State of the Union: The forgotten heroes

By Jim Kouri

The news media and Washington establishment are all abuzz today over President Barack Obama's much-anticipated State of the Union speech last night on national television.

The big news stories so far are Obama's so-called move to the center of the political spectrum, and the fact that many Republican and Democrat lawmakers were sitting together and giving the TV news cameras a taste of political Kumbaya. Unfortunately, neither news story will likely have any impact on the United States or the American people.

During his speech, President Obama made certain to mention the shooting of Democrat Rep. Gabrielle "Gabby" Giffords and gave a hat-tip to one of the heroes of the Tucson shooting spree that left shocked the nation.

"However, what was missing from Obama's  flowery but convoluted speech was any mention of the more than two dozen police fatalities and numerous law enforcement casualties," said former NYPD detective Mike Snopes. "Did anyone in the White House think about inviting the families of fallen officers to the State of the Union?"

"We're seeing a disturbing trend in the United States: an increase in the number of police killed or wounded across the country. And this trend wasn't mentioned once during the President's speech. When it came to knocking police during a speech, Obama ridiculed the Cambridge, MA Police Department without knowing all the facts -- a snafu that ended up becoming a photo-op White House beer party," Snopes said.

This past week has been especially deadly for law enforcement across the nation with 11 officers shot in five states: Florida, Indiana, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington.

As of yesterday, 14 law enforcement officer fatalities have been recorded across eight states, with multiple deaths in Florida (5), Texas (2), and Ohio (2). Florida and Texas were among the top five states leading officer deaths in 2010 (along with California, Illinois, and Georgia), according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"The devastating spike in law enforcement officer fatalities in 2010 has tragically continued in the first month of 2011," said National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Chairman & CEO Craig W. Floyd.

"I have never seen anything like it. The violent events of the past 24 hours in Florida, Michigan, Indiana, Oregon and Washington have been detrimental to America's peace officers, taking the lives of two and injuring several others. We must do everything in our power to stop these senseless and heinous crimes against our law enforcement personnel," he said.

On Monday, three officers were shot — two fatally wounded, and one injured — while serving an aggravated battery warrant at a St. Petersburg, FL, home. On Sunday, four officers were shot at a Detroit, MI, police precinct; two Kitsap County, WA, Sheriff's Deputies were shot at a Wal-Mart while responding to a call reporting a suspicious person; and police officers in both Indianapolis, IN, and Lincoln City, OR, were critically injured in shootings during traffic stops.

"The incidents involving police officers killed or wounded continue to be studied and many of these incident have contributing factors that need to be addressed," said Chief George Vulleunier, president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police.

"We've sent out bulletins, for example, that list 'The Ten Fatal Errors' that have killed experienced lawmen," he added.

The following nine officers are the most recent gunfire-related fatalities:

• Clark County (OH) Sheriff's Deputy Suzanne Hopper was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call at a mobile home park on New Year's Day.
• Rainier (OR) Police Chief Ralph Painter was killed by a fatal gunshot wound to the head on January 5, 2011 while responding to a call reporting a car theft at a strip mall.
• Baltimore City (MD) Police Officer William H. Torbit, Jr. was fatally shot during an altercation outside a night club on January 9, 2011.
• Lakewood (NJ) Patrolman Christopher Matlosz was shot and killed as he approached a suspect while patrolling a residential area on January 14, 2011.
• Livonia (MI) Officer Larry Nehasil was fatally wounded by a burglary suspect during a shootout on January 17, 2011.
• Miami-Dade (FL) Officers Roger Castillo and Amanda Haworth were fatally shot as they attempted to serve a murder warrant at a Miami, Florida home on January 20, 2011.
• St. Petersburg (FL) Sergeant Tom Baitinger and Officer Jeffrey Yaslowitz were gunned down and killed while attempting to serve a warrant on January 24, 2011. A U.S. Marshal was also wounded but is in stable condition.