Fallen LPD Officers/LSO Deputies Honored During Observance at Hall of Justice

LINCOLN–(KFOR May 16)–A special Law Enforcement Memorial observance was held at the Lincoln Police/Lancaster County Sheriff’s memorial in front of the Hall of Justice, as part of commemorating National Police Week.

Lincoln Police Chief Teresa Ewins explained what the uniform means to her in helping keep the community safe.

“As I pass this great dedication (memorial) to our fallen, I’m reminded of those that we have lost in the line of duty,” Ewins said. “It reaffirms of why I do this job and the oath I have taken.”

Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner and Lincoln Police Captain Don Scheinost read the names of the fallen deputies and officers from each department and whom are memorialized outside the Hall of Justice.

Below are details of each of the fallen officers and deputies. Information and images are courtesy of the Lincoln Police Department and Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.

FALLEN LINCOLN POLICE OFFICERS

Captain Charles E. Hall died on March 31, 1917 in a motor vehicle accident near 33rd and Adams. Detective Hall and his driver, Frank Feeney, were in pursuit of a stolen auto at the time of the accident. Detective Hall had been Chief of Police in O’Neill and had also served as the Sheriff of Holt County. Detective Hall was 53 years old and survived by his wife, Rhoda, and four children.

Special Duty Patrolman Marion F. Marshall

Shortly after midnight on September 7, 1932 Special Duty Patrolman Marshall observed a suspicious person on a bicycle in the alley west of S. 16th Street between G and H Streets. He drove around the block to investigate, encountering the subject at the alley exit on 15th Street. During the contact, the subject pulled a gun and shot Marion Marshall. The mortally wounded patrolman managed to crawl to the Governor’s Mansion, rang the bell, then collapsed on the top step of the porch. He was found there by Governor Charles Bryan, who had pulled on his clothes and gone to the door. The Governor summoned authorities and Special Duty Patrolman Marshall was taken to the hospital, where he passed away two days later, at the age of 35. He was survived by his wife and three children.

Officer Richard E. Leyden

Officer Richard E. Leyden died on September 26, 1949 of injuries suffered in a traffic accident on 16th St. between G and H where his police motorcycle collided with a vehicle. Leyden was to be married on October 2, 1949.

Detective Lieutenant Frank H. Soukup

Detective Lieutenant Frank H. Soukup died on December 16, 1966. Lt. Soukup and two other detectives went to 2413 P Street on a forgery investigation and encountered five suspects. During questioning one of the men produced a handgun and shot Lt. Soukup. The officers returned fire and killed the suspect. Lt. Soukup was 53 years old and survived by his wife, Bernice, and three children.

Detective Paul B. Whitehead

Detective Paul B. Whitehead died on August 10, 1967. Detective Whitehead and Detective Paul Merritt stopped a suspicious car near 38th and O Street. Unknown to the officers, the vehicle was occupied by three escapees from the Indiana State Prison. During the initial moments of the contact, one of the suspects produced a sawed off shotgun and shot Det. Whitehead. Det. Merritt returned fire and seriously wounded the suspect. The other men escaped but were captured later. Detective Whitehead was 30 years old and survived by his wife, Janet, and three children.

Officer George W. Welter

Officer George W. Welter died on February 9, 1968. Officer Welter’s police motorcycle collided with a vehicle at 27th and W Streets as he responded with lights and siren to an emergency call at 26th and Q. Officer Welter was 25 years old and survived by his wife, Sandra, and three children.

Investigator Luis Mario Herrera

On August 26, 2020, Investigator Herrera was helping serve an arrest warrant for a suspect involved in a homicide. As officers surrounded the house at North 33rd and Vine Streets, the suspect and an accomplice fled from the residence through a window. The suspect fired multiple times at officers. He was captured a short distance away, about an hour later. One of the suspect’s bullets struck Investigator Herrera in the chest. For 12 days, Investigator Herrera courageously fought for his life until succumbing to his injuries on September 7, 2020. Investigator Herrera was 50 years old and faithfully served the Lincoln Police Department for 23 years. He was an immensely talented and highly decorated investigator, known for his kind, compassionate and empathetic personality. He is survived by his wife, Carrie, and four children.

FALLEN LANCASTER COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES

Deputy William D. Johnson

Deputy Sheriff William D. Johnson died on March 5, 1959, after suffering a heart attack at the Lancaster County Courthouse. He just completed a prisoner transport when he complained of not feeling well and laid down in an office to rest. He was found unresponsive and transported to St. Elizabeth Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

Deputy Johnson served the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office for nearly four year and was the department’s fingerprint and photography expert. Prior to joining the Sheriff’s Office, Johnson served in the Army as a Military Policeman for over six years.

Survivors & Family

Deputy Johnson was twenty eight years of age at the time of his death and was survived by his wife, Gloria and two daughters, Christine Ann and Sandra Lee.

Sergeant Franklin Furrer

Early Life & Education

Franklin Roy Furrer was born September 6, 1932, in Lincoln, Nebraska. He attended High School in Walton and graduated in 1949. Furrer went on to college and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture at the University of Nebraska Lincoln in 1956. From 1952 to 1954, Furrer served his country in the Navy and received an honorable discharge. While working as a lab assistant for the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health department, a rural carrier for the U.S. Post Office, and a night-watchman for Bruning Company, Furrer farmed and raised a family for several years.

