Four Police Officers Die from Fatal Work Injuries Caused by Weekend Gunbattle
Police are mourning the loss of their own, as the officer death toll from a Saturday gunbattle claimed a fourth life. Officer John Hege was pronounced brain dead on Sunday.
Hege, 41, was among the cops that were critically injured during a shootout with a suspect. The men were wounded on Saturday afternoon when they tried to apprehend a car during a routine traffic stop.
Soon after, 911 dispatchers were told that two cops—Hege and Dunakin—had had been shot. Police began a manhunt to look for the shooter and an anonymous tipster directed them to a nearby building.
Other officers killed in Saturday’s incident were 40-year-old Sgt. Mark Dunakin, 43-year-old Sgt. Ervin Romans, and 35-year-old Sgt. Daniel Sakai. A fifth officer was grazed by a bullet and was released from the hospital.
The gunman shot at police and that is when Sakai and Romans were killed. The suspect, 26-year-old Lovelle Mixon, was also shot to death. On Monday, police said that Mixon was a primary suspect in a sexual assault case.
Law enforcement injuries can be serious injuries. Police officers are supposed to deal with dangerous situations and armed suspects, which can place their lives at risk. Sometimes, a police officer may also sustain a work injury in more "normal" incidents, such as slip and fall accidents. A police officer also might sustain a dog bite when going to a residence to respond to a call.
Regardless of the cause of the work injury, police officers and their families are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
Injured California officer is declared brain dead, Boston.com/AP, March 23, 2009
Fourth Oakland police officer dies after weekend shooting, CNN.com, March 24, 2009
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Oakland Police
In Lake County, Will County, Cook County, and DuPage County, contact the Law Offices of Steven J Malman & Associates, PC today to request your free consultation with one of our experienced Chicago workers' compensation lawyers.
