveston and Harris County

SO's and his lovely wife Jutta have

been in business for over 47 years.

Please stop by and see all they

have to offer in Highlands Texas.

PIG SUPPLY, 115 S. MAIN ST.,

HIGHLANDS, TX. 281-426-5091

Welcome to Pig Supply, a

police supply business that has


Holiday Gift Guide


Holiday Gift Guide

been serving law enforcement

for over 47 years in the City of

Highlands. Rusty Mayfield, a Viet

Nam vet and an Honorably Retired

Deputy from Harris & Galveston

Counties, along with his

wife Jutta, opened Pig Supply in

September 1978. Over the years

they have supplied shotguns,

handguns, rifles and a full range

of police products to thousands

of police officers. Pig Supply is

ready to assist you today with all

your law enforcement needs.

VALOR BOARDS

ProForce Law Enforcement

has an excellent selection of

firearms, law enforcement

equipment and accessories

from dozens of manufactures.

PROFORCE, www.proforceonline.com,

800-367-5855

Everything you need to know

GUNS/AMMO

about Proforce is in the ad below.

They are a great company to

deal with and have great customer

service. Look for one of

their knowledgeable sales staff

at the next police conference as

they exhibit at all the regional

and national conferences.

Everyone these days collect

challenge coins and you need

a nice place to display them.

Introducing the Valor Board.

The BLUES has one of the larger

boards in our office and it is a

fine piece of art. The attention

to detail and workmanship is

beyond expectations. Order

yours today.

Supporting Law

Enforcement in

TEXAS

ProForce’s commitment to providing excellent customer

service is a key element in the company’s success

throughout the western United States. As a relative newcomer

in the state of TEXAS ProForce has been welcomed with open

arms by the law enforcement community.

ProForce’s relationships with top industry manufacturers

and vendors, as well as their sales volume, allows them

to negotiate better pricing to meet the budgetary needs

of law enforcement agencies. While some vendors may

not always have product availability in a timely manner.

ProForce’s industry relationships and direct contact through

vendor representatives, the sales team is able to suggest

and provide alternatives to meet specific requirements of

agencies, ensuring that the agency’s needs are always met.

“

Working with PROFORCE through the

bidding and purchasing of the M&P 2.0’s was

very easy and simple. We added the ACRO red

dot along with the holster and the light. This

purchase was simple and easy.

The troops love the improvement to the 2.0

and the red dot.

Lt. Socha. Austin PD.

“

#X300U-A #13353 #200691

Inset: Dan Rooney ProForce President

The company features an excellent selection of high demand

law enforcement firearms, equipment and accessories from

great manufacturers such as:

Axon/Taser, Aimpoint, Beretta, Colt, H&K, Bola Wrap,

Bianchi, Smith & Wesson, Eotech, Daniel Defense,

NightStick, Sig Sauer, Kimber, Otis, Defense Technology,

Shadow Systems, Magpul, L3 Harris, Burris, Mossberg,

Ruger, Streamlight, Safariland, Springfield, Blackhawk,

Holosun, Trijicon, Vortex, Surefire, Us Peacekeeper ,OSS,

Nightstick, FNH USA and UTM.

Proforce takes great pride in distributing high quality public

safety products from top tier manufacturers and this

transaction has set a trend for many other law enforcement

agencies in the State of Texas.

Agency demonstrations, test and evaluation

of products is available upon request. Ask us

about trade-ins! We will buy your agency duty or

confiscated firearms, any model and condition!

First class customer support and quality service

makes PROFORCE the number one choice for first

responder equipment and accessories!

Call (800) 367-5855

Email: sales@proforceonline.com or

visit our website


SEND US AN EMAIL

SCAN THE QR CODE

VALOR BOARDS, 22820 IH-45

#8K; SPRING, TX, CALL OR TEXT

346-550-7600, EMAIL ORDERS@

VALORBOARDS.COM

Meet the owners of Valor

Boards, Adam and Tony, both

veterans of the U.S. Military

and Law Enforcement. The two

founded Live Oak Furniture Co in

2020 and began designing and

crafting bespoke custom furniture

in Houston, Texas. They love

good design and love the process

of making that design come to

life.

