Ronald Leon DeHerrera

Denver Police Department — Denver, CO

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch April 1, 1997

Age 32

Tour of Duty

The Vigil Panel 143 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 73

Incident

Police Officer Ron DeHerrera succumbed to injuries he received when his patrol car was struck by a stolen vehicle on March 26, 1997. Officer DeHerrera and his partner were heading to the scene of a car prowler as the suspect was heading in their direction in a stolen Ford Mustang. The suspect struck their patrol car at an estimated speed of 95 mph at the intersection of 19th Street and Federal Boulevard in Denver. Officer DeHerrera was in the passenger seat and suffered massive head and internal injuries. He succumbed to his injuries on April 1, 1997. The other officer suffered minor injuries and made a full recovery. The 17-year-old suspect was convicted of vehicular homicide and sentenced to 9 years. He was denied parole for the fourth time in January 2004. Officer DeHerrera had just graduated from the academy the day before the incident.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-CO-6A54858D
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer DeHerrera served with the Denver Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Denver community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer DeHerrera.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Denver Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Denver, Denver County, CO

Platform Identity dpd.denver.co.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 1, 1997

Tour of Duty

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile

Military Service

Ronald Leon DeHerrera served in the U.S. Army (1988â1988) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Ronald Leon DeHerrera is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In CO, 235 of 360 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.3% of this state's fallen. That is 65.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Denver Police Department, 55 of 74 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 74.3% of this agency's fallen.

Denver Police Department

of 74 officers

74.3% Felonious

CO — Statewide

235

of 360 officers

65.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious