Roger has been a deputy sheriff for the past 5 years. He was destined for public service, starting his career as a volunteer firefighter at 18, then as a volunteer deputy while having a full-time job. Roger is also very involved with the Red Cross. He received certification from the OSU fire service while still in high school.
Roger dedicated many years to the Brushy Mountain Fire Dept. During a wildfire, with a year-long drought working against him, Roger drove the only running water truck to nearby houses, until neighboring departments could help. His efforts saved 5 families’ homes.
In 2004, Roger joined with American Red Cross to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees from New Orleans relocating to Oklahoma. Locally, Roger was the Disaster Action Team Leader, responding to fires within the four counties he was in charge of. Roger’s family tells us that he takes time out of his schedule to volunteer as a senior counselor at Oklahoma boy’s state and has been since 2004. As counselor in charge of Police academy, he shows teenagers the aspects of the duties of police officers.. Roger also works with local business for sponsorships for students to participate each year.
In 2008, Roger joined the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve officer. Colleagues of Roger say they can always count on him, no matter what time, day or night. Roger speaks and visits local schools to talk and interact with children about Law Enforcement.
500 homes, 2 lives, and countless possessions were lost in the blaze. A lot of those possessions can be replaced, but some have value that goes much deeper.
In 2006, Officer Jared Jensen with the Colorado Springs Police Department was killed in the line of duty. After his murder, Officer Jensen’s brother and nephew attended the Law Enforcement Memorial in DC where they met officers from across the country. At the event, Officer Jensen’s nephew received patches from the officers he met and decided to start collecting as many patches as he could. His collection was burned in the Black Forest Fire last week.
Let’s replace the collection with an even bigger one.
You can help by sending department patches to:
Adam Romine Colorado Springs Police Dept. 415 E. Pikes Peak Ave, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, CO 80903.
Please note – we’ve changed the voting requirements this month. In order to vote, you’ll have to create an account and log in to vote. Once you register, you’ll be taken directly to the voting page.
Don’t want to register? You can still see the voting results – just click here.
Fran C. | Pennsylvania Firefighter & Nurse
On July 4, 2012, Fran entered a smoke-filled home and heard a woman in distress on the 2nd floor. When Fran found her, she was trapped, panicked and out of breathe from breathing in too much smoke. In a split-second decision, Fran took a big breath, removed his tank and put it on the woman. Both got out safely, although Fran was hospitalized for smoke inhalation. Fran later met the woman he saved, and presented her with about $500 of his own overtime pay to help her and her family. Fran became a firefighter after following in the footsteps of his retired Fire Captain father.
When Fran isn’t fighting fires, he works as a part time Nurse at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Before becoming a full time firefighter, he worked as a Paramedic.
Nancy J. | Wisconsin Educator
Nancy J. has been enthusiastically servings as the Arrowhead High School Choir Director for almost 30 years. Known for her passion and motivation, Nancy works to make each and every student a part of the team. She uses creativity in her teaching to keep her high school students engaged and enthusiastic about the fine arts. Her hard work shows. Every year, choir performances pack the house and lines to buy performance tickets stretch out the door. Nancy goes above and beyond to highlight her students’ achievements: decorating the halls for their performances, taking headshots so they feel like stars, and accompanying them to weekend contests. Due to Nancy’s unceasing hard work, her high school’s choir and theatre programs have a reputation for greatness.
Corporal Stan P | Georgia Police Officer
When Officer Phillips answered a call about an aggressive dog, he arrived at the scene to find a vicious attack in progress. The dog was biting the victim, a 5-year-old little girl named Lilly, on the face and neck. Officer Phillips rushed to her aid and was able to free her from the dog. The girl was immediately airlifted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, including a missing ear. After saving the girl’s life, Officer Phillips continued to go visit her in the hospital, despite the hour drive each way, and even arranged for donations to pay for her reconstructive surgery. After she was released from the hospital, Officer Phillips helped work with churches and charities to raise money for her continued recovery. Stan has worked on a crime suppression units, SWAT, and road patrols (among others) and coworkers note his dedication and noteworthy impact on high crime areas- calling him a ‘go to’ guy in the field.
When shots rang out in the hospital where Robert works, his first thought was the victim’s safety. As others dropped to the floor, Robert ran to aid of the gunshot victim- a physician who worked at the hospital. After rushing to get his patient to a safe location to receive medical attention, Robert took cover and provided comfort to distraught nursing students. Robert’s coworkers say this kind of heroic action is not out of character for a man who cares deeply about his patients. Robert is an integral member of the Haiti Outreach Mission (HOM). HOM works to bring mobile clinics to distant mountain locations where Robert helps triage patients in need. Closer to home, Robert also speaks out on behalf of his patients, many of whom are victims of violence, by speaking at anti-violence rallies.
Keep an eye on the blog for some of our favorite quotes, images, and resources surrounding the week’s events. And if you see a Law Enforcement Officer in your community, don’t forget to thank them for all they do!