In 2022 the pair were asked to

create challenge coin holders for

members of the Law Enforcement

community. They treated

each board as a unique tribute to

the selfless service of the person

they were making it for and

wanted to incorporate as much

personalization as possible. As

they looked at our own coin collections,

we shared the stories


Holiday Gift Guide


Holiday Gift Guide

behind each coin and began to

appreciate challenge coins in a

new way.

Their experience creating and

delivering the challenge coin

holders brought a sense of connection

with our brothers and

sisters in both the military and

law enforcement community.

We continued tweaking and refining

our design until we arrived

at The Valor Board.

Each challenge coin represents

a part of a personal story that

should be on display. Our goal is

to create a way to display that

story that is as unique as each

story it contains. We take pride

in our creations and feel honored

each time we are asked to

create a challenge coin holder.

We know that in a small way,

we will be part of the stories

of sacrifice and heroism that

each Valor Board displays. These

stories are the sense of community

and connection that we hold

dear and very few understand.

NON-LEATHAL / ALTERNATIVES TO LETHAL

For over 25 years, the Pepperball

system of launchers and

projectiles have been deployed

around the world.

PEPPERBALL, 28101 BALLARD

DRIVE

LAKE FOREST, IL 60045 U.S.

SALES: (858) 638-0236 INTERNA-

TIONAL SALES: +1 (260) 478-2500

Pepperball's mission is to ensure

you can safely execute your

mission. As a complete non-lethal

compliance system, PepperBall

is a safe, effective, and

simple-to-use alternative that

can be used in a wider range of

situations than any other product

on the market.

PepperBall was originally

developed in 1996 by Jaycor as

a non-lethal weapon alternative

for government agencies

and commercial markets. Since

being brought to market in 1998,

more than 10,000 agencies have

trusted PepperBall as their go-to

solution for non-lethal defense.

The PepperBall system is designed,

manufactured, and marketed

by United Tactical Systems

(UTS) of Lake Forest, Illinois. The

UTS production facility manufactures

all projectile materials

in-house to exacting standards.

The heart of the PepperBall

system is the projectile and the

UTS team of engineers, designers,

scientists, and craftsmen

have spent decades developing

the precision PepperBall

launchers, proprietary powder

formulas, shells, and automation

manufacturing equipment.

This work continues today to

ensure that officers can control

crowds, disable assailants, and

accomplish their missions while

minimizing the risk of death or

serious injury to the public and

law enforcement officers.

The Perfect Gift

for the First

Responder in

your family.

NEW # 832.627.3729

“Now open for walk-ins

Wed-Sat 12pm - 8pm”


Holiday Gift Guide


Holiday Gift Guide


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REMODELING • CONSTRUCTION • DEMOLITION

“where We Treat You like Family”

• Roofing

• Plumbing

• Custom Patios

• HVAC

• Painting

• Electrical

• Counter Tops

• Foundation

• Siding

• Tile Work

• Carpet/LVP/Wood

• Kitchen Remodels

• Bath Remodels

And so much more!


Holiday Gift Guide


Now Open Wednesday - Saturday, 12pm - 8pm

(Special Appointments Available Upon Request)

Located at 5306 Washington Ave • Houston, Texas • 832-627-3729


ADS BACK IN THE DAY

158 The Blues BLUES - January - DECEMBER ‘24 ‘25 ‘25

The The BLUES Blues BLUES - DECEMBER - January - ‘24‘25‘25 159 159

ADS BACK IN THE DAY



THERE ARE

parting shots...


NO WORDS


THERE ARE

parting shots...


