Pueblo Officer Dies In The Line of Duty

Brother Pueblo Police Officer Nicholas K. Heine died in the line of duty Saturday morning, June 20th, after suffering an apparent heart attack. The heart attack occurred when Heine and fellow officers were breaking up a series of disturbances in the downtown area of Pueblo. Officer Heine was transported to Parkview Medical Center where he died shortly after.

Officer Heine was responding to a call of an argument on the street near the B-Street Bar at C and Union streets, said Sgt. Richard VanZandt of the Pueblo Police Department. Heine collapsed and passed out. Officers performed CPR on Heine, but the officer, who trains rookies how to make arrests, was pronounced dead.

“He and other officers were having to run from one spot to another,” Pueblo Police Chief James W. Billings said. “There were several disturbances.” The area of town where the calls were coming from is popular for young people on weekends, Billings said. “He was well-respected,” he said. “It’s extremely sad. He was a good kid.”

Billings said officers are wondering whether the fit and trim officer had some unidentified medical condition that contributed to his death. “No one was aware of anything to indicate he was at risk of a heart attack,” he said.

His mother, Patricia Heine, is a corporal in the department who oversees the community policing. “I don’t know if that’s where he got the bug to be a police officer, but he sure was a good officer,” Billings said. “He received many commendations. He was a real go-getter. This was a devastating blow especially with the crew he worked with.”

Officer Nicholas Heine and his mother shared more than just a special relationship. “He came to me and he said mom can I wear your badge,” said Pat Heine. Seven years ago, when Nick Heine was sworn into the Pueblo Police Department, his mother, a veteran officer, pinned an old badge onto her son. “He was everything you hoped your kids would grow up to be,” she said. “I can't take credit for that. That's what he made of himself. “

Nicolas Heine leaves behind his wife and two children. At 30-years-old, her son was a healthy guy, a real go-getter, and a skilled cop great at catching crooks. He was also a great husband and father to his two daughters, Nichole and Rebecca. “They're having a hard time with this,” she said. “They keep expecting daddy to come home and he's not going to.“

Pueblo Police Chief James W. Billings, Jr. said, "Nick was a dedicated officer who loved his job, and his untimely death comes as a shock to all the members of the Police Department." Chief Billings has called for a period of mourning for the Department wherein officers will shroud their badges and the flag will be lowered to half-staff.

Brother Nicholas K. Heine had served with the Pueblo Police Department for seven years. May he rest in peace, and may the Lord give comfort to his family and his brothers & sisters in blue during this difficult time.

Baltimore Firefight. One Officer Wounded & Suspect Dead

The age old saying that if you have done nothing wrong, you should have nothing to worry about goes a long way in law enforcement. Most officers can immediately recognize when something is amiss by the manner in which a person reacts to their mere presence. A person's body language, a nervous glance to the glove box on a routine traffic stop or even a case of "selective amnesia" while giving a statement will often be the tell tale signs that will raise the officer's internal radar that all is not as it might appear on the surface.

Officers Timms and Gesla were patrolling an area in the southeastern district of Baltimore as part of a crime suppression unit. They observed a subject who became rather nervous as soon as he saw the officers. The subject immediately attempted to flag down a passing car which would not stop. Glancing back to the officers, the subject pretended he was knocking on the door of a residence. At that point Officers Timms and Gesla knew something wasn't right and as each opened their door of the unmarked cruiser, the subject fled.

Officer Timms pursued the subject on foot while Officer Gesla followed in the cruiser, alerting other officers in the area about the chase over the Southeast channel. When they reconnected, Officer Timms informed Officer Gesla that the subject was hidden down the street, either between two parked cars or on one of the porches. They began a systematic search of the area with Officer Timms walking up the street on the sidewalk, while Officer Gesla remained in the street. As they walked, they kept a careful eye under parked cars and porches.

What Officers Timms and Gesla did not know, was that the armed suspect they were about to face had been chased into their sector by detectives from the Organized Crime Division (OCD) during a bail-out not five minutes earlier, only three blocks away. As the two groups had been operating on different channels, Officers Timms and Gesla were unaware that the OCD detectives had lost sight of the suspect, who they had determined as being armed and dangerous.

Suddenly, Officer Gesla observed the suspect hiding low between a parked car and van. He ordered the suspect to come out with his hands in the air, but his commands were met by several shots fired from a stolen .45 caliber pistol. Although he began to return fire, one of the suspect's initial rounds found its mark and struck Officer Gesla just above the knee, shattering his femur.

