Fallen Lorain officer, hailed as “a true hero,” leaves three grieving kids after deadly ambush

In late July, the city of Lorain, Ohio, was left shattered when Officer Phillip C. Wagner, a Marine veteran, father of three, and newly minted SWAT officer, was killed in a brutal ambush that also injured two of his fellow officers.

A Deadly Attack in July
On July 24, Wagner, 35, was eating lunch with fellow officer Peter Gale, 51, when a gunmen opened fire at the dead-end of an industrial parkway off Colorado Avenue. Police say Michael Parker, 28, had been lying in wait with an arsenal of weapons.

Both Gale and Officer Brent Payne, 47, were struck during the gunfight and remained hospitalized after being rushed for treatment. Parker died after being shot multiple times in an exchange of fire with officers.