NO WORDS


NOW HIRING

LE job positions

Venus ISD Police Peace Officer 11/15/2025

Baylor County Sheriff's Office Patrol Deputy 11/02/2025

Buffalo Police Department Peace Officer 11/02/20255

Trophy Club Police Department Police Cadet 11/02/2025

Jack County Sheriff's Office Deputy 11/03/2025

Jarrell Independent School District Police Police Officer 11/08/2025

City of Bryan Police Department Deputy City Marshal 11/14/2025

Amarillo Police Department Police Recruit 11/08/2025

Amarillo Police Department Police Officer 11/08/2025

Hutto Police Department Police Officers 11/08/2025

Horseshoe Bay Police Dept Police Officer 11/09/2025

Rockport Police Department Police Officer 11/11/2025

Lubbock County W.C.I.D. #1 Police Police Officer 11/11/2025

Paris Junior College Police Department Peace Officer 11/12/2025

CapMetro Police Department Police Officer 11/16/2025

Blanco County Sheriff's Office Patrol Deputy (3 positions) 11/15/2025

Howe Police Department Police Officer & Recruit 11/14/2025

El Paso Police Department Police Trainee 11/16/2025

Saginaw Police Department Police Officer 11/10/2025

Farmers Branch Police Department Police Officer 11/17/2025

Lewisville Police Department Certified Police Officer 11/21/2025

Harris County Constable's Office Pct. 8 Deputy 11/21/2025

Texas Department of Insurance - Fraud Unit TDI Sergeant 11/24/2025

Enchanted Oaks Police Department Chief of Police 11/23/2025

Texas Department of Insurance Sergeant (Investigator) 11/24/2025

Round Rock ISD Police Department Peace Officer 11/25/2025

Conroe ISD Police Department Police Officer 11/25/2025

Collin College Police Department Peace Officer 11/25/2025

Chandler Police Department Police Officer 12/30/2025

Stagecoach Police Department Reserve Officer(s) 11/01/2025

South San Antonio ISD Police Department Peace Officer 12/02/2025

Kaufman County Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensics Investigator 12/03/2025

Tarrant County Hospital District Police Officer 12/02/2025

Jacksboro Police Department Patrol Officer | Detective 11/30/2025

Ellis County Sheriff's Office Deputy Sheriff or Deputy Sheriff Cadet 11/25/2025

Holland Police Department Patrol Officer 11/03/2025

Brown County Water Improvement District #1 Patrol Officer 12/04/2025

Corsicana Police Department Police Officer 12/05/2025

Port Aransas Police Department Patrol Officers 11/30/2025

Floyd County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sheriff 12/01/2025

Pilot Point Police Department Peace Officer 12/07/2025

Taylor Police Department Police Officer 11/12/2025

Saint Jo Police Department Peace Officer 12/01/2025

Grimes County Sheriff's Office Investigator 12/08/2025

Grimes County Sheriff's Office Patrol Deputy 12/08/2025

City of Carrollton Bailiff 11/11/2025

La Grange Police Department Patrol Officer 11/10/2025

Stanton Police Department Peace Officer 12/10/2025

Coleman Police Department Peace Officer 12/12/2025

Coleman Police Department Peace Officer 12/05/2025

Ranger Police Department Peace Officer 12/14/2025

Bastrop Police Department Peace Officer 11/14/2025

Texas State University Police Department Police Officer 11/18/2025

San Saba County Sheriff’s Office Deputy 12/14/2025

Tahoka Police Department Patrol Officer 12/13/2025

Overton Police Department Police Officer 11/28/2025

Hempstead Police Department Police Officer 12/15/2025


NOW HIRING

WELCOME OUR NEWEST DEPARTMENT

LE job positions

WELCOME ABOARD PASADENA PD



NOW HIRING

WELCOME OUR NEWEST DEPARTMENT

job positions



ADCRR is Hiring

Correctional Officers

1-888-545-RUSH






ALDINE ISD

POLICE DEPARTMENT

JOIN OUR TEAMAPPLY AT

EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

• Sick Leave

• Paid Vacation

• Paid Holidays

• Personal Days

• Teacher Retirement System

TCOLE CERTIFICATION INCENTIVE

• Intermediate PO: $2,400

• Advanced PO: $4,800

• Master PO: $7,200

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Must be 21 Years Of Age

• Must Hold an Active Tcole Peace Officer License

• Must Complete the Following:

