Injured Cape Coral Police officer a walking miracle
A Cape Coral Police Officer makes his first public appearance tonight 8 months after a serious motorcycle accident nearly took his life. Last June, Damien Garcia was riding is patrol motorcycle when an SUV pulled out in front of him, leaving him with serious head injuries. Doctors weren’t sure he going to survive. Saturday night, Garcia was a walking miracle at the Gene Griffin Memorial Football Game at Ida Baker High School.
The game is an annual charity event between the Fort Myers and Cape Coral police and firefighters. While Damien Garcia would rather have been playing alongside his fellow officers, tonight, he played a different position, doing the honorary coin toss and getting the loudest cheers of the night.
Slow and steady, 26 year old Damien Garcia walks with the help of his fiance. 8 months ago, he was in and out of a coma, and couldn’t walk or breathe on his own. The last thing doctors imagined he’d he doing is walking more than 50 yards across a football field. But Saturday night, he did just that, giving players and the crowd a true lesson in courage.
“To see him out here walking after all reports, going through a coma, and coming out of it, wheelchair, physical therapy and to see him take steps out here and actually wave at people do the coin toss, it was such an inspiration to all of us out here,” Brad Dickerson of the Fort Myers Police said.
Although Garcia was too tired to speak, his footsteps alone spoke volumes. “Never give up, never never never say never,” said Erik Chudzik of the Cape Coral Fire Department. “It was so bleak for him and it has been for other people but you never give up. Never stop fighting.”
“We know where the credit goes, this is a God thing, and the blessings from prayers that were given, here we are today. It is a miracle,” Cape Coral Police Chief Rob Petrovich said.
While Garcia may not have been tackling and throwing the football, Saturday night, he can definitely take credit for a touchdown or two. “We’re definitely out here with a little extra to go from Damien,” Chudzik said.
The final score of the night was Police: 7, Firefighters: 6, but it was pretty obvious from talking to players, whether their uniforms were red or blue, they were all playing for the same person.
By Haley Hinds
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Gay Missouri State Trooper’s Widower Ineligible For Most Survivor Benefits
Missouri Patrol Corporal Dennis Engelhard was struck and killed by a car that lost control in the heavy snow that fell throughout the South during the Christmas holiday. Engelhard had stepped out of his patrol car to set flares in order to alert other motorists of a minor accident. According to the official obituary, Engelhard was single, without children. Governor Jay Nixon called on the citizens of the state to pray for his family who had lost a beloved son and brother. What they missed or ignored was Kelly Glossip, Engelhard’s partner for fifteen years. The two men had been introduced by a fellow trooper, who is lesbian. The omissions happened despite the knowledge among his fellow troopers that Engelhard was gay, and now, it is highly in doubt that Glossip will receive the death benefits that a spouse would be entitled to. Missouri has a Constitutional amendment banning any marriage other than those between a man and a woman.
“I’d take 100 Dennis Engelhards. He was an outstanding trooper. His lifestyle had no bearing on his career,” according to Captain Ronald Johnson, head of the Highway Patrol troop covering St. Louis and the adjoining counties. Unfortunately, neither his sexual orientation, nor the fact that Engelhard had, in effect, a fifteen year old stepson were mentioned at the official funeral service held by the Highway Patrol in Engelhard’s hometown of Brookfield. Glossip had a son by a marriage before coming out gay. A second funeral will be held for Engelhard at Christ Church Cathedral on 30 January by his friends and family. “I need closure and my son needs closure. Something that’s truthful, and not dishonest,” according to Glossip. The omission of Engelhard’s family undoubtedly hurt those who he was closest to.
Unfortunately, Glossip will also not be allowed to get Engelhard’s death benefits, amounting to $28,138 per year. The law is structured that only a person who is married to a trooper who dies in the line of duty is eligible for those benefits. According to state Representative Ward Franz “I personally feel that a relationship should be between a man and a woman. They still love each other and care about each other, but I don’t think we can change the law for that.” Missouri’s LGBT advocacy group PROMO released this statement in counter to what Franz stated “The 2004 marriage amendment didn’t ‘protect’ anyone’s marriage. It only ensured that family members who survive the tragic loss of everyday heroes like Engelhard are treated with less respect and dignity than straight couples.”
Glossip has received some benefits following Engelhard’s death. He was listed as being the beneficiary of a small policy that Engelhard had with the Missouri State Troopers Association. That pay out amounted to $500. Glossip is also eligible for benefits from the Federal government through the Justice Department. The Justice Department pays out a certain amount of money- in this case around $300,000- in the case of state troopers who die in the line of duty. Unlike other benefits available through state and local groups, the Justice Department benefits are available to anyone who is married to or can prove that they were the long time partner for the deceased. Glossip has also received financial support from Engelhard’s family.
By Bridgette P. LaVictoire
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Police dog is ready for the street
Gonzo, the Evansville Police Department’s newest K-9, was like most dogs when Sgt. Brent Hoover got the 17-month-old German shepherd last November.
The dog was enthusiastic, playful and a little unpredictable, but also quick to bond to his new handler.
Eight weeks later, Gonzo is on the verge of graduating from a rigorous course of training designed to meet U.S. Police Canine Association (USPCA) standards and prepare him for duty on the city’s streets.
Where once Hoover kept a close eye on him to keep him from chasing a rabbit or darting off unexpectedly, Gonzo now follows commands (given in German).
Called back from chasing a “suspect” — officer Zach Elfreich — Gonzo turns around immediately and returns to Hoover’s side.
“Its like a kid getting older, you give him more and more freedom,” Hoover said.
The secret to training them? An oblong rubber chew toy about the size of a tennis ball and attached to a short piece of heavy cord.
Tossed into the air and bouncing along the ground, it mimics the movements of a small animal such as a rabbit.
“It stimulates their hunting drive,” Hoover said.
Praise from Hoover might be nice, but it’s hard for a fun-loving German shepherd to resist a chance to play with such a toy.
“It’s the ultimate reward,” Hoover said.
A successful completion of a training task can bring a toss of the toy for the dog to retrieve.
The dogs are trained to find and retrieve evidence, climb ladders and steps, locate hidden people, go through narrow spaces, such as culverts, bite and hold onto someone until ordered to release and jump tall fences, shrubs and other obstacles.
They can chase and stop chasing on command and are conditioned not to bite unless commanded to do so.
The training doesn’t stop after the initial eight weeks, Hoover said. The dogs are certified annually in their skills at regional USPCA trials, and officers continue to work with the dogs throughout their time together.
The Evansville Police Department typically has nine K-9 officers, but the death of Elfreich’s dog, Lord, earlier this month has left a hole in the ranks.
Officers still haven’t settled on a dog to replace Lord. Finding just the right one has been a lengthy process, but no more so than any time the department has looked for a new dog. Officers often look at 20 to 30 dogs before finding one.
After testing 10 dogs, Hoover said, officers thought they had found one, but he turned out to have a knee condition.
“We’re not going to take any dog. Some departments will just take anything,” Hoover said.
He said officers plan to go back to the kennel the department usually works with and try more dogs in February.
The dogs are European-bred German shepherds, favored by police because in Europe they’re bred as working dogs, giving them a more muscular build.
However, because they are imported, they can cost as much as $7,000, Hoover said.
But he said it is worth it. Officers typically use the dogs to apprehend suspected felons and suspects who are believed to be armed. They are also used to locate and retrieve evidence.
“The dogs make our job so much safer for officers,” he said. “They can clear a school or warehouse a lot faster than we can. They are a great locating tool for finding and apprehending a suspect.”
This year’s USPCA regional trials will be held in Evansville, June 9-11, bringing K-9s and their handlers from as far as Ohio and Eastern Kentucky, Hoover said.
By Mark Wilson
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Evendale Detective Has Health Warning For Others
A life or death warning from a Tri-State police officer. It’s not about protecting your property or your family, but your heart.
Evendale police detective Doug Abrams is known for putting his heart into tackling some of the city’s toughest cases, but he had no idea his heart was in jeopardy.
“Basically, the doctor said we don’t see this in 40-year-olds that are walking around,” Abrams said. “We see this in 40-year-olds at their autopsy when we’re trying to figure out why they died.”
Abrams had no idea anything could be wrong. He works out five days a week and has never smoked.
“I felt fine, no chest pain, no tingling, nothing like that,” Abrams said.
But two weeks after that routine checkup, Abrams was undergoing a triple bypass. There’s a scar on his arm where doctors took an artery to fix three others that were 90 percent blocked.
According to the American Heart Association, almost 150,000 Americans killed by cardiovascular disease each year are under the age of 65. And one in 30 people under 40 has heart disease.
A stress test is how Abram’s problem was found. That screening is recommended at the age of 45 or for anybody 35 and over who may have one risk factor for heart disease, including smoking, people with a family history of heart disease or those with high blood pressure or cholesterol.
“It’s definitely a second chance for me,” Abrams said.
And now he has a message for others. “What have you done to make sure that what’s happened to me doesn’t happen to you?”
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Officer talks about surviving chase
An officer is speaking about surviving a near deadly attack by a suspect who pinned him against his cruiser with a stolen car.
“Our job is demanding, and it requires a lot of us, and we do what we do,” said George Guillen, after returning to his home Friday morning. He had spent the early part of the morning recovering at Jackson Memorial Hospital after pursuing the driver of a stolen car earlier that day.
