Two Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officers were eating lunch on June 8, 2014 when a couple entered the restaurant and fatally shot both of them without warning while they were sitting in a booth.
The deaths of Officers Igor Soldo and Alyn Beck were just two of the ambush-style attacks that claimed the lives of 15 law enforcement officers last year. The total is three times the number of officers slain in ambush attacks in 2013.
Less than 10 miles from that attack just seven months later, an event was held by the Safariland Group during the 37th Annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show at the Sands Expo & Convention Center spotlighting officers saved by bulletproof vests.
D.C. Police Officer Dorian DeSantis, Houston Police Officer J.D. Calhoun and Loveland, Colo. Officer Garret Osilka were all inducted into the company's Saves Club.
Craig W. Floyd, the Chairman and CEO of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund was in attendance at the ceremony and spoke to Officer.com about the importance of body armor and the alarming trend of unprovoked violence against police. Just last month, NYPD Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were slain while sitting in their patrol car.
"I'm very concerned that the uptick in ambush-style attacks against officers is the result of an anti-government sentiment in this country that we've seen in the last few years," he said. "What we need to do is tone down the rhetoric and let's all agree that we're about rallying around law enforcement, rallying for safe communities and rallying against lawlessness."
The couple that killed Soldo and Beck -- Jerad and Amanda Miller -- identified as sovereign citizens and held extreme anti-government views.
"Too many officers are being attacked and killed by criminals because of a hatred of the U.S. government. They view law enforcement officers as the oppressors," Floyd said. "Who is the most visible and the most vulnerable symbol of government? It's the law enforcement officer patrolling the streets of America."
Along with the dramatic increase in ambushes, there was also a 24 percent increase in line of duty deaths and a 56 percent increase in fatal shootings of officers. While Floyd said these statistics are concerning, he noted that much progress has been made in preventing the deaths of officers.
"What we're seen is a dramatic decline in officer fatalities," he said. "If you look at a longer period of time going back to the 1970s, 230 officers per year were dying in the line of duty. Over the last 10 years that number has dropped to a 150."
He attributed the decline to better equipment and better training, citing that 90 percent of the law enforcement agencies in America require officers to wear body armor.
"When you give more officers vests, and there are more officers wearing those vests . . . that is going to save lives," he said. "As we move forward I think the more officers wearing these vests that are more protective and comfortable, they are more likely to wear them and as a result more officers' lives are going to be saved.
"What we're doing here today with Safariland is focusing on the saves that have been successful," he said. "We need to re-double our efforts. The Memorial Fund is certainly totally committed to officer safety and wellness. Safariland is a growing partner of ours and I think they have the very same goal in mind.
"The more we can focus on saving officers' lives, I think the more companies like Safariland and organizations like the Memorial Fund will do to accomplish that goal moving forward."
Paul Peluso | Editor
Paul Peluso is the Managing Editor of OFFICER Magazine and has been with the Officer Media Group since 2006. He began as an Associate Editor, writing and editing content for Officer.com. Previously, Paul worked as a reporter for several newspapers in the suburbs of Baltimore, MD.
