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The BLUES 1

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VOL. 39 NO. 11 NOVEMBER 2023 

FEATURES 

DEPARTMENTS 

62 Alan Helfman: 40 Years of 

Support and Friendship 

78 Working for Harris County 

SO in 1984 

80 Is a New Home in Your 

Future 

ON THE COVER 

Alan Helfman Throws Out the 

First Pitch at an Astros Game. 

PUBLISHER’S THOUGHTS 

EDITOR REX EVANS THOUGHTS 

COMING NEXT MONTH 

GUEST COMMENTARY - DOUG GRIFFITH 

GUEST COMMENTARY - DANIEL CARR 

NEWS AROUND THE US 

SURVIVING THE STREETS - TOURNIQUETS 

SURVIVING THE STREETS - BYRNA LE 

ISD PD JOB LISTINGS 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN HEROES 

WAR STORIES 

AFTERMATH 

HEALING OUR HEROES 

DARYL’S DELIBERATIONS 

BLUE MENTAL HEALTH DR. 

LIGHT BULB AWARD 

ADS BACK IN THE DAY 

PARTING SHOTS 

BUYERS GUIDE 

NOW HIRING 

BACK PAGE 

06 

08 

12 

14 

16 

20 

54 

58 

84 

88 

90 

100 

104 

108 

110 




120 

122 

176 

196 

108 

A BADGE OF HONOR 

100 104 


DR. TINA JAECKLE, SENIOR EDITOR 

BLUE MENTAL HEALTH 

The BLUES 3

4 The BLUES

FOUNDER, PUBLISHER, EDITOR-N-CHIEF 

Michael Barron 

OUR TEAM 

OUR CONTRIBUTORS 

EDITOR-AT-LARGE 

Chief Rex Evans 

SENIOR EDITOR 

Dr. Tina Jaeckle 

CREATIVE EDITOR 

Jessica Jones 

COPY EDITOR 

Lt. John King (Ret) 

OUTDOOR EDITOR 

Rusty Barron 

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR 

Lt. Daryl Lott (Ret) 

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS 

Sam Horwitz & John Salerno 


Doug Griffith 


Art Woolery 


Daniel Carr 


Brandon Karr 

WARSTORY 

Sgt. Michael Barron 

AFTERMATH 

Sgt. Michael Barron 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Robert Moorgan 

Jake Hutchison 

David Sharp 

Joanna Putman 

Chris Palmer 

Rodrigo Torrejon 

Shira Moolten 

The BLUES is published monthly by Kress-Barr, LLC, PO Box 2733, League City Texas 77574. The opinions expressed in some articles, 

op-eds, and editorials are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of The BLUES or its parent company. 

Rebuttals or submission of news articles and editorials may be submitted to: The BLUES @ bluespdmag@gmail.com. 

The entire contents of The BLUES IS copyrighted© and may not be reprinted without the express permission of the publisher. 

The BLUES 5

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK 

Alan Helfman, on 

the cover AGAIN! 

Trying to figure out why 

someone wearing an Astros 

Jersey, in a wide windup pose, 

is on the cover of this month’s 

BLUES? 

That someone is none other 

than Alan Helfman, president 

of River Oaks Chrysler, Dodge, 

Jeep, and Ram in Houston. If 

you’ve been in law enforcement 

in Houston for any length of 

time you know or 

have heard of Alan. 

He’s donated and 

raised literally millions 

of dollars to 

help the families of 

fallen officers and 

those injured in the 

line of duty. He’s 

earned the title Mr. 

Philanthropy by 

numerous groups 

in Houston for his generosity 

and support over the years, 

Back to the question. Why is 

he on the cover? Again? This is 

the second of our three-part 

anniversary issues and as we 

celebrate those that made our 

40 years possible. In this issue, 

we honor Alan Helfman and 

River Oaks for supporting The 

BLUES with their advertising 

dollars for every one of those 

6 The BLUES 

40 years. In fact, River Oaks is 

The BLUES longest running supporter. 

