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(NEW YORK) — Former Rankin County sheriff’s deputy Christian Dedmon was sentenced to 40 years in prison during a hearing in federal court in Jackson, Mississippi, on Wednesday for his role in two attacks, including the torture of two Black men, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Dedmon received the maximum sentence for the January 2023 torture of Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker and for the assault of another man during an incident in December 2022 during a traffic stop. According to federal prosecutors, Dedmon was the organizer of both attacks and as the fourth of six to be sentenced, has received the harshest sentence so far.

“I want to tell them I’m sorry for what they went through, what they are going through,” Dedmon said during the sentencing hearing, per WAPT. “If I [could] take every bit of it back, I promise I would.”

Dedmon and a group of five additional white former law enforcement officers pleaded guilty to a total of 16 felonies related to the racially motivated torture and sexual assault of Jenkins and Parker, as well as a subsequent plan to cover up their crimes.

Earlier on Wednesday, former Rankin County sheriff’s deputy Daniel Opdyke was sentenced to 17 1/2 years in prison for his role in the incident.

Opdyke cried during the sentencing, according to WAPT, and said that his time in prison so far has helped him reflect on “how I transformed into the monster I became that night.”

“The weight of my actions and the harm I’ve caused will haunt me every day,” Opdyke told the victims. “I wish I could take away your suffering.”

Former Rankin County, Mississippi, sheriff’s deputy Christian Dedmon is also set to be sentenced on Wednesday, are the third and fourth defendants to be sentenced in the case.

Former Rankin County sheriff’s deputies Hunter Elward was sentenced on Tuesday to 241 months, or about 20 years, while Jeffrey Middleton received a 17 1/2-year sentence for his role in the incident, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The remaining two officers who pleaded guilty in this case — former Rankin County sheriff’s deputy Brett McAlpin and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield — are set to be sentenced during hearings on Thursday.,”These defendants will spend 20 years and 17.5 years in prison for their heinous attack on citizens they had sworn an oath to protect,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Tuesday following the first round of sentencing.

“The Justice Department will hold accountable officers who violate constitutional rights, and in so doing, betray the public trust,” his statement concluded.

In their guilty pleas, the six former law enforcement officers admitted to breaking into a home where Jenkins and Parker were residing without a warrant after a white neighbor reported that the men were staying with a white woman and alleged “suspicious” activity. They then proceeded to arrest the two men “without probable cause” that they committed any crimes, according to the DOJ.

Some of the defendants were part of a group of shift officers who called themselves “The Goon Squad” because of their “willingness to use excessive force and not report it,” according to charging documents. The group was summoned by Dedmon to the home where Jenkins and Parker were residing, according to the DOJ, after McAlpin asked him to investigate.

During the incident, the officers beat Jenkins and Parker, mocked them with racial slurs, sexually assaulted them with a sex toy, forced them to strip naked and shower together and shocked them with Tasers for roughly 90 minutes while handcuffed, according to court documents obtained by ABC News. Jenkins was also shot in the mouth by Elward, per the DOJ.

Following the incident, the two victims faced false charges for months, according to the DOJ, stemming from the officers’ plan to cover up their actions by tampering with and planting evidence, including drugs and a gun.

ABC News has reached out to the officers but requests for comment were not returned.

Jenkins and Parker, along with their attorney Malik Shabazz, told reporters on Monday that they have been struggling with the enduring trauma of the brutal attack. Following Elward’s sentencing on Tuesday, the two men told Jackson ABC affiliate WAPT that justice has been done.

Elward, who pleaded guilty to the most serious charge in the indictment — discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence — stood up in the courtroom and apologized to the victims, according to WAPT, saying, “I hate myself for it. I accept my responsibility.”

Parker stood up and told Elward that he forgives him, and later that afternoon told WAPT that while he forgives “what is done,” Elward “still did what he did and he has to be punished.”

Asked if he also forgives Elward, Jenkins told WAPT, “I don’t know. No, no, because if he wouldn’t have got caught, he’d still be doing the same thing.”

