On January 31st the Chino Police Department had a ceremony to the remember 20th anniversary of Officer Russell M. Miller Sr. being killed in the line of duty.

Officer Miller was a 12-year veteran of the department, having become an Officer at age 40, when he was struck by a drunk driver on Tuesday, February 1, 2000. 

Officer Miller had stopped a pickup truck for a minor traffic violation and was walking toward the vehicle when a 1999 Chevy Suburban, driven by 21-year-old Joseph John Martinez, came up from behind him. The Suburban first sideswiped his patrol car and then struck Miller with so much force it launched him into the bed of the truck he had pulled over.  Officer Miller died from extensive internal injuries approximately 10 hours after the incident.  He left behind his wife and three children.  Miller was a veteran, having served as a Navy diver in Vietnam.

Martinez was arrested less than 15 minutes later after he hit a light pole several blocks away.  At the time of the collisions Martinez had a blood-alcohol level of 0.17 and he was also under the influence of marijuana.  He was eventually convicted and sentenced to over 8 years in prison.