survived a shooting with my vest on

[sdd241]

I am looking find any other officers that are shooting survivors.

I am an officer in Artesia, NM

On April 1st 2007, I was involved in a shooting with a possible gang memeber, I was struck once in the chest area and survived because I was wearing my vest.

I am just looking to see if there are any other officers out there that were in my position and to see how they handled the fear from family on going back to work.

[exComptonCop]

On April 1st 2007, I was involved in a shooting with a possible gang memeber, I was struck once in the chest area and survived because I was wearing my vest.



Excellent, glad you're still with us, to share your experience :)

pyxie survived a pretty serious GSW to the arm. Here's a link to the thread she started:

http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63063

Two questions, 1) what happened to your shooter, 2) will you be getting a free replacement vest from the body armor manufacture?

[John from Maryland]

Glad you're OK. You might contact Concerns of Police Survivers. I'm sure they can put you in contact with officers who have survived OIS's.

On a lighter note, that must be a heck of a commute from Berks County to Artesia. I hope you're on a compressed work schedule.

[sdd241]

I have actually moved out here to artesia.

I can say that the vest company has listed my name in their hall of fame of survivors. and yes they are giving me a new vest with no cost to the department.

Thank you all for the sites that you sent me. I am doing well.

As for the shooter, I did find out after the prelim hearing that he was hit twice by return fire from officers , investigators did not tell me if the hits were from my weapon or another officer, I do believe that it was my weapon that he sustained the hits, and he is still in jail waiting trial.

I was just on a site today with police survivors it seem too generic and no ability to share what happened to me.

but thank you to all for your information. This incident was a large eye opener, and also the belief that the vest do work.

[Puddles44]

I am looking find any other officers that are shooting survivors.

I am an officer in Artesia, NM

On April 1st 2007, I was involved in a shooting with a possible gang memeber, I was struck once in the chest area and survived because I was wearing my vest.

I am just looking to see if there are any other officers out there that were in my position and to see how they handled the fear from family on going back to work.

I can't help with your question but I'm glad to hear your vest worked and you survived! God had your back!

Good luck to you and your family!

[t150vsuptpr]

I am looking find any other officers that are shooting survivors.

I am an officer in Artesia, NM

On April 1st 2007, I was involved in a shooting with a possible gang memeber, I was struck once in the chest area and survived because I was wearing my vest.

I am just looking to see if there are any other officers out there that were in my position and to see how they handled the fear from family on going back to work.

You got lucky.

Everyday you crawl out of bed may be your last. There is no guarantee that you'll live long enough to read this. Roofers fall off of roofs and die. Truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel and wreck and die. Cops wreck at high speeds in a moment of miscalculation and die. 7-11 clerks are shot and killed.

You tell your family that you just got lucky. You train for the possibility of facing armed and dangerous people. You wear a vest and study tactics. Your chances of being killed in a car crash are greater though.

You and your family either learns to accept it, or you change careeers now, before you are too far in. Anything less and it's unhealthy for you, them, and your relationship with them.

[pyxie]

I can honestly say that when it happened to me it was in slow mo for just a minute, I think because I was ambushed. Then everything sped up.
As for my family Im having a hard time with them being able to deal with the realitys of my job. My daughter is 3 and of course she doesnt understand alot but she understands enough to protest me going to work.She saw mommy shot on the tv at her daycare and me in icu. Thats not how I invisioned my daughter finding out. She now associates mommys work with dying. Its doesn't help because her father is a leo either, the uniform makes it harder on her. My husband well he excepts im a cop he knows It will take more than a bullet to keep me from doing my job, but he pleads with me not to go back to the streets. Its hard to know my family is having such a hard time dealing with the repercussions after being shot but atleast im here. My partner on the other hand was shot in the back the vest saved his life. I don't really get into his family life but he tells me his wife doesnt want him to be a cop anymore because this is the second shoot out hes been in, even though it was the first he got shot. I think its a natural reaction for your family to go through. Good luck with your family and im glad your a survivor. I always thought what doesnt kill you makes you stronger.

[dwhite725]

posted in wrong forum........

[LeanG]

Whoa!!! Are you serious? How did it feel? Do you remember the shot? Or did you realize it afterwards?

Congratulations!! I'm happy for you. I always wear mine. It's a part of me. Others in this area (Miami) don't like to because of the hot weather, but I can't part with it. Even in 90+ degree heat directing traffic.

[CPDjock]

Glad you made it. I always wear mine.

[sdd241]

leanG I can say that I did not realize it till later, I was able to take a passenger into custody and another officer saw my shirt and asked if I was ok. That is when I realized it.

thanks Pyxie,

even though my experience was not like yours, I can understand what your going through with your family, as long as you stay strong they will stay strong.

[Resq14]

You got lucky.

Everyday you crawl out of bed may be your last. There is no guarantee that you'll live long enough to read this. Roofers fall off of roofs and die. Truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel and wreck and die. Cops wreck at high speeds in a moment of miscalculation and die. 7-11 clerks are shot and killed.

You tell your family that you just got lucky. You train for the possibility of facing armed and dangerous people. You wear a vest and study tactics. Your chances of being killed in a car crash are greater though.

You and your family either learns to accept it, or you change careeers now, before you are too far in. Anything less and it's unhealthy for you, them, and your relationship with them.

I guess I disagree with this line of thinking.

Lucky? Maybe, in light of statistics and after-the-fact commentary. But don't take the "luck mentality" to heart as a mindset for the present or future, and definetly not as an explanation to family.

Continue to know in your mind and in your heart that on your next shift--and all shifts until your retirement-- that you're going to win, that you're going to survive, and that you're going home. Embrace the warrior's mentality. You won, and you will continue to win. You didn't win because of luck or chance; you won because you were prepared to win. The other things t150 brough up, including training and equipment, are key to survival as well.

I think this explanation to family is far healthier than, "Honey I got lucky.. hopefully my luck won't run out." More important, it's the mindset that will continue to keep us alive.

Just my opinion... very glad you're okay!

[stiffnecked]

None of my family members knew about it. Was working at a department in another state. It's just something I don't talk about unless it's with someone who has been through the same thing. Luck has nothing to do with it. It has to do with your mental mindset and training.

[t150vsuptpr]

Call it "luck", call it "chance", call it "karma" even. Whatever it is, it has a mind of it's own. It bends to no man's will.

I whole heartedly agree that you can never count on "luck" ...
... that one must train and act as if it doesn't exist ...
... but I'ld always love to have some of it on my side!

[pyxie]

I agree that luck has very little to do with surviving. I think the key is the will to live and the training we get to prepare to face any situation.

[j706]

Glad you and your fellow officers are O.K. If you could do it all again, what would you do different?

[GrayPatriot]

Good to hear you are Ok. Does your dept have an Employment Assistance Program where you can talk with someone -- wether it be an officer wo survived a shooting or shot someone themselves.

Stay Safe

[Margaret Hood]

Excellent, glad you're still with us, to share your experience :)

pyxie survived a pretty serious GSW to the arm. Here's a link to the thread she started:

http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63063

Two questions, 1) what happened to your shooter, 2) will you be getting a free replacement vest from the body armor manufacture?

Thanks be to God you survived being shot. Remember, THE VEST, don't leave home w/out it!:)

[OverCharged]

I would also like to hear the circumstances as to what happeend ? ambushed or did you see it coming ?