Aviation TX

Police Officer Matthew J. Gay died from illnesses caused by inhaling toxic materials while partaking in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Police Officer Gay served with the New York City Police Department for 20 years. He was assigned to the Midtown North Precinct.

Chief of Police Lonnie Burton succumbed to complications of a knee injury sustained on May 18th, 2018, when he fell from a curb in front of the Wayland Baptist University police station in Plainview, Texas.

The injury required Chief Burton to undergo knee surgery. He died as a result of complications of the surgery.

Chief Burton was instrumental in the formation of the Wayland Baptist University Police Department and had served with the agency for nine years. He had previously served with the Plainview Police Department for 32 years. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son, three grandchildren, and father.

Deputy Sheriff Troy Chisum was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call in the 5200 block of East Troy Road in Avon at 2:00 pm.

He was shot by a subject who then barricaded himself inside the home. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody without incident the next day. He was convicted of Deputy Chisum's murder and sentenced to life in prison in January 2022.

Deputy Chisum served with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office for 4-1/2 years. He also served as a paramedic with the Fulton County EMA and as a member of the West Central Special Response Team.

He is survived by his wife.

Detective Andrea Rainer died as the result of cancer that she developed following her assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.

Detective Rainer had served with the NYPD for 19 years. She is survived by her six siblings.

The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks
On the morning of September 11th, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

After the impact of the first plane into the World Trade Center's North Tower, putting the safety of others before their own, law enforcement officers along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety. Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.

As the evacuation continued, the South Tower unexpectedly collapsed as a result of the intense fire caused by the impact. The North Tower collapsed a short time later. Seventy-two law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department, and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site on 9/11.

A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer, who was a passenger on the plane, was killed in that crash.

The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon on 9/11.

The terrorist attacks resulted in the declaration of war against the Taliban regime, the illegal rulers of Afghanistan, and the al Qaeda terrorist network which also was based in Afghanistan.

On September 9th, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11th, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.

The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescue personnel to become extremely ill and eventually led to the death of several rescue workers.

Corrections Officer Richard Bianchi was killed in a vehicle crash on Highway 44 four miles east of Old Station Road near Redding.

He was en route from the High Desert State Prison to Redding Hospital to perform guard duty for an inmate at the hospital. His department vehicle left the roadway and overturned, causing him to suffer fatal injuries.

Officer Bianchi was a United States Air Force veteran and had served with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for 10 years. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents, brother, and grandson.

Youth Counselor Corey Proulx succumbed to injuries he received when he was assaulted by a juvenile inmate at the Lincoln Hills School at W4380 Copper Lake Avenue in Irma.

Shortly before 8:00 p.m. on June 24, 2024, a juvenile threw a cup of hair conditioner into the face of a female staff member. He repeatedly punched her in the torso and face before fleeing from the Krueger Living Facility. Counselor Proulx followed the juvenile outside to detain him when the teenager struck him multiple times in the head and face. He fell to the ground, hitting his head on the concrete, and was unresponsive.

Counselor Proulx was airlifted to Aspirus Wausau Hospital where he was declared brain dead on June 25, 2024. He remained on life support until his organs could be donated. The female counselor was treated at the hospital and released.

The juvenile is charged with second-degree reckless homicide, felony murder, and two counts of battery by prisoners. Another juvenile, who procured the hair conditioner for the suspect, has been charged with being a party to the crimes of felony murder with special circumstances and two counts of battery by a prisoner.

Counselor Proulx is survived by his daughter and fiancee.

Deputy Steven Parsons died five days after being involved in a traffic collision while driving his police motorcycle.

Deputy Parsons was traveling through an intersection when another vehicle ran a red light, striking him. He was transported to a local hospital where he remained in critical condition before passing away. He had been employed with the Orange County Sheriff's Department for 11 years, and is survived by his wife, six year old daughter, three year old son, parents, and sister.

Police Officer Fred Small was killed in a motorcycle accident on I-60, near Grand Avenue, in Diamond Bar, California.

A car traveling in the same direction on I-60 two lanes over went out of control and struck a car in the lane next to Officer Small. These two vehicles then collided with Officer Small's motorcycle. Officer Small was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital where he died of his injuries early the next morning.

Officer Small had served with the Inglewood Police Department for five years and had previously served with the Westminster Police Department and the Los Angeles Community College Police Department. He is survived by his four children.

Chief Jailer David Gwin died as the result of a heart attack he suffered following a struggle with a prisoner.

The inmate had been arrested for drunk driving by members of the Macon Police Department and became extremely combative and belligerent with the Macon officers. He was transported to the Macon County Jail for processing and continued refusing the officers' orders. Chief Jailer Gwin instructed the inmate to remove his necklace, but the man refused. As Chief Jailer Gwin attempted to remove the necklace, the prisoner struggled with him. The prisoner was subdued with the assistance of the Macon officers.

After the prisoner was moved to a holding cell, Chief Jailer Gwin returned downstairs and began having trouble breathing while talking with the other officers. When the chief was transported to a hospital he stopped breathing. Officers and ER staff performed CPR and were able to stabilize his condition. He was flown to another hospital where he remained until passing away two weeks later.

Chief Jailer Gwin had served with the Macon County Sheriff's Department for 24 years.

Trooper Adam Bowen was killed when his patrol car was involved in a collision in King George County.

Trooper Bowen was responding to call for assistance from a Virginia State Police special agent. He was traveling westbound on Route 3 and as he entered the intersection of Route 3 and Madison Drive his patrol car collided with a vehicle that was traveling eastbound. The impact forced the patrol car to run off the road and strike a traffic pole. The patrol car was split in half by the force of the impact and the front end of the vehicle continued into a nearby parking lot where it struck three parked cars. Trooper Bowen died at the scene.

Trooper Bowen had served with the Virginia State Police for three years. He had previously served with the U.S. Air National Guard and participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He is survived by his parents and fiancée.