Utter heartbreak
“Keep our brothers and sisters and their loved ones in your thoughts and prayers as they care for their wounded comrades and mourn those who they cherished the most.” – Tom Dominguez, President, Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs.
by Tom Dominguez, President
Association of Orange County (CA) Deputy Sheriffs (AOCDS)
AOCDS is a member of PubSecAlliance
Words do not exist to express the utter heartbreak we feel after learning of the deaths of two deputies last month during a 30-mile crime spree near Sacramento that left a third deputy wounded and a motorist gravely injured. The bloodshed triggered a manhunt carried out by hundreds of law enforcement officers that ended with the capture of the gunman.
Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones confirmed that Deputy Danny Oliver, a 47-year-old married father of two and 15-year veteran of the department, was shot in the head and killed Friday morning in the parking lot of a Sacramento motel. Oliver’s murder was followed by a series of carjacking’s and shootings that brought the region to a complete standstill. A Placer County deputy was shot and killed and a second Placer deputy was wounded during the mayhem; a motorist was also shot in the head and was in critical condition after being carjacked shortly after Oliver’s murder.
Placer County Sheriff Ed Bonner identified the fallen Placer County deputy as Michael Davis, Jr., 42. He began his law enforcement career in 1996. He leaves behind a wife and four children. He is the son of Riverside County Sheriff’s Investigator Michael David Davis who died in the line of duty on October 24, 1988 along with Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Mark Tonkin when the helicopter they were flying in a joint drug interdiction mission snagged on a power line and exploded on a hillside in Imperial County. Two other Southern California deputies and three members of the National Guard were also killed in the crash.
As the investigation continues into this series of senseless and cowardly acts, we are reminded that evil will always be overpowered by good, good which is embodied by the men and women of law enforcement who come together every day to protect all of us and ensure justice is served. The perpetrator has been captured and will be held responsible for these heinous acts, but as we know he is hardly alone in his willingness to harm and kill innocents, including those who wear the badge. We must remain vigilant at all times.
Please keep our brothers and sisters in Sacramento and Placer counties and their loved ones in your thoughts and prayers as they care for their wounded comrades and mourn those who they cherished the most.
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