“It is not how these officers died that made them heroes, it is how they lived.”
- Vivian Eney Cross
High Sheriff John Cook
End of Watch: April, 4, 1892
John Cook, the seventeenth High Sheriff of Mecklenburg County was elected in July of 1804. According to an article published in The Carolina Gazette, High Sheriff Cook was murdered while executing the duties of his office after serving less than three months. On Tuesday October 16th High Sheriff Cook was shot in the head by Thomas Jarrel, who was approximately 22 years old. After the shooting, Jarrel fled Mecklenburg and became a fugitive. It is not known if he was ever found or brought to justice.
Officer James Moran
End of Watch: April, 4, 1892
James Moran was born in Ireland and immigrated to the United States. On Saturday, April 2, 1892, Officer Moran and his partner were on patrol when they saw two men walking on N. Tryon St. carrying bags of flour. When the officers approached the men, one of them began to run away.
Officer Moran's partner chased the fleeing suspect, while Officer Moran stayed with the other man. Moran's partner heard a shot and turned to see Moran fall to the ground as the other suspect ran off. Officer Moran succumbed to his injuries two days later and was the first Charlotte Police Officer to die in the line of duty.
Officer James H. Brown
End of Watch: August 2, 1904
Officer James Brown died after struggling with a suspect near the corner of East Trade and North College streets on August 2, 1904. Officer Brown had testified against the suspect earlier in the day and the man was overheard by another officer saying that he was going to cause Officer Brown to lose his job. Officer Brown returned to his post after court and was confronted by the man a short time later. He told the man to continue on his way or he would be arrested. Words were exchanged and a struggle ensued. Officer Brown Brown eventually took the suspect into custody.
Afterward, the officer felt ill and was attended to by the city physician, who sent him home. He suffered a heart attack a short time after arriving home. The coroner ruled Officer Brown’s death accidental as a result of a heart attack and ruptured spleen. All charges against the suspect were dropped.
Officer Brown had served with the Charlotte Police Department for 6 months. He was survived by his wife and one child. He was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte.
Officer Sampson E. Cole
End of Watch: January 1, 1905
On January 1, 1905, Officer Sampson Cole was shot and killed while investigating a disturbance involving a man with a gun.
A man located Officer Cole and told him that another man had threatened him with a handgun. Officer Cole and his son-in-law followed the man back to the location of the confrontation and then confronted the suspect on a set of railroad tracks.
Officer Cole drew his service revolver and ordered the suspect to raise his hands. The suspect raised his left hand and then reached into his right pocket, and pulled out a revolver. He immediately opened fire, striking Officer Cole’s son-in-law in the chest and then Officer Cole in the abdomen and neck, mortally wounding him.
The suspect fled but was arrested several days later in Fort Mill, S.C. He was returned to Charlotte where he was charged with murder. The jury found him guilty of the less serious charge of manslaughter and sentenced him to two years on the county chain gang.
Officer Cole had served with the Rural Police Department of Mecklenburg County for four years. He was survived by his wife. He was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Charlotte.
Special Officer John Estridge
End of Watch: March 29, 1913
Special Officer J. Robert Estridge responded to a call about a disturbance in the balcony of the old Dixie Theatre on East Trade St. Family records say that he and his partner, Officer John Wilson, were coming up the stairs when both officers were shot. Estridge died that evening, March 29, 1913, from his wounds. He was 39 years old.
No one was ever apprehended.
Officer John Franklin Fesperman
End of Watch: February 16, 1924
On Saturday, February 16, 1924, Officer Fesperman and Mecklenburg County police officers raided a liquor house near Myers Park. They arrested one man who was left under Officer Fesperman's charge, while the other officers went in search of the owner of the house. The arrestee pulled out a handgun and shot Officer Fesperman. He died on the way to the hospital.
Chief of Detectives Joseph E. Orr
End of Watch: September 29, 1926
On September 28, 1926, Detective Byers and Chief of Detective Joseph Orr suffered multiple injuries due to an automobile crash while participating in a department "test riot call" exercise. As the driver, Detective A. Rogers, attempted to pass a truck, the patrol car skidded on the pavement and went down an embankment. Chief of Detectives Orr died o his injuries the next day on September, 29, 1926. Detective Byers died of his injuries on September 30, 1926, two days after the accident. Detective Rogers survived the accident.
