Midwest
Remembering police officers who lost their lives on duty last year
The life of a police officer can change in a second when responding to a call.
In 2023 alone, there were 378 officers shot in the line of duty, according to a report from the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP).
In total, 46 police officers were killed last year, a 60% increase since 2018, according to the FOP.
These are eight stories of police officers who tragically lost their lives on duty last year.
Police console each other at the memorial to fallen Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Officer, Joshua Eyer to First Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, Friday, May 3, 2024. (The Image Direct for Fox News Digital)
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- Sergeant Michael Moran, Colorado
- Trooper Aaron Smith, Indiana
- Master Trooper James Bailey, Indiana
- Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso, Illinois
- Lieutenant Milton Resendez, Texas
- Sergeant Michael Abbate and Trooper Alberto Felix, Nevada
- Sergeant Cory Maynard, West Virginia
- Officer Garrett Crumby, Alabama
1. Sergeant Michael Moran, Colorado
In November 2023, Sgt. Michael Moran of the Cortez Police Department in Colorado was shot during a traffic stop, according to the Montezuma Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect fled but was later tracked down by police, and gunfire was exchanged. Fox News Digital reported at the time that one suspect was killed in the shooting and another was taken into custody.
After Moran was shot, he was rushed to Southwest Memorial Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Cortez Police Sgt. Michael Moran, 46, was killed in the line of duty when a suspect opened fire on him during a traffic stop. (Cortez Police Department)
Before joining the Cortez Police Department in 2012, Moran served in the Marines for nine years.
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“As a new officer, Sgt. Moran rose quickly through the ranks, becoming a K-9 handler in 2016,” the Cortez Police Department said. “He was most proud of his canine partner Otto, who served by his side until retiring in 2020.”
2. Trooper Aaron Smith, Indiana
In June 2023, Indiana state trooper Aaron Smith died after being struck by a suspect driving a stolen vehicle. He was 33 years old.
Smith exited his patrol car to deploy stop sticks during the pursuit of a stolen vehicle on Ronald Reagan Parkway at around 8:45 p.m. when he was struck, according to the Indiana State Police statement.
He was taken to Eskenazi Hospital, where he died. He was with the police department for five years before his death.
“This young trooper was the best of us. He was a shining star with the state police,” Superintendent Doug Carter said of Smith in June 2023. “He didn’t survive tonight. I am usually not without words, but I don’t know what else to say, besides the sadness continues to follow us. He was one of those guys who stood out.”
Trooper Aaron Smith was struck and killed after he attempted to stop a stolen vehicle by laying stop sticks June 28, 2023. (Indiana State Police)
“This is a tremendously sad day for the entire Indiana State Police family. We will band together as we always do in support of Trooper Smith’s family, friends and co-workers,” Carter said in the written statement, adding Smith is survived by a “young wife and a beautiful family.”
POLICE SHORTAGES REPORTED NATIONWIDE AMID RECORD-LOW MORALE AND RECRUITMENT
3. Master Trooper James Bailey, Indiana
In March 2023, just a few months before Smith’s death, a similar situation occurred in Indiana.
Master Trooper James Bailey was also hit by a suspect’s vehicle and his injuries led to his death.
According to Indiana State Police Public Information Officer Brian Walker, Bailey was hit by a suspect’s car on Interstate 69 while helping other troopers with traffic from weather-related crashes. There was a pursuit headed his way.
Walker put stop sticks down in an attempt to de-escalate the situation but was struck by the suspect’s vehicle. The driver, Terry Sands II, was taken into custody.
“This is a tremendously sad day for the entire Indiana State Police family. We will band together as we always do in support of Trooper Bailey’s family, friends and co-workers”, Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter said.
4. Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso, Illionis
Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso, a Chicago police officer, was killed while he was chasing an armed teenage suspect who turned and fired at him “at close range” in Gage Park, according to FOX 32. The incident began with two police cars responding to a domestic-related call.
Chicago Police Officer Andres Vasquez-Lasso was killed March 1, 2023. (Chicago Police Department)
Then-Police Superintendent David O. Brown told reporters at the time that the caller said the suspect was chasing a female with a gun.
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When the officers arrived, one knocked on the door, while another engaged with the armed suspect, reported to be an 18-year-old with a prior criminal violation.
