Tulsa Police Officer Dies In Iraq

29-year-old Lance Corporal Jared Shoemaker was killed in action in the Al Anbar province on Monday. He was mobilized from reserve to active duty status in December with the Anti-Tank Training Company

Tuesday, September 5th 2006, 9:50 am

By: News On 6

29-year-old Lance Corporal Jared Shoemaker was killed in action in the Al Anbar province on Monday. He was mobilized from reserve to active duty status in December with the Anti-Tank Training Company in Broken Arrow.

News on 6 crime reporter Lori Fullbright says Corporal Jared Shoemaker was hired by the Tulsa Police Department in January of last year. He'd just completed the police academy, when his Marine unit was called up for more training, then sent to Iraq.

Several officers we talked to by phone Tuesday were too torn up by the news to do interviews.

The News on 6 was with Corporal Jared Shoemaker in March. He was training with his fellow Marines in the Mojave Desert. They were getting ready for the tough situations they would face in a war-torn country. At the time, Corporal Shoemaker talked to us about training for such a dangerous assignment. "If you make a mistake, it's not usually you that gets hurt, but, it's your buddy."

In his free time, Jared was an avid rugby player and belonged to the Tulsa Rugby Football Club. The club's website says he'd been playing for five years and his nickname was 'superjock.'

While not on active duty, Corporal Shoemaker was an officer for the Tulsa Police Department. He'd been assigned to Uniform Division North and Tulsa's police chief says being a police officer had been Jared's lifelong dream. Jared had sworn to protect the citizens of Tulsa, when his duty to protect Americans took top priority.

His wife and parents were left behind, to hope for his safe return. A hope that will not come true.

The Marines say an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle. The explosion killed Shoemaker and injured another Marine. 23-year-old Lance Corporal Cody Hill of Ada, who is also from the same Broken Arrow company is listed in serious but stable condition.

Officials say Hill was hit by shrapnel and suffered burns over about 50 percent of his body from the explosion. Hill was to fly from Germany Tuesday night and will arrive Wednesday at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he will be hospitalized.

Members of Tulsa's police department, including the staff chaplain met with Jared Shoemaker's wife and parents Tuesday afternoon. Chief Dave Been says Jared served the city of Tulsa with distinction and made the ultimate sacrifice for his country and will be sorely missed.