We light a candle in solidarity tonight with the men & women in blue gathered in Washington, DC for the 25th-Annual Candlelight Vigil at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. This ceremony honors the 47 law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty in 2012- as well as all the officers who have given the ultimate sacrifice before them and all those who continue to risk their lives for you and I every day. Learn more here: https://nleomf.org/
Please note – we’ve changed the voting requirements this month. In order to vote, you’ll have to create an account and log in to vote. Once you register, you’ll be taken directly to the voting page.
Don’t want to register? You can still see the voting results – just click here.
Name: Jeff B.
Profession: Volunteer Firefighter/EMT
In 2012, Jeff responded to a medical emergency. As the 34-year volunteer Firefighter and EMT loaded his patient into an ambulance, a nearby fire truck popped out of gear and started to roll. As the truck came towards them both, Jeff shoved his patient out of the way- saving her life as he took the entire brunt of the impact. The force of the hit pinned Jeff between the vehicles, breaking both femurs, two bones in one shin and his pelvis in two spots. After several surgeries and months of recovery, Jeff’s surgeon told him his injuries would prevent him from firefighting. He now continues to work full time as a director of sales.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgALcX84IpI
Name: Angela W.
Profession: EMT
Emergency Medical Technician Angela W. was diagnosed with an aggressive type of breast cancer on her birthday last year. Angela faced her diagnosis with bravery and determination, muscling through radiation and chemotherapy with resolve and an upbeat attitude. Angela even returned to work as an EMT while still undergoing treatment. Some days, she would head to work for 12 or 24-hour shifts straight from radiation therapy. Now a breast cancer survivor, Angela thanks her immediate family and her EMS family for their support and encouragement during her recovery.
Name: September S.
Profession: Registered Nurse
September is a registered nurse raising three children while her husband is deployed in Afghanistan. As her husband puts it, “If superwoman did exist on this planet, her alter ego is September.” Watch the video below to hear directly from him what makes this Nurse such a hero:
Name: Steve H.
Profession: Educator
Steve is a Special Ed Behavioral Disorders teacher working with students of all ages. His coworkers describe Steve’s effect on his students as ‘amazing.’ Fellow teachers point out that his students are prepared and confident after his classes. They note the ‘happy changes’ that Steve helps his students make- changes that stay with them long after they have left his classroom. Steve not only teaches his students, he strives to make them feel important and needed. Outside of the classroom, Steve and his wife train guide dogs for the blind. So far, they have trained ten dogs- all of whom graduated on to the next level of training!
Name: Michael D.
Profession: Law Enforcement
In September 2012, San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputies were attempting to arrest a suspect when the suspect began shooting a high-powered rifle from a 2nd story window- hitting and wounding two officers. Off-duty SWAT Officer DeWitt, a member of the department’s Gang Suppression Team, happened to be driving by the scene in his SWAT vehicle when he noticed the disturbance. He immediately donned his vest, armed himself, and offered his service. Upon learning that an injured officer was still in the line of fire, DeWitt assembled a team, gave assignments, and proceeded in to retrieve the officer. The team reached the wounded officer, but realizing they were moving too slow, Officer DeWitt slung his weapon over his back–foregoing his own safety– to give full physical assistance and lessen the team’s time in the line of fire. While the team used DeWitt’s first aid kit to attend to the officer’s injuries, DeWitt noticed a woman and two small children running from the apartment complex in panic. Realizing that they were running into the line of fire, DeWitt left his position of safety to run and pick up one child as the woman carried the other to safety. DeWitt then returned to the apartment complex to make sure the second wounded officer was being cared for. He was nominated by his fellow law enforcement officers who note his extreme bravery, leadership, and judgment skills.
When we started to ask Law Enforcement Officers to tell us about their heroes, we had a feeling the stories would be pretty spectacular. We see all the ‘bad news’ on the news; the mistakes seem to get all the press.
But what about the amazing, heroic things that Law Enforcement Officers are doing every day? The things they chalk up to ‘just doing the job’? These are the stories we wanted to hear- the ones we wanted to bring attention to-because they far out number all those ‘bad’ police stories.
So we asked. We asked, and you answered.
This month, our Nominate a Hero Law Enforcement finalist is San Diego SWAT Officer DeWitt. When I first received Officer DeWitt’s nomination–submitted by a fellow officer–I was shocked. I had to reread it several times to get an idea of what really went down in the incident described.
While I had to cut back the story to make it brief for our voting page, I truly feel like fellow law enforcement officers would enjoy reading the nomination in full. So I have attached it here for you to read.
Nomination of Officer DeWitt by fellow officer:
*Some changes have been made to eliminate personal details and full names.
On Tuesday September 25, 2012, San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputies were investigating a child molest case that occurred in Lakeside. Detective P. developed probable cause to arrest the suspect. He formed a team of deputies and responded to an apartment complex. The complex is located one block from where a High School which was in session. While attempting to make contact with the suspect in a second story apartment, he began shooting a high powered rifle at the deputies. Detective P. and Sergeant J. were hit by the gunfire. Detective P. was hit in the abdomen and shoulder area and went down in the doorway of the apartment. Sergeant J. was hit in the left forearm and with the assistance of Deputy S., moved into the neighboring apartment. Several deputies returned fire striking the suspect as they moved to cover. The suspect continued to fire at the deputies. He shot several rounds from different areas in the apartment toward deputies on perimeter positions.
