Every April brings the realization that another year has passed since the tragic loss of Los Angeles Airport Police Officer Tommy Scott on April 29, 2005. However, the end-of-watch anniversary of the LAXPD’s first officer to die in the line of duty also serves as a heartfelt reminder of the many contributions Scott offered during his law enforcement career and how his legacy of commitment and service lives on, as do the memories of fellow fallen law enforcement brothers and sisters.

On that fateful Friday, Scott stepped into action when a man absconded with his patrol car near the airport. It was clear the suspect was willing to careen the car into an airplane on the LAX runway, causing damage, disruption, and possible injury and harm to persons. Scott struggled with the individual, and in the process, was dragged alongside the vehicle at high speeds. He was killed instantly upon colliding with a fire hydrant.

Scott had been with the LAXPD for less than four years, signing up in October 2001 and graduating from Rio Hondo Police Academy on February 21, 2002. Still, he left an endearing impression, which remains evident more than two decades later. He continues to be regarded with fondness — full of positive energy, quick with a smile and, overall, one of the kindest officers on the force. Scott also shared his experience and knowledge as a field training officer, and undoubtedly, those he influenced early in their careers continue to benefit from his mentorship.

Indeed, Scott’s call to serve was well apparent even before deciding on a career as a peace officer. He worked the previous 15 years as an aquatic supervisor for the Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation and notably saved two children from drowning.

It’s now our duty to ensure his memory endures. It’s uplifting to recognize how the Los Angeles Airport Police Athletics and Activities League (LAAPAAL) Tommy Scott Memorial Scholarship Fund makes sure his legacy is paid forward. Throughout the years, dozens of well-deserving students have been rewarded in his memory. To make a contribution to this worthy cause in Scott’s honor, visit laapoa.com/donate. LAAPOA also was a fervent supporter of installing signs on the north and southbound portions of Interstate 405 near LAX in 2023 as a permanent reminder of Scott’s sacrifice for the community he served.

Of course, as April transitions to May, we remember all our fallen brethren who have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. The month’s solemn memorial observances are heartbreaking reminders of the risks law enforcement officers take to protect and serve our communities, not to mention the impact of their loss on surviving families and colleagues.

Each May, LAAPOA honors Scott and the memory of others within our ranks whom we lost far too soon — including Captain Albert E. Torres (EOW: October 12, 2019), the first Los Angeles Park Ranger to die in the line of duty, who suffered a fatal heart attack while patrolling areas affected by the Saddleridge Fire in the San Fernando Valley.

We also salute the more than 1,682 officers who have given their lives in service of others since California became a state, and whose names are engraved on the Peace Officers’ Memorial monument in Sacramento. Next month’s California Peace Officers’ Memorial candlelight vigil will take place on May 3 and the enrollment ceremony follows on May 4. California will recognize 12 officers killed in the line of duty in 2025, as well as one who died in the past. For more information on the California Peace Officers’ Memorial Ceremonies and the honored officers, visit camemorial.org.

Deputy Timothy Corlew
Riverside County Sheriff’s Office
EOW: January 8, 2025

Deputy Hector Cuevas Jr.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
EOW: March 17, 2025

Officer Osmar Rodarte
Marysville Police Department
EOW: March 26, 2025

Officer Samuel Riveros
Baldwin Park Police Department
EOW: May 31, 2025

Sergeant I Shiou Lih Deng
Los Angeles Police Department
EOW: June 23, 2025

Parole Agent Joshua Byrd
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
EOW: July 17, 2025

Detective Joshua Kelley-Eklund
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department
EOW: July 18, 2025

Detective Victor Lemus
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department
EOW: July 18, 2025

Detective William Osborn
Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department
EOW: July 18, 2025

Officer Lauren Craven
La Mesa Police Department
EOW: October 20, 2025

Deputy Andrew Nuñez
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
EOW: October 27, 2025

Officer Alec Sanders
Alhambra Police Department
EOW: November 20, 2025

Deputy Paul W. DeRouen
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office
EOW: March 29, 2008

Our California officers will be memorialized during National Police Week ceremonies in Washington, D.C., May 11–16. They will be among the 191 U.S. law enforcement officers — 83 who died in previous years — added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and publicly honored in annual events such as the Police Unity Tour (concludes in D.C. on May 12), the Candlelight Vigil (May 13), the National Police Survivors Conference (May 14 and 16) and the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service (May 15). Police dogs will be honored during the annual National Police K-9 Memorial Service, which kicks off the week’s events on May 11. For more information on these and many more events, visit policeweek.org and nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2026.

“We will always hold the service and sacrifice of our brothers, Tommy Scott and Albert E. Torres, in the highest regard, along with the fallen from our extended law enforcement family in California and nationwide,” LAAPOA President Marshall McClain says. “We know those tragedies continue to sting, no matter how many years have gone by, and we extend our deepest condolences to all those mourning a colleague, friend or family member who gave their life in the line of duty. I hope many of our members and supporters will be able to attend a local, state or national memorial event to pay respects to the fallen and show care for their survivors. But whether you are there in person or in spirit, please take time during this season of remembrance to reflect on those we have lost with the reverence and gratitude they deserve.”