A police officer was fatally shot dead in York County, Pennsylvania
Three officers were killed and two injured in the York County shooting. The suspect was shot dead.
The attack in Pennsylvania killed three officers and seriously injured two others, and is now one of the most deadly tragedy of the past 25 years involving law enforcement.
This is a horrifying scene on Wednesday, September 17th, officials say that officials encountered a gunfight in North Codra Township, a rural area of about 10 miles in York, Pennsylvania.
“We need to do better as a society,” Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a press conference following Wednesday’s attack. “As a community, it’s time… People whose lives are lost today – protecting those who put those uniforms for us to make sure that something constructive can come from their memories that will stop this kind of violence in the future, so that these trauma surgeons don’t have to patch this to many people.”
From Charlotte, North Carolina to Oakland, California, we have seen attacks that have killed multiple officials, families lamented and communities upset.
The most deadly attacks on police in the last 25 years are:
Charlotte, North Carolina
- Time: April 29, 2024
- Affected Officers: Four people died and four injured
- What happened: Police were attacked while trying to provide a warrant for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon at a home on the outskirts of Charlotte. The suspect fired at the officer with a “strong rifle” as he approached the home, officials said. Attacker Terry Clark Hughes Jr. was killed in a fire on his way home.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Time: July 17, 2016
- Affected Officers: Three people were killed and three injured
- What happened: A gunman ambushed the police when he answered a 911 call less than a mile from the police headquarters in Baton Rouge. The attacker identified as Gavin Long was killed at the scene.
Dallas, Texas
- Time: July 7, 2016
- Affected Officers: Five people died and 7 injured
- What happened: A gunman shot police when protesters marched against deadly police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota in downtown Dallas, saying that the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund was the deadliest attack on law enforcement since September 11, 2001. The sole gunman in the attack, Mika Xavier Johnson, was killed by a police-controlled remote explosive device, about 45 minutes after authorities began trying to negotiate with him, police said.
Lakewood, Washington:
- Time: November 29, 2009
- Affected Officers: Four people killed
- What happened: A gunman sitting in a coffee shop near Tacoma ambushed. Police killed the gunman Maurice Clemons a few days after the attack.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Time: April 4, 2009
- Affected Officers: Three people died and two injured
- What happened: A gunman fired at police in response to a domestic 911 call at home. Gunman Richard Poplawski is on death row after being convicted of three counts of first-degree murder.
Oakland, California
When: March 21, 2009
Affected Officers: Four people died and one injured
What happened: In separate attacks, gunmen killed four Oakland police officers on the same day. After killing two motorcycle officers during regular traffic stops, the gunman fired and killed two SWAT officers in response to hints about the location of the shooter. A policeman killed a gunman, Lovelle Mixon.
Other major fatal police attacks
On September 11, 2011, the terrorist attacks were not specifically aimed at police, but according to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, it is considered the most deadly day in U.S. law enforcement history, when 72 police officers were killed.
And on April 19, 1995, eight federal law enforcement officers and a local sheriff’s aide were killed in the Oklahoma City bombing.
This includes the murder of four agents with cigarettes and firearms, who provided a search warrant for David Compound Branch in Waco, Texas on February 28, 1993.
In another notable attack, according to Milwaukee Police, a bomb at the Milwaukee Police Station on November 24, 1917, was considered the only fatal attack in the history of nine law enforcement, killing nine officers. The perpetrator, considered anarchist terrorist cells, was never caught.
Contribution: USA Today Archives
Amanda Lee Myers is a senior crime reporter who covers the executions of USA Today. Follow her on x at @amandaleusat.
