In late July, Officer Phillip C. Wagner of Lorain, Ohio, was tragically killed in a targeted ambush that also left two fellow officers wounded. The 35-year-old Marine veteran and father of three was eating lunch with another officer when a gunman, Michael Parker, opened fire from a concealed position. Wagner was critically injured and died the following day in the hospital.

Wagner had just completed SWAT training two days prior to his death, earning his pin after a year of intense preparation. His colleagues remembered him as a dedicated and compassionate officer who embodied the spirit of service. He also previously served in the Marines and with the Sheffield Village Police Department.

The community was left shaken by the sudden loss. Lorain’s police chief called Wagner a “true hero,” and tributes poured in for the officer who gave his life in the line of duty. Funeral arrangements were made as the city rallied around his grieving family.

Wagner leaves behind his wife and three young children. Though time has passed, his sacrifice remains deeply felt, and his legacy lives on through those he protected and served.