• Pass Physical Agility Test

• Background Investigation

• Psychological Evaluation

• Drug Screening

ALDINEISD.ORG

STARTING SALARY $55,000 WITH NO EXPERIENCE

UP TO $85,000 DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE

ALDINE ISD PD OFFERS

DEPARTMENT BENEFITS

• Uniforms Provided, Including Duty Weapon

• Department Provided Training

• Starting Pay Depends on

Qualifications / Experience

• TCOLE Certification / Education Pay

• Most Officers work Day Shift with Weekends Off

(INCENTIVE PAY FOR DETECTIVES, K-9 HANDLERS, AND

FIREARM INSTRUCTORS.)

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT

SGT. HALL AT 281.442.4923

OR VISIT ALDINEISD.ORG

SPECIALIZED DIVISIONS

• Criminal Investigations

• Emergency Response Team

• Honor Guard

• Gang Task Force

• Community Outreach Division

• K-9 Division

• Firearm Instructor

$1,000 SIGNING BONUS


WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE?

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO

Make a DIFFERENCE

Provide SERVICE to YOUR community!

MEANINGFUL careers

Growing Organization

Career DEVELOPMENT

*Our agency is a certified OJT training agency for qualified Veterans


BUDA POLICE DEPARTMENT

NOW HIRING - POLICE OFFICER

Starting Salary

$64.5K to $74.8K

*TCOLE Licensed Only

We are proud to be one of the safest cities in the State of Texas

and have tremendous support from our community.

Benefits

Retirement

2-1 City Match with TMRS

Medical/Dental/Vision

100% Medical Coverage

Offsetting Copays

Educational Pay

$50- $150 Per Month

Incentive Pay

$75-$150(max) per Month for

assignments such as:

FTO, Bike Patrol, SWAT

Annual Leave Accruals

15 Paid Holidays

80 Hours Vacation

120 Hours Sick Leave

Bilingual Pay

Shift Differential Pay

Lateral Entry Program

On-site Gym

Officer Wellness Program

www.budatx.gov/92/Employment





BRAZORIA COUNTY

CONSTABLE PCT 3

2436 S. GRAND BLVD. PEARLAND TEXAS 77581

Recruiting

deputy constables

Full & Part Time Positions

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Must be 21 years of age

Must hold an active TCOLE Peace Officer License

Pass Background Investigation

Psychological Evaluation

Drug Screen

EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

Pension & Retirement Benefits (401k)

County Alternate Retirement (SSN Alternate)

TCDRS Transfer

Healthcare, Dental, Vision and other Benefits (+ AFLAC)

Take Home Vehicle Program (If within Brazoria County)

Uniform Allowance

Certification Pay

A Career that Gives You

a lot of Pride & Benefits


Hiring

Police Officers

Annual Salary $57,592 - $62,899 range + Benefits | Certification Pay | Longevity Pay | Bilingual

Certification by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE)

Pay 12 Hour Shift Schedule - Alternating weekends off and good life/work balance

All equipment/uniform provided | Take home patrol car program | Visible tattoo & beard policy

Benefits at NO COST TO EMPLOYEE:

• Education Reimbursement Program

• 80 hours of Vacation (accrued annually)

• 96 hours of sick leave annually (accrued annually)

