March 2024. Blues Vol 40 No. 3

tank. Retirements are up

tank. Retirements are up 19%. Landry’s order is in effect until March 15. Lawmakers return to the state Capitol Monday for a special legislative session to address crime. The “executive order, and the upcoming crime special session, will ensure our law enforcement officers are supported and we can begin to bring law and order back to our state,” Landry said. ALABAMA DEPUTY DIES IN SUSPECTED SUICIDE OUTSIDE TRAINING EVENT Fultondale, Alabama, police reported an Elmore County Sheriff’s Office deputy committed suicide Thursday in the parking lot of an event center where law enforcement training had been held all week. Fultondale police said a call reported someone was shot, reported WVTM. Sgt. John Tanks, of the police department, told WBMA said the man was found dead from a gunshot wound in the backseat of the car outside the event center in Fultondale. According to Tanks, there are indications that show the death was a suicide. The deceased man was identified as Steven Earl Sims II, 43, and Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin confirmed that he was one of his deputies. US BORDER PATROL ACTING DEPUTY CHIEF JOEL MARTINEZ SUSPENDED WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Border Patrol Acting Deputy Chief Joel Martinez was suspended on Thursday without much of an explanation, according to reports. Martinez departed from the U.S. Border Patrol Acting Deputy Chief Joel Martinez agency’s Washington headquarters immediately following his suspension, The Washington Post reported, citing three Customs and Border Protection (CBP) sources. CBP did not provide details surrounding the suspension, yet the agency led people to believe some kind of “misconduct” was involved due to a statement released by spokeswoman Erin Waters, reported The Western Journal. “CBP does not tolerate misconduct within our ranks” Waters said. “When we discover any alleged or potential misconduct, we immediately refer it for investigation and cooperate fully with any criminal or administrative investigations. Federal privacy laws prohibit discussion of individual cases.” Martinez has been acting deputy chief since last month, The Washington Post reported. A June 2023 post on the CBP website said Martinez had been with the agency for 31 years at that time. He began his career as a Border Patrol agent at the Laredo South Border Patrol Station in 1992. NATURAL GAS EXPLOSION SEVERELY INJURES 9 LOS AN- GELES FIREFIGHTERS, 2 CRIT- ICAL LOS ANGELES, CA. – Nine firefighters in Los Angeles were injured — two critically — when a 100-gallon compressed natural gas cylinder being used to power a semi-truck exploded Thursday morning. The blast decimated the crew of ten firefighters who responded to the scene in the Wilmington area as nine were taken to the hospital. Among the injured, two are listed in critical condition and one is receiving specialized care in the burn unit, FOX 11 Los Angeles reported. According to the news outlet, several other firefighters who were injured were evaluated and treated at the scene. Fire crews responded prior to 7 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Alameda Street near Henry Ford 62 The Blues - March ‘24 The Blues - March ‘24 63