Corporal Ronil Singh, a police officer with the City of Newman (Calif.) Police Department, was a shining example of what’s good about immigration in America. A young man, full of life, devoted to his family and his community, always putting the needs of others ahead of his own.
He was committed to achieving his American dream by becoming a police officer. Immigrating lawfully and legally to the United States from Fiji, Ronil worked tirelessly to achieve his dream, even taking English speech lessons to overcome his accent in an effort to be better understood. He studied criminal justice in college, graduated from the police academy and took advantage of every opportunity to find a full-time job in law enforcement, finally getting hired with the Newman Police Department.
He was married with a 5-month-old son and shared a Christmas photo of his family on social media before leaving his home to protect and serve his community.
Soon after that, he was murdered in the line of duty.
Tragically and senselessly, his American dream was taken from him by a criminal illegal alien who was stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence. In a split second, the suspect used a stolen firearm to murder Cpl. Singh, who was simply protecting his community from harm.
The suspect, a known criminal and gang member, was present in the United States illegally. With prior arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, he was intoxicated yet again. Tipped by a witness, Cpl. Singh located the suspect driving and conducted an enforcement stop. Moments later, Cpl. Singh found himself engaged in a gunfight with the suspect and, as he lay on the ground, mortally wounded, he called on his radio: “Shots fired, I’ve been hit.” When other officers and deputy sheriffs arrived, Singh was unconscious and unresponsive. His colleagues desperately tried to save his life, but it was too late.
The Newman Police Department is a small agency in southwest Stanislaus County. Never in the history of the agency have they suffered a line-of-duty death, and the murder of Cpl. Singh was an overwhelmingly shocking experience. The Stanislaus Sheriff’s Office, the largest law enforcement agency in Stanislaus County, immediately allocated resources to the criminal investigation and the manhunt for the suspect.
Witness statements, and surveillance images from the convenience store camera system where the suspect purchased beer, gave us what we needed to pursue and capture the criminal coward who pulled the trigger, taking Cpl. Singh’s life. From the Sheriff’s Homicide Team, Sheriff’s Team Investigating Narcotics and Gangs (STING) and Special…
