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Sergeant Ira G. Essoe Sr.
Orange County Sheriff's Department, California
End of Watch:
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Age:
69
Badge Number: NA
Years on The Job: NA
Cause of Death:
Shot 30 yrs ago. |
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Nov. 6, 1980, Essoe and fellow sheriff's
investigator Greg "Mike" Brown drove to the Mall of Orange to collect bail
on a warrant issued against a relative of an employee at Sears.
As they looked for a place to park their unmarked car, the investigators –
wearing plain clothes — saw three men attempting to steal a black 1968
Mustang.
The Inland Empire men – Robert Dustin Strong, 25, David Michael Knick, 23
and David Ray Vogel, 34 – all were parolees with long rap sheets, and in
need of a getaway car for a planned heist of a nearby supermarket.
Essoe got out of the car and approached one side of the Mustang, while his
partner walked to the passenger side. One of the men disarmed Brown at
gunpoint, took his gun, told him to lay on the ground, and threatened to
kill him. Essoe pulled out his gun, trying to save his partner's life.
The three men fired on Essoe simultaneously. Numerous rounds narrowly
missed him, tearing through the fabric of his shirt. Then, from
behind, Essoe got hit under his left arm, the bullet exiting the top of his
chest. A second bullet – another .45-caliber slug — shattered his
ribs, passed through his left lung, blasted two of his vertebrae, and
severed his spinal cord. Essoe fell to the ground in a clump, unable
to move.
One suspect walked over to him. He reached down and took Essoe's gun and car
keys. Strong and Knick sped off in Essoe's vehicle. Police arrested
Strong and Knick about an hour later, after they crashed during a high-speed
pursuit on the freeway. Vogel fled on foot and was linked to the crime later
while serving time in federal prison on a bank robbery conviction.
Essoe was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Brown was not
injured. Sergeant Essoe remained in poor health and passed away from
direct complications of the wounds on February 4, 2010.
Sergeant Essoe is survived by his wife and three children. |
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Walk tall, walk tall and protect us from above with honor and dignity.
May you lead the charge for
citizens right in heaven as you did here on earth
Darrell Thompson
Privet Security Officer St. Clair Co. MI,
Community College Campus Patrol #14
darrell@policespecial.com
www.sc4.edu
Rest in peace, and
may God allow him to keep watch
over us on earth while he patrols his beat
in heaven.
Our prayers go out to the
Officer and his Department and family.
May they all find peace in their hearts soon.
From all the Staff at Police Special
Inc.
Contact us to have information posted or if you have any info pertaining
to already posted information. Please contact a Police Special Inc. or
Fax to 866-809-5551
Contact
us
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