2002 DateName (age) of deceasedRaceState (city)Description2002-12-31Lance Morton (43)UnknownMichigan (Garden City)2002-12-31Michael Wetter (22)UnknownCalifornia (Riverside)2002-12-31Robert J. Nusbaum (34)WhiteNevada (Las Vegas)2002-12-31Howard J. Henry (24)UnknownColorado (Longmount)2002-12-28Donald Chronister (49)UnknownOklahoma (Roland)2002-12-28Ray H. Crow (77)UnknownArkansas (Rogers)2002-12-27Robert C. Guy (27)UnknownNorth Carolina (Franklinton)2002-12-27Judd E. Daniels (31)UnknownMontana (Great Falls)2002-12-26Michael A. Frenette (36)WhiteFlorida (St. Petersburg)2002-12-25Michael Montagna (45)Maine (Jefferson)2002-12-24Michael Ellerbe (12)BlackPennsylvania (Uniontown)2002-12-22Edward PundsackWisconsin (Milwaukee)2002-12-20Tammy Sanford (28)WhiteTexas (Houston)2002‑12‑20Bruce James WeigelWyoming (south of Cheyenne)Died of "mechanical asphyxiation" as a result of arresting state trooper putting weight on Weigel's back while handcuffing Weigel on the ground. The state of Wyoming settled a federal lawsuit for $500,000 in the case.2002-12-14Jimmy Sum (44)AsianCalifornia (San Gabriel)2002-12-12James Lee Ham IIIGeorgia (Tift County)Died from injuries following police use of a PIT maneuver on suspect's vehicle.2002-12-09Gino Dellacqua (45)LatinoCalifornia (Lake View Terrace)2002-12-05Jose Diaz (26)LatinoCalifornia (Boyle Heights)2002-12-05James E. Taylor BlackKentucky (Louisville)Fifty-year-old African-American Taylor was shot multiple times in his apartment on St. Catherine Blvd. in Old Louisville, his hands cuffed behind his back. The two arresting LMPD officers alleged that he'd tried to cut them with a box-cutter he apparently had in his back pocket. Officers were acquitted of all charges.2002-11-23Koron Butler (24)Michigan (Detroit)2002-11-23Rachell M. Taylor (28)WhiteTexas (Houston)2002-11-22Joshua Blunt (22)WhiteCalifornia (Koreatown)2002-11-20Robert Mitchell (40)BlackCalifornia (Sun Village)2002-11-17Kenny Fuller (37)BlackCalifornia (Florence)2002-11-17Michael R. Barrett (25)Texas (Houston)2002-11-15Seth Landon (35)WhiteCalifornia (Wilmington)2002-11-10Joseph Queen (23)BlackCalifornia (Carson)2002-11-04Rodney Ali Baldwin (24)BlackTexas (Houston)2002-10-27Everado Torres (24)California (Madera)A Madera Police officer shot Torres as he sat, handcuffed, in the back of a police car. He had been arrested for resisting as police tried to quiet a loud party. The officer reported that she had intended to reach for her Taser but grabbed her firearm instead.2002-10-13Alberto Davila (26)LatinoCalifornia (Hollywood)2002-10-11Dawn Rae NelsonArizona (Chandler)Nelson was shot by officer Dan Lovelace. According to Lovelace, Nelson was driving towards him with her car, but prosecutors said they believed that Lovelace's life was not in danger when he shot Nelson. Lovelace was charged with second-degree murder, and was found not guilty. He was fired from the Chandler Police Department.2002-10-06Nathan Rossback (40)UnknownCalifornia (Westchester)2002-10-05Maurice Lizotte (63)Vermont (Rochester)2002-10-01Mark Boyce (37)Michigan (Detroit)2002-09-28Christopher Lee (33)Ohio (Columbus)2002-09-27Ki Yang (46)AsianMinnesota (St. Paul)2002-09-23David Miranda (28)LatinoCalifornia2002-09-22Brandon Lee Lett (21)BlackFlorida (Miami)2002-09-21Francisco Ponce (22)Iowa (Onawa)2002-09-19Christopher J. Worden (27)Arizona (Phoenix)2002-09-08Evaline Barros-CapedaMassachusetts (Boston)2002-09-01Jamil Moore (22)New York (Cararsie, Brooklyn)2002-08-31Paul Angel (55)New York (Bensonhurst, Brooklyn)2002-08-27Ricardo Mason (16)Ohio (Cleveland)2002-08-23Robert Klingman (21)WhiteCalifornia (Lancaster)2002-08-15Eric Daniel Foster (25)BlackCalifornia (Fresno)Foster was unarmed. 