"War on Police": two officers shot to death in Chicago and Ada County (Idaho)
The Fraternal Order of Police reports that so far in 2024, the record for officers shot has been broken, with 98 as of March.
Two police officers were shot and killed overnight Saturday into Sunday in Chicago and Ada County (Idaho). The Windy City deputy was shot several times while heading home after finishing his shift, while a sheriff's deputy was shot during a traffic stop in Boise. The Fraternal Order of Police reported that the number of officers shot is breaking records during 2024, with 98 firearm assaults recorded during the first quarter of the year.
Killed after finishing his shift in Chicago
Agent Luis M. Huesca was shot multiple times when he was returning home in his vehicle after finishing his work day. The superintendent of the city Police Department, Larry Snelling, pointed out that the facts are still being investigated, which seem to indicate that the cause of the attack was the theft of the car. "We can't confirm that right now, but detectives are working through it. What we do know is that the officer's vehicle was taken. But to get to the total motive of what happened, we need more information and the detective division is working on that," he said, before acknowledging that as yet, no suspect has been arrested.
Shot at traffic stop in Idaho
In Boise, Ada County (Idaho) Sheriff's Deputy Tobin Bolter died after being shot during a traffic stop. Bolter approached the window of a vehicle when its occupant opened fire and fled. Police found the vehicle abandoned hours later. The suspect was later killed in a confrontation with officers.
One officer shot every 22 hours in 2024
The Fraternal Order of the Police denounced that in 2024 there is a real "war on Police" with 98 officers having been shot - 20 of them in ambushes - during the first three months of the year. These figures mean that an agent is assaulted with a firearm every 22 hours, "exceeding the historical figures" of the previous year. The numbers in April are not giving a respite, with at least 15 police officers (5 dead) injured by gunshots between the 10th and 20th of the month.