Officer Gesla yelled to his partner that he was hit and fell to the ground, out of Officer Timms' view. When he hit the ground, his service weapon was knocked out of battery and jammed. Officer Timms then engaged the suspect who was continuing to fire upon Officer Gesla. Officer Gesla, although severely injured, performed a tactical reload and reengaged the suspect. Officer Timms came close enough to see the suspect firing his stolen weapon with an outstretched hand and fired, putting an end to the firefight.

As soon as the suspect was down, Officer Timms retrieved the stolen pistol and ran to his injured partner. He immediately radioed for help and began administering first aid to Officer Gesla. Within minutes Officer Gesla was flown to Shock Trauma where he was operated on by a military medical officer, who had just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. Doctors said that Officer Gesla could not have had a better surgeon and they expect a full recovery.

Officer Christopher Timms has been a member of the Baltimore Police Department since 1990. He attended Merrywood College and is a U.S. Army Veteran. He is the proud father of two teenage daughters. Officer Krzysztof Gesla moved to the United States as a young boy, growing up in New Jersey. He became a member of the Baltimore Police Department in 1996. Officer Gesla is fluent in Polish and understands Czechoslovakian and Ukrainian. He is a highly valued member of the Baltimore Police Department SWAT team and serves as one of the primary bunker men in the unit. He is married and is the proud father of three small children.
 

Officer down! Getting an injured officer to safety

In an instant, any of us could be in a situation where we need to rescue a badly wounded officer from a hot-fire zone that a determined attacker is trying to turn into a killing field. Knowing how to respond immediately as a well-coordinated team could mean the difference between life and death for the downed officer. Yet many agencies fail to train street cops in any practical rescue techniques, apparently figuring that SWAT members are the only ones who may ever need such tactics. 

Fortunately, all enforcement personnel on the Portland (Ore.) Police Bureau receive officer-evacuation training. We teach a fast, easy-to-learn procedure developed specifically for street officers that can get a wounded cop to a safe location and into the hands of emergency medical responders in as little as 15 seconds. Designed ideally to involve four or even five officers, its principles are flexible enough to work with as few as two. It requires no special equipment and only a few hours of training and practice. And it's been tested and proven effective in the heat of battle on the street.

During one confrontation at a private residence, four of our officers came under a hail of fire from a gunman wielding a high-powered rifle. He killed one officer instantly and critically wounded a second. The other two promptly kicked in to an adapted version of the rescue technique they'd been taught and evacuated both downed officers without further injury.

Although one officer was lost in this tragic event, the actions of the rescuers saved the wounded officer's life, and the cover fire delivered during the maneuver severely wounded the assailant, significantly aiding in his eventual capture.

The tactic requires coverage of three responsibilities: cover-fire, drag, and lead out. When sufficient personnel are on hand, one or more officers can be assigned to each area of responsibility. But it's a good idea to practice combining tasks as part of your training so you can readily adapt when fewer responders are available.

Here's how the technique works:

OFFICER DOWN. The important first step is recognition. When an officer goes down, this must be clearly communicated to other personnel as quickly as possible. Failure to do so may cost you valuable rescue time and give the assailant more opportunity to strike again.

Whoever sees the casualty should shout out loud and clear, “Officer down!” Not everyone may be immediately aware of the crisis, especially when officers are widely separated and the typical chaos of a shooting scene is in full force. With this alert, officers move in to fill the various areas of responsibilities, with the goal of getting the downed officer to the nearest hard cover, where medics can safely deal with him.

COVER-FIRE OFFICER. The first role to fill-and potentially the most vulnerable-is cover-fire officer. This officer, whose job is to deliver rounds toward the suspect's location, advances several feet ahead of the downed officer, where he has an unobstructed field of fire. His position allows the other rescuers adequate space to work without being in his line of fire. He's literally their human shield. If possible, he uses cover or concealment, but environmental factors may dictate that he work exposed. His fire needs to be immediate to neutralize the threat or keep the suspect pinned down and contained until the rescue is complete.

If, as cover-fire officer, you cannot precisely locate the threat, you need to target other areas that are believed to be in close proximity to the suspect; a door jamb, for example. Any target selected must be reasonable, and you need to be able to justify all the rounds you fire; indiscriminately blasting away fire is not an option because of the risk of “collateral damage.”

