DENVER, CO – A railway police officer is in critical condition after being stabbed multiple times by a trespasser on railroad property.
On Saturday morning, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway officer was in critical condition with multiple stab wounds after the suspect attacked him in Denver.
The officer then fatally shot the suspect, who was described as a white man in his 50s, according to CBS4.
Alert: DPD is assisting BNSF Railroad police on a stabbing and officer-involved shooting in the area of E. 46th Ave. and National Western Dr. DPD officers not involved. Additional information provided as available. pic.twitter.com/sUwl2v1lzG
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) August 15, 2020
The Denver Police Department said they were investigating the officer-involved shooting in the area of East 46th Avenue and National Western Drive. DPD said that its officers were not involved, 9News reported.
BNSF Railway confirmed in a statement to the news organization that one of their officers was injured in the line of duty. He is expected to survive, according to a DPD spokesperson.
DPD Division Chief Ron Thomas said that before 9 a.m., the BNSF officer approached a man who was trespassing on their property, and the suspect was wanted on a felony warrant.
Media briefing regarding officer-involved shooting involving a BNSF Railroad officer in area of E 46th/Nat’l Western Dr https://t.co/DO12cmAHN8
— Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) August 15, 2020
The police officer detained the suspect on suspicion of trespassing and found a felony warrant, according to CBS4. When confronted, the suspect began stabbing the officer numerous times. The officer used a handgun and fatally shot him.
Thomas did not release the identities of the suspect or officer.
Thomas said there are several homeless encampments in the area where the incident occurred, but did not know whether the suspect was homeless or not, 9News reported.
Because BNSF officers are dispatched through a Colorado State Patrol radio channel, CSP was able to identify that shots had been fired and started the initial response to the scene, according to Thomas. Thomas said:
“I do think it’s critical that those officers were able to monitor on their radio channel that there was something going on here so they could not only respond quickly but also notify us, so we could hasten our response as well.”
BNSF Railway is a freight transportation company that operates in 28 states and in Canada, and has 40,000 employees. Its headquarters is in Fort Worth, Texas. The company has an operation in Denver.
Several members of law enforcement have been brutally stabbed this year alone. In May, we reported on the fatal stabbing of a state correctional officer in Vineland, New Jersey.
The officer, William T. Durham Sr., 51, was stabbed multiple times and died during a fight with an 18-year-old neighbor, Zachary T. Latham.
According to a criminal complaint, the murder came after a heated war of words turned violent on Thornhill Road.
Latham “terrorized” the family for several weeks, a friend of the family told police.
It started when an argument broke out in front of the Durham home. It allegedly involved Latham, his wife, and Durham and his wife.
The Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office said Latham then left the scene and drove to his house in the neighborhood.
Police said Latham told them he could see Durham Sr. and his two sons, William T. Durham Jr., 21, and a 17-year-old male, following him.
When he got home, Latham grabbed a knife and a stun gun and confronted the Durham family when they pulled in.
An affidavit of probable cause was released. It said one of the Durhams took a “fighting stance” with Latham.
Apparently, two of Latham’s friends came by and took part in a battle with the three Durham family members. Latham’s wife recorded the entire incident on her phone, according to police.
The fight started in the driveway and then moved into the garage.
Police said that is when Latham pulled out his stun gun and used it on the victim before stabbing him with two knives.
Police described one knife as having a four-inch fixed blade, and said that Durham was stabbed in the back and left arm with it. Police said:
“William T. Durham was fatally wounded by the defendant during a prolonged physical assault.”
Latham was brought to a hospital, where he was treated, released, and then arrested.
Now he is facing charges including first-degree aggravated manslaughter, two second-degree counts of aggravated assault and various weapons offenses, and is being held in Cumberland County Jail pending a detention hearing.
In New York, a Syracuse police officer was stabbed in the neck by a suspect.
UPDATE: 48-year-old male suspect dies from shooting injuries after Syracuse Police say he stabbed an officer in the neck. SPD says the officer shot the suspect after being attacked.https://t.co/bxopZ3NkUX
— Farah Jadran (@FarahJadran) March 16, 2020
The ordeal started in March, when police responded to reports of a burglary in progress. Upon arriving, officers came face-to-face with 48-year-old Darrell Mobley, who authorities say was armed with a knife.
According to the Syracuse Police Department, Officer Walter Brainerd was stabbed in the neck by the suspect, who was described as behaving erratically when contacted.
Police spokesman Sgt. Matthew Malinowski stated that Officer Brainerd had engaged Mobley, when the suspect stabbed the officer. In response, Officer Brainerd fired several rounds from his weapon, striking Mobley once.
Malinowski anticipated inquiries as to why an officer was so close to an armed suspect. He stated:
“I think the overall setting of the call is why we’d be this close in the first place. It’s in a hallway setting with very close quarters.”
UPDATE: The suspect in an altercation with Syracuse police this weekend has died of his injuries. https://t.co/mqE17av5DI
— Spectrum News CNY/S.Tier (@SPECNewsCNY) March 16, 2020
It was further reported that the officer was not wearing a body camera during the altercation with Mobley.
Officer Brainerd was transported to Upstate University Hospital, where officials say he was discharged and expected to make a full recovery.
The suspect was also transferred to a nearby hospital, but then later died due to the sustained gunshot.
From the way Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick sees things, this situation could have been completely avoided – if bail reform was not a thing in New York.
Fitzpatrick pointed to the fact that Mobley had an extensive criminal history, and said the suspect’s death is because he was never properly held in custody on prior charges:
“Mr. Mobley is dead because of your new law. He had been charged earlier in the year with a burglary. We’re investigating information that he may have been involved in some arsons.”
The district attorney also explained that Mobley likely had some underlying issues influencing his criminality. Had he been held in custody, mental health evaluations and care could have been administered.
Fitzpatrick continued:
“He clearly had, and no disrespect to the dead, he clearly had some mental health issues. You put that together and any judge in the past would say this individual is going to be held without bail until such time until his mental health is addressed.”
In this case, the district attorney is spot on.
Had bail reform not been put into motion, there would be no officer injured nor a suspect shot in defense. The entire scenario would not have been able to occur, because Mobley would have likely already been in jail or in a mental health treatment center.
If bail reform is not addressed, and fast, these occurrences will become all too commonplace.
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