Special Report:

2012 Year in Review

2012 proved to be a year full of valuable lessons, whether from tragedy or heroic feats. Read accounts of the year's most memorable incidents from the people directly involved in our first-person features, enjoy expert commentary from our columnists and watch some of the best police videos of 2012.

Full list of 2012 Year in Review results

Top 5 viral police videos from 2012
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My way of coping with a tragedy
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An officer talks about the day he watched a chief die in the line of duty, and how he and his family got through it
Sponsored content

Don’t be afraid of the dark: A look at night vision technology made with cops in mind
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Steiner Optics

How can you see in the dark without being seen? Steiner Optics has an answer
How I got from ambush to affirmation
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It took an almost eleven month recovery process, but Deputy Marshal Stephen Brady is glad to be back on the job
The night I was ambushed, shot 9 times
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An officer is back on desk duty and improving every day after a devastating ambush
The night we lost one of our own in shootout
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One officer recounts the day serving a search warrant initiated a gun battle that killed 1, injured 5
How brotherhood helped me save 2 from fire
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An Ariz. officer recalls saving a couple from a house fire and his recovery
Cop's fiery car wreck rescue: "It's just what we do"
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When a quiet night on patrol quickly went south, a nervous officer acted flawlessly
Chief's perspective: The Texas A&M shooting
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The chief of police reviews the day of the shooting and the months of recovery
13 things we wish the general public knew about police work
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High-speed chases look like fun because they are
Active shooters in schools: The enemy is denial
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Preventing juvenile mass murder in American schools is the job of police officers, school teachers, and concerned parents