List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States, May 2015

This is a list of people reported killed by non-military law enforcement officers in the United States in May 2015, whether in the line of duty or not, and regardless of reason or method. The listing documents the occurrence of a death, making no implications regarding wrongdoing or justification on the part of the person killed or officer involved. Killings are arranged by date of the incident that caused death. Different death dates are, if known, noted in the description.

For lists of killings from other years, see List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States.

The table below lists 47 individuals. (This number should update automatically when changes are saved.)

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

May 2015

Date Name (Age) of DeceasedState (City)Description
2015-05-31 Bushey, James (47) Texas (Palestine) After a reported robbery at a Walmart, Bushey ran away and hid in the bathroom of a nearby Applebees. After officers detained him without handcuffs, he broke free, showed a BB gun, and was fatally shot by officers.[1]
2015-05-31 Pitts, Jeffrey Scott (36) Georgia (Conyers) Pitts shot and killed a clerk and a customer at a liquor store and shot and injured two more at his parents home nearby. When deputies arrived, Pitts started shooting at them with a high-powered assault rifle. Officers shot back and killed Pitts.[2]
2015-05-30 Rivera, Alexander Tirado (39) Tennessee (Nashville) A suspect tried to rob an Easy Cash Solutions loan business. When police arrived, he took a 21-year-old female employee hostage (on her first day) and brought her outside with an air pistol to her head. At some point, she began fighting with the suspect to try to get away, and when she was about a foot away, Sergeant Scott Carter fatally shot the suspect. Nobody else was injured.[3][4]
2015-05-29 Fischer, Nehemiah (35) Oklahoma (Okmulgee County) Troopers responded to a report of a stranded vehicle and found two men trying to remove a vehicle from a roadway which was experiencing a flash flood. Troopers tried to rescue the men, who were upset about having to leave the vehicle. After the men reached the troopers, there was an altercation and Fischer was fatally shot. He was armed at the time. The other man, his older brother Brandon, was arrested for assault and public intoxication.[5][6]
2015-05-29 Allen, Kevin (36) New Jersey (Lyndhurst) Allen was wanted for contempt of court when a local law enforcement officer spotted him outside a public library and attempted to engage him there. After moving inside the library and up to its top floor, he allegedly "menaced" and charged police with a large knife in a public library. Officers then fatally shot him.[7]
2015-05-28 Dothard, Kenneth Joel (40) Georgia (Carrollton) Cpl. Chad Cook responded to a report of a suspicious person with a gun near an ATM. The officer questioned the man who first claimed to have a permit for his holstered weapon, then said he didn't know he needed one, then indicated he knew he shouldn't have the weapon because of felonies on his record. After Cook called for backup, Dothard became agitated. The officer warned him to not touch the gun or take it out, or the officer would shoot. Dothard allegedly tried to take the gun out, claiming that he had authority because he had been in the military. At that time Dothard was fatally shot multiple times. Audio, but not video, was promptly released at the reference link.[8]
2015-05-28 Baker, Kyle (18) Michigan (Trenton) Police responded to reports of a highly agitated young man at home. Baker attacked officers with a lawn mower blade and was fatally shot. He died about 12 hours later, early the next morning. The officer was treated for a cut hand and released.[9]
2015-05-28 Strong, James Edward (32) Colorado (Brighton) A SWAT team was serving a narcotics warrant when Strong allegedly opened fire. Officers fired back and hit Strong multiple times, killing him.[10]
2015-05-28 McAllister, Scott (39) New Jersey (Middletown) McAllister was drunk and armed with a knife and had taken his 17-month old son hostage with threats to harm him, after a fight with the boy's mother. The mother ran outside and called 911. A SWAT team surrounded the house and after five hours of failed negotiations to get the father to give up the child, the team moved in around 4:30am and shot McAllister twice, killing him. The child was uninjured.[11]
