San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
September 1, 2004

Deputy Ronald Ives was on duty riding his departmental motorcycle in the City of Rancho Cucamonga, when he was struck by a vehicle that apparently failed to stop at a red light. Both Deputy Ives and the driver of the vehicle sustained fatal injuries. Deputy Ives participated in a 4,000 mile bicycle ride across the United States, ending at Ground Zero, benefiting the survivors of public safety personnel who died in the line of duty on September 11. Deputy Ives was 43 years old and an eight year veteran of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. He is survived by his wife, Karen, and his 20-year old son, Blake.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
September 12, 2004

Eva Schicke, a college basketball player and member of an elite helicopter fire attack team, were on the ground for less then one hour fighting a fire in the Stanislaus National Forest. Schicke, along with six other members of a firefighting crew were overtaken by flames in a deep canyon. Firefighter Schicke was killed and the other crew members were treated for minor injuries and released. The crew was deployed to assist other firefighters working the blaze by digging a firebreak using hand tools. An investigation is currently in progress, but other firefighters reported a sudden change in the wind at the time of the accident. Eva Schicke, was 24-years old, had been fighting forest fires for part time for 4 1/2 years and attended college at California State University - Stanislaus. She was from Arnold, California and the first female firefighter from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to die in the line of duty.

Kern County Sheriff’s Department
September 12, 2004

Deputy Daniel L. Archuleta was responding to back-up call from a fellow Deputy for an immediate assistance response in the West Kern County Town of Tupman. His patrol car left the roadway and over-turned, minutes away from the location of his fellow Deputy. Another Deputy, also responding to the assistance call, found Deputy Archuleta’s badly damaged vehicle, with Deputy Archuleta body lying near-by. Deputy Archuleta served as a Deputy in the Custody Division of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, moving laterally to the Kern County Sheriff’s Department in October 2002 so he could become a Patrol Deputy. He attained his goal of becoming a Patrol Deputy in May, 2003. Deputy Daniel Archuleta was 35-years old, and is survived by his wife Laura and two daughters, Victoria, five-years old, and Isabella, three-years old.

Arrowhead Interagency Hotshots
October 2, 2004

On October 2, 2004, Daniel Holmes, a member of the Arrowhead Hotshot crew, was killed when he was hit by a falling dead tree on the Grant West Prescribed Fire in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. Holmes was 26-years old and from Bellingham, Washington. Holmes is survived by his mother, Delina Burke, his father, Raymond Holmes, a brother and his girlfriend.

Ceres CA Police Department
January 9, 2005

Officer Sam Ryno, a twenty-year veteran of the Ceres Police Department along with a trainee, responded to a call of a suspicious person armed with a rifle acting strangely. Upon their arrival, the officers walked into an ambush as they were met with a hail of gunfire from a SKS assault rifle. Sgt. Howard Stevenson, an eighteen-year veteran of the Department responded to the assistance call and was also ambushed. The 39-year old officer died almost instantly from bullet wounds. Officer Ryno was transported to Memorial Medical Center, where his prognosis for recovery was described as good. His partner was not injured. Sgt. Stevenson is the first police officer in the 86-year history of the City of Ceres to be killed. That same night, officers located the suspect, 19-year old Andres Raya, a U.S. Marine on leave from Camp Pendleton and a known gang member. Raya was killed in an exchange of gunfire with police. Sgt. Stevenson is survived by his wife Kathy, daughters Megan and Mikeala and son Bryce.

