The dangers law enforcement officers face on a daily basis

On the morning of Nov. 4, approximately 2,000 people gathered at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston to celebrate the life of fallen Harris County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesse “Trey” Valdez III.

Valdez, 32, was killed in the line of duty Oct. 29 after an allegedly intoxicated driver slammed head-on into his cruiser. Valdez was on his way to a welfare check when the fatal accident occurred.

“You hear about officers losing their life more often than you should; it’s heartbreaking to think about the families involved and, of course, the sacrifice of life that officer gave,” said Thomas Hayes, cousin of Deputy Valdez. “It’s disturbing to wake up and read a story on the Internet about an officer’s life being taken. Then, to find out just minutes later that it was a member of your own family, that’s an entirely different feeling that I cannot even express. It is very difficult to put into words. A two-time felon took the life of a great man, a father and my cousin while he was simply on his way to check in on someone. Trey died doing what he believed in and loved, so for that I can find peace in my heart for him.”

The death of Valdez illustrates how law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day as they go about their jobs. In addition to facing high-risk situations such as armed robberies and burglaries, each day law enforcement officers risk physical injury or death from traffic stops, combative and/or intoxicated individuals, and calls for domestic disturbance, service and alarms.

The risks and stressors are not only physical, but mental as well. It is inevitable that fears will cross an officer’s mind from time to time.

“I do have fear, but I do not let it bother me,” said Christopher Jauregui, deputy with Harris County Sheriff’s Office. “I have more of an understanding of the risks I face each day rather than the fear. I understand that fear can get in the way of my decisions and this is why I do not have fear while on I am on duty. My deepest fear is that I might not make it home, which means leaving my family without me. The worst thing that has happened in my career by far is losing a fellow deputy [Valdez], partner, friend and brother in blue by a head-on collision caused by an intoxicated citizen.”

The stress associated with being an officer does not only affect them individually, but it affects their families as well.

“It’s definitely challenging to have a spouse who works such a high-risk job,” said Maria Lara, communication major. “I try not to worry because I know he’s prepared; he was trained for this. I do know there’s a possibility he might not come home and that thought is never too far from my mind. I’ve learned to appreciate my time with him and the moments we do have together as a family. He’s out there risking his life for people he doesn’t even know. I have complete faith in his ability to control any situation he faces. It takes a strong person to send your loved one off into this crazy world. I know that he deals with some of the most difficult people in the society. “

This year, to date, 10 Texas police officers lost their lives while on duty, including Valdez. One by assault, 1 by vehicular assault, 4 by gunfire, 1 drowned, 1 by an automobile accident and 2 by heart attacks. Of the four officers killed by gunfire: 1 was killed trying to serve a warrant, 1 was killed during a routine traffic stop, 1 was killed after responding to reports of a man with a gun, and 1 was shot while conducting a SWAT operation.

Last year, Officer Joe Segovia of the UHCL Police Department was killed in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 45 while he was on his way to work.

“If you look at the statistics nationwide of officer-related deaths, vehicular deaths are the highest in numbers right behind firearm-related deaths,” said Paul Willingham, UHCL chief of police, visibly choking up as he spoke about his friend and fellow officer. “People don’t realize that they’re driving a loaded weapon. There are a lot of similarities between what happened to Officer Segovia and Deputy Valdez. It’s just a shame to lose such a good man and such great talent due to someone being irresponsible. No one is promised tomorrow so you have to make the most of each day. It’s very important to make the most of every moment you’re given in life and take care of your family as well.”

To learn more about the statistics of how fallen officers lost their lives, visit Officers Down Memorial Page.

Houston and Texas police fatalities statistics

Charts created by The Signal reporter Lori Rodriguez using DataHero.