2015-05-27 Morad, Feras (20) California (Long Beach) The unarmed college student, who may have been under the influence of drugs for the first time, started acting erratically and allegedly violently. He jumped through a glass second-story window and was hurt; friends called police for help. The responding officer attempted to restrain him using verbal commands, an electronic control device, an impact weapon, physical force, but the officer said Morad kept walking toward the officer and at one point said he was going to attack. At that point the officer fatally shot Morad, even though (a witness claims) Morad was walking away at the time. Morad's family was not notified.[12]
2015-05-26 Williams, Jessie Nicholas (24) Louisiana (Bossier City) Williams was wanted for kidnapping his 9-year-old niece and taking her across state lines. She was found safe in a motel with Williams, who was killed in a struggle with the authorities. An FBI task force member was shot in the leg during the struggle, but is expected to recover, and reports are not clear if Williams had a weapon.[13]
2015-05-26 Tallant III, Millard J. (62) Washington (Monroe) A deputy was called to investigate suspicious activity. The deputy found the suspect walking along the roadway, with his car in a ditch. The deputy called for backup. By the time backup arrived, the deputy, who was uninjured, had shot the man dead. [14] The cause and manner of death are pending investigation.[15]
2015-05-26 Branch, Dalton (51) New York (Brooklyn) Branch was wanted for fatally shooting a 55-year-old ex-girlfriend earlier that morning in a casino parking lot, then sending taunting messages to the woman's friend and family. Plainclothes officers found the rented car Branch had used and approached, but he opened fire. The plainclothes officers fired back at least 20 times, several of which struck and killed him.[16]
2015-05-25 Briggs, Anthony Dewayne (36) Alabama (Huntsville) Briggs got into a fight with his brother and a neighbor, swinging a knife at and cutting both of them. He allegedly charged at responding officers with a knife, refused to put down the weapon, and was fatally shot by officers. The other two men were treated and released from a hospital.[17][18]
2015-05-23 Robinson, Eric (40) Arizona (Eagar) A suspect allegedly shot a woman in the shoulder at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center from his pickup truck, and then fired at responding officers. One was hit but promptly treated and released. Officers pursued the suspect for several blocks until he ran inside a home, then ran out toward a deputy still armed. Officers fatally shot him.[19][20]
2015-05-23 Horn, James Jr. (47) Missouri (Knob Noster) Horn allegedly kept Sandra Sutton in a box in his home for four months. After she escaped and informed police, they began searching for Horn. Sutton and her 17-year-old son were then killed, with Horn as the sole suspect, and the search intensified. After 23 days of searching, Horn was found, armed and threatening police, refusing to surrender, and was shot dead.[21][22]
2015-05-22 Lowery, Michael (40) Pennsylvania (Somerset) Lowery broke into a Save-Alot store at 3:30 AM, tripping a burglar alarm while prying open the back door. Responding officers found Lowery (who had three active felony warrants), armed, and he ignored commands to drop the weapon, instead raising it. Officers then shot him dead. An investigation showed this to be a BB gun modified to look like a real handgun.[23]
2015-05-21 Washington, Javoris (29) Florida (Fort Lauderdale) After a domestic dispute, Washington barricaded himself in a house, taking his girlfriend hostage. SWAT teams surrounding the house tried to negotiate but after tense discussions opened fire and killed Washington.[24][25][26][27]
2015-05-21 Caldwell, Jerome Thomas (32) South Carolina (Charleston) Caldwell was suspected of an ambush shooting of a deputy sheriff (who was alive in critical but stable condition at the time). Officers attempted to serve an arrest warrant, resulting in a 10-hour standoff at an apartment building. Caldwell then ran, firing at police who returned fire, fatally shooting Caldwell.[28]
2015-05-21 Diaz, Elvin (24) New Jersey (Hackensack) Three officers were attempting to check on Diaz, a parolee who had missed a probation appointment. He allegedly pulled a knife on officers, who opened fire. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital and pronounced dead there.[29]
2015-05-21 Gandara, David Alejandro (22) Texas (El Paso) Police shot an armed and possibly suicidal man after he was banging on the back door of a day care center. He ignored orders and allegedly attempted to retrieve a firearm in an alley. He died at the scene.[30][31]
