Friday’s Heroes: Remembering The Fallen

Corrections Officer Mark Parker, 44

Orange County Florida Sheriffs Office

Officer Mark Parker died on March 19, 2009, from gunshot wounds sustained on January 10, 1984. On that day, a suspect entered a courthouse with the intention of shooting the police officer who’d issued him a traffic citation. The shooter eventually killed two police officers, fired at the judge, and exchanged gunfire with another deputy.  Officer Parker was unarmed, but used his body to shield innocent civilians. He was 19 when he received the bullet wounds that left him paralyzed and under round the clock care for the remainder of his life.

The suspect was convicted of murdering the officers. He was executed for his crimes in 2000. Officer Parker attended the execution.

Sergeant Mark Dunakin, 40

Officer John Hege, 41

Sergeant Daniel Sakai, 35

Sergeant Ervin Romans, 43

Oakland California Police Department

Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Officer John Hege, Sergeant Daniel Sakai, and Sergeant Ervin Romans were all shot to death by a suspect, a parolee, who had an extremely violent history. The suspect was also wanted for a parole violation at the time of the shootings. SWAT members eventually terminated the threat by killing the suspect.

*Thanks to ODMP