• 14 Paid Holidays

• Life Insurance 2x annual base salary

• Employee Assistance Program

• Paid Training Opportunities

Additional Benefits

• TMRS retirement system - 5% employee

contribution - City matches 2:1 at retirement

• Medical Insurance: - United Health Care

† Ask about our Lateral Transfer Program

requirements

Questions? Contact Lt. Kelvin Raven at kraven@cityofbrenham.org | 979-337-7363

jobs.cityofbrenham.org


NOW NOW

HIRING HIRING

CERTIFIED OFFICERS

OFFICERS

CERTIFIED

JOIN A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING COMMUNITY

OPPORTUNITIES

BENEFITS

TRAFFIC UNIT

CRASH RECONSTRUCTION

TEAM

DETECTIVE

SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM

(SRT)

BICYCLE TEAM

DRONE TEAM

FIELD TRAINING OFFICER

INSTRUCTOR

COMMUNITY SERVICES UNIT

STARTING PAY

up to $67,721

Established Pay Scale

PAID VACATION, SICK,

HOLIDAY

HEALTH, DENTAL, LIFE INS.

TATTOOS ALLOWED

BEARDS ALLOWED

DUTY EQUIPMENT PROVIDED

DUTY WEAPON PROVIDED

PATROL RIFE PROVIDED

TAKE HOME CAR

12 HR SHIFTS

(OFF every other weekend)

BRAND NEW POLCE STATION

COMMUNITY FIRST

Inquire at: EPDRECRUITING@ELGINTEXAS.GOV

The City of Elgin is an EEO Employer

The City of Elgin is an EEO Employer The BLUES - DECEMBER ‘25 183

Inquire at: EPDRECRUITING@ELGINTEXAS.GOV

$

U

T

S

v

e

b

o

w

FRIENDSWOOD POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRIDE DEDICATION PROFESSIONALISM

UP

TO

$ 15,000

* FOR QUALIFIED TCOLE-CERTIFIED OFFICERS

HIRING

INCENTIVE

C

AVAILABLE PROGRAMS

• Special Weapons & Tactics Team

• Crisis Negotiation Team

• K-9 Program

• Drone Pilot Program

• D.O.T. & Traffic Safety Unit

• School Resource Officers

• Bicycle Patrol

• Marine Patrol

• Honor Guard



GARDEN RIDGE

POLICE DEPARTMENT

NOW HIRING!

Garden Ridge Police Department

9400 Municipal Parkway · Garden Ridge · Texas · 78266

Office: 210-651-6441· Fax: 210-651-1639


NOW HIRING

Lateral Police Officers

QUALIFICATIONS

• MUST BE A CERTIFIED TEXAS PEACE

OFFICER

• MUST PASS DRUG SCREEN AND PHYSICAL

• MUST POSSESS A VALID TEXAS DRIVER

LICENSE WITH A GOOD DRIVING RECORD

• MUST PASS ALL INTERVIEWS

• MUST PASS CRIMINAL BACKGROUND

CHECK

SALARY AND BENEFITS

• PATROL OFFICER ANNUAL SALARY

5,000

HIRING PROCESS

• PHYSICAL FITNESS TESTING

• SCENARIO TESTING

• CRIMINAL BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

• FORMAL ORAL BOARD

• CHIEF’S INTERVIEW

$67,045

• STEP/LATERAL PAY

• HIRING INCENTIVE LUMP SUM PAY $________________

• INSURANCE: COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL, DENTAL, VISION PAID BY CITY

• SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM DISABILITY INSURANCE PAID BY CITY