The rate of fire should be controlled but sustained. A magazine can empty fast, especially when you're under stress, and you don't want to run out of ammunition. Initially, you may have to discharge three or four rounds to get the attacker to hole up, but then a rate of one round per second may be enough to discourage the suspect from firing back while lessening the need of a reload.  Of course, you must always be prepared to reload if necessary, and to recover from any weapon malfunction that may arise.

If there are multiple assailants and manpower is available, two cover-fire officers can be deployed.

DRAG OFFICER. This team member is responsible for the physical evacuation of the downed officer, using a specific carry technique.

First, as drag officer, you must holster your weapon, to ensure that a negligent discharge does not occur or that you do not lose your gun during the rescue.  Next, kneeling or squatting, roll the downed officer onto his back, then raise him into a seated position. Use your knee or shin to support his back. Slide your arms under his armpits and place your hands on top of his wrists. Pull his wrists up toward his chest. Properly executed, this technique will “lock in” your grip on the downed officer.

Now stand up, being careful to keep your back straight to avoid strain and to push up with your legs. As you rise, the downed officer will be lifted enough off the floor or ground that his butt clears it. Communicate that you're beginning to move out. Then, using sliding steps that keep both your feet on the surface, pull the wounded officer backward to safety. Move cautiously to avoid obstacles that could cause you to fall.

If you have the personnel, a second officer can assist. After you stand with the downed officer in the proper carry position, the second officer moves to the downed officer's feet and stands between the legs. Facing the same direction as you are, the second officer grabs the back of the downed officer's ankles and lifts, in a fashion that does not strain his back. Then the two of you move out of the danger area, with the second officer leading the way for the best visibility and the least risk of stumbling.

With either one or two officers, the transport technique tends to be very secure. In our training, even the smallest officer can drag the biggest, because you're using your strength to pull rather than lift. And, of course, in a real-life crisis, you'll have a good shot of adrenalin going for you, too.

Avoid the temptation to grab an article of the wounded officer's clothing or his arm or leg and just start pulling. That's ineffective because clothing may tear away and tugging on a limb may cause further injury.

If more than one officer is down, as was the case in the confrontation in Portland that I mentioned earlier, the drag will need to be repeated and you'll need to make a quick triage assessment to decide which officer is removed first.

LEAD-OUT OFFICER. This officer's primary responsibility is to guide the cover-fire officer from the area. If manpower does not permit the filling of this slot, then the cover-fire officer must back out on his own, continuing to deliver suppression rounds toward the threat while following the drag officer(s) to safety.

As the lead-out officer, you holster your weapon and communicate that you are helping the cover-fire officer to exit. Make contact with the cover-fire officer by grabbing the underside of his duty belt with your support hand, then place your forearm vertically along his spine. Turn your hips and face in the direction you want to go, and move out.

Avoid grabbing the cover-fire officer's shoulder, arm, or uniform. Contact in those areas may destabilize his shooting platform. Also avoid trying to evacuate while walking backward. It's imperative that the lead-out officer have a clear view ahead to follow the path taken by the drag officer(s) and to avoid obstacles. Because the cover-fire officer will be moving backward in order to continue addressing the threat, you'll need to warn him of what's ahead underfoot. Keep your pulling arm bent, with your forearm against his back, to better regulate your speed and resist yanking.

As lead-out, you can quickly change places with the cover-fire officer if he runs out of ammo or experiences a serious weapon malfunction. In such an emergency, the cover-fire officer yells, “Switch!” This cue does not broadcast any revealing information to the attacker regarding your tactical situation.

Hearing that command, you move up next to the cover-fire officer, draw your weapon, and begin to deliver suppression fire toward the threat. The former cover-fire officer can stay next to the you and try to reload or clear his weapon. Once he's again ready for action, you can revert to being lead-out officer, or he can holster his gun and take over that role. The new lead-out officer should have holstered a functioning weapon in case another switch becomes necessary. If the weapon is not functioning, he needs to inform you.

Once everyone reaches a safe place, do a head count and check yourself and others out for injuries you're not aware of.

WEAPON RETRIEVAL. It's possible that during a rescue the downed officer's weapon may be lost. Some people think you must always recover a loose weapon at all cost; others are more flexible. There's no definitive answer to this difficult dilemma. Common sense, officer safety, and the existing environment will influence your decision. Keep in mind that the safe evacuation of the downed officer and his rescuers is the primary goal and all other actions are secondary.

Every agency, regardless of size, should have an officer-rescue plan. Planning is an essential part of our jobs and preparing for such a critical event as a wounded officer down and in need of help will speed up response and increase chances for success in those unexpected moments when knowing what to do and how to do it can save lives.

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