On the evening of Sunday, July 3, 2011, 39-year-old Memphis Police Officer Timothy Felton Warren responded to a domestic violence call at a DoubleTree Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee. A man had gone to the hotel seeking a woman and, after finding her, shot and killed a male companion she was with. Officer Warren was among the first on scene and searched an upper-floor stairwell for the suspect; the gunman opened a connecting door and fatally shot Warren in the head.

Police took 22-year-old Alexander Haydel into custody at the scene. A police affidavit later said Haydel used Army infantry training to plan further attacks on officers, including seeking higher ground and attempting to disorient responders with fire extinguishers. Haydel allegedly took Officer Warren’s firearm and two loaded magazines after shooting him. Haydel was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and on January 13, 2014, pleaded guilty to both counts; he was sentenced to life without parole.