The police chase began in Miami Gardens and at 2:25 a.m. Police cornered the stolen 1998 gold Nissan Maxima at a dead end on 23rd Street and Northwest Seventh Avenue. That’s when, police said, the female driver, who they identified as 26-year-old Danielle Patricia Woodard, tried to make a getaway. “The driver of the vehicle accelerated backwards, striking one of our officers, pinning one of our officers and causing some serious injuries,” said Sergeant Javier Ortiz, Vice President of Miami Fraternal Order.
“I’m lucky I made it home to my family so I’m doing my best,” said Guillen.
Miami Police Officer Jeff Giordano said Woodard’s actions could have lead to more than the death of Guillen, a two-year rookie with Miami Police. “She could have killed herself, she could have killed the passenger of the vehicle, and she could of killed a police officer, so her disregard for life would have carried over to any citizen that was walking the streets,” he said.
The driver damaged three Miami Police vehicles, and police had to use a Taser to bring her down when she tried to flee the scene on foot. She has an extensive criminal record, including grand theft auto.
Both the driver and passenger, 40-year-old Alfred Leroy Robinson, were taken into custody. Police have charged Woodard with attempted first degree murder on a law enforcement officer, fleeing police, reckless driving, grand theft auto, possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia. Her male passenger, meanwhile, was charged with trespass in a conveyance and resisting arrest without violence.
Miami Fire Rescue transported the Guillen, who is also Marine veteran, to Jackson Ryder Trauma Center where he received treatment neck and leg injuries. “I’m doing so far so good, I just need to rest and take some medication, and hopefully I’ll make a full recovery,” he explained.
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Virginia Tech honors fallen Virginia law enforcement dogs
It has been said in law enforcement that when the police need back up, they call in the SWAT team. When the SWAT team needs back up, they call in the K-9 unit.
Whether that saying is accurate or not, the more than 250 working law enforcement dogs in Virginia help apprehend criminals, detect drugs and explosives, and venture into places unsafe for humans on a daily basis.
Over the past 50 years, 12 dogs are known to have been killed in the line of duty. The sacrifices of these animals are now permanently memorialized on the campus of the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, according to the school’s Web site.
“Veterinary medicine plays an important part in this process by ensuring the health of these animals,” said Dr. Gerhardt Schurig, dean of the veterinary college. “By maintaining the eyesight, sense of smell, hearing, and agility of these dogs, veterinarians are also helping to ensure the wellbeing of those the K-9 so selflessly protects.”
Dedicated on Oct. 16, 2009, the memorial, named “Ready to Serve,” is the only one of its kind in Virginia. It consists of a life-size bronze German Shepherd police dog sculpted by Blacksburg artist Larry Bechtel, creator of such installations as the “Officer Down” statue in front of the Roanoke, Va., City Police Department, the Addison Caldwell statue at Virginia Tech.
Located adjacent to the main entrance of the college’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, the memorial uses a granite base to list the names of law enforcement dogs that have lost their lives in the line of duty in Virginia.
The memorial, funded entirely through private donations, was a project that took five years to complete. The project was a partnership between the veterinary college, the Virginia Police Work Dog Association, and the United States Police Canine Association. It was spearheaded by Officer John Hoover, a deputy with the Franklin County Sherriff’s Department and a master K-9 trainer with both associations.
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Exclusive look at SWAT training
They’re trained to take on terrorists, killers and kidnappers, and now Chicago’s SWAT team has a new direction and training protocol.
They’re an elite division of the Chicago police force. Their job is to respond to the highest risk situations imaginable. In this new world of terror threats, their job just got a lot tougher.
“We need to train for the worst, to be prepared for anything,” said a member of the team.
Now the Chicago Police Department is raising the bar even higher.
A few years ago, the SWAT team was part time. They’d assemble suddenly when a high-risk situation was already underway. However, Superintendant Jody Weis has changed that system, saying in this age of terror and unpredictable attacks, a highly trained, full-time SWAT team is a necessity.
“Al Qaida is ruthless. Chicago’s a symbolic target. We owe it to the nation and people of Chicago to protect it,” Weis said.
Police provided FOX Chicago with an exclusive look at an exercise, a joint operation with the FBI. There was an approach by water, boarding a boat, and running scenarios like securing a scene and eliminating targets, giving the team strategic training they couldn’t get on land.
Virtual reality-based training is the new reality for swat officers. They got new laser-gun technology a few months ago, providing a chance to get as close as you can get to the real thing.
SWAT officers also go through rigorous physical and mental training. They’re put in tense situations, to see how they’ll react.
For the first time, SWAT officers are now also trained to stabilize life-threatening injuries, and yes, they need to be highly skilled shooters
The goal of the training is to be ready for literally anything that could happen.
By Anna Davlantes
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Park Named For Slain Swat Hero
The city of Los Angeles today renamed West Valley Park in Reseda after slain SWAT Officer Randal Simmons.
The name change was suggested by L.A. City Councilman Dennis Zine who represents Reseda where the park is located.
Zine originally led the move to rename the playground at the park after Simmons, but when he considered the late officer’s committment to his job and the community, he felt just naming the playground was not enough.
“He was bigger than life,” Zine told the dedication ceremony.
He added he’d told the Parks and Recreation Department, “let’s do the entire park.”
Simmons was the first SWAT officer to die in the line of duty. He was killed on February 7, 2008 in Winnetka. He and his partner were trying to get a 20 year old gunman was surrender when both were shot. Simmon died. His partner, James Veenstra, survived.
Aside from his duties as a veteran SWAT officer, Simmons was also an ordained minister and he had been instrumental in developing programs to steer at-risk youths away from gangs.
Today, his widow Lisa Simmons described him as always wanting to help people. She thanked the city for renaming the park, adding “I know Randy is looking down. and smiling and couldn’t be happier because this is a park where children will come and play, families will gather and people will jog. They’ll see his name and know this is a great man.
By Yvonne Beltzer
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Paterson proposes taking police out of schools
Real brainy idea, Paterson.
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Ninety state police officers working in 115 suburban school districts would be reassigned at the end of June under Gov. David Paterson’s budget proposal for the 2010-11 fiscal year.
The Arlington and Wappingers districts in Dutchess County and the Marlboro Central School District in Ulster use state police as resource officers.
School officials said Thursday they oppose the recommendation because officers have been valuable assets in their communities. Not only do they make schools safer, but they also teach classes and train teachers, superintendents said.
“Having resource officers in the schools helps to prevent problems from happening,” said David Albert, a spokesman for the state School Boards Association. “The officers serve as mentors to the students and they can prevent a student from making a bad choice.”
Paterson’s proposal comes as the state continues to struggle with a budget crisis. The school officers, who were first put in schools in 1999, would be reassigned to more traditional assignments at the end of the school year to make up for the hiring freeze at the State Police, said Lt. Glenn Miner, a spokesman for the agency.
The state police have not started a training class during the current fiscal year and will not hold one during the 2010-11 fiscal year, so the agency will not be recruiting new members to replace those who leave. That means there will be about 270 fewer positions in 2011 than in 2009. The force is just under 5,000 people.
The state police superintendent would reassign the officers to the “highest priority assignments with the greatest impact on public safety,” Paterson’s budget plan states. The governor has the authority to make the change administratively, according to a Paterson budget spokesman.
Two years ago, then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer sought to reassign the school officers, but state lawmakers rejected his proposal.
The Lakeland Central School District in Westchester County has a state police officer at Walter Panas High School in Cortlandt Manor, which has about 1,000 students, Superintendent Kenneth Connolly said.
“I think it would be a definite detriment to our district because the person we have there, Phil Russo, does a great job with the kids,” Connolly said of the governor’s proposal. “It’s proven to be a very valuable program here in Lakeland, and I’m sure elsewhere.”
The officer helps prevent incidents from happening by working with the students, the superintendent said. Students can talk with him about problems, and they can report information to him confidentially, Connolly said.
The district has a local police officer at Lakeland High School, a position funded by the district and the town. Cortlandt Manor is served by state Police.
David Scoles, superintendent of Red Creek in Wayne County, said the district shares a school-resource officer with neighboring North Rose-Wolcott schools. The officer teaches driver’s education courses in addition to other duties.
“They’ve added a level of safety and security to our schools,” he said.
Ellen O’Donnell, superintendent of the Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services, said the officer has become a part of the staff over the years.
“Certainly, this has been a wonderful resource that we’d miss greatly if it was cut,” she said. “But we certainly understand that if there’s a shortage of officers, we would take second place to that.”
Robert Mackey, superintendent of Unadilla Valley Central School in New Berlin, Chenango County, said Paterson’s proposal is “foolish.” The program is one of the most important offered during his 23-year career as an educator, he said.
“They are able to work with students and make connections with kids that I think people outside of school wouldn’t understand sometimes,” Mackey said.
The late Trooper Jill Mattice, who was killed last week when her patrol car collided with a tractor-trailer, had been Unadilla Valley’s school-resource officer since 2005.
“The outpouring of support from the kids for each other and for the adults that work here has been amazing, and none of it would have happened if she didn’t have such a positive impact on so many people,” Mackey said. “That’s how important this program is.”
By Cara Matthews
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