Crime & Safety
Firing Range Dedicated To Fallen Policeman
Fellow officers will salute Dennis "Step" Stepnowski on Thursday.
Detective Dennis Carmen Stepnowski, who died in the line of duty six years ago, will be honored by the DeKalb County Police Department at a special ceremony this week.
The DeKalb Police Firing Range, at 3905 North Goddard Road in Lithonia, will be dedicated to Stepnowski on Thursday, March 8 at 11 a.m., according to a statement from spokesperson Mekka Parish at county police headquarters in Tucker.
The officer, a member of the SWAT unit, was killed on June 29, 2006 while chasing a suspect on foot at an apartment complex in Stone Mountain. The suspect opened fire on Stepnowski, wounding him. Stepnowski returned fire and killed the suspect, but the detective died later from his injuries at DeKalb Medical Center in Decatur.
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He was 33 and had been with the DeKalb County Police Department for 12 years. His original MySpace profile describes Stepnowski as a football fan who liked exotic cars and working out. He was a native of Schenectady, New York and is survived by his wife, a sister and his parents.
An subsequent investigation revealed that the suspect was a fugitive who was wanted for a murder in Louisiana.
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