The start of National Police Week aligns with a troubling surge in police fatalities. At least five officers were shot, with one casualty, in incidents around the nation, NewsNation reports. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, 58 police officers have lost their lives in the line of duty so far this year, with 22 killed by gunfire. The U.S. is on pace for 21 more officer deaths on the job this year compared to 2023. The most recent loss occurred over the weekend, while several other officers were injured while responding to calls. Officer Jacob Derbin, of Euclid, Ohio, was shot and killed in an ambush-style attack on Saturday. The 23-year-old military veteran and fiancé served on the police force for less than two years. “This is a senseless tragedy that did not need to happen. Our sympathies and our deepest condolences go out to Officer Durbin, his family, all of our officers in the Euclid Police Department family,” said Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail. The suspected shooter, Deshawn Anthony Vaughn, was killed after he was caught during a statewide manhunt.
Meanwhile, a Columbus, Ohio police officer was shot and injured Sunday at an Amazon facility while arresting a suspect. Brian Steel, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge #9, said multiple officers fired at the suspect, killing him, NewsNation affiliate WCMH-TV reports. The officer was taken to the hospital in a stable condition. The suspect died during the encounter. In Georgia, three Atlanta police officers were wounded after responding to a call that left a suspect dead Saturday evening. “During that encounter, there was a struggle, there was gunfire that resulted in three of our officers being injured. It also resulted in the death of the individual that was armed with the handgun,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. The officers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. One officer was shot in the shoulder, another was shot in the leg and the third suffered a grazing wound.