2002-8-12Arnold, Christopher "Winks"Pennsylvania (York)Arnold died of positional asphyxiation after being beaten by police in his front yard, hogtied, and placed face down in the police wagon. Officers were responding to a reports of Arnold, a schizophrenic, walking around and talking to himself.2002-08-08Jeffrey Hoplins (23)Ohio (Cleveland)2002-08-08John Chavez (34)LatinoCalifornia (Sierra Madre)2002-08-06Ronald M. Cunningham (41)Texas (Houston)2002-08-05Tessa Hardeman (35)Georgia (Atlanta)Tessa Hardeman, who was an alleged prostitute, allegedly pepper-sprayed and stabbed the officer who was trying to arrest her for solicitation. She was shot and killed.2002-08-01Martha Donald (60)Minnesota (Minneapolis)Killed in a shootout with officer Melissa Jayne Schmidt, who also died.2002-07-28Unnamed teenager (16)Michigan (Detroit)2002-07-21Salome Pineda Garvajal (41)HispanicTexas (Houston)2002-07-19Leonard Michael Mosqueda (38)HispanicTexas (Houston)2002-07-15Christopher Bernard Menifee (23)BlackTexas (Houston)2002-07-11Melvin "Mario" Alejandro Romero (20)HispanicTexas (Houston)2002-07-06Cecil Menifield (37)BlackCalifornia (Los Angeles)2002-07-02LaVeta JacksonMassachusetts (Boston)2002-07-02Michael Bilderrain (19)LatinoCalifornia (Pacoima)2002-06-28Joseph P. Finley (20)Ohio (Cleveland)2002-06-20Sean McHugh (32)WhiteCalifornia (Tarzana)2002-06-17Connie Pearsall (26)Washington (Oak Harbor)2002-06-14Feras B. Abdelrazzaq (29)WhiteCalifornia (San Dimas)2002-06-12James Brandon Fields (22)WhiteTexas (Houston)2002-06-12Daniel Damian Jr. (20)HispanicTexas (Houston)Carlos Alberto Ramirez (24)2002-06-11Jason Mitchell (33)BlackCalifornia (Chesterfield Square)2002-06-11Sophia King (23)Texas (Austin)2002-06-09Waseem Jung (19)AsianTexas (Houston)2002-06-06Stephon K. Moore (39)Ohio (Cleveland)2002-06-?unknown UnknownTexas (Dallas)2002-05-31Antonio Pineiro (48)LatinoCalifornia (Long Beach)Pineiro entered a supermarket with firearms and opened fire at random, killing two people and wounding four others. Responding law enforcement officers fatally shot Pineiro.2002-05-29Laron BallWisconsin (Milwaukee)Ball was shot and killed in the Milwaukee safety building at his homicide trial. As the verdicts were read, Ball jumped over a table and the jury box to a window but failed to smash it open. Two sheriff's deputies tackled him, but he got hold of their guns, and one deputy, Mike Witkowski, was shot in the leg before a Milwaukee police detective shot and killed Ball.2002-05-25Mark Charles Volpa, Jr. (21)California (Auberry)A SWAT team from Fresno Police, Fresno County Sheriff's Office, and Clovis Police surrounded Volpa in his camper. They negotiated for several hours for his surrender. Officers say he was shot and killed when he exited the camper with an assault rifle. He had been sought for killing a Fresno County Sheriff's deputy May 19.2002-05-24Marcus Alexander (26)Texas (Houston)2002-05-21Nelson SantiagoMassachusetts (Boston)2002-05-19Fermin Castro (34)LatinoCalifornia (Winnetka)2002-04-29Brian Miller (42)WhiteCalifornia (Carson)2002-04-28Jesus Robles (26)LatinoCalifornia (Lynwood)2002-04-26Terrance HeywoodU.S. Virgin Islands (St. Croix)An officer responded after reports of a naked man at a beach. When the officer confronted the man, Heywood, he approached the officer, who fell over before shooting Heywood. Heywood was unarmed.2002-04-16Esau Marin (25)HispanicTexas (Houston)2002-04-16Eddie Dominguez (27)LatinoCalifornia (Los Angeles)2002-04-14Michael Wayne Goodman (40)UnknownTexas (Houston)2002-04-12Kendraey McCall (19)BlackCalifornia (Vermont Vista)2002-04-09Dominick Galliano (51)UnknownNew Jersey (Dover Township)Gail Galliano (49)Chris Galliano (25)Gary Williams (48)Time Williams (46)2002-04-04Randy Reeves (19)LatinoCalifornia (Ventura)2002-04-03Trey Antuan Lively (30)BlackFlorida (Miami Gardens)2002-03-27Nathan Ruch (20)Illinois (Normal)Shot and killed by Officer James Merica via shotgun. Merica exited his police vehicle with a shotgun as Ruch's pickup came around the house and "veered toward the officer", Merica fired four shots at the truck, which crossed the cul-de-sac and crashed into a garage. Ruch was unarmed2002-03-23Joshua Villanueva (26)LatinoCalifornia (Highland Park)2002-03-22Terry J. Compagno (47)UnknownIllinois (Wood River)2002-03-18Jimmy