The charges the officers pleaded guilty to include civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice. They also pleaded guilty to similar state charges and are awaiting sentencing in the state case. State sentences will be served concurrently.

Dedmon, Elward and Opdyke also pleaded guilty to three additional federal felony offenses related to a separate incident that took place on Dec. 4, 2022, per the DOJ.

The U.S. The Department of Justice launched an investigation into the incident in Feb. 2023, along with the FBI, amid outrage from the community and as attorneys for Jenkins and Parker filed a notice of claim for a $400 million federal lawsuit.

“It’s in court, and we’re fighting,” Shabazz told ABC News on Monday when asked about the status of the lawsuit.

In an October 2023 response to the complaint obtained by ABC News, the officers denied the allegations alleged in the lawsuit.

ABC News’ Alexander Mallin contributed to this report.

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(BOISE, Idaho) — An inmate escaped from an Idaho hospital Wednesday with an accomplice who opened fire on the correction officers transporting him, striking two, in a “brazen” attack, authorities said.

Both suspects remain at large following the early morning “ambush,” the Idaho Department of Correction said.

The Idaho Department of Correction inmate, Skylar Meade, had been transported to Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise for unscheduled medical treatment, authorities said. As correction officers were preparing to transport him back to prison around 2:15 a.m. local time, an unknown individual “attacked and fired” at the officers, Boise police said.

One officer is in critical but stable condition, and the second has serious but non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

A third correction officer was shot by a Boise officer who responded to reports of an active shooter inside the hospital’s emergency department, Boise police said. The officer fired his weapon at an armed individual near the entrance who was determined to be an Idaho Department of Correction officer, police said. The correction officer was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The hospital was temporarily locked down as Boise officers searched the area for the shooting suspect, police said. Investigators ultimately determined that Meade and his accomplice fled in a gray four-door sedan, possibly a Honda Civic, just prior to Boise officers arriving, police said.

“This brazen, violent, and apparently coordinated attack on Idaho Department of Corrections personnel, to facilitate an escape of a dangerous inmate, was carried out right in front of the Emergency Department, where people come for medical help, often in the direst circumstances,” Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said in a statement. “I am grateful this harrowing incident did not result in loss of life, and we are monitoring the wounded IDOC officers with great hope for a full and speedy recovery of all involved.”

Authorities are working to determine the identity of the accomplice amid the ongoing search for the suspects, Winegar told reporters at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon.

“This is a very dynamic, unfolding incident, and we are searching as quickly as we can, following every lead we can,” Winegar said.

“They could be anywhere at this point,” he later said.

Idaho Department of Correction director Josh Tewalt told reporters they are investigating how the attack was planned and working to identify any other accomplices who may have been involved in facilitating Meade’s escape.

The inmate “engaged in self-injurious behavior” Tuesday night, and prison medical staff determined he needed to be transported off-site for care, Tewalt said.

Meade, 31, has most recently been serving time at a maximum security prison in Kuna for aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer with a firearm enhancement, according to police and Idaho Department of Correction records. His sentence was through October 2036, with parole eligibility starting in October 2026, the correction records show.

Meade has been incarcerated since October 2016 and has prior convictions including felony possession of a controlled substance, grand theft and introduction of contraband into a correctional facility, police said.

Authorities urged anyone who may have contact with the two suspects to call 911.

“They are armed, dangerous, and have shown they are willing to use extreme violence in furtherance of their criminal activity,” Winegar said.

Meade was described by authorities as a white, 5-foot-6 man weighing 150 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair. He has tattoos on his arms, chest, calf, abdomen and face.

Following the lockdown, the hospital has since resumed normal operations.

The Ada County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the officer shooting, Boise police said.

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(JEANETTE, Pa.) — Four young children and one adult were killed in a devastating house fire in Pennsylvania on Wednesday, officials said.

The victims were: a 1-month-old girl, Korbyn John; a 3-year-old boy, Keagan John; a 6-year-old girl, Kinzleigh John; a 7-year-old boy, Kyson John; and a 27-year-old man, Tyler King, the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office said.

The blaze was reported just after midnight at a house in Jeanette, about 30 miles outside of Pittsburgh, and burned the entire home to the ground, according to fire officials and the coroner.

Three people — an adult and two children — were rescued, firefighters told reporters.

Neighbor Jack Mull told Pittsburgh ABC affiliate WTAE that he helped rescued the mom and two children.

“I ran over to try to get in downstairs but it was just too hot, too many flames,” he said. “I run in the backyard here, and I grabbed the ladder, went over. And the mother, Miranda, she was on the roof on the back side. So I went to try to help her with the baby.”

Mull said the mother tried to go back inside to save the rest of her family.

All that was left standing at the family’s home was the chimney.

The fire also destroyed the house next door. Everyone in the neighboring home escaped safely, according to WTAE.

“We have lost multiple members of our school district and community in this devastating incident,” Jeannette City School District Matthew Jones said in a letter to families. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of those who have tragically passed away.”

He said counselors and social workers will be available to help grieving students.

“Please know that our entire school community stands with the family and friends of those lost and we offer our deepest condolences and unwavering support,” Jones said.

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(ATLANTA) — Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee on Wednesday cleared the way for former President Donald Trump to appeal the judge’s ruling that ultimately kept Fulton County DA Fani Willis on the election interference case.

McAfee granted the joint request from Trump and some of his codefendants to obtain a certificate of immediate review — which allows them now to appeal the ruling up to the Georgia Court of Appeals.

McAfee in his order said the order “is of such importance to the case that immediate review should be had.”

It will now be up to the Georgia Court of Appeals to determine whether or not to take the issue.

McAfee said he intends to keep moving forward with the case while Trump and his codefendants pursue their appeal.

“The Court intends to continue addressing the many other unrelated pending pretrial motions, regardless of whether the petition is granted within 45 days of filing, and even if any subsequent appeal is expedited by the appellate court,” the order said.

Trump’s attorney in a statement called the move from McAfee “highly significant.”

“The defense is optimistic that appellate review will lead to the case being dismissed and the DA being disqualified,” said Steve Sadow, Trump’s attorney.

The DA’s office in a statement highlighted the McAfee’s decision to keep the case moving, saying they will “work to move [the case] forward to trial as quickly as possible.”

“As the case is not stayed during the appeal, this office will work to move it forward to trial as quickly as possible,” spokesperson Jeff Disantis said in a statement. “We will limit our comment on the appellate matter to what we file with the Court of Appeals during the briefing process.”

Nathan Wade, the lead prosecutor in Trump’s election interference case, resigned Friday as special prosecutor following a ruling by McAfee. Wade’s resignation came hours after McAfee declined to outright disqualify Willis, but ruled either she or Wade must step aside from the case due to a “significant appearance of impropriety” stemming from a romantic relationship between Willis and Wade.

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(NEW YORK) — New York Attorney General Letitia James is pushing back on Donald Trump’s “extraordinary” request for a stay of his $464 million civil fraud judgment, arguing the former president’s recent request was unreliable, procedurally improper and based on a flawed premise.

“There is nothing unusual about even billion-dollar judgments being fully bonded on appeal,” Senior Assistant Solicitor General Dennis Fan said in a filing this morning. “Defendants object to a possible ‘fire sale’ if they were to sell assets to generate cash to use as collateral for a bond or as a deposit —but the alternative would be to shift the risk of executing on defendants’ illiquid assets to OAG.”

Earlier this week, Trump’s lawyers argued that the former president is unable to secure a bond for the judgment – having been rejected by over 30 insurance companies – due to its size and his need to post properties as collateral.

The AG argued that the former president has failed to demonstrate his effort to secure a bond using properties as collateral, suggesting the issue is a product of Trump’s doing because his “holdings are not nearly as valuable as defendants claim.”

“Defendants supply no documentary evidence that demonstrates precisely what real property they offered to sureties, on what terms that property was offered, or precisely why the sureties were unwilling to accept the assets,” the filing said. “As far as the Court can infer, sureties may have refused to accept defendants’ specific holdings as collateral because using Mr. Trump’s real estate will generally need ‘a property appraisal’ … and his holdings are not nearly as valuable as defendants claim.”

