Thread: Police detective and new mother, 29, shot dead by fugitive gang member one day before

Police detective and new mother, 29, shot dead by fugitive gang member one day before welcoming her premature baby daughter from hospital

• Detective Kerrie Orozco, 29, was killed while serving arrest warrant to 26-year-old Marcus Wheeler who was a suspect in another shooting
• Wheeler opened fire on police in Omaha, Nebraska, and was shot dead in the exchange
• Orozco is first female Omaha police officer to die in the line of duty
• The seven-year veteran of the department was set to go on maternity leave Thursday to care for her daughter, Olivia Ruth
• Orozco, a Boys and Girls Club baseball coach and Special Olympics volunteer, is survived by her husband, their baby and two step-children

By ASSOCIATED PRESS and
SNEJANA FARBEROV FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 18:28 EST, 20 May 2015

A suspect being sought by police for an Omaha shooting opened fire Wednesday on officers, prompting police to return gunfire in a shootout that left a 29-year-old detective and the suspect dead.

Officer Kerrie Orozco died at Creighton University Medical Center shortly after the 1pm gun battle, Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said at a hospital news conference.

Schmaderer said the suspect, 26-year-old Marcus Wheeler, also passed away at the hospital.



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Somber day: Omaha Police Officer Kerrie Orozco, 29 (left), was shot and killed Wednesday by fugitive suspect 26-year-old Marcus Wheeler , who also died after opening fire on police



Gun battle: Orozco and a group of officers were pursuing Wheeler, who was wanted on a warrant charging him in a previous shooting, when he started shooting at them

Orozco was part of a fugitive task force looking for Wheeler to serve a felony arrest warrant. Wheeler, who was wanted on a warrant charging him in a previous shooting, opened fire on the officers as they approached him.

Officers fired back, and Wheeler was later found behind a neighbor's house suffering from gunshot wounds, the chief said.
A semi-automatic handgun was also found on Wheeler, Schmaderer said.

'Mr. Wheeler is a convicted felon and a known gang member,' he said.

Omaha police had been seeking Marcus Wheeler for months in connection with the September 5 shooting of Antonio Martin.
The 26-year-old had a long criminal history, including charges for a string of shootings and a five-year sentence for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He was released from prison in February 2014.

Paramedics performed CPR on both the officer and the suspect as they were taken to the hospital.

Orozco was a seven-year veteran of the department and worked in its gang unit, Schmaderer said. She was also a new mother with a premature baby, Olivia Ruth, who is in an Omaha hospital.

'The (baby) is set to be released from the hospital tomorrow,' Schmaderer said, his voice breaking.

Orozco had been scheduled to begin her maternity leave Thursday. Now, her husband of four years, Hector, will have to raise his baby daughter on his own.



Heartbreaking loss: Orozco was a new mother with a premature baby, Olivia Ruth (pictured in her arms). The officer, her husband Hector and her two step-children (pictured) were looking forward to welcoming the newborn from the hospital Thursday

Accoring to a posting in an online bridal register uncovered by Omaha.com, Kerrie and Hector first met while she was working off-duty security at a night club.

It's been more than 10 years since an Omaha officer was killed in the line of duty, when Officer Jason 'Tye' Pratt was shot and killed in September 2003, while chasing down a fleeing suspect. The suspect, 21-year-old Albert Rucker of Omaha, was in turn shot and killed by another officer.

Orozco is the first female Omaha police officer to die in the line of duty, according to a list on the Officer Down Memorial online page.

Besides her daughter, Orozco is survived by her husband, two stepchildren, Santiago, 6, and Natalia, 7, her mother and two siblings.



Difference maker: Orozco coached baseball at an Omaha Boys and Girls Club, was a Special Olympics volunteer and rescued dogs and cats

Kerrie Orozco coached baseball at an Omaha Boys and Girls Club, was a Special Olympics volunteer and served as president of the Police Officers' Ball to benefit the Special Olympics, the chief said. She also took in rescue dogs and was a Girl Scout mentor.

'She was a friend, a popular officer,' Schmaderer said. 'I just can't even imagine that this has happened. The city of Omaha owes her and her family a debt of gratitude.'

Dr. Michael Wagner, a trauma critical care surgeon at the hospital, said his team provided 'aggressive care' to both Orozco and Wheeler, but neither could be revived.

Tiffany Atkins, who lives less than a block from where the shooting happened, said she heard between five and 10 shots Wednesday afternoon near Read Street and Martin Avenue in the Florence neighborhood in north Omaha, made up mostly of tudor-style brick homes along tree-lined streets.

She said she immediately took shelter in her basement, even as she heard police cars swarming the scene within seconds of the shooting.

'I was raised in this neighborhood,' Atkins said. 'This makes me want to move.'

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts released a statement paying tribute to the fallen officer.

'Susanne and I send our prayers and deepest sympathies to the family and colleagues of Officer Orozco. Today's tragic news is devastating to the law enforcement community and all Nebraskans. We must all ensure that Officer Orozco's sacrifice will never be forgotten.'

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Female police officer killed in shootout 1 day before her newborn daughter’s release from hospital

Published time: May 21, 2015 16:10



Orozco’s daughter, Olivia Ruth, was born premature in February and has been in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit of the Nebraska Medical Center ever since. She was expected to come home Thursday, and turn three months old on Sunday.

On Wednesday evening, Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer announced that Orozco had died as a result of a shootout that unfolded just before 1 p.m. while she was attempting to serve an arrest warrant on suspect Marcus Wheeler, 26.

"This is a somber day for the City of Omaha," Schmaderer said, according to a local NBC News affiliate. "Kerrie Orozco has died after being shot in the line of duty."

Orozco had put off taking time away from the force while waiting for her daughter to be released from the ICU and was also scheduled to start maternity leave on Thursday.

Members of the OPD Fugitive Task Force, including Orozco, were serving a felony arrest warrant for Wheeler on Wednesday that gave way to a shootout, according authorities. Orozco and Wheeler were each struck during the exchange, and the two were taken in separate ambulances to Creighton University Medical Center.

"I heard shots fired and when I heard shots fired, I ran down inside to my basement,” neighborhood resident Tiffany Atkins told WOWT News.

Wheeler, who was wanted on a warrant stemming from a previous shooting, also died Wednesday, officials said. Chief Schmaderer described him as a “convicted felon and a known gang member” and a handgun was reportedly recovered from him before he was brought to the hospital.
On Twitter, Governor Pete Ricketts said the news “is devastating to the law enforcement community and all Nebraskans.”

"We must all ensure that Officer Orozco's sacrifice will never be forgotten,”Gov. Ricketts said.

According to the Associated Press, Orozco was the first Omaha police officer to be killed in the line of duty since September 2003. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund says an average of 146 cops a year have died as a result of their work during the last decade, and that 117 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2014, including four women.

Orozco had been with the OPD for seven years, according to Schmaderer, and is survived by her husband and two stepchildren, ages eight and six. The Officer Down Memorial Page reports that her passing marks the 12th time in 2015 that an officer has been killed on the job.

http://rt.com/usa/260845-omaha-officer-orozco-killed/