Kenosha cop killed

Killed Kenosha cop 'one of the good guys'
Fatally shot during routine traffic stop

May 18, 2007
By Kendrick Marshall kmarshall@scn1.com
SOMERS, Wis. -- An 18-year veteran of the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department died after being shot in the face while conducting a traffic stop.

Frank Fabiano Jr. was shot multiple times near the University of Wisconsin-Parkside just before midnight Wednesday, Kenosha County Sheriff's Department spokesman Gil Benn said.

Scene where Kenosha County Sheriff Deputy Frank Fabiano Jr., an 18-year veteran of the Kenosha Sheriff's Department, died early Thursday after being shot during a traffic stop.

• Cops call traffic stops tricky

The shooting happened around 11:37 p.m. when Fabiano pulled over a 1995 red Chevrolet Astro van after the driver initially refused to stop the vehicle.

The driver then stepped out of his vehicle and shot Fabiano as the officer approached the van, authorities said. A Parkside police officer who was also on the scene radioed a report that shots had been fired and a deputy was down.

The man identified as the gunman, Ezequiel Lopez, 45, of Kenosha, fled the scene on foot and was arrested three hours later outside the Woodcreek apartment complex, police said.

Authorities suspect Lopez might be an illegal immigrant due to his use of several aliases and Social Security numbers discovered after his arrest. Lopez also had no valid driver's license when he was stopped by Fabiano.

The deputy was rushed to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead around 5 a.m. Thursday, Sheriff David Beth said.

Traffic stops are inherently dangerous for police officers. No one knows that better than Ron Kuryanowicz, a retired Kenosha County sheriff's deputy who had to swallow the grim news of hearing that his friend was a victim of a traffic stop gone wrong.

"It hurt more because I knew him so well," Kuryanowicz said in describing how he felt after being told his close friend, Fabiano, died in the line of duty.

Wednesday's incident was not the first time Fabiano had been shot. He was wounded in the hand in 1991 while responding to a domestic dispute.

"Frank was one of the good guys, and he was an officer that handled himself with so much professionalism," an emotional Kuryanowicz told The News-Sun. "He never seemed rattled by any situation. Frank was one of the most attentive officers on the force."

But the 33-year veteran policeman admitted even the most diligent officers have to be on alert even during what appears to be a "routine" traffic stop.

The danger is still present because no officer -- no matter how well they are trained -- can ever be prepared for what a driver or passenger might do once the officer approaches the vehicle.

According to FBI statistics, more officers are killed or injured annually during the course of a traffic stop than at any other time, excluding vehicle accidents and domestic arrests.

"I always wondered if that driver is dangerous," Kuryanowicz said. "You don't ever know if that guy has a gun or will do something once you step up to the vehicle."

And traffic stops occurring under the cover of darkness justify even greater anxiety.

"We were always taught to stay focused no matter where we make the stop," Kuryanowicz said. "It's like trying to describe to someone what it is like being in a war. It's hard to explain how war is."

Benn said funeral arraignments will be made over the next few days. Fabiano is survived by his wife, Amy, and a 7-year-old daughter.

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