Over the years, Alan has not 

only placed ads in the magazine, 

he has also supported us 

in nearly every project we’ve 

brought his way. His unwavering 

support for law enforcement 

over the years is quite remarkable. 

And trust me, if you’ve 

ever visited the dealership, Alan 

has given you the tour of the 

upstairs hallway, with dozens 

of photos and awards lining the 

walls to his office. 

On that wall you’ll find a few 

bits of history from The BLUES. 

The first is a framed copy of 

our first issue from December 

of 1984. (There are only 

3 in existence today, the one 

on his wall, one in my office 

SGT. MICHAEL BARRON RET 

and one in a safe.) Then there 

is a framed copy of the first 

ad River Oaks ever placed in 

The BLUES and finally the issue 

when we awarded him a Lifetime 

Achievement 

Award. 

Then of course, 

there’s the Board 

Room that’s more 

of a collection 

point for all the 

memorabilia Alan 

gives away to 

customers, as well 

as donations to 

organizations of 

all kinds who use the priceless 

pieces to raise money for their 

events and fundraisers. 

And one of those groups he 

has given so generously to over 

the years is the Astros Foundation 

and therefore afforded 

him the opportunity to throw 

out the ceremonial first pitch at 

several games including the one 

on the cover when the Astros 

played the Chicago Cubs.

And while the rest of world 

might call him Mr. Philanthropy, 

I simply know him as a friend 

and a fellow law enforcement 

officer. Fact is, I’ve known Alan 

since we were both teenagers. 

My uncle worked for his dad for 

over 25 years at the dealership 

and I remember Alan when I 

would stop by on the weekends. 

Soon after I graduated high 

school, I applied for the Harris 

County Sheriff’s Department 

and went to work for Sheriff 

Jack Heard, while Alan went to 

college. A few years later, Alan 

enrolled in the Houston Community 

College Police Academy 

to become a Reserve Peace Officer. 

(Much to the dismay of his 

father if I remember correctly. 

He said I was a bad influence 

on his son.) I don’t recall the 

reason, but he had to complete 

his training at the University of 

Houston Downtown, and he has 

been a Peace Officer ever since. 

In fact, Helfman is one of only 

25 individuals that continue to 

hold a SPECIAL RESERVE peace 

officers license in Texas and is 

currently a captain for the Harris 

County Constables Precinct 7 

office. 

So, congratulations to my 

good friend and Brother in Blue, 

Alan Helfman for all you do for 

police officers and their families. 

Thank you for supporting 

The BLUES for the last 40 years 

with your advertising dollars 

and thanks for over 40 years 

of friendship. I’m proud of the 

accomplishments we’ve both 

made and continue to make 

even today. God bless you, my 

friend. 

The BLUES 7

FROM THE EDITOR-AT-LARGE 

TCOLE 2023 

Well over a thousand cops 

have just returned from the 

annual TCOLE Training Conference 

in Corpus Christi. (One 

of my personal favorite spots 

in Texas-very laid back and 

lots of good food) 

The 2023 conference was 

a bit better than in previous 

years. We weren’t standing in 

endless lines being bar coded 

in and out of classes. This 

year, at the end of each class, 

a bar code was displayed on 

the screen, and we all raised 

our phones like at a Willie 

Nelson concert and “click”, we 

were on the road again. 

As for the subject matter, I 

have to say I was a bit disappointed 

that there wasn’t more 

open dialogue from TCOLE, 

especially with so many 

Chiefs in attendance. I thought 

for sure we would discuss 

upcoming expectations, rules 

and or at least changes from 

TCOLE. Flip side, we did get to 

see the Commission’s Board 

of Directors conduct an actual 

Business Meeting, which 

was pretty cool. Except for the 

part whereby an elected Texas 

Sheriff was a bit belittled in 

front of a whole lot of people. 

Most in attendance thought 

that was in pretty poor taste 

8 The BLUES 

of the Board to put the Sheriff 

out there like that. But hey, we 

did get to see how the Board 

functions and their thought 

processes when dealing with 

Law Enforcement leadership. 

So, there’s that. 