The suspect was shot in the head and taken to a hospital, Fox News Digital reported. Vasquez-Lasso was shot multiple times and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died of his injuries.
“Vasquez-Lasso had been on the force for five years, and Brown said he had a very bright future ahead of him. Brown also noted that the officer comes from a family of public servants,” FOX 32 stated.
5. Lieutenant Milton Resendez, Texas
In October 2023, Lt. Milton Resendez was shot while he was pursuing two individuals who left a traffic stop, swapped vehicles and were driving through several cities along the southern border, Fox News Digital reported. The suspects were arrested hours later.
Chief Mario Pera of the San Benito Police Department in Texas told reporters Resendez was struck in the abdomen by a bullet that went through the door of his patrol car and hit below his body armor.
This undated photo provided by the San Benito Police Department shows San Benito Lt. Milton Resendez, who was fatally shot Oct. 18, 2023, in San Benito, Texas, after joining an hours-long pursuit of two men who fled a traffic stop. (San Benito Police Department via AP)
He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz said at the time that 18-year-old Rogelio Martinez Jr. of Brownsville and 23-year-old Rodrigo Axel Espinoza Valdez of Mexico both face multiple charges, including capital murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest.
6. Sergeant Michael Abbate and Trooper Alberto Felix, Nevada
Sgt. Michael Abbate and Trooper Alberto Felix were killed by a drunk driver on a Las Vegas freeway in December 2023.
The two were stopped to check on a driver who seemed to be sleeping in his car, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Shortly after the troopers stopped, they were hit by the car. The driver quickly fled.
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One of the men died at the scene and the other died at UMC Trauma Hospital, Fox News Digital reported.
The car was found about five hours later, and 46-year-old Jemarcus Williams was arrested on two counts of each charge: reckless driving resulting in death, driving under the influence resulting in death and duty to stop at the scene of an accident involving death, according to Fox News Digital.
7. Sergeant Cory Maynard, West Virginia
Sgt. Cory Maynard of the West Virginia State Police was killed in June 2023 after responding to a complaint about a shooting.
When Maynard and two other officers arrived, Timothy Kennedy allegedly began to fire a weapon. Maynard was shot and taken to the hospital, where he died.
Kennedy, who fled after the incident, was caught and charged with first-degree murder.
This undated photo provided by West Virginia State Police shows State Police Sgt. Cory Maynard. Maynard was fatally shot June 2, 2023. (Courtesy of West Virginia State Police via AP)
“The brave men and women of law enforcement and all first responders who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe are an inspiration to us all,” Republican Gov. Jim Justice said at the time of the incident. “I again ask all West Virginians to join Cathy and I in embracing Trooper Maynard’s family, loved ones and all of our courageous West Virginians in uniform during this incredibly difficult time.”
8. Officer Garrett Crumby, Alabama
In March 2023, an Alabama officer was killed and another was injured while responding to a domestic violence call.
The Huntsville Police Department said officers arrived at the scene around 4:45 p.m. and quickly located a woman who had been shot.
State Attorney General Steve Marshall said officers Garrett Crumby and Albert Morin were helping the woman and two small children when an armed man ambushed them and then barricaded himself in an apartment.
Both officers were taken to Huntsville Hospital, where Crumbly died. Marshall said Crumbly was a three-year veteran of the department. He had also served with the Tuscaloosa Police Department for eight years.
“Our part of the country has been reminded again this week of the pure heroism of those who make up the thin blue line — the dividing line, at times, between life and death for the citizens that they swear an oath to protect,” Marshall said at the time. “These two law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence call this evening, knowing full well that they would be placing their lives on the line in defense of their fellow man. We must never take their service and sacrifice for granted.”
The suspect was booked for capital murder of a law enforcement officer.
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Michigan
Whitmer says she will pull Michigan National Guard from D.C. if troops used in Trump’s Safe and Beautiful Mission
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer says that the Michigan National Guard soldiers heading to Washington, D.C., will only support the America 250 Mission and threatens to pull them if they participate in patrols under President Trump’s Safe and Beautiful Mission.
In a letter to Maj. Gen. Paul Rogers on Monday, Whitmer urges Rogers to “take all necessary measures” to ensure that soldiers only provide public safety and security during events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States.
“If the National Guard is unable or unwilling to ensure the Michigan National Guard is only supporting the America 250 Mission, appropriately defined – and is unable or unwilling to communicate consistent with that fact – then I will end Michigan’s support for the America 250 mission,” Whitmer wrote to Rogers.
The Safe and Beautiful Mission was created under the Trump administration to deploy the National Guard to D.C. in August 2025 as part of a push to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital, despite data showing that crime had declined in recent years.
At the time, local police data showed that violent crime in the area had been declining after a spike in 2023. However, Mr. Trump criticized that data, calling them “phony numbers.”
The deployments drew criticism from officials who opposed the federal government sending the National Guard to multiple cities. In one case, Illinois and Chicago sued the Trump administration to block the deployment of troops. That suit has since been dismissed, with a judge declaring the administration’s orders to no longer be operational.
“Several governors have deployed their National Guard soldiers to support this [Safe and Beautiful] mission. As you know, I have not deployed – and will not deploy – the Michigan National Guard to support the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission,” Whitmer said.
CBS News Detroit reached out to the Joint Task Force for comment on Monday and has not heard back.
What to know about PCBs and their impact on the Great Lakes, Wisconsin
PCBs are a class of more than 200 chemicals that are known to cause cancer.
An invasive shrimp is swimming in Lake Superior. This is the last Great Lake to be invaded — all five Great Lakes now are infested by the crustaceans..
Researchers for the first time have confirmed a breeding population of an invasive Black Sea-native shrimp in Lake Superior.
The number and extent of the shrimp’s spread in Lake Superior is not clear. However, there is a breeding population in the Duluth.
The findings by researchers at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Lake Superior Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin Superior, and the Hobart and William Smith Colleges in New York, published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research in April, found that the shrimp are now reproducing and surviving year-round in the Duluth-Superior Harbor, the farthest west the European species has been confirmed.
“Samples we collected in 2025 from two locations in the Duluth-Superior Harbor, a major inland shipping port in the Great Lakes, contained juveniles, adult males, and (pregnant or with young) adult females, indicating a self-sustaining population. Additionally, we document earlier evidence from 2018 samples we collected in the harbor that contained two juvenile specimens,” the article in the Journal said.
In an interview on the CBC’s “Superior Morning” show with Mary-Jane Cormier on June 10, lead researcher Donn Branstrator, of the University of Minnesota, said studies in the Duluth-Superior Harbor this spring after ice was off the lake found adult males and females.
“It’s pretty clear evidence of overwintering,” Branstrator told Cormier. “It would be very unlikely for the population to extinguish (at this point).”
Branstrator told Cormier ongoing bi-weekly research in the harbor, and along the Lake Superior shoreline will exam those questions.
According to the research, the non-native shrimp, about a quarter to half inch long, were first detected in the lower Great Lakes in 2006 in lakes Michigan and Ontario. By 2008, they were found in lakes Huron and Erie as well.
“It has also spread to Oneida and Seneca Lakes in New York … as well as the St. Lawrence River and various canals in northern New York State,” the research said.
Branstrator said the Black and Caspian sea region natives, also have spread throughout Europe into areas they were not native. He said they likely hitchhiked with ballast or bilge water, but the exact mechanism will never be known.
What we know about bloody red shrimp.
What is a bloody red shrimp?
Bloody red shrimp are small crustaceans native to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea region of Europe. They are adapted for fresh and brackish water.
This freshwater shrimp can be ivory-yellow in color or translucent, but exhibits pigmented red pigment cells in the carapax and tail, according to the USGS.
The quarter to half inch long shrimp feed on both phytoplankton and zooplankton at various stages of life.
While relatively small, they are among the larger creatures in the Great Lakes feeding on those food sources.
“They are very large bodied, at the upper end of what we consider zooplankton,” Branstrator said.
Branstrator said the shrimp live in near-shore environments and like to hide in crevices during the day, making use of dock pilings, breakwaters and other human-made structures.
They come out at night and “swarm” together in groups of up to 135 per square foot, the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant said.
Bloody red shrimp have a lifespan of about nine months, grow to adults in just 45 days, and an produce up to four generations per year. Females have been documented to carry up to 66 eggs in a clutch. Broods carried by females in the Muskegon population ranged from two to seven.