• OVERTIME & COMPTIME OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

• RETIREMENT: TMRS 2:1 CONTRIBUTIONS, WITH 20-YEAR RETIREMENT

• LONGEVITY: $120 ANNUALLY FOR EACH FULL YEAR OF SERVICE

• PAID TIME OFF (PTO) ACCRUAL BEGINS IMMEDIATELY AT 4.50 HRS. PER PAY PERIOD

• 15 CITY HOLDAYS PER YEAR

• LICENSE PAY (MONTHLY): INTERMEDIATE - $25, ADVANCED - $50, MASTER - $100

• WEAPONS: DEPARTMENT FURNISHES ALL OFFICERS WITH A GLOCK HANDGUN & AR-15

RIFLE W/SUPPRESSOR, WEAPON LIGHTS, TASER AND LESS-LETHAL IMPACT WEAPON

• UNIFORMS: DEPARTMENT FURNISHES ALL OFFICERS WITH CLASS B, CLASS A AND

TRAINING UNIFORMS, RAIN GEAR, BOOTS AND WINTER APPAREL

• EQUIPMENT: DEPARTMENT FURNISHES ALL OFFICERS WITH BALLISTIC HELMET & SHIELD,

SOFT ARMOR, RIFLE PLATE ARMOR, DUTY BELTS, AND BODY CAMERAS

• PATROL VEHICLES: THE DEPARTMENT SUPPLIES OFFICERS WITH SUV PATROL UNITS

EQUIPPED WITH LAPTOP, IN-CAR VIDEO, AND RADARS

• SHIFT SCHEDULE: PATROL OFFICERS WORK A PANAMA STYLE 12-HOUR SHIFT

• EXTENSIVE ANNUAL TRAINING BUDGET ALLOWS THE DEPARTMENT TO SUPPLY ADVANCED

TRAINING CLASSES TO OFFICERS INCLUDING A POLICEONE ONLINE TRAINING ACCOUNT

• BEARD AND VISIBLE TATTOOS ARE ALLOWED

• ENVIRONMENT WITH STRONG COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND PROFESSIONAL, GROWTH-

MINDED COMMAND STAFF







Place your department’s recruiting ad

in The BLUES for only $250 for an

entire year, only $20 a month.



LATERAL DEPUTY


WE ARE

HIRING!

LATERAL DEPUTY

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be a licensed Peace Officer by the Texas Commission on

Law Enforcement (TCOLE) in good standing

• Must be currently employed as a Peace Officer (any break in

service will be considered on a case-by-case basis)

• Must have a minimum of 12 consecutive months experience as a

Peace Office at any one agency

• Must successfully pass the HCSO Physical Abilities Test (PAT)

• Meet HCSO firearms qualification standard

• Must pass a thorough background investigation (criminal

background check, fingerprinting, personal interview, etc.) as

required by TCOLE

• Must pass a physical and psychological evaluation as required by

TCOLE

• Valid driver’s license and liability insurance (Texas by start date)

• Eyesight must be correctable to 20/20, normal color, and

peripheral vision

• Correctable normal audible range in both ears

• A two (2) year minimum commitment to Patrol before being

eligible to transfer to other Bureaus

For additional information contact

Harris County Sheriff’s Office

Recruitment Unit

(713) 877-5250


TO APPLY

www.harriscountyso.org | www.hcsojobs.com

SCAN

THIS CODE Harris County

@HCSOTexas

Sheriff’s Office

HCSOTexas HCSOTexas @HCSOTexas






THE KILLEEN POLICE DEPARTMENT

IS NOW

Hiring

FOR THE POSITION OF

Police Officer

Online Applications

will open:

July 31, 2023

Application Deadline:

September 15, 2023

Civil Service Exam will

be:

September 24, 2023

To apply, go to:

www.killeentexas.gov/16

8/Job-Opportunities

Wear The Badge,

Make a Difference

D

b

th

a

Officer De'Vonte Johnson

Recruiter

254-200-7987

DJohnson@killeentexas.gov

The Killeen Police Department is an

202 Equal The BLUES Opportunity DECEMBER Employer ‘25

Starting pay - $57,889

Paid: Vacation, Holiday & Sick Leave

$15K Sign-on incentive for TCOLE

certified Peace Officers

College Degree pay incentive

7% retirement plan through TMRS

with a 2:1 match ratio

Comprehensive Benefits Package

Opportunity to work in various

specialized units

The Killeen Police

epartment is dedicated to

uilding a partnership with

e community to fight crime

nd improve every citizen's

quality of life.

