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Wednesday’s attack is at least the fifth ambush-style attack or attempted attack on police officers to occur so far in 2017. On April 1, Allen Dewayne Thomas of Parker County, Texas, attempted to lure officers into an ambush by calling 911 and claiming to have shot two people.

“Our deputies were called into an ambush in a violent attempt to take the lives of our law enforcement officers,” said Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler.

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In late March, two undercover officers sitting in an unmarked vehicle were also ambushed.

On January 24, a sheriff’s deputy in Onondaga County, New York, radioed in to say his vehicle was shot at 10 times. On January 13 in Texas, Gary Ray Wright and his wife, Brenda Joyce Wright, set fire to their own home in an attempt to lure officers into an ambush.

The sharp increase in hostility towards police officers led Chrysler to announce in February that all 2017 Dodge Charger Pursuits (the police models) would come equipped with the so-called “Officer Protection Package” — new technology that detects potential ambushes from behind while a vehicle is parked.

“This technology is designed to prevent an officer from being ambushed from the rear while parked,” said Jeff Kommor, vice president of U.S. sales operations, fleet and small business sales. “While it does not replace vigilance, this technology acts as a second set of eyes and provides police officers with added peace of mind when they are in a parked Charger Pursuit.”[lz_pagination]