Where have the shrimp been found?
The shrimp have spread throughout Europe and now have been found in all five Great Lakes, as well as some locations away from the lakes.
The recent study found a breeding population in the Duluth, Minnesota, harbor, the first in Lake Superior.
According to the research, the non-native shrimp, about a quarter to half inch long, were first detected in the lower Great Lakes in 2006 in lakes Michigan (near Muskegon) and Ontario. By 2008, they were found in lakes Huron and Erie as well.
A single specimen was found in Duluth in 2017, and two were found in 2018. It wasn’t until 2025 that the researchers found a sustaining population when they captured 81 individuals.
How did the shrimp arrive in the Great Lakes?
The shrimp likely hitched a ride in the ballast water of ocean-going vessels, although Branstrator noted during an interview on CBC’s “Superior Morning” that we will never know for certain.
He added that the shrimp have multiple opportunities to hitch rides with vessels during the shipping season.
What impact will the shrimp have on Lake Superior and the Great Lakes?
Branstrator said that question hasn’t been answered. They feed on the same sources as other water-dwelling creatures, but they are large enough that small fish may find them to be a new food source.
Are any shrimp native to the Great Lakes?
The opossom shrimp is a Great Lakes native and looks similar to the bloody red shrimp.
Missouri sportsbooks took $256,364,814 in wagers in May 2026, the lowest monthly handle since the market launched, yet operators posted their strongest revenue month yet at $21,250,814 on an 8.29% hold. The state collected $2,131,872 in tax. Six months after going live on December 1, 2025, Missouri has flipped the usual relationship between volume and revenue: handle keeps settling while revenue keeps climbing, because hold has risen steadily as the launch-period promotions fade. Online betting made up $252,593,427, or 98.53% of all wagers. Figures come from the Missouri Gaming Commission.
Missouri Sports Betting by Month, Since Launch
| Month | Handle | Online | Retail | GGR | Hold | State Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | $543,039,131 | $538,881,520 | $4,157,612 | $20,758,443 | 3.82% | $521,201 |
| January 2026 | $385,138,868 | $380,412,197 | $4,726,670 | $6,703,555 | 1.74% | $137,873 |
| February 2026 | $277,005,418 | $273,285,304 | $3,720,114 | $10,301,007 | 3.72% | $1,214,627 |
| March 2026 | $329,355,588 | $324,060,170 | $5,295,418 | $20,757,550 | 6.30% | $2,178,985 |
| April 2026 | $273,397,863 | $269,884,804 | $3,513,059 | $20,284,270 | 7.42% | $2,028,427 |
| May 2026 | $256,364,814 | $252,593,427 | $3,771,387 | $21,250,814 | 8.29% | $2,131,873 |
Six Months In, Revenue Sets a Record
May marks a milestone worth pausing on. Missouri’s revenue reached its highest point yet even though its handle sank to a new low, a sign the market has moved past the giveaway-heavy launch phase and into steadier economics. Across its first six months, the state has now taken roughly $2.06 billion in total wagers, produced about $100.1 million in operator revenue, and delivered $8.2 million in tax. Crossing $100 million in cumulative revenue in half a year underlines how quickly Missouri established itself as a mid-sized market.
Handle Settles as the Launch Surge Fades
The volume side keeps normalizing. December’s $543 million opening was inflated by launch-day demand and heavy sign-up promotions, and handle has stepped down almost every month since, landing at $256.4 million in May, less than half that peak. Part of the decline is seasonal, with the sports calendar thinning as the basketball and hockey postseasons wind down and football stays months away. Part is simply the novelty wearing off. Mobile sportsbooks in Missouri continue to carry the market almost entirely, at 98.53% of May handle, a share that has held above 98% in every month since launch.
The Hold Keeps Climbing
The defining trend is the win rate. Hold ran at 3.82% in December, bottomed at 1.74% in January, then rose in four straight steps to 3.72%, 6.30%, 7.42%, and 8.29% in May. That climb is the engine behind the record revenue: as operators pull back the free bets and bonus play that suppressed early margins, more of each wagered dollar sticks. An 8.29% hold is still below the double-digit figures common in older markets, which suggests Missouri’s margin has further room to firm up as the market matures.
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