The Vendors…Lots of cool 

stuff. Lots of new Vendors 

who were pretty friendly this 

time. (Sometimes, they’re not 

such a fun-loving crowd. But 

this time, they were all nice) 

As for all the “stuff” they had 

for sale. I don’t know who or 

what Department can afford 

all those amazing things, I just 

know, where I’m at, we can’t 

afford any of them. There is 

some amazing technology out 

there though, that can seriously 

reduce the risk of injury 

to our Officers. At a cost of 

course. 

Also, for the Vendors, they 

are only there to what equates 

to about a day and a half. 

That’s it. So, if you do find 

something you’re seriously 

interested in, you better have 

some really fast dialogue 

because they are all gone 

by the end of day two of the 

four-day conference. Perhaps 

TCOLE might add an additional 

day for vendors to allow 

more floor time and give them 

CHIEF REX EVANS 

additional time to sell their 

wares. 

Now to a very important 

part of any conference - the 

people and the food. The 

people were great. Corpus 

Christi NEVER disappoints. 

The service was excellent and 

the food…OMG. Whether it 

was seafood, Tex-Mex or even 

Italian, it was absolutely on 

point. The group I ran with (all 

awesome people by the way) 

ate mostly at a little place 

called U & I. This is an older, 

well-established restaurant 

which was directly behind our 

hotel, which was also very 

convenient. I can honestly say, 

no matter where I’ve dined in 

Corpus, I’ve never had a bad 

experience. 

Last take away and perhaps 

the most important. FINALLY, 

the conference was a buzz 

with classes and honest dialogue 

about a critical problem 

affecting ALL Law Enforcement

- The Recruiting and Retention 

of officers. Recruitment 

is a very real challenge and at 

times, a battle. I assumed my 

current role as a Chief with 

nine officer openings and 5 

tele-communicator openings. 

I just hired and filled my last 

open position. It took eighteen 

months. Eighteen. And I’m the 

lucky one. Many departments 

are struggling to find officers 

wherever they can. 

And the competition for new 

hires is FIERCE. Like, I can’t 

tell you how many people I 

was able to get pay raises for. 

They would turn in their twoweek’s 

notice and their current 

Chief would beat my rate 

by a dollar or more an hour 

just to keep their employee. 

This has happened to us at 

least a half a dozen times. It 

is a serious endeavor to get 

people hired with your department. 

The idea of retention is also 

at the forefront of my mind, 

as I am writing this morning. 

Now that our department is 

at full staff, how do we keep 

them. After all, every time 

an Officer leaves your department 

for another, that’s 

roughly $25,000.00 walking 

out of the door with them. The 

Background. The L-2 and L-3. 

The uniforms, body armor, 

belt, handheld radios, sidearm, 

ammo, qualification, FTO 

Training Period, etc. It’s more 

than just the loss of an employee, 

you’ve lost a chunk of 

your budget when they leave. 

It’s very serious business 

when people walk out. Retention 

is a very critical part of 

any Chief’s strategic planning. 

If it’s not, that Chief is letting 

everyone down. 

Parting thought here with 

the Holidays fast approaching. 

I want to mention how 

thankful I am for my life, my 

career (even the tough parts), 

my family and friends. I am 

thankful for The Blues and 

how it has been instrumental 

for many years in helping 

Officers just maybe feel not 

quite so alone as they did 

before. 

God bless. Stay safe and 

please watch over each other. 

The BLUES 9

10 The BLUES

The BLUES 11

COMING IN DECEMBER 

The magazine we’ve been waiting 40 years to produce - our 480th issue. The journey 

began in 1984 when a group of sheriff’s deputies decided they needed a newsletter 

of some sort in which to share ideas and vent their frustrations. They met on 

a cold rainy day in November at the Humble City Cafe and the idea for The County 

Blues was born. A month later, the first edition hit the streets just before Christmas. 

In this special issue, we’ll look back on 40 years of publishing of what became, 

The Largest Police Magazine in the World. 

