The faces and names you will see and read about are those of law enforcement officers who have died in Nebraska. Each was a member of a family. of a community, and dedicated his life to protecting the citezens of Nebraska. We honor them.

1989-present | 1977-1987 | 1968-1974 | 1959-1967 | 1948-1958 | 1932-1945 | 1929-1930 | 1921-1927 | 1914-1920 | 1900-1912 | 1866-1899

		Officer Paul A. Nields, Sr., Douglas County Omaha Officer Paul A. Nields, Sr. was assigned as a plainclothes narcotics investigator when, at 12:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 6, 1974, he heard an "officer needs help" call. Responding to the call for assistance, Nields and Sgt. Bernard Venditte went to 1818 North 25th Street. A barricaded man had wounded several officers and an attempt was made to force him out with tear gas. Nields, attempting to help, rushed up to the front door. The suspect fired and struck him with a shot from a .12 gauge shotgun. He died instantly. Officers at the scene shot the suspect to death. Officer Nields was 29 years old and survived by his wife, Kathleen, and two sons.
		Deputy Sheriff Raymond E. Timothy, Richardson County Deputy Sheriff Raymond E. Timothy died at about 7:40 a.m. on Saturday, December 8, 1973, from injuries suffered when struck by a pickup truck on October 30, 1973. Deputy Timothy was filling in for Richardson County Sheriff L.D. Camblin who was out of town at the time. He'd been called to the scene of another accident located about 2 1/2 miles west of Falls City on Highway #8 and was directing traffic when struck. Deputy Timothy was hospitalized for his injuries until the time of his death. He was 67 years old and survived by his wife, Shari, and three children.
		Sergeant Franklin Furrer, Lancaster County Sergeant Franklin Furrer suffered a heart attack at about 1:40 a.m. on Sunday, October 28, 1973, while executing a drug search warrant at a residence near Walton, Nebraska. Sgt. Furrer was guarding a suspect in the kitchen area of the house along with another deputy when he suddenly collapsed. Furrer was rushed to the hospital and remained in critical condition until he passed away at about 10:40 p.m. on Thursday, November 15, 1973. Sgt. Furrer was 41 years old and survived by his wife, Carmel, his daughters Chriss and Joy, and sons Dan, Andy, and Bill.
		NE State Trooper George W. Amos, Dawson County Nebraska State Trooper George W. Amos, Jr. was shot and killed at about 4:45 p.m. on Friday, April 20, 1973, while attempting to arrest a suspected drunk driver near Lexington on I-80. Investigators later learned that Amos was attempting to arrest the suspected drunk driver when a passenger also became involved in the struggle. The two suspects disarmed Trooper Amos and shot him once with his own service revolver. Two suspects, a married couple, were arrested near Gothenburg while attempting to escape. Amos was just 28 years old and was survived by his wife, Dolores, and two sons.
		Spencer Chief Samuel S. Stringfellow, Boyd County Spencer Police Chief Samuel S. Stringfellow died at about 11 p.m. on Saturday, October 16, 1971, from injuries sustained when a car struck him 1 mile west of Spencer on Highway #12. Chief Stringfellow was investigating a report of a stalled semi-tractor on the highway and had asked the driver to accompany him back to his patrol car. As they walked along the highway, the pair were struck by a passing 16 year-old driver. Chief Stringfellow was 51 years old and survived by his wife, Irene, and two daughters.
		Officer Larry D. Minard, Sr., Douglas County Omaha Officer Larry D. Minard, Sr. died at about 2:00 a.m. on Monday, August 17, 1970, after an explosive device concealed in a suitcase blew up. Minard and other officers from the Omaha Police Department were on the scene of a disturbance at 2865 Ohio Street when the explosion occurred. A total of eight officers were in the house at the time. Officer Minard was closest to the suitcase when it detonated. Minard would have been 30 years old on August 20. Instead he was buried on his birthday. His wife, Karen, and five children survived him.
		Chief of Police Richard R. Vandermate, Garden County Oshkosh Chief of Police Richard R. Vandermate died at about 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 9, 1971, from gunshot wounds he received at about 2:05 a.m. the previous day. Chief Vandermate was shot by a 17 year-old male while investigating a burglary at Larry's Lounge on Main Street. The suspect had escaped from the city jail earlier where he was serving a 90-day sentence. Chief Vandermate observed the suspect in the tavern and called for him to surrender. Instead, the suspect shot the lawman with a .22 caliber rifle that had been stolen from a nearby hardware store. Vandermate crawled to his patrol car and turned on the siren. Citizens came to the officer's aid and he was taken to the hospital. He underwent surgery but died the following day. Chief Vandermate was 32 years old and survived by his wife, Juanita, and four children.
		Union Pacific Agent Gerald A. Schuett, Lincoln County Union Pacific Agent Gerald A. Schuett was killed at about 3:40 a.m. on December 22, 1968, when he was struck by a passenger train in the North Platte yards. Schuett was checking rail cars during a snowstorm when the accident occurred. Agent Schuett was 27 years old and survived by his wife, Janice, and three children.
		Chief of Police Charles E. Henning, Thayer County Hebron Chief of Police Charles E. Henning died on April 20, 1978, from complications related to a gunshot wound and subsequent stroke he suffered 10 years prior, on Thursday, April 24, 1968. Chief Henning was shot by one of two Iowa youths who Thayer County Sheriff Jim Johnson was attempting to arrest in connection with a crime spree. The shooting occurred near the intersection of Highway #81 and #136. Henning suffered a stroke as a result of the shooting, and was hospitalized for 10 years. Doctors attributed his death to the stroke caused by the shooting. Chief Henning was 72 years old and survived by his wife, Iona, and two sons.
		Officer George W. Welter, Lancaster County Lincoln Police Motorcycle Officer George W. Welter died at about 10:30 p.m. on Friday, February 9, 1968, from injuries he suffered in a collision with a station wagon at the intersection of 27th and "W" Street. Officer Welter, who was responding to a report of a man lying in the street at 26th and "Q", had been southbound on 27th Street when he collided with the car. He had his emergency equipment in operation at the time of the crash. Officer Welter was 25 years old and survived by his wife, Sandra, and three children.