New Mexico Police Officer Jose Chavez becomes the 35th police officer killed by gunfire in the United States this year. The year started very poorly for police officers. There was a flurry of killing in the first two months. Then from there it got progressively worse.
Officer Chavez Becomes 35th Police Officer Killed by Gunfire
According to statistics from the Officer Down Memorial Page, there have been 76 officers killed in the line of duty. The top cause is being shot by someone else. The second highest cause is vehicle crashes, which is just 10.
Officer Chavez had made a routine stop. He was unaware that the car he stopped contained two fugitives that were wanted. One of the criminals stepped out of the care and fired a shot at Chavez, hitting him in the neck. The officer later died during surgery.
Sadly, there is a good chance that Chavez will not be the last officer we lose this year. He had served for two years. He is survived by a wife and two children. A GoFundMe page has been set up so people can make donations to his family and will help with expenses.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the fallen officer and his family.
