Fallen Officers

On October 6, 1959, Myron Trapp and other officers responded to a call of an assault with a deadly weapon. A man watching a baseball game on TV was upset with a road crew working on the street in front of his house and fired two shots from a rifle in their direction. Sergeant Trapp tried to talk the suspect out of the house using a P.A. system. As another officer approached the front door, Sergeant Trapp saw the suspect walking toward the door with the rifle. Sergeant Trapp ran to the front to warn the other officer and the suspect fired once through the door. The bullet passed by the first officer and struck Sergeant Trapp, fatally wounding him.

Andy Reese was one of the first Reserve Officers to work for the City of Garden Grove. He had retired from the military, moved to Garden Grove, and joined the police department. He was a professional Reserve Officer who could do it all. In the early years of the department, all new officers were required to ride with Reserve Officer Reese as a requirement before being sent to an academy. On May 30, 1970, Reserve Officer Andy Reese was directing traffic at Brookhurst Street and Trask Avenue during the Strawberry Festival Parade. An impatient motorist decided to pass the slow moving traffic and struck Andy Reese, fatally injuring him.

Donald Reed began his law enforcement career as a Garden Grove Police Officer in 1977. Don Reed quickly earned a reputation as a streetwise police officer with an expertise in narcotics. On June 7, 1980, Officer Reed and three other officers entered the Cripple Creek Bar to serve a felony arrest warrant on a man in the bar. Officer Reed talked to the subject and began to escort him to the back door to prevent an incident inside the bar. As they walked out the door, the man turned and fired a semi-automatic handgun and struck Officer Reed in the chest, fatally wounding him.

Michael Rainford began his law enforcement career with the Garden Grove Police Department as a Reserve Officer, Mike Rainford quickly earned the respect and trust of all that worked with him and was noted for his ever-present smile and cheerful personality. On November 7, 1980, Officer Rainford was on patrol when he saw a traffic violation on Harbor Boulevard and followed the violator onto the westbound Garden Grove Freeway on-ramp. It was a normal car stop for a traffic violation, however, Officer Rainford never made it to the violator. He was struck by a drunk driver and fatally injured.

Howard Dallies began his law enforcement career with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and went to the Placentia Police Department before becoming a Garden Grove Police Officer five years later. Officer Dallies was known for being a quiet, patient, and a sincerely polite man. On March 9, 1993, at approximately 2:45 a.m., Master Officer Howard Dallies stopped the driver of a motorcycle on Aldgate Street, east of Brookhurst. As Officer Dallies approached the motorcycle, the driver fired six shots at Howard, striking him four times. Master Officer Dallies was rushed to the hospital, where he died from his wounds.

John Reynolds began his law enforcement career with the Orange County Probation Department, where he served for nine years before he took the oath to serve with the Garden Grove Police Department in September 1995. Reynolds was a highly-decorated officer, serving in various capacities including as a gang officer, SWAT member, and undercover investigator, before he was promoted to lieutenant in 2018. He was an Officer of the Year and Medal of Merit recipient, along with being an active member in the community – a trait that led to him being named Man of the Year award in 2019 by the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce. Lt. Reynolds succumbed to complications of COVID-19 at the age of 59 on January 17, 2021, after an illustrious 26-year career with the Garden Grove Police Department.