Law enforcement officers are challenged daily in the performance of their duties; they face each challenge freely and unselfishly while answering the call to duty. In certain instances, their actions warrant special attention from their respective departments. The Bulletin also wants to recognize those situations that transcend the normal rigors of the law enforcement profession.
While off duty outside his lakefront home, Officer John Seeley of the New York State Park Police heard someone preparing a snowmobile for operation at a boat launch near his property. Fearing the thinness of the ice, Officer Seeley remained attentive to the situation. Moments later, the operator of the vehicle started across the lake and broke through the ice. The snowmobile sank, and the driver struggled to stay afloat in the frigid water. Immediately, Officer Seeley called 911 to report the incident and rushed to assist the individual. He then borrowed a rowboat from a neighbor and pushed it until he reached waist-deep water. Then, he got in and pulled himself across the ice with a claw hammer. Upon reaching the victim, he helped him into the boat. At this point, the rowboat was locked in ice; Officer Seeley waited with the individual until additional help arrived.
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During an unprecedented rainfall in the area that flooded neighborhoods, rivers, and ponds, Detective Paul Carney, of the Elmhurst, Illinois Police Department, was off duty and taking photographs of a park flooded with over 10 feet of water. At that time, he heard people screaming and saw them pointing to a 17-year-old boy trapped in the water. Disregarding his own safety, Detective Carney entered the water, swam to the young man, and struggled to keep the victim, who was weighted down by heavy clothes and work boots, afloat. At that time, a man and his son came to their aid in a raft. Detective Carney held onto the victim and the raft until reaching the shore. |
Nominations for the Bulletin Notes should be based on either the rescue of one or more citizens or arrest(s) made at unusual risk to an officer’s safety. Submissions should include a short write-up (maximum of 250 words), a separate photograph of each nominee, and a letter from the department’s ranking officer endorsing the nomination. Submissions should be sent to the Editor, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, FBI Academy, Law Enforcement Communication Unit, Hall of Honor, Quantico, VA 22135.
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June 2009 | FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin
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