FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 14, 2022

CONTACT: Craig W. Floyd at 703-901-6867 or info@behindbadge.org

Five Police Officers Shot and Killed Over Last Three Days

McLean, VA (October 14, 2022)—The violence being directed against our nation’s police officers has reached a crisis level, with five officers shot and killed over the last three days, declared a citizen support group for law enforcement.

According to the nonprofit organization, Citizens Behind the Badge, Greenville (MS) Police Officer Myiesha Stewart, 30, was shot and killed on Tuesday while responding to a shooting. On Wednesday, Bristol (CT) Police Sergeant Dustin DeMonte, 35, and Officer Alex Hamzy, 34, were shot and killed in an ambush attack while responding to a phony 9-1-1 call. On Thursday, Las Vegas (NV) Metropolitan Police Officer Truong Thai, 49, was shot and killed responding to a domestic disturbance call. And, also on Thursday, an off-duty Raleigh (NC) police officer, Gabriel Torres, 29, was shot and killed along with four others by a 15-year-old gunman. In addition, at least six other officers in Philadelphia, PA (3), Decatur, IL (2), and Bristol, CT (1) were shot and seriously injured during this same three-day period, the group reported.

“This rash of violence being directed at our nation’s police officers comes at a time when the ‘defund the police’ movement has cut funds for law enforcement training and equipment, and created an officer retention and recruitment problem that has thinned the police ranks to their lowest per capita number in 25 years,” declared Citizens Behind the Badge founder and president, Craig W. Floyd. “Those who have advocated to defund the police and go soft on criminals, while spewing anti-cop rhetoric, should be ashamed of themselves and be held accountable at the ballot box,” he added. “Their ignorant actions have resulted in not only a public safety crisis, but also a police safety crisis.”

According to the Fraternal Order of Police, 252 law enforcement officers have been shot this year through the end of September, which is a five percent increase over the record-high number from the same period in 2021. Ninety-three of those officers were shot in unprovoked, ambush-style attacks.

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The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reports that 55 officers have been killed in firearms-related incidents this year, which is 22 percent higher than the same time last year. And, Mr. Floyd noted that the number of law enforcement officers who were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2021 (73) was the highest number since 1995 (excluding the 9/11 terrorist attacks).

Mr. Floyd, who led the effort to build the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., observed that there are now more than 22,000 names of fallen heroes on the Memorial. “The men and women in law enforcement are putting their lives at risk each and every day to protect their communities. We should be honoring and supporting them, not bashing and defunding them.”

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Established in 2020, Citizens Behind the Badge is a 501(c)(4) tax-exempt organization based in McLean, Virginia. Its mission is to put an end to the misguided and disastrous movement to “defund the police” and to ensure that our law enforcement professionals receive the support and resources needed to keep America safe. For more information go to: www.BehindBadge.org or email info@behindbadge.org.