From traffic collisions to shootings, line-of-duty deaths have claimed the lives of dozens of law enforcement officers nationwide this year — including 10 in Riverside, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties.
As of Dec. 18, 78 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty nationwide in 2025, compared with 107 at the same point last year, according to FBI data. Of those deaths this year, 52 were the result of felonious acts and 26 were accidental, including traffic-related incidents while on duty.
Of the 10 deaths in the region, 1 occurred in Riverside County, 7 in Los Angeles County and 2 in San Bernardino County. No law enforcement officers were killed in Orange County in 2025.
“All of the officers are people beyond the badge they wear,” said Kathleen Poole, president of the Southern California chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors, or C.O.P.S., a charity that supports the loved ones of fallen officers. “They have families and loved ones who, when they take off that badge, are human at home. I think sometimes people forget that they are not the job.”
Poole said losses are felt across the law enforcement community, with officers and agencies showing support through social media tributes, memorial services and by covering shifts so colleagues can attend services.
Below are the law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in Riverside, Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties in 2025.
Timothy Corlew, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
Deputy Sheriff Timothy Corlew, 40, was killed in a motorcycle crash around 5:30 a.m. on State Route 91 east of La Sierra Avenue in Riverside on Jan. 8. Corlew was riding westbound in the carpool lane when his patrol motorcycle collided with another vehicle, throwing him from the bike. He had served with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for eight years and was assigned to the Jurupa Valley Station. Corlew is survived by his wife and two children.
Hector Cuevas, Jr., San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
Deputy Sheriff Hector Cuevas, 36, was killed when his patrol vehicle struck a power pole at the intersection of El Evado and Seneca roads shortly before 11 a.m. on March 17. While in pursuit of a reported stolen vehicle, his patrol car collided with another vehicle and then hit a pole, splitting the car in two. Cuevas had served with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for six years. He is survived by his wife, two children, parents, and siblings.
Samuel Riveros, Baldwin Park Police Department
Officer Samuel Riveros, 35, was shot and killed while responding to reports of gunfire on Filhurst Avenue in Baldwin Park on May 31. Around 7:15 p.m., officers arrived and found a man down with a gunshot wound before coming under fire. Riveros had been selected for the department’s SWAT team in 2019 and appointed as a field training officer in 2024. He served with the Baldwin Park Police Department for nine years and is survived by his mother, stepfather, two brothers, and sister.
Shiou Deng, Los Angeles Police Department
Sergeant Shiou Deng, 53, was struck and killed by a vehicle while assisting at the scene of a crash on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles on June 23. Around 2 a.m., Deng had stopped on the southbound lanes near Moraga Drive after witnessing a collision. After he exited his patrol car to help, another vehicle hit him. Deng served with the department for 26 years.
Miguel Cano, California Highway Patrol
Officer Miguel Cano, 34, died after his patrol vehicle crashed into a tree on Bristol Parkway north of Green Valley Circle in Culver City around 12:30 a.m. on July 2. Cano and his partner had just taken a suspect into custody for drug and firearm offenses and were transporting him for processing when Cano told his partner he wasn’t feeling well. Moments later, the patrol car veered off the roadway and struck a tree. Investigators believe Cano experienced a medical emergency before the crash. He had served with the California Highway Patrol for two years and is survived by his wife, sister and parents.
Victor Lemus, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Detective Victor Lemus, 40, was killed in an explosion at the Biscailuz Center Academy Training in Los Angeles on July 18. He had served with the department for 22 years. Lemus is survived by his wife, who is also a detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, his three daughters, four brothers and three sisters, who also served with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Joshua Kelley-Eklund, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Detective Joshua Kelley-Eklund, 41, was killed in an explosion at the Biscailuz Center Academy Training in Los Angeles on July 18. He was assigned to the Special Enforcement Bureau and had served with the sheriff’s department for 19 years. Kelley-Eklund left behind his wife and seven children.
William Osborn, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Detective William Osborn, 58, was killed in an explosion at the Biscailuz Center Academy Training in Los Angeles on July 18. He was assigned to the Special Enforcement Bureau and had served with the department for 33 years. Osborn is survived by his wife, who is also a detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, four sons and two daughters.
Deputy Andrew Nunez, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
Deputy Andrew Nunez, 28, was shot and killed while responding to a call of a woman being threatened by an armed man on the 12300 block of Hollyhock Drive in Rancho Cucamonga on Oct. 27. He was survived by his wife and their unborn child, two-year-old daughter, his mother, and four siblings.
Alec Sanders, Alhambra Police Department
Officer Alec Sanders, 28, was in pursuit of a reported stolen SUV early Thursday morning, Nov. 20, when his patrol car collided with the stolen car at Valley Boulevard and Edgewood Drive. Sanders died of his injuries, leaving behind his fiancée, brother and sister. He had served with the Alhambra Police Department for eight months and previously served with the Long Beach Police Department for over a year.