As the Examiner.com reports, Omaha city police officer Kerrie Orozco, 29, died Wednesday in a shootout with a dangerous fugitive. She was the first female in the department's history to be killed in the line of duty. The suspect, 26-year-old black male Marcus Wheeler, was shot dead as well.
Officer Orozco had been assigned to plainclothes duty as a member of the Omaha Fugitive Task Force, which had been searching for Wheeler to serve him with a felony arrest warrant for a previous shooting in Omaha. As they closed in on Wheeler Wednesday afternoon, he opened fire and the police shot back.
Prior to being on the fugitive task force, Orozco had been a member of the department's active gang unit. She had coached baseball for the Omaha Boys and Girls Club, and was a volunteer for the Special Olympics. An active law enforcement advocate, she served as president of the Police Officers' Ball to raise money for the Special Olympics. She also helped rescue dogs and was a participant in the Girl Scout mentors program.
In February, she had given birth to a premature baby, and had postponed her maternity leave until the baby was released from the hospital and she could care for the premie while on leave. “[The baby was] set to be released from the hospital tomorrow,” an emotional Chief Todd Schmaderer told the press. Orozco, a seven-year law enforcement veteran, was also the stepmom of two other young children.
The Examiner suggested that Orozco was the latest victim in a politically-driven "war on cops":
The killing of yet another police officer occurred two days after President Barack Obama announced that his administration will no longer give local cops some types of protective gear and vehicles, while putting stricter controls on other weapons and equipment distributed to law enforcement. The details were released prior to Obama's visit to Camden, News Jersey, Monday afternoon to give a speech on how he will address police officers allegedly using racist tactics based on racist departmental policies.
Obama and his supporters view police wearing protective riot gear and using armored vehicles as being overly-aggressive in neighborhoods that are predominately black and Hispanic. The President even accused some departments of issuing bayonets, which is demonstrably untrue, according to one police officer who claims she voted for Obama in 2008. "This President actually shows his dislike for local cops. I believe he wants to federalize policing and do away with local and state law enforcement. While the constitution prohibits that, when was the last time Obama cared about what the constitution says," said Iris Aquino, a former police detective.