2015-05-20 Wheeler, Marcus D. (26) Nebraska (Omaha) Police were attempting to arrest Wheeler in connection with a 2014 shooting. Gunfire was exchanged and both Wheeler and an officer were fatally shot.[32][33]
2015-05-20 Colley, Jonathan (52) Ohio (Green) A Summit County sheriff's deputy responded to an altercation between Colley and his step father at their home. Armed with a knife, Colley approached the deputy, despite commands to drop the weapon and a Taser deployment. The deputy fatally shot Colley.[34]
2015-05-19 Gaines, David (17) Colorado (Grand Junction) After a fight at home between Gaines and his father (which injured the father), Gaines left in a pickup truck with a long gun. The truck collided head on with 57-year-old motorcyclist Preston Ellis, killing Ellis, then striking a parked car. Gaines left the truck with gun in hand; witnesses called police. Gaines then attempted a carjacking of an SUV occupied by a woman with two children waiting for a third, who quickly followed his orders to get out. Police quickly arrived en masse and fatally shot Gaines.[35]
2015-05-17 Goodner, Austin (18) Florida (St. Petersburg) Officers were searching for Goodner at his home, in connection with a shooting earlier in the day. Goodner shot an officer in the leg and allegedly said "Go ahead, kill me. I want you to kill me" before raising his gun and being fatally shot by an officer.[36]
2015-05-17 Jones, Timothy (27) New Mexico (Ruidoso) Police shot Jones after officers responded to a call about an alleged domestic disturbance. Jones died on scene.[37]
2015-05-17 Fiel, Dennis Richard (34) California (San Diego) Police tried to pull over a speeding Jeep, which fled. The driver later bailed out and ran away from officers approaching on foot. While fleeing from police, suspect pulled out a handgun and shot at them, striking one female officer in the upper torso. At least two other officers returned fire, killing the suspect.[38][39]
2015-05-14 Pelletier, Sean (37) Michigan (Portage) Pelletier's mother was trying to evict him and his two sisters from a house she wanted to sell. As a result, he was wanted for trespassing there but detectives knew he had weapons inside the house and wanted to make the arrest away from home. Detectives identified Pelletier as a front seat passenger in a vehicle driven by his brother, and attempted a traffic stop. The vehicle fled and officers pursued. During the chase, Pelletier was observed to have a high-powered military-style rifle. After it crashed into a cruiser in front of an apartment complex, Pelletier exited the vehicle with the rifle and was fatally shot by police. The driver, Pelletier's brother, was also shot but still in critical condition several hours later.[40][41]
2015-05-12 Zalonka, Bruce (46) Hawaii (Honolulu) Eight members of a fugitive task force went to apprehend Zalonka on an outstanding warrant. His van was found in a parking garage and he was in it. He refused to get out. Officers smashed a window and tried to stun him with a Taser. He then reportedly reached for a weapon and was fatally shot.[42] Family and friends claim that Stallworth was too weak to hold a gun due to his multiple sclerosis.[43]
2015-05-12 Stallworth, D'Angelo (28) Florida (Jacksonville) Officers were visiting an apartment to ensure service of an eviction notice, entering the empty apartment with the aid of maintenance workers to find it empty and clean. One officer noticed a man outside on a shared balcony which has laundry rooms at each end. Officers went to question the man, who reached down, threw back a comforter that was on the floor outside the laundry room, and produced a handgun. There was a struggle over the gun but Stallworth broke free and ran down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs he allegedly turned back toward officers, who did not know the gun had been dropped at the top of the stairs. Both officers fatally shot him in fear. Marijuana was later found under the comforter.[44] Family and friends claim that Stallworth was too weak to hold a gun due to his multiple sclerosis.[45]
2015-05-11 Way, Justin (??) Washington (Tacoma) Way was drunk, in bed with a large knife and threatening to hurt himself. His live-in girlfriend took away his bottle of vodka to pour out and called a non-emergency number to try to get him to a hospital for help, saying she did not feel threatened. Two sheriff's deputies responded with assault rifles, told his girlfriend to wait outside, then they went in and shot Way while he was still lying on the bed. The detective relayed to Way's mother that “they told Justin to drop the knife and he didn’t—so they shot him because ‘That’s what we do.’”[46]