As the incident occurred, off-duty San Diego Police GST/PRT Officer DeWitt was driving to work in his SWAT vehicle. He happened to enter the intersection when he observed two deputies with rifles near the apartment complex. He was unsure of what was happening and was asked to stop traffic from entering the intersection. Hearing gunshots, Officer DeWitt immediately donned his SWAT vest and armed himself with his rifle. He ran to the deputies and was quickly briefed as to the situation. The suspect continued shooting and a responding CHP officer was nearly struck as a rifle round whizzed by his head. Officer DeWitt was advised that Detective P. had been shot and was down, in the line of fire on the steps of the apartment complex as gunshots continued to be fired by the suspect. Officer DeWitt also learned that Sergeant J. had been shot and was still in harm’s way in an adjacent apartment. He believed that Detective P. needed to be rescued from the steps immediately before suffering additional gunshot wounds from the suspect. Officer DeWitt immediately assembled a team of deputies, giving direct tactical assignments. Officer DeWitt assigned a deputy to take the point as he took the right side position. The team moved up the stairway to Detective P., all the while continuing to take gunfire from the suspect. As they were approaching the downed detective, another deputy, who was covering the rescue team, was firing a shotgun at the suspect. The team reached Detective P. and began carrying him down the steps. Officer DeWitt knew they were tactically moving too slowly, placing the entire team at higher risk from the suspect’s gunfire, so he chose to sling his rifle in order to give full physical assistance in the carrying of Detective P. By doing so the team was able to rapidly retreat to a position of cover and concealment with Detective P. in order to render first aid and provide a safe area which responding paramedics could access him safely.
Officer DeWitt and the deputies rendered first aid with Officer DeWitt’s trauma kit. He used his compression bandages and gauze to apply direct pressure to Detective P.’ abdominal wound while Deputy A. applied pressure to the shoulder wound until a medic unit arrived a few minutes later. While they were caring for Detective P., a woman and two small children ran from the apartment complex in panic. Seeing they were in the suspect’s line of fire, Officer DeWitt left his position of safety, running to the woman and picking up her four year old child as the woman carried her infant. He quickly directed her to follow him as he carried the four year old across the street to a position of safety. While they were running, other deputies later stated that the suspect fired several rounds in their direction.
Officer DeWitt knew that the wounded Sergeant J. and Deputy S. were still in the apartment next to the suspect and still in danger. He quickly ran back to the complex. At that point the other deputies had formed a team to rescue Sergeant J. and Deputy S. Officer DeWitt joined the team and moved up the stairs. While they moved, the suspect was surrendering. The deputies began to isolate the suspect and take him into custody. Officer DeWitt and several deputies made their way up to Sergeant J. and Deputy S. Sergeant J. had a severe gunshot wound to his left forearm and was bleeding profusely. Sergeant J., though seriously wounded, still wanted to assist in the suspect’s apprehension. Officer DeWitt recognized the seriousness of his wound and quickly advised the Sergeant the suspect was being handled and they were going to get him to the medics. Detective P. was rushed into emergency surgery and has had several subsequent follow-up surgeries. He is expected to recover from his injuries. Sergeant J. suffered a gunshot which had entered through his forearm and lodged in his hip. He was also rushed into emergency surgery expected to recover from his injuries.
The incident was a rapidly progressive exchange of gunfire between law enforcement officers of the San Diego Sheriff’s Department and a felony suspect in San Diego County, one block from in session High School. The exact location was an apartment complex which Officer DeWitt had no prior experience with or knowledge of its entire layout. Officer DeWitt immediately recognized a critical incident unfolding as he drove into the area en route to work and quickly joined deputies to assist. He quickly learned of the downed officers and immediately mobilized a team to perform a rescue. His additional SWAT training provided sound tactical assessment, direction and implementation of the rescue. During the rescue of Detective P., Officer DeWitt placed himself at significant personal risk when he forewent his firearm in order to fully physically commit to the carrying of Detective P. This action significantly reduced the team’s time within the line of fire. While rendering first aid to Detective P., Officer DeWitt maintained observation of the area when he observed an innocent female bystander with two children fleeing from the complex but directly into the open area and in the line of fire from the suspect. Officer DeWitt disregarded his own safety and immediately ran to their aid, picking up one child and directing the female to follow him.
Due to the immediate response and heroic decisions made by Officer DeWitt and the deputies at the scene the wounded personnel were taken to safety, administered first aid and accessible to emergency medical responders which expedited their transport to the hospital. A doctor from the Trauma Unit stated that the first aid rendered at the scene was vital to Detective P.’s survival. He would have likely died from blood loss prior to his transport.
Officer DeWitt is commended for his immediate response to assist fellow law enforcement officers and heroic actions at the risk of his own life during this incident and for his dedication to the citizens of San Diego County.
Officer Dewitt after the incident
To vote for nominate a hero finalists, click here.
