In the line of duty

Wednesday goes down as a sad day in western Pennsylvania law enforcement.

FBI Special Agent Samuel Hicks, who was assigned to the Pittsburgh FBI office, was killed in the line of duty while serving a federal warrant as part of a drug investigation.

Warrant work is one of the most dangerous things a law enforcement officer does. You plan and train, but there are still many unknowns when an officer goes through the door to make the arrest or execute a search warrant.

One suspect was in custody, the FBI said.

The FBI says Hicks was assigned to the Pittsburgh office in August 2007, after joining the agency that March. Hicks graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and was a former teacher and Baltimore police officer.

Hicks was 33. He leaves behind his wife and their 3-year-old son.

Our prayers go out to Special Agent Hicks' family and to all of law enforcement.