Officer John North Byers
End of Watch: September 30, 1926
Detective John Byers and Chief of Detectives Joseph Orr were critically injured in an automobile crash while participating in a "test riot call" exercise. The driver of their vehicle lost control while attempting to pass a truck, skidded and then drove down an embankment. Orr succumbed to his injuries the next day on September 29, 1926. Byers died the day after that, on September 30, 1926. The driver of their vehicle survived the crash.
Officer Robert M. Reid
End of Watch: January 1, 1927
On December 31, 1926, Officer Reid was struck down by a car at the intersection of College and Trade Streets, as he was directing traffic to prevent congestion at the Square. Officer Reid, 49, died January 1, 1927 as a result of his injuries.
Detective Harvey Edgar Correll
End of Watch: January 22, 1929
On January 22, 1929, Detective Ed Correll and his partner were searching a house for stolen goods. During the search the suspect pulled out a gun and fired at the detectives. Detective Correll, 40,was fatally shot and his partner was wounded. Although the suspect fled the scene, he was apprehended a short time later.
Officer William Stephen Rogers
End of Watch: August 30, 1929
Mecklenburg County Officer Stephen Rogers and a fellow officer were on foot patrol looking for several robbers in the Paw Creek community on August 30, 1929. Recent robberies of a drug store, a service station, and the attempted robbery of a combination United States Post Office and general store in west Mecklenburg County were believed to be the work of a single group. Officers had been sent into that community to investigate these robberies and to be on the lookout for the suspects. At about 3 a.m., the officers saw a new Ford Roadster pull onto a side road and start to turn around. The officers approached the car to determine the identity of the driver. As they approached, they identified themselves. The driver of the vehicle opened fire and fatally wounded Officer Rogers. The assailant was killed at the scene.
Officer Rogers was 33 years old and served with the Mecklenburg County Police Department for nearly six years. He was known as a fearless and conscientious officer, and was spoken of highly by his fellow officers and supervisors.
Detective Thomas H. Jenkins
End of Watch: October 21, 1929
Tragedy struck the Charlotte Police Department a second time in 1929, when Detective Thomas H. Jenkins was fatally wounded during the early morning hours of October 21st at First and Davidson streets.
Jenkins and another detective were making arrests to quell a disturbance at the corner, when one subject seized a riot gun held by the other detective. A scuffle ensued, resulting in the gun being fired, hitting Detective Jenkins in the abdomen. The shooter was never identified.
Jenkins had been with the York County, S.C. Sheriff’s Department from 1909 until 1924, when he joined the police force in Charlotte. Jenkins, 48, was described as “one of the most respected members of the City Police Department.”
Officer Benjamin H. Frye
End of Watch: June 9, 1930
42 year old night patrolman Ben Frye was fatally shot during the early morning hours of Monday, June 9, 1930. Wounded by five shots, Officer Frye told officers from his deathbed that he found the store’s front door unlocked and went in to investigate. When Frye flashed his light inside, the robber opened fire before the officer had a chance to defend himself. Officer Frye was able to crawl out the back of the store, over a platform and through an alley to the front of an adjoining store, where he attracted the attention of a watchman. He was carried to Mercy Hospital, where he died at 5:15 a.m.
No one was ever charged in Officer Frye’s death.
Officer Charles P. Nichols
End of Watch: April 17, 1936
In the early morning on March 29, 1936, Officer Nichols was on patrol in the business district. At the intersection of Third and S. Tryon Streets, Officer Nichols was struck by a hit-and-run driver. Officer Nichols, 60, remained unconscious until his death on April 17.
Officer Rufus L. Biggers
End of Watch: February 12, 1937
On February 12, 1937, Officer Biggers, a motorcycle officer, escorted a school bus to Matthews School. As he was returning to his regular patrol area, he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. Officer Biggers was 47 years old.
Police Chief John Albert Rape
End of Watch: January 1, 1938
John Albert Rape made this sacrifice while questioning a suspicious suspect on a burglary call during the early morning hours of January 1, 1938.
His murder was never solved.