If Trump is unable to secure a single bond for the $464 million judgment, James said the former president could attempt to secure multiple smaller bonds – “$100 or $200 million apiece” – or consent to have his real-estate interests held by the Supreme Court to satisfy the judgment.

“The use of real estate as collateral for an appeal bond is hardly impossible as a general matter,” the filing said.

The AG’s filing also criticized Trump’s attempt to introduce two affirmations from both Trump Organization General Counsel Alan Garten — who James alleged was “personally involved in the fraudulent and illegal conduct that gave rise to the judgment in this case” – and Trump’s broker Gary Giulietti. James characterized the two affirmations as “unreliable.”

“The affirmation from Gary Giulietti does not disclose that he was an expert witness for defendants at trial or that Supreme Court found Mr. Giulietti’s trial testimony to lack credibility,” the filing said. “Moreover, Mr. Giulietti has a ‘personal financial interest in the outcome of the case,’ because his company earns commission from the Trump Organization, including $1.2 million in 2022.”

A spokesperson for the Trump Organization described the Attorney General’s claims about the Garten affirmation as “reckless, unethical and sanctionable.”

“The Court made no such finding. The AG’s gross misstatement is reckless, unethical and sanctionable,” a spokesperson for the Trump Organization told ABC News.

Judge Arthur Engoron in February ordered Trump to pay $464 million in disgorgement and interest after holding him liable for doing a decade’s worth of business with fraudulent financial statements that overvalued his real estate holdings and hyped his wealth. Trump was also barred from leading any New York company for three years. His sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were also fined $4 million apiece and barred for two years. They denied any wrongdoing.

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(NEW YORK) – Two teenage boys have been arrested and charged in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old man whose body was found in a remote desert area in Utah County, according to police.

The 15-year-old and a 17-year-old have been booked into the Salt Lake Valley Detention Center on multiple felony charges related to the murder, the Taylorsville Police Department said in a press release.

Police had been searching for 21-year-old Alex Franco, who was abducted Sunday, according to police.

Franco was last seen alive getting into a white Jeep Liberty on Sunday afternoon, according to police. Witnesses reported hearing a possible single gunshot and the vehicle then sped away.

Police found a vehicle suspected to be the one involved in the abduction on Monday and further investigation led to the arrest of two teenage suspects, according to police.

Franco’s body was found with what appeared to be a single gunshot wound, police said.

Police believe they arrested the person responsible for Franco’s shooting but they are “actively working on contacting others who may have been present during the homicide,” according to police.

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing.

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(NEW YORK) — Former Rankin County sheriff’s deputy Daniel Opdyke was sentenced to 17 1/2 years in prison during a hearing in federal court in Jackson, Mississippi on Wednesday for his role in torture of two Black men, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Opdyke is the third to be sentenced out of a group of six white former law enforcement officers who pleaded guilty to a total of 16 felonies related to the January 2023 racially motivated torture and sexual assault of Michael Jenkins and Eddie Parker, as well as a subsequent plan to cover up their crimes.

He cried during the sentencing, according to WAPT, and said that his time in prison so far has helped him reflect on “how I transformed into the monster I became that night.”

“The weight of my actions and the harm I’ve caused will haunt me every day,” Opdyke told the victims. “I wish I could take away your suffering.”

Former Rankin County, Mississippi, sheriff’s deputy Christian Dedmon is also set to be sentenced on Wednesday, are the third and fourth defendants to be sentenced in the case.

Former Rankin County sheriff’s deputies Hunter Elward was sentenced on Tuesday to 241 months, or about 20 years, while Jeffrey Middleton received a 17 1/2-year sentence for his role in the incident, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The remaining two officers who pleaded guilty in this case — former Rankin County sheriff’s deputy Brett McAlpin and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield — are set to be sentenced during hearings on Thursday.

“These defendants will spend 20 years and 17.5 years in prison for their heinous attack on citizens they had sworn an oath to protect,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement on Tuesday following the first round of sentencing.

