PAPBA News

Three Port Authority police officers were hospitalized after battling a two-vehicle inferno in a JFK Airport parking garage on the afternoon of Tuesday, March 3. The FDNY arrived and eventually extinguished the fire. Parking garage fires present unique challenges for firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel due to low overhead clearance that prohibits fire apparatus from entering the structure. Fortunately, the three Port Authority police officers were treated and released from the hospital. Read More

Rest in peace, Tennessee Department of Corrections Correctional Officer Dustin Pedigo (EOW 2/24/2026). Officer Pedigo was fatally stabbed by an inmate while on duty at the Morgan County Correctional Complex in Wartburg, Tennessee. He was 35 years old and had served with the Tennessee Department of Corrections for 10 months. Dustin, rest in the Lord’s eternal embrace. Always Honored, Never Forgotten. Read More

Rest in peace, brothers: Sergeant Michael Schlattman of the Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Sheriff’s Office was struck and killed while conducting a traffic stop (EOW 2/23/2026). Deputy Sheriff Kenneth Lewis of the Fort Bend, Texas, Sheriff’s Office was struck and killed while assisting a stranded motorist (EOW 2/23/2026). Master Trooper Stien Davis Jr. of the North Carolina Highway Patrol was killed in a rollover crash while on patrol (EOW 2/22/2026). Police Officer Caleb Abney of the Hahira, Georgia, Police Department was struck and killed while conducting a traffic stop (EOW 2/19/2026). Read More

Thirty-three years ago today, on February 26, 1993, terrorists drove an explosives-laden truck into the World Trade Center garage beneath the North Tower. The explosives detonated, killing six people, as well as an unborn child, and injuring 1,042 others. Today, we remember those we lost: John DiGiovanni, Robert Kirkpatrick, Stephen Knapp, William Macko, William Mercado, Monica Smith and her unborn child. May they all rest in the Lord’s eternal embrace. Inside the PAPD WTC Command Station House on February 26, 1993, in the aftermath of the bombing. Port Authority police officers, some wounded in the blast, were the first of the first responders. They evacuated thousands, putting others before themselves amid the horror and chaos of the World Trade Center bombing. Read More

Rest in peace, Christian County, Missouri, Deputy Sheriffs Gabriel Ramirez and Michael Hislope (EOW 2/24/2026). Deputy Ramirez was fatally shot while conducting a motor vehicle stop, after which the suspect fled the scene. Local, county and federal law enforcement agencies launched an intense, hours-long manhunt. When the suspect was located, a 30-minute gun battle ensued, during which Deputy Hislope was shot and killed. Read More

Rest in peace, Beech Grove, Indiana, Police Officer Brian Elliott (EOW 2/16/2026). Police Officer Elliott and another officer responded to a domestic disturbance in an area apartment. Once on scene, a man from inside the apartment opened fire, striking both officers. Elliott was fatally shot, and the other officer wounded. Read More