End of Watch: Cops Killed on Duty

Police officers take an oath to protect and serve, confront danger, take care of the bad guys, and take them to jail to keep us safe. Each time they put on their uniform and badge for a day on the job, they accept a reality many of us could not fathom: they could be left with scars they’ll carry forever, or pay the ultimate price and lose their life.

Vietnam Vet Fatally Shoots Deputy During Traffic Stop

Deputy Wayne Dinkheller of the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia was killed in the line of duty on January 12, 1998, while conducting a traffic stop on Andrew Howard Brannan, a Vietnam War veteran who was speeding down the road. During the stop, Brannan became belligerent and screamed at the deputy to shoot him. Deputy Dinkheller fired his weapon at Brannan, who then retrieved a M-1 carbine from his truck and fatally shot Deputy Dinkheller.

Brannan suffered extreme PTSD after returning from war. He had been declared 100% disabled. His lawyers argued that, while unmedicated during the traffic stop, Brannan suffered a PTSD episode.

Brannan was convicted of killing Deputy Dinkheller and sentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injection on January 13, 2015.

Man Ambushes Officers Sitting in Patrol Car in Brooklyn

Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjan Liu, NYPD officers, were killed on December 20, 2014, while sitting in a patrol car in Brooklyn after they were ambushed and fatally shot by Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley. After killing the officers, Brinksey turned the weapon on himself. He died at the scene. Ramos had been an officer with the NYPD for 5 years, while Liu, a Chinese immigrant, had been with the department for 7 years.

Domestic Violence Suspect Killed Officer During Standoff

On June 19, 2019, Officer Tara C. O’Sullivan, a recent police academy graduate with the Sacramento Police Department, along with several other officers, responded to a domestic disturbance at the home of Adel Ramos.

For nearly an hour, Ramos, armed with a rifle, pinned officers, forcing them to take cover. Suddenly, he opened fire, fatally striking O’Sullivan.

Officers finally subdued Ramos and took him into custody. In August 2024, he pleaded guilty to murder. A jury sentenced him to death in March 2025.

California has a moratorium on executions, meaning he’ll likely die from other causes before lethal injection.

Police Officer “Ambushed” During His Lunch Break

Around 3:30 a.m. on July 27, 2021, Officer Marquis Dewon Moorer with the Selma Police Department in Alabama, was ambushed inside his vehicle while on his lunch break. Moorer had driven to his apartment at the Selma Square Apartments when police say Javonte Stubbs shot him. Moorer’s wife was also injured in the attack but survived.

Stubbs, 18 at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with capital murder and attempted murder but was not indicted until 2025. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Moorer had been with the SPD for about three years at the time of the incident.

Officer Shot in Face During Vehicle Pursuit

Officer Crystal Sepulveda with the Missouri City Police Department was shot in the face during a vehicle pursuit of a cajacking suspect in southwest Houston on July 23, 2022. She was shot in the toe and in the calf. Police identified 19-year-old Jeffrey Bundrent Jr. as the shooter. He was shot by responding officers during a short standoff.