First Responders

California Police Officer Killed on Duty, Neighbor Tackles Suspect

May 13, 2021Joshua Skovlund
Stockton California Police Officer Jimmy Inn killed

Stockton Police Officer Jimmy Inn. Photo courtesy of the Stockton Police Department/Twitter. Composite image by Joshua Skovlund/Coffee or Die Magazine.

A Stockton police officer viewed as a hometown hero among the city’s Cambodian American community was killed Tuesday in a shooting that officials are calling an ambush. Jimmy Inn, a 30-year-old Cambodian American officer, was well-known on the block where the shooting unfolded and was celebrated as a role model.


The confrontation that killed Inn ended with a dramatic moment, when the suspected shooter, Lance Lowe, 30, began to strangle his son on the front lawn of the property. A neighbor tackled Lowe, pulling him off the boy. Police shot Lowe seconds later.


Inn’s death was the second on-duty death of a California police officer in just 24 hours and marked the 125th on-duty death of a law enforcement officer in 2021, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.



Authorities said Inn was responding to a late-morning 911 call for a potential domestic violence incident. A caller said they could hear screaming and saw a woman wearing ripped clothing and bleeding. Police officials said Inn arrived outside of the house shortly after 10 a.m. Preliminary information has led authorities to believe that as Inn approached the door, a male inside the home opened fire, mortally wounding him.


Another officer arrived in time to see the shooting unfold and returned fire. The man soon emerged from the house with his 8-year-old son and began strangling the child. A neighbor, who Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones said is choosing to remain anonymous, tackled the man and broke his hold on the child’s neck. 


Shortly after, Stockton police shot the man. Both Inn and the shooter were transported to local hospitals, where they were pronounced dead.


Inn was well-known in the neighborhood. One of the residents from that area told CBS13 that Inn was an officer who was always stopping to chat with the kids in the area, providing positive community engagement. 


“He would always wave, he would always bring the kids over and give them a police sticker and all of that,” Dino Cole, a local resident, told CBS13.


Stockton California Police Officer Jimmy Inn killed
Stockton, Calif., residents left notes and flowers showing their support for the police department and the loss of Officer Jimmy Inn. Photo courtesy of the Stockton Police Department.

Jones had a message for the community during a press conference held Wednesday about Inn and law enforcement as a whole. 


“Honor Jimmy Inn for laying down his life to sacrifice for others,” Jones said. “Acknowledge that police work is dangerous and we should support our police officers as much as possible. […] This department will work together to move forward to protect our community.”


Inn, who was with the Stockton Police Department for five years, was married to another Stockton police officer and leaves behind three children.


His death follows an incident Monday that killed San Luis Obispo Detective Luca Benedetti. Benedetti was shot while attempting to serve a search warrant on a robbery suspect. One other officer with Benedetti was injured. 


Read Next: ‘I Have a Mama Too’: California Cops Deliver Mother’s Day Flowers After Busting Driver for DUI



Joshua Skovlund
Joshua Skovlund

Joshua Skovlund is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die. He has covered the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France, multinational military exercises in Germany, and civil unrest during the 2020 riots in Minneapolis. Born and raised in small-town South Dakota, he grew up playing football and soccer before serving as a forward observer in the US Army. After leaving the service, he worked as a personal trainer while earning his paramedic license. After five years as in paramedicine, he transitioned to a career in multimedia journalism. Joshua is married with two children. His creative outlets include Skovlund Photography and Concentrated Emotion.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
soflete
Soflete: How This Veteran-Led Company is Changing Military Fitness Culture

In 2014, Soflete’s co-founders saw workout overkill hurting their peers as they prepared for selecti...

glock 19
Glock 19: Origin Story of a Legendary Pistol

Get to know the Glock 19 — how it works, who uses it, and why it’s one of the most popular handguns in the US.

afghan soldier asylum
Afghan Soldier Who Helped US Weathers Injuries, Uncertainty in Asylum Bid

Afghan soldier who assisted the U.S. now faces uncertainty in bid for asylum.

The Dirty Dozen
‘The Dirty Dozen’: Meet D-Day’s Real Rogue Commandos

The Dirty Dozen was based on a real team of rule-breaking elite paratroopers who jumped into France ahead of D-Day.

d-day 79th anniversary
Normandy Marks D-Day's 79th Anniversary, Honors World War II Veterans

This year's D-Day tribute to the young soldiers who died in Normandy is not only a chance to honor t...

f-22 raptor
The F-22: The Superiority Fighter That Never Shot Down an Enemy Plane

The F-22 Raptor was designed to fight next-gen Russian fighters. So far its only air-to-air kills are a Chinese balloon and a UFO.

Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway: Where America's March to Victory Began

The US Navy outwitted and outfought the Imperial Japanese Navy to secure victory in the do-or-die Battle of Midway.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved