In Blue (part three)

The first shot hit his right wrist. His gun dropped to the ground as the second shot hit his right forearm. He took cover behind his vehicle and retrieved his gun with his left hand. As he returned fire, the third shot hit him in the left arm. His gun once again fell to the ground as shot 4 hit him dead center at the heart. Shot 5 went through his badge. He collapsed into his car, and in his last conscious moment, spoke into the radio, “419 to radio…I’m hit…” He could hear the van speeding away, he could hear the sirens, screeching brakes, and whining engines of his backup. He thought…”the Viet-cong didn’t get me…shit…” and then he blacked out.

The ER staff was startled by the alert tones coming from the squad at the scene…”We have a 42 year old white male with multiple GSW to the arms and upper torso… He is semi-conscious with a weakening pulse and even breath sounds. ETA 2 minutes.”

As the trauma team cut his uniform off, they saw first hand the value of a ballistic vest. The shots to the arms were devastating but this officer will see his kids grow up. The shot to the heart felt like a baseball bat to the chest. It would leave an appropriate bruise and some broken ribs. The shot through the badge…left a burn…congressmen who lobbied for bullet proof vests for all police officers would call in the coming days and ask if he would speak in support of their upcoming campaigns. The Chief made a couple of token visits. The Mayor came by once. His arms would need extensive surgery and rehab. He would need months of counseling. His wife and kids would need months of counseling. His fellow officers would take extra care in wearing their vests. His service record was hailed in the media and he was called a hero by the local news.

The suspect was caught one week after the shooting hiding in the attic of a home in the southwest projects. He apologized in court and got 15 years. It took 18 months for the officer to recover. On his fourth day back to work…he was chasing a blue Cadillac down the interstate…