Follow us at:

KilleenPD

KilleenPolice

JoinKilleenPD

Visit www.KilleenPD.com for The further BLUES - DECEMBER details ‘25 203


NOW HIRING

LEAGUE CITY POLICE

ositions

D E P A R T M E N T

RECRUITING

LATERAL OFFICERS

LATERAL INCENTIVES:

Salary Equal to Years of Service (3 - 7 yrs)

$5,000 Hiring Bonus

REQUIREMENTS:

To be Considered as a Lateral Applicant, You Must Meet the Following Qualifications:

Lateral Pay Credit Will be Granted Only for Whole Years of Qualified Experience.

Cannot Have a Break of Service More Than 180 Days to Qualify for Experience Credit.

Must Have at Least Three Years of Qualified Law Enforcement Experience (Commissioned,

Full-time, Paid).

TCOLE Licensed Peace Officer or Equivalent Out-of-State Certification Accepted by TCOLE

will Qualify.

3 YEAR PAY --

4 YEAR PAY --

5 YEAR PAY --

6 YEAR PAY --

7 YEAR PAY --

VISIT LCPDJOBS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION!



Patrol Officer

The City of Manvel Police Department is looking to find qualified candidates to fill the ranks of the patrol

division.

The City of Manvel is a rapidly growing and diverse community. The current population is estimated at a

little over 16000 and is located in the northern part of Brazoria County along the State Highway 288

corridor approximately 4 miles South of the City of Houston.

The Manvel Police Department has a competitive pay structure for cities of the same size. Salary is based

on experience and certification levels.

Requirements:

High school diploma or GED

Valid Texas Driver’s License

with good driving record

TCOLE certified OR currently

enrolled in Academy

program

Preference for LE experience

Hiring Process Includes :

Written test

Oral board interview

Physical agility test

Thorough background

investigation

Accelerated Field Training

Program for experienced officers

One year probationary period

Pay and Benefits:

Competitive pay with an employment

improvement step program

TMRS retirement up to 7% with 2:1 match

by city

Retirement vested after 5 years of service

Medical Insurance covered 100% for

employees and 100% paid for employees

and dependent by the city after 3 years

12 hour shifts (DuPont Schedule)

Personal time off - Vacation and Holiday

accruals

Paid sick time

Lateral transfers

For more information you can contact

The City of Manvel Police Department at

281-489-1212

Rochelle Carr-Lacy

rcarrlacy@manvelpd.org




Serving Bunker Hill, Piney Point, and Hunters Creek Villages

Opportunity for Experienced Police

Officers

Benefits:

$89,432 - $108,585

Starting Salary Range DOQ

Requirements:

Strong Community and Department Support

5 Years Patrol Experience

Hiring Bonus $1500

(Night Shift Differential $12,000)

Bi-Lingual Pay

Educational / Certification / Longevity Pay

Health care Insurance 100% for Employee, 75%

for Spouse/Dependents

TMRS Retirement 7% 2:1 match, 20-year

retirement. COLA 50% of retirement

TCOLE Certified

Valid TX Driver’s License

US Citizen

Positive Attitude

Strong Work Ethic

Problem Solver

Desire to Succeed

Department Funded 457 Deferred Compensation

Plan with employer contribution of 2.5% annual

salary

Tuition Reimbursement

Work life balance with 12 Hour shifts every other

weekend off

WWW.MVPDTX.ORG

EOE/M/F/D

11981 Memorial Dr.

Houston, Tx 77024


713.365.3700


SALARY RANGE

$79,201 - $105,716

ADDITIONAL PAY

(MONTHLY)

ASSOCIATES DEGREE

$99-$250

BACHELOR’S DEGREE

$180-$400

MASTER’S DEGREE

$230-$500

TCOLE CERTIFICATES

$60-$150

OTHER INCENTIVES

FIELD TRAINING OFFICER

$700

FIELD TRAINING SERGEANT

$600

TACTICAL UNIT ASSIGNMENT

$200

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

$200

HONOR GUARD

$200

W W W . M I D L A N D T E X A S . G O V / 1 3 1 7 / L A T E R A L - O F F I C E R S


NOW HIRING

ositions







MAKE A

DIFFERENCE

IN YOUR

COMMUNITY

We are looking for outstanding individuals to

join our team! As a Pearland Police Officer your

mission will be to prevent crime and disorder, build

partnerships within the community, and positively

impact the quality of life for all our residents.

CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS

• Competitive Salary • Outstanding Training

• Career Advancement • Exceptional Benefits

The City of Pearland is one of the fastest growing

communities within the region. Pearland is located

approximately 20 minutes south of Downtown Houston

and the current population is approximately 130,000

residents.

JOIN OUR TEAM

HIRING POLICE OFFICERS AND CADETS

$5,000 Hiring Incentive for T.C.O.L.E Certified Police

Officers who qualify with at least 2 years of experience.

TEST DATE:

SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 8:30 A.M.

Register by: April 12.

Pearland Recreation Center & Natatorium

4141 Bailey Road, Pearland, TX 77584.

Doors Open: 7:15 a.m. No admittance after 7:45 a.m.

Candidates must park in the north parking lot.

SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES WILL APPLY

• Attendance limited to first 150 arrivals

• Mandatory temperature checks

• Masks required, hand sanitizer available

• Candidates seated 6 feet apart

For additional information and to register for an upcoming Civil Service Exam, visit

pearlandtx.gov/PDCareers



PORT HOUSTON

POLICE DEPARTMENT

Thinking of retiring?

Want a change but still want to serve?

Put on a NEW uniform and JOIN US!

YOUR CAREER

OUR PORT

ONE MISSION

NEW!

• No BMI Requirements

• No Polygraph Required

• No Physical Agility

STARTING PAY*

$71,000 up to $81,000

* Salary depends on experience

EMPLOYMENT

TESTING

Employment is contingent on pass

any post-offer pre-employment

screening as listed below:

• Criminal background check

• Motor vehicle record check

• Drug screening

• Physical exam

• Psychological exam


BENEFITS:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

eligible first day of employment

• Vacation & Sick Leave, PLUS Paid Holidays.

(12 days/year).

• 401a & 457 Plans

• Tuition Reimbursement

(Up to the IRS annual limit and a maximum lifetime

reimbursement $25,000)

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be 21 years old

• Must have 2+ years of police officer

experience

• Must have valid Texas Driver’s

• License & be a U.S. Citizen

• Must have an honorable discharge from the

military (if applicable)

• Must never have been convicted of a

• Class A Misdemeanor or above

• Not been convicted of a Class B

misdemeanor within the last 10 years

• Must have a GED or high school diploma

ing

SIGN UP TODAY!

www.porthouston.com/careers-2


SEGUIN PD

NOW

HIRING

POLICE OFFICER

STARTING PAY IS $67,012

LATERAL: UP TO $73,968

UP TO $3,000 SIGN ON BONUS

INCENTIVE PAY FOR TCOLE CERTIFICATION,

BILINGUAL SPEAKERS, & EDUCATIONAL PAY.

100% EMPLOYEE MEDICAL/DENTAL PREMIUM

COVERED BY CITY

EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS ARE PROVIDED

INCLUDING TAKE HOME VEHICLES, HANDGUN

WITH RED DOT SIGHT & SUPPRESSED PATROL

RIFLE

TMRS RETIREMENT (2:1 CITY MATCH)

PROGRESSIVE IN-SERVICE AND EXTERNAL

TRAINING EXCEEDING NATIONAL TRAINING

AVERAGES

OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIVERSE EXPERIENCE IN

SPECIALIZED UNITS AND ASSIGNMENTS

SUCH AS SWAT, K9, NARCOTICS, SPECIAL

CRIMES, MENTAL HEALTH, TRAFFIC, AND

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION

APPLY NOW AT:

WWW.APPLITRACK.COM/SEGUINTEXAS/ONLINEAPP








Dec 2025. Blues Vol 41 No.12

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