An Officer's Worst Fear: Being Targeted for Doing Your Job

The fatal shooting of Downey, CA, police Officer Ricardo Galvez rattled nerves among cops across Southern California Thursday as authorities investigated what led to the killing.

The LAPD, for example, stepped up security at its stations even though a department spokesman said the Downey shooting appeared to be an isolated incident. 

Galvez's killing turned out to be an armed robbery in which the suspects said they didn't realize the 29-year-old — who was out of uniform and sitting in his personal car near the Downey Police Department — was a cop, authorities said later in the day.

But for police officers, the idea of being targeted because of their job has long been a fear that comes with the job.

There have been several cases in which gunmen specifically targeted Southern California law enforcement, the Los Angeles Times reports.