Amid rising violence against law enforcement, shooting of Alameda Co. Sheriff's deputy hits hard

ByTim Johns KGO logo

Thursday, January 25, 2024

A look at the impact of rising violence against law enforcement

Being a law enforcement officer in Alameda County has been difficult the past few weeks with the murder of Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le and Wednesday's shooting of a sheriff's deputy.

UNION CITY, Calif. (KGO) -- The impact of the shooting of an Alameda County Sheriff's deputy Wednesday was felt deeply by East Bay law enforcement.

"When we experience critical incidents like this, it resonates throughout the agency. From the Sheriff down," said Capt. Tya Modeste, a spokesperson with the Sheriff's Office.

She says being a law enforcement officer in Alameda County has been difficult the past few weeks.

At the end of December, Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le was shot and killed while attempting to stop a robbery at a cannabis facility in town.

Now, on Wednesday, a deputy from Modeste's own department was also shot and injured in the line of duty.

"We're just looking at this gun violence happening in our county and it's happening against law enforcement as well. The lawlessness, it's out of control," she said.

The uptick in violence against law enforcement isn't just happening in the Bay Area though- it's a trend also seen around the country.

VIDEO: Fallen OPD officer Tuan Le called 'superhero' by family at memorial service

A public memorial was held Wednesday morning for Oakland Police Officer Tuan Le, who was shot and killed while responding to a burglary.

A recent report by the Fraternal Order of Police shows that from 2018 to 2023, the number of officers shot in the line of duty nationwide jumped from 237 to 378 - a 60 percent rise.

Former Police Chief Susan Manheimer says this is largely due to the increased number of guns in our communities.

"The proliferation of guns simply means as we enter these situations, the level of violence and the level of use of force increases," she said.

The number of officers shot and killed while on duty nationwide, however, dropped from 62 in 2022 to 46 last year.

INTERACTIVE: Take a look at the ABC7 Neighborhood Safety Tracker

Capt. Modeste says she hopes this continues not just for the people she serves, but also for their loved ones and the community.

"You never know what a day is going to look like," she said. "You know what time you start. You don't know what time you finish. And you don't know if at the end of that day, you'll be going home to your family."