California Department of Corrections
January 10, 2005

Correctional Peace Officer Manuel A. Gonzalez, a 16-year veteran of the Department of Corrections, was stabbed to death by an inmate at CIM – Chino, while routinely distributing sack lunches. Officials identified Jon Blaylock, a career “third striker” convict as the principal assailant. Blaylock was serving a 75-year sentence since June 2004 for the attempted murder of a peace officer. Officer Gonzalez, who was 43-years old, was the first Department of Corrections officer killed in the Line of Duty since 1985. Officer Gonzalez is survived by his wife Sylvia and six children.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
January 26, 2005

Deputy James Tutino was traveling to work on the Metrolink Commuter Train that struck a vehicle at a crossing, derailed and sideswiped another commuter train. Deputy Tutino was assigned to Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles since 1986 and was a deputy with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department since March, 1982. He was also the assistant football coach at Simi Valley High School. Eleven people were killed and over 200 injured in the crash. Glendale CA Police arrested Juan Manuel Alvarez, who allegedly placed a vehicle on the tracks. He was charged with 11 counts of murder under “special circumstances”. Deputy Tutino was 47-years old and survived by his wife Rita, five children, James Tutino, Jr., Nicholas, Tera, Colby and Kristen, and a brother Tony.

Santa Clara County Fire Department
February 13, 2005

Captain McCormack was working outside a residential structure fire in Los Gatos and was apparently struck by a fallen power line that was dangling across the driveway from a tree limb. McCormack, who was 32-years old and a 16-year veteran as a firefighter and paramedic, was treated at the scene and pronounced dead at the hospital. He was promoted to Captain in December 2004 and a member of the Santa Clara County Fire Department since 1999. It is the first line of duty death in the Department's 58-year history.

Pittsburg Police Department
April 25, 2005

Officer Larry Lasater of the Pittsburg Police Department responded to a robbery of a Wells Fargo Bank and Raley’s Supermarket. Two armed and masked men entered the supermarket and robbed the store and the bank branch inside the supermarket on the evening of April 23, 2005. The suspects sped off in their car, lost control, crashed the car and fled on foot into near by Antioch Park. Police pursued on foot and Officer Lasater saw or heard one of the suspects hiding in a brushy area. Lasater called for the suspect(s) to come out, but was fired upon and hit twice. Fellow officers returned fire, not hitting the suspect who surrendered along with another suspect later. Officer Lasater was transported to John Muir Medical Center where he remained on life support while doctors sought organ recipients. He died on April 25, three years and two days after he was appointed to the Pittsburg Police Department. He was 36 years old and a Marine Corps veteran. Officer Lasater leaves behind his wife, Joanne Lasater, who is seven-months pregnant with their first child, Cody Lasater.

Los Angeles Airport Police Department
April 29, 2005

Officer Tommy Scott of The Los Angeles Airport Police Department stopped to question a homeless person at an intersection near Los Angeles International Airport on the morning of April 29. The suspect, 46-year old William Sadowski, struggled with Officer Scott and gained control of his radio car. Sadowski drove from the scene at a high rate of speed with Officer Scott hanging on to the door of the police vehicle. Sadowski crashed the vehicle into a fire hydrant, killing Officer Scott. Sadowski has been taken into custody after carjacking and crashing a civilian vehicle and is charged with homicide of a peace officer. Officer Tommy Scott was 35-years old and had been a Los Angeles Airport Police Department Officer for four years. Officer Scott is the first member of the Airport Police Department killed in the line of duty in the 59-year history of the Department.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
June 22, 2005

Deputy Greg Gariepy served his country well as twenty-year United States Marine. Deputy Gariepy retired as a “Gunnery Sergeant” from the Marine Corps in 1983 with many awards, decorations and commendations for meritorious service. He was said to be most proud of his assignments where he served on the Presidential Honor Guard, drill instructor at Paris Island, North Carolina, a member of a sniper unit in Hawaii and anti-terrorism expert and instructor in Newport, Rhode Island. On August 23, 2003, Greg Gariepy was appointed a deputy with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department. On June 22, 2005, Deputy Gariepy responded to a back-up from a fellow deputy who was traveling on Highway 247 in the Morongo Valley. For reasons unknown, his vehicle left the roadway and flipped several times. He was transported to High Desert Medical Center where he later died of his injuries. Deputy Greg Gariepy is survived by his wife, Mishelle, daughters Annette Chancellor and Brooke, and a son, Brett.

Los Angeles Sheriff's Department
June 24, 2005

Los Angeles City Fire Department

44-year old Senior Clerk-Typist

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department County Jail

51-year old Senior General Maintenance Worker