“The Justice Department will hold accountable officers who violate constitutional rights, and in so doing, betray the public trust,” his statement concluded.

In their guilty pleas, the six former law enforcement officers admitted to breaking into a home where Jenkins and Parker were residing without a warrant after a white neighbor reported that the men were staying with a white woman and alleged “suspicious” activity. They then proceeded to arrest the two men “without probable cause” that they committed any crimes, according to the DOJ.

Some of the defendants were part of a group of shift officers who called themselves “The Goon Squad” because of their “willingness to use excessive force and not report it,” according to charging documents. The group was summoned by Dedmon to the home where Jenkins and Parker were residing, according to the DOJ, after McAlpin asked him to investigate.

During the incident, the officers beat Jenkins and Parker, mocked them with racial slurs, sexually assaulted them with a sex toy, forced them to strip naked and shower together and shocked them with Tasers for roughly 90 minutes while handcuffed, according to court documents obtained by ABC News. Jenkins was also shot in the mouth by Elward, per the DOJ.

Following the incident, the two victims faced false charges for months, according to the DOJ, stemming from the officers’ plan to cover up their actions by tampering with and planting evidence, including drugs and a gun.

ABC News has reached out to the officers but requests for comment were not returned.

Jenkins and Parker, along with their attorney Malik Shabazz, told reporters on Monday that they have been struggling with the enduring trauma of the brutal attack. Following Elward’s sentencing on Tuesday, the two men told Jackson ABC affiliate WAPT that justice has been done.

Elward, who pleaded guilty to the most serious charge in the indictment — discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence — stood up in the courtroom and apologized to the victims, according to WAPT, saying, “I hate myself for it. I accept my responsibility.”

Parker stood up and told Elward that he forgives him, and later that afternoon told WAPT that while he forgives “what is done,” Elward “still did what he did and he has to be punished.”

Asked if he also forgives Elward, Jenkins told WAPT, “I don’t know. No, no, because if he wouldn’t have got caught, he’d still be doing the same thing.”

The charges the officers pleaded guilty to include civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice. They also pleaded guilty to similar state charges and are awaiting sentencing in the state case. State sentences will be served concurrently.

Dedmon, Elward and Opdyke also pleaded guilty to three additional federal felony offenses related to a separate incident that took place on Dec. 4, 2022, per the DOJ.

The U.S. The Department of Justice launched an investigation into the incident in Feb. 2023, along with the FBI, amid outrage from the community and as attorneys for Jenkins and Parker filed a notice of claim for a $400 million federal lawsuit.

“It’s in court, and we’re fighting,” Shabazz told ABC News on Monday when asked about the status of the lawsuit.

In an October 2023 response to the complaint obtained by ABC News, the officers denied the allegations alleged in the lawsuit.

ABC News’ Alexander Mallin contributed to this report.

 

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(NEW YORK) — Daniel Penny, the man who choked a homeless man to death last May on a New York City subway car, will stand trial beginning Oct. 8, a judge determined Wednesday.

The trial will take between four and six weeks, according to Judge Max Wiley.

Penny has pleaded not guilty to the charges of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in connection with Jordan Neely’s death.

Penny, a former Marine, put Neely in a fatal chokehold “that lasted approximately six minutes and continued well past the point at which Mr. Neely had stopped purposeful movement,” prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney’s office have said.

His attorneys have claimed Neely was “insanely threatening” aboard the F train.

An attorney for Neely’s family said the family is holding out hope for justice.

“Andre Zachary and Jordan Neely’s family are still suffering,” their attorney, Lennon Edwards, said. “Justice has not been served yet but we’re holding onto hope justice will be done.”

Edwards called Penny a “judge, jury and executioner” aboard the subway car.

“Jordan was unarmed. He was hungry. He asked for food. And in his desperation he was emotional but distressed does not mean dangerous,” Edwards said.

Penny and his attorneys left without comment.

“We are confident that a jury, aware of Danny’s actions in putting aside his own safety to protect the lives of his fellow riders, will deliver a just verdict,” Steven Raiser and Thomas Kenniff, Penny’s lawyers, said in a previous statement. “Danny is grateful for the continued prayers and support through this difficult process.”

