As we continue to grieve the loss of the five police officers murdered in Dallas Thursday, we are also looking for ways to help. While we cannot be there to comfort the wounded and embrace the loved ones of the fallen, we can provide support and relief for those who have been impacted by this tragedy.
The Dallas Police Association is asking that donations to the injured and fallen officers and their families be made to the Assist the Officer Foundation. To donate please visit www.atodallas.org/donate or mail your check/money order to:
Assist the Officer 1412 Griffin Street East Dallas, TX 75215

Thank you for your support. We will never forget.

Brent Thompson

Officer Brent Thompson, 43, was the first person killed in the line of duty in the 27-year history of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority, or DART. Thompson was a newlywed, marrying a fellow DART officer just two weeks before his death.

Thompson was a 1990 graduate of Corsicana High School, south of Dallas, and taught at nearby Navarro College’s police academy from 2001 to 2004, according to his LinkedIn page.
For the next four years, he was an international police liaison officer with DynCorp International, a private military contractor. He wrote on LinkedIn that he was responsible for the “day to day operations conducted by our American police officers who trained and mentored the Iraqi Police.”
In 2009, he joined DART.

Patrick Zamarripa

Officer Patrick Zamarripa, a six-year Dallas Police Department veteran, served eight years in active duty with the U.S. Navy and another five years in the reserves. He was a Petty Officer 2nd Class and Master at Arms in the U.S. and Iraq, where he survived three tours of duty.
Zamarripa, 32, was honored with numerous awards and commendations, including the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
The married father of a 2-year-old daughter was a devoted family man, and his love for his Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys ran deep, friends said.

Michael Krol

Officer Michael Krol, an eight-year Dallas Police Department veteran, was a former jail worker with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan.

All the 40-year-old suburban Detroit native ever wanted was to become a police officer — and he set his sights on Dallas, family said.
“He got into law enforcement and worked really hard to be a police officer,” his uncle, Jim Ehlke, told NBC affiliate WDIV in Detroit. “He was all in,” Ehlke added, “he was all in.”

Michael Smith

Sgt. Michael Smith, 55, was a 26-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department. He was married with two children.
Smith had earned multiple awards during his more than two decades on the force, according to a 2009 Dallas Police Department newsletter, in which Smith was honored.
Smith “comes to work with a positive attitude and strives for excellence,” the newsletter said, adding that he worked with “at risk” children and once took a slashing to the head in an effort to shield his partner.

Lorne Ahrens

Sr. Cpl. Lorne Ahrens was a 14-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department. He joined two days after leaving the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where he had served from 1991 to 2002, according to a statement from the LASD.

He was remembered as an imposing 6-foot-5 figure with an equally big heart. The day before Ahrens, 48, was killed, he bought a homeless man dinner and encouraged fellow officers to greet the man. Ahrens always found ways to give back, volunteering, in uniform, at the school his 8-year-old and 10-year-old children attended.
In addition to his children, Ahrens is survived by his wife, Dallas Police Detective Katrina Ahrens.