Joe Urioste (44)UnknownTexas (Spade)2002-03-18Terry L. Lappin (58)UnknownFlorida (Largo)2002-03-18Henry Wolk (77)Illinois (Chicago)Killed in a shootout with officer Donald J. Marquez, who also died.2002-03-17Milton Glenn Dunkley Jr. (26)UnknownVirginia (Richmond)2002-03-16Nathaniel B. Adkins (22)BlackFlorida (Brooksville)2002-03-16Richard Tims (35)BlackCalifornia (San Francisco)2002-03-08Victor "Twin" Meza Jr. (19)HispanicTexas (Houston)2002-02-28Gary S. Martin (39)WhiteCalifornia (San Diego)2002-02-26Paul Simmons (47)UnknownIowa (Urbandale)Henry C. Simmons (45)2002-02-26Andre J. Gilreath (31)UnknownWashington DC2002-02-25Michael Buchanan (61)UnknownMaine (Sommerville)2002-02-24Douglas Kim (47)AsianCalifornia (Rancho Park)2002-02-24Steve Allred (42)WhiteFlorida (Groveland)2002-02-23Tallas Tomeny (31)WhiteNorth Carolina (Robbins)2002-02-22Byron Hammick (26)BlackOregon (Portland)Police were responding to a 911 call from a security guard that a man was assaulting a 3-year-old boy. The police were informed by the guard that the man could be armed with a handgun. When police arrived, they ordered Hammick to stop. The officers considered using their mace and batons to subdue Hammick, but decided that the motel room was small and that Hammick was too large. Police fired a shot through a broken window, wounding Hammick. Four shots in total were then fired, killing Hammick. He was found to be unarmed, but had PCP and Methamphetamine in his system. Before the incident, Hammick called 911 between 1:30am and 2:00am to report a noise complaint about a local dance club across the street from the motel. Later, Hammick called 911 at 3:05am, threatening to kill the 3-year-old boy.2002-02-19David E. Kinney (35)UnknownGeorgia (Ringgold)2002-02-18Shawn J. Maxwell (31)BlackWashington (Seattle)2002-02-18Ramin Isayo (27)LatinoCalifornia (Palmdale)2002-02-17Phillip J. Lamberson (44)UnknownMaryland (Joppa)2002-02-15Gonzalo F. Martinez (26)LatinoCalifornia (Downey)Two officers shot and killed unarmed Martinez when he reached toward his waistband after a high-speed chase.2002-02-12Leon C. Arther (31)UnknownNew Mexico (Albuquerque)Two APD officers shot Arthur to death when he allegedly make a "threatening approach," brandishing a hairbrush.2002-02-12Willie Murray (37)UnknownMassachusetts (Boston)Murray was shot and killed by police after a 4 a.m. traffic stop, after he was observed driving the wrong way on a one-way street with his lights off. Reportedly Murray refused to pull over.2002-02-09Jack Alton Stuart (42)WhiteTexas (Houston)2002-02-07Robert Winters (30)WhiteIllinois (Chicago)An off-duty police officer shot Winters after Winters robbed him at gunpoint and fled.2002-02-04Kamekona Cummings (33)Hawaii (Puna)2002-01-31Guanda Denise Turner (41)BlackCalifornia (Long Beach)Turner died a week later after officers put her in a chokehold.2002-01-29David Montanez (36)LatinoCalifornia (Pico Rivera)2002-01-29Robert Contreras (21)LatinoCalifornia (Mission Hills)2002-01-26Craig Bickerstaff (27)UnknownOhio (Cleveland)2002-01-24Kerby CharlesU.S. Virgin Islands (St. Croix)An officer found Charles trespassing on his property after hearing his dog bark. After pursuing Charles, he and the officer fought over a gun, and it discharged, killing Charles. The officer faced administrative charges, as the attorney general stated the officer should have called for backup and should not have approached Charles close enough to let him lunge for his weapon.2002-01-23John Wegrich (53)UnknownFlorida (Lake Worth)2002-01-23David Kasmar (46)UnknownIllinois (Naperville)2002-01-23Shaminder Singh Mundi (20)WhiteCalifornia (Encino)2002-01-21Eddie L. Macklin (20)BlackFlorida (Miami)2002-01-20Luis A. Torres (45)HispanicTexas (Baytown)2002-01-19Marcella Byrd (57)BlackCalifornia (Long Beach)2002-01-18Russell L. Stewart (31)UnknownUtah (Bountiful)Stewart was unarmed when police shot him during a foot chase. His family files a suit against the police, claiming excessive force, wrong