Detective Charlie Herbert Baker
End of Watch: April 12, 1941
Detective Charlie Baker, 36, was transporting two prisoners back to Charlotte, when he was involved in a fatal car crash on April 7,1941. He was hospitalized in Roanoke Rapids, N.C. and died from his injuries five days later on April 12.
Officer Johnny Reed Annas
End of Watch: May 21, 1960
In the evening of May 21, 1960, Officer Annas and another officer were called to a fight. When they arrived, more than 100 spectators had gathered. While Officer Annas went to the patrol car to call for backup, members of the crowd assaulted the other officer and took his gun.
As Officer Annas returned, he was shot six times with his fellow officer’s gun. The shooter, Mellon Faust, received the death penalty in 1961 for the murder of Officer Johnny Annas. His sentence was commuted to life by Governor Terry Sanford, and he was released in 1986. Officer Annas was 25 at the time of his death, and had been with the Charlotte Police Department for two years.
Officer Paul Reed
End of Watch: December 31, 1960
Officer Paul Reed, age 40, a 13-year veteran of the Mecklenburg County Police Department, died December 31, 1960 while responding to a call to the Mecklenburg County Home to investigate a report that wing tip tanks, probably from a jet plane, had fallen there. A maintenance man at the Home reported that Officer Reed had walked with him about 500 yards to investigate, when the officer suddenly collapsed. After the maintenance man called for help, a highway patrolman tried to revive Reed but was unsuccessful. It later was determined that he died of a heart attack.
Sergeant Lewis Edward Robinson, Sr.
End of Watch: May 4, 1970
On May 4, 1970, Sgt Lewis Robinson led six other Mecklenburg County Officers and two Highway Patrol officers to serve a warrant on a subject. When he was not located in his trailer, officers began searching the surrounding area. Sgt. Robinson was ambushed and mortally wounded with a high-powered rifle shot from a wooded area. His assailant was critically injured in an exchange of gunfire before being arrested.
Sgt. Robinson, 44, was regarded as steady and reliable. Born in Davidson, he joined the Mecklenburg County Police in 1948 after serving in the Navy for five years. He was a Mecklenburg County Officer for 22 years.
Officer Ronnie E. McGraw
End of Watch: October 17, 1970
Mecklenburg County Police Officer Ronnie McGraw, 25, was shot in the back and chest on October 17, 1970, as he and 12 other law enforcement officers attempted to serve gambling warrants in a house on East Fourth Street. Other officers were wounded: one was shot in the stomach; another suffered flash burns to the eyes. Police arrested 17 people and confiscated $42,000, a shotgun, and eight pistols.
McGraw was known as an industrious, bright, and dedicated police officer. He was intensely interested in fighting the growing traffic in drugs. He studied the subject of drug investigations and was a stickler for the legal details that, left unattended, could undo weeks of police work. McGraw spoke to youth groups at schools and churches, and gave a willing ear to troubled youngsters who had no adults in whom to confide.
McGraw made the eligibility list for promotion to sergeant after only three years on the force. A newcomer to the Vice Squad, he had even been entrusted with planning one of its largest operations that spring.
Special Agent Gregory W. Spinelli
End of Watch: March 15, 1973
On March 15, 1973, Special Agent Gregory W. Spinelli was shot and killed in a gun battle with a suspected bank robber on a street in Charlotte, North Carolina. Special Agent Spinelli was one of several agents waiting in a motel room being used to stake out two suspects in a savings and loan robbery. When the suspects began to leave their room, one was arrested. The second ran to a wooded area behind the hotel and then to a nearby apartment building, which was under construction.
While another agent went to the front of the building, Special Agent Spinelli ran to the rear, where he was shot and killed. When the suspect attempted to flee, another agent succeeded in apprehending him. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Special Agent Spinelli.
Special Agent Spinelli was born in March 1949 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He joined the FBI in 1970 as a Physical Science Technician and was assigned to the FBI Laboratory. In 1972 he became a special agent and transferred to the FBI field office in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Officer Edmond "Ed" N. Cannon
End of Watch: November 23, 1981
While on routine patrol during the evening of November 23, 1981, Officer Ed Cannon stopped at a convenience store in his patrol area and surprised several subjects who had just robbed the store. The subjects shot Officer Cannon five times, mortally wounding him, and fled.