Penny’s attorneys have said that he was defending himself and others when he put Neely into the chokehold that caused his death.

Some witnesses told police that Neely was yelling and harassing passengers on the train, authorities said.

Police sources previously told ABC News that Penny was not specifically being threatened by Neely when he intervened and that Neely had not become violent and had not been threatening anyone in particular.

A court date has been scheduled for Sept. 17 for a hearing to suppress statements Penny made to investigators prior to his arrest.

A judge denied Penny’s bid to dismiss his involuntary manslaughter case in January.

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(NEW YORK) — More than 1,200 of the nation’s public safety personnel died by suicide over a seven-year period, according to a report released by a nonprofit organization that tracks law enforcement suicides.

From 2016 to 2022, there were 1,287 public safety personnel — identified in the report as law enforcement and corrections officers — who died by suicide, according to the First HELP and CNA Corporation report obtained by ABC News.

First HELP is an organization that tracks law enforcement and first responder suicides. It partnered with data scientists from CNA Corporation, another law enforcement nonprofit. Center for Naval Analyses — also known as CNA — informs the decisions of Navy, Marine Corps and Department of Defense leaders and is the only federally funded research and development center for the Navy.

The nonprofits collected the data from several sources including suicides reported on the First HELP website, news articles, First HELP social media accounts and direct contact with families and friends of those who have died by suicide.

“Future analyses of these data can deepen our understanding of the factors associated with suicide among public safety personnel and facilitate comparisons of suicide rates across various geographies, states, races, sexes, and age groups, as well as with other industries,” the report said.

While the FBI gathers data on both suicides and attempted suicides, the agency’s data gathering has “encountered challenges” with showing the breadth of the problem, the report said. The FBI’s 2022 report identified 32 suicides from 22 law enforcement agencies nationwide — significantly less than the First HELP report.

“These preliminary findings underscore the critical necessity of expanding and refining data collection endeavors to garner a more comprehensive understanding of public safety personnel suicides and addressing the issue at a national scale,” the report said.

The average number of suicides per year during the period studied was just shy of 184. In 2022, the most recent year data was collected, there were 183 suicides. Also, 2019 saw the highest number with 234, according to the report.

“Despite reviewing the comments in the data, analysts found no specific reason for this increase,” the report said of the spike in 2019.

A dip in 2020 — to 184 suicides — may be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. That year “may have provided public safety personnel with a renewed sense of purpose and meaning in their roles, potentially acting as a protective factor against suicidal ideation and reducing the incidence of suicide that has been observed in past research,” the report said.

Agencies, location and department size

More than half — 51% — of the officer deaths by suicide involved officers from local police departments, the report found. Twenty percent were from sheriff’s offices, and another 13% were corrections officers.

The majority of suicides are from departments with 100 or more full-time sworn officers, according to the report.

“These large agencies represent merely 10.8 percent of all law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities nationwide, but account for 61 percent of suicides among publish safety personnel,” the report said.

The findings regarding agency size and suicide are contrary to previous research that suggested that officers at smaller agencies may have an elevated suicide risk, the report said. The smallest agencies — which account for about 4% of the suicides included in the study — reported nine or fewer officer deaths by suicide.

“The correlation between agency size and the proportion of deaths by suicide appears to be linear, with fewer occurrences observed in smaller agencies,” the report said.

The majority of the officers were actively serving at the time of their suicides, but a “significant portion” — 17% — were retired law enforcement, according to the report.

“Only 5 percent had recently been terminated from their position prior to the death event,” it added.

Southern states account for 33% of the studied suicides, followed by Northeastern states with 25%, the West with 21% and the Midwest with 20%.

“Considering that the South has more than double the population of the Northeast, these figures may shift when adjusted for population or the number of public safety personnel in each region,” the report found.

Demographics

The majority of officers who died by suicide were white men in their 40s, according to the report.

“Males make up approximately 87 percent of public safety personnel nationwide … and their reported suicide rate closely aligns with that percentage, with males accounting for 92 percent of deaths,” the report said.