2015-05-11 Cunningham, Stephen (47) Washington (Tacoma) Officers responded to complaints of loud music. Cunningham allegedly grabbed a gun and walked outside. According to Cunningham's mother, he had had an altercation with a man earlier in the day and, when the police came, he mistakenly thought that man had returned. He did not fire his weapon at police.[47]
2015-05-09 Holmes, Sam (31) Minnesota (Fridley) During a traffic stop, a man tried to drive away, dragging an officer with the vehicle. The officer shot and killed the driver.[48][49]
2015-05-08 Johnson, Shaun (35) Arizona (Kearny) Shaun Johnson was shot and killed after allegedly charging at officers with a samurai sword.[50]
2015-05-07 Roy, Joseph (72) Georgia (Lawrenceville) Joseph Roy, 72 was shot and killed after officers responding to a suicidal person call. Officers opened fired after allegedly being charged at with an 8-inch steak knife.[51]
2015-05-07 Murphy, Michael G. (35) New York (Beacon) Officers responded to a carjacking at knifepoint at approx. 3:30pm. The suspect abandoned the vehicle and police gave chase on foot through the woods and then over an interstate highway. After crossing the highway, the man was shot dead by officers.[52][53]
2015-05-06 Champion, Jason (41) New Jersey (Secaucus) Champion and Laroche (below) were walking away from their disabled vehicle along the left side of the New Jersey Turnpike when they were struck and killed by a patrol car around 1:30 am. The patrol car had damage to the windshield and front end.[54][55]
2015-05-06 Laroche, Nuwanah (34) New Jersey (Secaucus) Laroche and Champion (above) were walking away from their disabled vehicle along the left side of the New Jersey Turnpike when they were struck and killed by a patrol car around 1 am. The patrol car had damage to the windshield and front end.[54]
2015-05-06 Johnson, David William (18) North Carolina (Wake Forest) After a chase, a depressed teen who had been getting into trouble with the law allegedly got out of his car in a shopping center parking lot and he was seen running away from police. Since a caller to police earlier that evening had alleged Johnson was seen with a handgun, Officers opened fire as he ran off, hitting him multiple times.[56]
2015-05-05 Ma, Thong Kien (32) California (South El Monte) Ma was attacking two people with a meat cleaver in his neighborhood, one who later died from head lacerations. As Los Angeles sheriff's deputies approached Ma standing in front of a home on a flower bed, he was attacking a man with the cleaver and was demanded by officers to drop the weapon. They shot Ma.[57]
2015-05-05 Glenn, Brendon (29) California (Venice/LA) After a physical altercation between homeless Glenn, who was unarmed, and two officers, he was shot dead.[58] Police chief Charlie Beck said he had yet to see evidence that justified the shooting.[59]
2015-05-05 Frost, Robert (46) Virginia (Pulaski) An officer was checking a storage lot, he saw a truck he believed was empty but as he approached he noticed a man Robert Frost sleeping with a handgun in his lap.Apparently the suspect woke up suddenly and raised his firearm and opened fire. The officer went back to his truck and fired a couple rounds hitting the suspect.[60]
2015-05-03 Simpson, Elton (30) Texas (Garland) Simpson and Soofi (below) were shot dead after opening fire at an art exhibition featuring depictions of the Prophet Mohammed.[61][62]
2015-05-03 Soofi, Nadir (34) Texas (Garland) Soofi and Simpson (above) were shot dead after opening fire at an art exhibition featuring depictions of the Prophet Mohammed.[61][62]
2015-05-03 Norton, Kevin Vance (36) Utah (Roosevelt) Police responded to a call about a man with a gun acting erratically. As officers approached, he fled to the woods. After negotiations and nonlethal attempts to disarm Norton, who was on felony probation and not allowed to possess a firearm, he was fatally shot.[63]
2015-05-03 Grimm, Billy (44) New Mexico (Albuquerque) Police were responding to a possible domestic dispute and suspicious vehicle. Grimm was shot and killed. This case is being investigated.[64]
2015-05-02 Mathena, Kenneth (52) Delaware (Smyrna) Mathena was armed with a shotgun and allegedly refused to drop it. It is still under investigation.[65][66]

See also

References

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