On and off-duty officers combed the woods near the store for evidence that night and into the next day. A reward fund of more than $26,000 was established for information leading to the arrests and conviction of the 26-year-old officer’s slayers. The shooter was later convicted and has since died in prison.
A Cabarrus County native, Officer Cannon joined the Charlotte Police Department in June 1977, after spending three years as an Army paratrooper.
Fellow officers praised him as “a fearless cop who loved his work and had a knack for dealing with people.” A sergeant was quoted as saying that Ed Cannon “treated everybody alike and he got along with everybody.”
Officer Ernest Coleman
End of Watch: July 1, 1982
While working in uniform at an off-duty security job on June 30, 1982, Officer Ernest Coleman was fatally shot by a subject he had earlier ejected from the store for rowdiness. The 31-year-old officer never regained consciousness and died during the early morning hours of July 1 at Charlotte Memorial Hospital. Coleman had been on the force for 18 months.
Over 2,000 mourners attended the funeral for the slain officer. City officials established a joint memorial fund to benefit the children of the two officers, Coleman and Cannon, who were slain within a year of each other. The two tragedies prompted several businesses and organizations to donate bullet-proof vests for officers.
Deputy Edmund Vance Thomas, Jr.
End of Watch: May 21, 1985
On May 21, 1985, Edmund Vance Thomas, Jr., a 42-year-old Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Sheriff died of a heart attack while chasing a probation violator wanted for arrest.
Deputy Thomas had driven to a local trailer park looking for the suspect. He checked off the air with the dispatcher and left his vehicle. The suspect was standing outside a neighbor’s trailer and when told he was under arrest, the suspect ran. Thomas gave chase for approximately 500 feet. Upon reaching the suspect, Deputy Thomas fell backward of a heart attack. He was pronounced dead at Charlotte Memorial Hospital.
Deputy Thomas was a 1961 graduate of Harding High School and a Navy veteran. He is survived by a son and daughter.
Officer Timothy W. Whittington
End of Watch: July 16, 1985
While on patrol in the early morning hours of July 16, 1985, Officer Tim Whittington responded to a burglary call. An elderly couple reported that a man came to their door asking to use their phone. Once inside, the man stabbed the elderly man, took a pistol from the home, and fled. An hour later, Officer Whittington was fatally shot when he stopped his patrol car to question a subject fitting the assailant’s description. The suspect was apprehended and sentenced to 150 years in prison. Whittington had been a Charlotte Police Officer for three years.
In memory of her husband, Cindy Whittington, a former Charlotte Police Officer, donated money to the Charlotte Police Department for 34 bulletproof vests.
Officer Robert L. Smith
End of Watch: January 15, 1987
On January 15, 1987, Charlotte Police Officer Robert L. Smith was fatally shot during a manhunt for a suspect who’d been shooting into a condominium complex on Spyglass Place. Smith, who was 27, at the time of his death, had joined the police force as soon as he was old enough.
Officer Milus "Terry" Lyles
End of Watch: August 7, 1990
On Sunday night, August 6, 1990, Officer Terry Lyles and another officer responded to a domestic disturbance call. The officers arrested a 44 year old suspect on the charge of communicating threats. After the officers searched and cuffed him, he was placed in the back seat of Lyles’ patrol car. As Officer Lyles drove toward the Mecklenburg County Jail, two shots hit him in the back of his bullet proof vest. Officer Lyles stumbled out of the car and shouted to residents to call 911. A third shot crashed through the window of the cruiser and struck Lyles just over the right eye. He died the next day.
Investigators discovered that the prisoner had concealed a tiny derringer in his underwear which was undetected by both officers when they searched him. On May 3, 1991, a Mecklenburg Superior Court jury sentenced the suspect to death. Calvin Cunningham was only the 2nd person in history to be sentenced to death for the murder of a Charlotte police officer. He was removed from death row after a retrial in 1994 and he received a life sentence. He was denied parole in August 2013.
Officer Eugene A. "Gene" Griffin
End of Watch: November 22, 1991
In the early evening hours of November 22, 1991, Officer Gene Griffin was working an off-duty security job at the Red Roof Inn. After a noise complaint, Griffin expelled three 17-year-olds from the hotel. Fifteen minutes later, the youths returned to the lobby. One of them raised a shotgun and shot Griffin at point-blank range. The three teenagers, who were later charged with murder, were high school dropouts who lived nearby.