Most of the officers who died by suicide were in a relationship (59%) and had one or more children (66%).

Nearly 70% of all cases were at the officer rank, followed by 21% at the mid-management level and 7% at investigator level.

Mental health and life challenges

Life and mental health challenges led to many officers’ deaths, the reports found — the most prevalent of which were depression (34%) and PTSD (27%).

“Roughly 23 percent reported some level of help-seeking behaviors before the officer’s death by suicide,” the report said. “The highest proportion of help-seeking behaviors among public safety personnel was related to seeking treatment for PTSD, a mental health issue known to have a significant correlation with suicidal tendencies. Approximately 17 percent of officers sought assistance for PTSD, and 7 percent sought help for any form of mental health treatment.”

In nearly all of the cases the officer was off duty, and the officers used a firearm.

The report also urges federal agencies, such as the FBI, to create a more robust law enforcement officer suicide database.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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(NEW YORK) — Five separate alleged human smuggling attempts at a single port of entry into the U.S. have been intercepted in less than 48 hours, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office.

The five separate attempts occurred over the weekend starting Friday morning and carrying through until Sunday when officials from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations (CBP) officers at Del Rio Port of Entry in Texas caught five separate alleged human smuggling attempts in a span of less than two days, said CBP.

The first attempted breach happened on Friday morning at approximately 8 a.m. when CBP officers assigned to the Del Rio International Bridge encountered a passenger vehicle driven by a female United States citizen arriving from Mexico and a CBP officer referred all of the passengers in the car for a secondary examination.

It was during this examination and interview process when it was discovered the driver had presented two U.S. passports for an adult female, and a minor male. Upon further examination, both passengers were discovered to be citizens and nationals of Mexico and had no valid entry documents, according to CBP.

Just 19 hours later on Saturday at approximately 3 a.m., CBP officers encountered a passenger vehicle driven by a female United States citizen arriving from Mexico and the driver presented a U.S. birth certificate for an adult female, said CBP.

A CBP officer decided it was necessary to conduct a secondary examination which subsequently revealed that the passenger was a Mexican citizen with no valid documents to enter or travel to the U.S., CBP said in a statement detailing the five separate instances.

The third attempted breach happened about an hour later at 4 a.m. on Saturday when CBP officers encountered a passenger vehicle driven by a female United States citizen arriving from Mexico and the driver presented two U.S. birth certificates for two adult male passengers that were posing as minors, said CBP.

Upon a secondary examination and interviews, CBP officers discovered that both passengers were Mexican citizens and the entry documents did not belong to them.

The penultimate human smuggling attempt happened just over 12 hours later on Saturday evening at approximately 9 p.m. when CBP officers encountered a passenger vehicle driven by a male Mexican citizen arriving from Mexico and, following a further investigation, it was discovered that the driver and his wife, also a citizen of Mexico, were attempting to hide an adult male in the cargo area of the vehicle, said CBP.

“The male was later identified as their adult son, a citizen and national of Mexico, with no valid entry documents,” CBP said.

The final occurrence at Del Rio Port of Entry in Texas occurred on Sunday at approximately 7 a.m. when CBP officers encountered a passenger vehicle driven by a female United States citizen arriving from Mexico and the driver presented a U.S. birth certificate for a minor female, said CBP.

“A CBP officer referred all vehicle passengers for a secondary examination,” CBP said detailing the final attempted breach that they were able to stop. “Through interview and examination, CBP officers discovered the minor was a Mexican citizen with no valid documents to enter or travel to the U.S.”

In total CBP officers arrested three U.S. citizen drivers and one Mexican citizen for alleged violations of U.S. immigration law, and seized four vehicles in connection with these alleged human smuggling attempts.

“These five significant events serve as a resounding reminder that violating U.S. immigration law can carry significant legal and criminal consequences. The skillset applied in uncovering these would-be smuggling attempts serves as a testament to our unwavering commitment to our border security mission,” said Port Director Liliana Flores, Del Rio Port of Entry.

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