Sheriff’s Department Work

On August 15, 1969, Furrer became a Lancaster County Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to night patrol. Furrer achieved the rank of Sergeant on May 17, 1973, and worked in the patrol division.

Heart Attack

On November 16, 1973, Sergeant Franklin Furrer died after suffering an apparent heart attack on October 28, 1973. On that date, Sergeant Furrer had been assisting on a drug raid at a residence located in the Walton area where investigators suspected marijuana was being used and sold. Shortly after entry into the house, Sgt. Furrer fell to the ground clutching his chest. He was taken to a local hospital by fellow deputies at the scene. Sgt. Furrer never regained consciousness and died on November 16, 1973.

Survivors & Family

Sergeant Franklin Furrer was 41 years of age and was survived by his wife, Carmel, who was pregnant at the time, and by four children from a previous marriage. Sergeant Furrer was honored as an officer who fell in the line of duty on May 13, 1995, at the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial sixth annual candlelight vigil ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Deputy Craig Dodge

Craig Douglas Dodge, the son of Hale and Ethel Dodge of rural Waverly, was born August 17, 1944. He attended Lincoln Southeast High School, graduating in 1962. He continued on to the University of Nebraska Lincoln studying Business Administration. During this time he joined the United States Marine Corps Reserve from which he was honorably discharged in 1967 having attained the rank of Lance Corporal.

Law Enforcement Career

Craig joined the Lincoln Police Department, working there briefly as a foot patrolman and cruiser officer. His life-long interest in the welfare of others led him to co-found Eastern Ambulance Company, and he sought certification from Creighton University in 1982 as a paramedic. Dodge remained involved in all phases of the ambulance company until 1983. Subsequently, he was self-employed and served as a reserve deputy sheriff for both Adams County and Lancaster County, Nebraska.

Deputy Sheriff

The Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office hired Craig as a Court Officer in February, 1985. On June 6, 1985, he was hired as a deputy sheriff and received his certification from the Nebraska Law Enforcement and Training Center in Grand Island, Nebraska, in December of that year, graduating president of his class. Deputy Dodge was assigned to the Patrol Division in Lancaster County. He excelled in the manner in which he was able to handle medical emergencies and coroner calls. Receiving praise from both victims and medical professionals, his competence and demeanor had a calming and reassuring effect upon those he contacted.

Last Call to Duty

At 5:21 a.m., March 14, 1987, Dodge was dispatched to a belated domestic assault in Hickman, Nebraska. The mother of the assault victim telephoned the Sheriff’s Office to report her daughter had phoned saying she had been assaulted by her husband, who had then left the apartment. While Deputy Dodge was en-route, a second caller who had been assisting the assault victim, reported that the husband had returned, struck her, threatened her with a handgun, and made her leave. Two additional deputies were then dispatched from approximately 20 minutes away.

Deputy Dodge arrived in Hickman at about 5:30 a.m. Approaching the building on foot, he contacted the witness who told him the assault victim had been beaten, and the person responsible, the husband, was brandishing a pistol and had threatened to kill the family. The couples children, 3 years and 5 weeks of age, were in the apartment, and the wife could be heard pleading with the husband the apartment.

Confrontation

Knowing that his backup was some minutes away, Dodge, placing the welfare of the woman and children ahead of his own, decided to contact the suspect and attempt to reason with him. The suspects responded at the apartment door, holding his wife in front of him with an unseen.38 caliber revolver at her back. For several minutes the men conversed while Dodge tried to ascertain if everyone was all right, all the while stalling for time. Suddenly, the suspect raised the gun and fired a single round striking Dodge in the face.

Shooting & Backup

The suspect fled the building with several weapons while the suspect’s wife called 911 reporting the shooting. Backup units arrived about 5:45 a.m. The suspect was arrested without incident after disposing of the weapons in a nearby creek. Medical units were unable to revive Deputy Dodge.

Perpetrator

The suspect was charged with first-degree murder and using a weapon to commit a felony. He was subsequently convicted and is serving a life term.

Survivors & Family

Craig Dodge is survived by sons Allen and David Dodge, stepsons Nick and Joe Krohn, his wife Barbara Dodge, parents Hale and Ethel Dodge, brother Mike Dodge, and sisters Arden Mohrman and Erin Dennis.

Following this tragedy, Barbara became actively involved with Concerns Of Police Survivors, Inc. (COPS), a national organization dedicated to helping police survivors cope, heal, and begin to rebuild their lives. She is a past National President of COPS and was invited to speak at the dedication of the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. Each year during National Police Week in Washington D.C, Barbara conducts the seminar “From Victim To Survivor” for new police survivor families. In addition, she is a member of the Nebraska Law Enforcement Memorial Committee which pursues fundraising for the Nebraska State Law Enforcement Memorial.

Hall of Fame

Nebraska Law Enforcement Hall Of Fame
Nebraska Sheriff’s Association Officer Of The Year 1987

Deputy Sheriff Troy Bailey

On September 11, 2020, Deputy Sheriff Troy Bailey died after suffering a heart attack after serving a protection order with exclusion to a known convicted felon.