Honoring

Sergeant Floyd H. Miles, Jr.

Charles City County Sheriff's Office, Virginia

EOW: June 9, 2024 | Age: 45 | Tour: 16 Years

Sergeant Floyd Miles suffered a fatal heart attack while struggling with a subject inside an ambulance at the intersection of John Tyler Memorial Highway and Wayside Road. At 12:30 p.m., a deputy was monitoring traffic at the intersection when a subject on a moped fell onto the deputy's vehicle. The man claimed people were trying to kill him. After noticing there was blood on him, the deputy requested an ambulance. Medics were tending to the subject inside the ambulance when the man suddenly attacked the deputy once he returned to the rear of the ambulance. Sergeant Miles arrived on the scene to assist the deputy, and he was also attacked. During the ensuing struggle, Sergeant Miles suffered a medical emergency and collapsed. He was transported to MCV/New Kent Medical Center where he passed away. The subject was transported to the hospital. Sergeant Miles was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Charles City County Sheriff's Office for 16 years. He is survived by his wife, three stepsons, mother, father, brothers, a sister, and a grandson.

Honoring

Detective Ryan So

Scottsdale Police Department, Arizona

EOW: June 13, 2024 | Age: None | Tour: 9 Years

Detective Ryan So was accidentally shot and killed after serving a search warrant and conducting an arrest on 78th Street near N Greenway Hayden Loop in Scottsdale. At 7:30 p.m., while unloading equipment from a vehicle, a rifle fell out of the bag, hit the ground, and discharged, striking Detective So. Despite fellow officers rendering aid, he succumbed to his wounds at the hospital. Detective So was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Scottsdale Police Department for nine years. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

Honoring

Firefighter Kenneth D. Caldwell

LaCrosse Volunteer Fire Department, Indiana

EOW: June 6, 2024 | Age: 63 | Tour: None

On the morning of Thursday, June 6, 2024, Firefighter Caldwell responded to a field fire. During the response, Firefighter Caldwell used rescue equipment to cut through a fence so other firefighters could get equipment to the area of the fire. After the fire, he returned to the station and cleaned up the equipment. He mentioned to others that he was going to stop and get his mail on the way home. That evening, he missed a work detail at the firehouse. On Friday, June 7, 2024, he failed to respond to a call. By Sunday morning, June 9, 2024, Firefighter Caldwell had not been seen or heard from since Thursday. Members of his department went to his residence to check on him. They found him deceased inside the home. He had collapsed and died while opening his mail, just a few hours after his emergency response to the fire incident.

Honoring

Firefighter Andrew Pontious

Los Angeles County Fire Department, California

EOW: June 15, 2024 | Age: None | Tour: None

Los Angeles Times (TNS) One Los Angeles County firefighter was killed and another injured Friday in an explosion that ripped through an Antelope Valley quarry as fire crews responded to a burning front loader, officials said. Authorities identified the firefighter who died as Andrew Pontious, a nearly two-decade veteran of the fire service who was most recently assigned to a four-member fire engine at Station 93 in Palmdale. "A wonderful man. He was married. He was a father. It's just such, such a tragedy," said county Fire Chief Anthony Marrone. But as of Friday evening, officials hadn't released any further details about what caused the explosion, which occurred in the early afternoon in the 6500 block of East Avenue T in the Palmdale area. Speaking to reporters Friday evening, Marrone said that the firefighters were battling flames that had engulfed "a very, very large articulated front loader that was working in a quarry" when the blast occurred. "And I don't know what exploded," Marrone said during a news conference at Antelope Valley Medical Center. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Cmdr. Mark Reyes said that the agency's homicide bureau and arson unit had started a death investigation, but that it was too early to say what caused the explosion. Hours after the blast, a KTLA-TV Channel 5 helicopter showed firefighters continuing to spray water on the front loader. L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger offered her condolences to the firefighter's family and colleagues, saying his death was "a sobering reminder of the dangers our first responders face every day." "We owe them our steadfast support as they grapple with this loss," she said in a statement. "I'm committed to ensuring our fire personnel are connected with needed mental health support as they grieve." In a statement, Supervisor Janice Hahn said that Pontious left behind a wife and stepdaughter. Barger said that another firefighter was taken to a hospital with minor injuries but was expected to be released. Earlier this year, nine L.A. city firefighters were injured when a tank of compressed natural gas exploded while they were working to extinguish a semi truck fire. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.