Jan 2022. Blues Vol 38 No. 1

AROUND THE COUNTRY FIRST

AROUND THE COUNTRY FIRST LEO DEATH OF 2022 Wayne County IL. Deputy Killed in Shooting; Suspect is in Custody. A suspect in the fatal shooting of a Wayne County, Illinois deputy, has been taken into custody. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) says the shooting happened around 5:00 a.m. on December 29th when Deputy Sean Riley was dispatched to a motorist assist on Interstate 64 near the Illinois-Indiana border. WCSO says that when another officer got to the scene, Deputy Riley was found dead. Deputy Riley’s squad car was missing from the scene of the shooting and found abandoned along I-64. Around 1:40 p.m., authorities said that one suspect, later identified as 40-year-old Ray Tate of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, had been taken into custody in connection to the shooting death of Deputy Riley. The Illinois State Police believes Tate carjacked a semitruck near the area where Deputy Riley’s patrol vehicle was found abandoned - forcing the driver of the truck to take him to a gas station in St. Peters, Missouri, before a series of other car jackings, robberies, and shootings occurred. ISP says that Tate is suspected of then traveling back into Illinois with a kidnapped victim in another stolen vehicle, which was found at a home in rural Carlyle. Police believe Tate then committed a home invasion in Carlysle, taking the homeowner and the other kidnapped victim hostage. Both of the hostages were rescued and uninjured, and Tate was taken to the Clinton County Jail where he’s being charged with First Degree Murder. After Deputy Riley’s autopsy was performed in Evansville, dozens of law enforcement officers escorted him back home to Illinois. Funeral arrangements had not been announced at the time of publishing. The BLUES and an all our brothers and sisters in Blue here in Texas offer our sincerest condolences to the Riley family. NC Trooper crashes at traffic stop, killing another trooper who was his brother. By Mark Price A state trooper and a civilian motorist were killed in a car crash that involved the trooper’s brother — who is also a state trooper, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety. It happened just before 9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 3, at a traffic stop in Rutherford County, southeast of Asheville. Investigators identified the trooper who died as John S. Horton, a 15- year veteran assigned to Rutherford County. The identity of the civilian driver has not been released as of Jan. 4. Horton died when his brother, Trooper James N. Horton, was responding to assist him in a traffic stop near the intersection of High Shoals Church and Goodes Grove Church roads, officials said. Trooper John Horton, a fifteen-year veteran assigned to Rutherford County, was transported to a Spartanburg hospital where he died of his injuries. “Trooper James Horton lost control of his vehicle upon approaching the traffic stop,” officials said. “James Horton collided with the stationary patrol vehicle and subsequently struck Trooper John Horton and the detained driver who were standing along the roadside.” The detained driver died at the scene. “Trooper James Horton was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries and has since been released. The North Carolina Trooper John Horton two involved troopers are brothers,” state officials said. Details on road conditions were not released, but the crash happened after a day of snow, sleet and quick-dropping temperatures in the mountains. “Our hearts are broken with the loss of our friend and our brother, Trooper John Horton,” State Highway Patrol Commander Col. Freddy L. Johnson Jr. said in a news release. “For all involved in this tragic event the coming days will undoubtedly be difficult, but we are committed to stand alongside with them with our thoughts, prayers and unwavering support.” 24 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 25