OGDEN — The shooting of six police officers in Ogden Wednesday may have been one of the bloodiest incidents ever for Utah law enforcement. But it wasn't the deadliest.

Utah's deadliest officer-involved shooting

That distinction goes to an astonishing episode in 1913 that claimed six lives, including five officers. The case went unresolved for nearly a century, until Salt Lake County officer Randy Lish read a book about it.

"When I read the story," Lish said, "I was deeply saddened that five officers and a civilian lost their lives and it was never solved. I thought, 'Holy smokes, how could this happen?'"

Lish's detective work in two states finally resolved the case and answered its biggest mystery, the whereabouts of the man who did all the shooting and then made a clean getaway. Based on Lish's conclusions, then-Salt Lake County Attorney David Yocom formally closed the case in 2003.

When Lish heard news of Wednesday's police shooting in Ogden, it rekindled memories of the 1913 shootings by a desperado named Rafael "Red" Lopez. The historical episode exemplifies the kinds of risks that Lish trains officers to deal with. He's the senior instructor at a firing range operated by the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office.

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Lish said a key lesson is that a suspect generally has an advantage over approaching law enforcers, especially if it's on turf he's familiar with. The risk is all the greater if the gunman is hiding in wait, preparing an ambush.

"When you've got to clear that hill, that corner, or whatever, they may be there waiting for you," Lish said.

That happened twice in the 1913 incident and five officers paid with their lives.

It began with an argument in Salt Lake County's Bingham Canyon mining district. Lopez killed a fellow miner in a dispute over a woman and then fled to the shores of Utah Lake near present-day Saratoga Springs. When a posse moved in, Lopez was waiting, hiding in the brush with a Winchester rifle. He opened fire on the posse, killing Bingham Police Chief John William Grant and Salt Lake County deputies George Witbeck and Nephi Jensen.

Then, Lopez fled to an underground mine in Bingham Canyon, an area he knew well.

Armed lawmen took up positions, standing guard at mine openings for days. On the eighth day of the standoff, deputy James Hulsey and special deputy Vaso Mandarich went into the mine pushing an ore car loaded with hay. They intended to ignite a fire and smoke Lopez out.

"He stepped up behind them with a 30-30 Winchester at about 8 feet," Lish said, "and he shot both officers in the back."

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For weeks, Lopez eluded capture.

"He just kept on going from different mine shaft to mine shaft," Lish said. "He'd been a miner there for quite awhile. He knew it real well."

As miners went back to work, Lopez reportedly lived off their box lunches. "Some, they'd say they gave him the food," Lish said. "Some say that he took the food. Some say he pointed guns at them."

Eventually Lopez just vanished and was forgotten, at least in Utah.

But Lish re-opened the case after reading about Frank Hamer, the legendary Texas Ranger who set up an ambush that led to the deaths of the outlaw couple Bonnie and Clyde. Eventually, Lish was able to prove that Hamer also caught up with Red Lopez in 1921 along the Rio Grande. Lopez had been "committing train robberies and a lot of smuggling," Lish said. "He was responsible for, according to the Hamer family, approximately 30 homicides after he left (Utah)."

A posse led by Hamer set up its own ambush as Lopez and his gang crossed the border, Lish said. "And the ranger stood up behind them and told them not to move. And the shooting started. And about 11 of them, according to Frank (Hamer), were killed."

Lish took pleasure in finally closing the case, 90 years after the fact. He said it helped the relatives and descendants of the slain officers to close a painful chapter in their family history.

Thinking about the officers who were wounded and killed Wednesday night, Lish said, "That's what officers do. They help people."

Risk comes with the job

Today, officers across the state say they knew the risks when they signed on for the job, and still, they wake up each day with a dedication and love for their work.

"You do it for the public. You do it for the community. Most of us that have been in this job have never done it for the money. We just don't get rich in this job," said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Randy Lish.

Unified Police Deputy Chief Shane Hudson said, "Running into the risks like the ones that happened in Ogden last night are not something, fortunately, that we run into every day. But we have to be prepared to run into something like that every minute."

"When people say, ‘Look! Godzilla!' and run the other way, we say, ‘Hey, let's go talk to this guy,'" Hudson added.

When an officer is lost, the outpouring from fellow officers is powerful. On a national website, the Officer Down Memorial Page, well over 100 people have posted comments for Agent Jared Francom. Many also in uniform, from all of the country, share thoughts, prayers and poems.

"Officers get into the job because of the model of ‘protect and serve' isn't just a model, it's a way of life for a peace officer," Hudson said. "And we live in the community, our families live in the community, and we want to live in a safe and peaceful environment."

For a little context, law enforcement nationally is regularly ranked in top 15 of America's most dangerous jobs. A total of 1,794 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years — an average of one death every 53 hours, or 163 per year.

To stay safe, officers go through rigorous training courses. Click the extra video clips above to see some demonstrations.

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Written by John Hollenhorst and John Daley.

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