It was the fourteenth murder of a Charlotte officer and the city’s 108th homicide in what had already become a record-setting year for murders in the city. Griffin, 42, was survived by his wife, Hilda, also a Charlotte police officer, and two children.
Officer Andy Alford Nobles
End of Watch: October 5, 1993
Officers John Burnette and Andy Nobles responded to what appeared to be a routine call the night of Tuesday, October 5, 1993.
Someone had reported a suspicious vehicle and persons at Boulevard Homes, a public housing complex that was part of the officers’ Adam Two Patrol District. But when the officers arrived and started talking to a suspect, he ran. Nobles and Burnette chased suspect into a nearby wooded area. A few minutes later, shots rang out. Nobles, 26, and Burnette, 25, were each shot in the head.
When they were pronounced dead at Carolinas Medical Center, the recently consolidated Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department recorded its first slaying of an officer. It was also the first time in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County history that two officers died in a single incident.
The deaths sparked public outrage. Thousands attended their funerals. Radio and television programs bristled with calls from citizens demanding that something be done about the growing violent crime problems. Memorial services were held, and monuments dedicated. Since the officers died, the very streets where they lost their lives have been named after them.
Officer John Thomas Burnette, III
End of Watch: October 5, 1993
Officers John Burnette and Andy Nobles responded to what appeared to be a routine call the night of Tuesday, October 5, 1993.
Someone had reported a suspicious vehicle and persons at Boulevard Homes, a public housing complex that was part of the officers’ Adam Two Patrol District. But when the officers arrived and started talking to a suspect, he ran. Nobles and Burnette chased suspect into a nearby wooded area. A few minutes later, shots rang out. Nobles, 26, and Burnette, 25, were each shot in the head.
When they were pronounced dead at Carolinas Medical Center, the recently consolidated Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department recorded its first slaying of an officer. It was also the first time in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County history that two officers died in a single incident.
The deaths sparked public outrage. Thousands attended their funerals. Radio and television programs bristled with calls from citizens demanding that something be done about the growing violent crime problems. Memorial services were held, and monuments dedicated. Since the officers died, the very streets where they lost their lives have been named after them.
Officer Jackie Lamont Daniel
End of Watch: July 28, 1994
Officer Daniel was killed when he was struck by a commercial vehicle as he was assisting a disabled motorist on Interstate 85.
Patrolman Mark Allen Swaney
End of Watch: December 25, 1997
Officer Mark Swaney was shot and killed on Christmas day in 1997 after he and another officer responded to a man with gun call. Upon arriving at the scene, about two miles from Davidson College, the officers were informed that the suspect had left the scene.
Another unit arrived at the scene, allowing Officer Swaney and his sergeant to look for the suspect. They located the suspect and began to question him as a group of people gathered around them. One of the bystanders grabbed Officer Swaney's arm as the suspect pulled out a gun and shot both officers. The suspect was shot by return gunfire and pronounced dead at the scene.
Officer Swaney was transported to a local hospital where he died approximately one hour after the incident.
Officer Swaney had served with the agency for 2 years and had previously served with another agency for 5 years.
Captain Anthony Stancil
End of Watch: September 29, 1998
On September 29, 1998, Captain Anthony Stancil was working at an off-duty assignment, providing security for a local grocery store.
Shortly after 1:00 a.m., Captain Stancil placed himself on duty as a Sheriff’s Deputy, when he approached and detained a shoplifting suspect in the parking lot of the grocery, pursuant to the arrest. The suspect pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot Captain Stancil one time in the face. Captain Stancil died at the scene of the shooting as a result of the gunshot. The suspect was later identified, subsequently arrested, and later sentenced to life in prison.
Captain Stancil was a Marine and a graduate of the North Carolina Administrative Officers Management Program. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Sergeant Anthony Scott Futrell
End of Watch: July 17, 2002
On July 17, 2002, Sgt. Anthony Scott Futrell, a 38 year old Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department pilot, died in an airplane crash in eastern North Carolina. He was making a surveillance flight for the Civil Air Patrol as part of a statewide drug eradication program. Futrell became a Mecklenburg County police officer in 1987. He influenced many young officers as a member of the training staff at the Police Training Academy. He also served as a member of the SWAT and ALERT teams and leader of the Field Force Unit. In 2001 he became supervisor of the Aviation Unit. He is survived by his wife and two children.
Officer Jeffrey Shelton
End of Watch: April 1, 2007
Jeff Shelton and Sean Clark were responding to what should have been a routine disturbance call for service at the Timber Ridge Apartments near Milton Road in east Charlotte the night of Saturday, March 31, 2007.
They were both shot in the head around 11:15 p.m. while struggling with a suspect in the apartment complex parking lot. They died at Carolinas Medical Center in the early morning hours of April 1, 2007, but not before officers located a subject who later was charged with their murder. The suspect was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
The community responded to the death of Officers Shelton and Clark with an outpouring of grief, offers of support and aid and thousands of dollars in donations for the slain officers' families. Thousands of officers, including those from more than 38 different departments, joined the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in mourning the loss of these young officers. Thousands of citizens lined the funeral procession with signs, American flags and tears of grief to pay their final respects to Officers Shelton and Clark. It was an unforgettable show of support.
Officer Shelton, 35, was hired February 28, 2001 and graduated in the 136th Recruit Class. Before joining CMPD, he served in the United States Marine Corps. He was married to Jennifer Sparks Shelton.
Officer Sean Robert Clark
End of Watch: April 1, 2007
Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton were responding to what should have been a routine distrubance call for service at the Timber Ridge Apartments near Milton Road in east Charlotte the night of Saturday, March 31, 2007.
They were both shot in the head around 11:15 p.m. while struggling with a suspect in the apartment complex parking lot. They died at Carolinas Medical Center in the early morning hours of April 1, 2007, but not before officers located a subject who later was charged with their murder. The suspect was convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
The community responded to the deaths of Officers Clark and Shelton with an outpouring of grief, offers of support and aid and thousands of dollars in donations for the slain officers' families. Thousands of officers, including those from more than 38 different departments, joined the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in mourning the loss of these young officers. Thousands of citizens lined the funeral procession with signs, American flags and tears of grief to pay their final respects to Officers Clark and Shelton. It was an unforgettable show of support.
Officer Clark, 34, was hired January 23, 2006 and graduated in the 148th Recruit Class. He was a 1991 graduate of West Mecklenburg High School and had served in the United States Air Force before joining CMPD. He was married to Sherry Jones Clark. At the time of Sean's death, they had a 3 1/2 year old son, Brayden, and they were awaiting the birth of their second son.
Sergeant Frederick A. Thornton
End of Watch: February 25, 2011
On February 25, 2011, Officer Thornton was critically injured when a flash grenade discharged while he was attempting to render the equipment safe after a SWAT warrant service. Officer Thornton underwent emergency surgery but succumbed to his injuries later that evening.
Officer Thornton was a 28 year veteran of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department . For 23 of those years he served on the SWAT team and was the longest serving member of the team in the department’s history. Throughout his career in law enforcement, Officer Thornton received numerous departmental and state awards for his bravery, heroism, and community service. He was deployed to assist in affected areas after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and 2006, as well as flood relief efforts in Indiana in 2008.
Officer Thornton is survived by his wife, four children, and a granddaughter. Fred was 50 years old at the time of his death.
Officer Julio Cesar Herrera
End of Watch: October 4, 2021
Officer Julio Herrera died as a result of complications from COVID-19 he contracted while serving as a School Resource Officer at Audrey Kell High School in Charlotte, NC. He was a 28-year veteran of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and the agency's first death from complications of COVID-19.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
Officer Mia Goodwin
End of Watch: December 22, 2021
On Wednesday, December 22, 2021, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer, Mia Goodwin, was struck by a vehicle and killed while working a collision on I-85 in the City's University Division. Officers had responded to a previous collision and while the investigation was being conducted, a secondary collision occurred between two tractor-trailer vehicles. This collision caused several police vehicles to be struck; three officers were injured and Officer Goodwin died on scene from her injuries.
Officer Goodwin was hired by CMPD in 2015; she leaves behind a husband and three children who, at the time of her, were 3 years old, 1-year-old, and 4-months. Officer Goodwin had just returned to duty from the birth of her youngest child.