Last week was National Police Week with one day specifically set aside as the National Peace Officers Memorial Day to honor officers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

As the FBSN has monitored the most deadly actions at faith-based organizations through the years, we felt it appropriate to honor officers whose end of watch was connected to a faith based organization. Here are the ones we have observed through our deadly force incident study complete up through 2020.

Patrol Officer Jaimie Joseph Alan Cox

Rockford (IL) Police Department

End of Watch: 11/05/2017     Age: 30

Officer Jaimie Cox stopped a vehicle with illegal tags, but then something went wrong. Cox was found with fatal blunt force trauma wounds by where the offender’s truck had struck a tree on the property of the Unitarian Universalist Church. The offender was in the truck dead of gunshot wounds from Cox.

Correctional Officer Jayme Lee Biendl

Washington State Department of Corrections

End of Watch: 1/29/2011       Age: 34

Officer Biendl was assigned to the prison Chapel where she was strangled to death by an inmate attempting to escape.

Police Chief Ralph Arthur Painter

Rainier (OR) Police Department

End of Watch: 1/5/2011         Age:55

That Wednesday morning, the Assembly of God pastor heard loud shouts outside his window in the parking lot of the commercial complex they share with other businesses. Then a bullet came through the window he had just looked through, so he and others ran to the other end of the church. Police Chief Ralph Painter was killed by the offender with Painter's own gun in the parking lot shootout.

Police Officer Lee Stewart Newbill

Moscow (ID) Police Department

End of Watch: 5/19/2007       Age: 48

An abuser killed his wife in their home earlier that day, then drove to the courthouse where he shot several times, luring law-enforcement into a gun battle. He killed the facilities manager as he entered the nearby Moscow Presbyterian Church, then set up a sniper’s roost in the church, overlooking the courthouse parking lot. Officer Newbill died in the shootout.

Police Officer Mary Ann Collura

Fair Lawn (NJ) Police Department

End of Watch: 4/17/2003       Age: 43

Officer Collura rushed to the aid of a fellow officer struggling with a fleeing felon where he had wrecked his car at the Van Riper-Ellis Baptist Church. The fugitive shot the other officer and Collura, then drove over her as he escaped in her patrol car killing her.

Police Officer John Joseph Winn

Lowell (MA) Police Department

End of Watch: 5/3/1971         Age: 58

On 12/05/1969, Officer Winn was checking the doors of a church. Two men attacked him when he entered the dark back stairwell to check the door. They beat him with a tire iron. Winn died 17 months later from those injuries.

Think About it

Sometimes, those who stepped into specific roles of service with the potential for death, have indeed come to that ultimate moment. This is our time to express honor to the law-enforcement officers who’s moment came at a place that should have been sanctuary.

We know there is at least one we cannot find details of. A California officer was injured in an attack at a church and died years later from the injury. If anyone knows of that or any other officer that should be added to this list, please let us know by writing [email protected]