HOUSTON – The men and women who serve our communities put their lives on the line every day to ensure the safety of the public.
Here are the ones who have lost their lives while on the job in the last five years:
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2019
Sgt. Kaila Sullivan
Cause of death: Vehicular assault
Sgt. Sullivan was assisting in the arrest of a man wanted on a domestic violence charge on Dec. 11 when the suspect broke free and jumped back into his vehicle. As he sped away from the scene, authorities said the man hit Sullivan. She was transported to Houston Clear Lake Hospital, where she later died. Sullivan was days away from celebrating 16 years on the force.
Sgt. Christopher Brewster
Cause of death: Shooting
Sgt. Brewester was gunned down while responding to a domestic violence call on Dec. 7, 2019. He had been on the force for nine years.
Deputy Sheriff Sandeep Dhaliwal
Cause of death: Shooting
Deputy Dhaliwal was shot to death during a traffic stop in in a northwest Houston neighborhood on Sept. 27, 2019. He was a 10-year veteran of the force.
Deputy Sheriff Omar Diaz
Cause of death: Natural causes
Deputy Diaz collapsed while responding to a stabbing call on July 6, 2019. It was later ruled that his death was caused by a blood clot that traveled to his lung from another part of his body. He had been on the force for 10 years.
2018
Deputy Sheriff Loren Vasquez
Cause of death: Drowned
Deputy Vasquez had just finished training and was on her third night alone when she responded to a water rescue call on Oct. 31, 2018. On her way to the call, she lost control of her vehicle, became airborne and landed upside-down in a water-filled ditch.
2017
Police Officer Elias Martinez, Jr.
Cause of death: Motorcycle crash
Officer Martinez was working an off-duty job and escorting an oversized load on Sept. 8 near League City when he was involved in a crash and was thrown from his motorcycle. He served on the force for 25 years.
Sergeant Steve Perez
Cause of death: Drowning
Sgt. Perez was trying to get to his primary post on Aug. 27, 2017, during Hurricane Harvey but was unable to get downtown, so he tried to use his secondary post in Kingwood. While trying to get to Kingwood, his vehicle was swept away by floodwaters. Perez was a 34-year-veteran of the force.
Assistant Chief Deputy Clint Greenwood
Cause of death: Shooting
Deputy Greenwood had been in law enforcement for more than three decades. On April 3, 2017, Greenwood was killed while on his way to work in Baytown. He was rushed to Memorial Hermann hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
2016
Police Officer Marco Zarate
Cause of death: Motorcycle crash
Officer Zarate was responding to a shoplifting incident on July 12, 2016, at a Target in the Meyerland area when the suspects took off. Zarate followed and was pursuing the shoplifters through a residential area when he crashed into the back of a landscaping trailer parked in the street. He served with the Bellaire Police Department for seven years.
Police Officer Endy Ekpanya
Cause of death: Car crash
Officer Ekpanya was en route to a non-emergency call on June 12, 2016, when a woman who was intoxicated crossed several lanes of traffic and hit Ekpanya head on. Both drivers were pinned inside their vehicles. Ekpanya was flown to Memorial Hermann via LifeFlight, where he later died. The woman suffered minor injuries.
2015
Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth
Cause of death: Shooting
Deputy Goforth was at a gas station on Aug. 28, 2015, when he was ambushed and shot multiple times execution-style. Goforth served on the force for 10 years before his death.
Detention Officer Tronoski Jones
Cause of death: Heart attack
Officer Jones died while on the job on Aug. 20, 2015, after he suffered a heart attack during an altercation with an inmate who was being transported back to his jail cell at the downtown Houston jail. Jones served as a detention officer for nearly four years.
Police Officer Richard K. Martin
Cause of death: Vehicular assault
Officer Martin was involved in a high-speed chase on May 18, 2015, and was throwing down spike strips when the suspect hit Martin and continued driving. Martin was pronounced dead at the scene. Matric was a four-year veteran of the force.