A Dallas police officer has gone above and beyond to ensure that the stories of Dallas police men and women killed in the line of duty will never be forgotten.
The 3rd edition of "In the Line of Duty" is available for purchase online now will be available for purchase in person at NorthPark Center on Black Friday.
Officer Steve Elwonger, a longtime patrol officer who first decided to compile the stories of the city’s fallen officers in 1988, said all the proceeds from the book will go to the Assist the Officer Foundation.
“I actually lose money on [the book]," he said. "I’m not in it for accolades or anything. I’m just doing it for the memorial. Just to honor the officers and that’s it.”
Elwonger said he was already planning the book's third edition a few months ago when the ambush of July 7 happened in downtown, taking the lives of Sr. Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, Officer Michael Krol, Sgt. Michael Smith, Officer Patricio Zamarripa and Dallas Area Rapid Transit Officer Brent Thompson.
Counting DART Officer Thompson, Elwonger chronicles the stories of 85 officers killed in Dallas dating back to the late 1890s.
Elwonger, who first joined the force in 1982, had to do some extensive research to compile the narratives of some of the officers killed in the 1800s and early 1900s, including searching through newspaper archives on microfilm.
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What struck the longtime officer, whose father was a 20-year Dallas cop before him, is that many of the police officers killed in Dallas had military service prior to their time in Dallas, a surprising number of them were in the twenties and many of the officers left behind spouses and children.
