In the late summer of 2001, the city of Reno was shaken by the violent death of one of its own. John Bohach, a 35-year-old Caucasian male and a respected officer with the Reno Police Department, lost his life in the line of duty on August 22, 2001. A 13-year veteran of the force, Bohach had recently returned to patrol after a period working as a detective in the crimes against children unit.
He was known for his dedication and was a husband and father to two daughters.
The tragic events began to unfold on that Wednesday morning with a seemingly routine traffic stop. An officer pulled over a vehicle for erratic driving, but as the officer was writing a ticket, the driver suddenly sped away. A pursuit ensued, which ended when the suspect's vehicle ran a red light, causing a collision, before the driver abandoned the car and fled into a nearby house on Vassar Street.
As officers, including John Bohach, began to establish a perimeter around the residence, the situation took a deadly turn. The suspect, identified as Larry Tack, fired a high-powered rifle from inside the house, striking Bohach in the chest. At the time, Officer Bohach was not wearing a protective vest.
The standoff continued for nearly five hours, with the neighborhood on lockdown as a SWAT team was called to the scene. Eventually, law enforcement officers stormed the house, deploying tear gas to flush out the suspect. Tack was apprehended without further injury to police. Following his arrest, Larry Tack was sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the murder of Officer John Bohach. Tack later died in prison on October 6, 2013.