12 The BLUES 

12 The BLUES

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The BLUES 13 

The BLUES 13

GUEST COMENTARY 

Doug Griffith 

Mental State of Mind is Everything 

I know that it has been a while 

since I was out on the streets 

chasing crooks, but I still get 

in uniform from time to time, 

and not just for the discount at 

Lubys. But when you put that 

uniform on there are things you 

think about that will never leave 

you. Be it the good time you had 

with other officers like I did in 

the Gang Unit at Southeast, or 

the bad times at the funerals of 

friends lost. All of these things 

play into who we are as individuals. 

There are other things that 

play into who we are, like the 

responses we have to certain 

events. We have all been somewhere 

and noticed that something 

just isn’t right. Our senses 

heighten, we pay attention to 

everyone around us, and making 

sure we have a plan if something 

does go down. This is who 

we are, the vigilant who see 

things before anyone else notices 

something is wrong. But with 

this innate ability to know when 

something is not right, we have 

a higher level of stress, both on 

and off duty. 

There have been several times 

when I have been out with family 

and suddenly feel anxious. I am 

sure that I am not alone in the 

fear of being out with family 

when something goes wrong, 

and we find ourselves needing 

to act. But thanks to my years 

at Southeast, and my training 

with the Tac and Gang units, I 

feel very confident in my ability 

to handle most situations. It is 

not that I am some super cop, 

or some kind of bad dude, but 

because I am mentally prepared. 

Police work is truly a mindset. 

One that allows you to push 

aside fear in time of complete 

chaos and handle the situation. 

Sadly, there are also times 

when this mindset works against 

us. This is especially true in 

our personal relationships. This 

mindset can cause us to keep 

others at a distance, especially 

after a traumatic event. None of 

us want to be the person who 

“breaks down”. I will be the first 

to tell you, I have broken down 

after a bad scene. I never told 

anyone, I just sucked it up and 

moved on. Not saying that it is 

right or wrong, but just how I 

handled it. The job is emotionally 

and physically draining from 

time to time, and we need to 

DOUG GRIFFITH, 

PRESIDENT, HPOU 

find ways to release the tensions 

that we often feel. So many 

times, we look to self-medicate 

through one of the vices like 

alcohol, gambling, pornography, 

but there are better ways. 

We need to find activities 

outside of work that will help 

mitigate the anxiety that we can 

feel from the job. One of the best 

ways to relieve stress and anxiety 

is to take up a hobby, play 

golf, fish, find a good church, go 

to psychological services, find a 

therapist, whatever fits you best. 

We are always expected to take 

care of others, but you must also 

take care of yourself. Remember, 

you not only have the community 

counting on you but more 

importantly, your family. The 

mindset is everything! 

We are ready for 2024! 

Experience the only first responder owned 

and operated THEME studio in the Country! 

10 years strong! We are Family! 

We look forward to seeing you soon! 

14 The BLUES

The BLUES 15

GUEST COMENTARY 

police law news 

Daniel Carr 

Officer Involved: Leonard Cure. 

No cure for a deadly threat! 

Leonard Cure was shot and 

killed by a Camden County Georgia 

deputy during a traffic stop 

on October 16, 2023. 

To save the suspense - this is 

an example of a justified officer-involved-shooting 

(OIS). 

In fact, this one is not close. 

Anyone who is remotely honest 

can watch the unbiased body 

and dash camera footage and 

come to the quick conclusion 

that the deputy faced an immediate 

deadly threat at the exact 

moment that deadly force was 

utilized. 

The point of highlighting this 

case is to examine and document 

the dishonest narrative being 

pushed by lying attorneys and 

the mainstream media as well 

as the vicious effort to demonize 

the deputy who acted within the 

law and responded with measured 

self-defense as a violent 

manic tried to kill him. 

LEONARD CURE 

Up until this traffic stop Leonard 

Cure was a person that we 

should all feel sympathy for. 

Mr. Cure was someone who we 

should all want to succeed. This 

is because Mr. Cure was released 

from prison in 2020 after serving 

16 years for a crime that he did 

not commit. He was exonerated 

and had been spending a lot of 

time speaking to community and 

16 The BLUES 

student groups about his experience. 

WHAT HAPPENED 

On October 16, 2023 Deputy 

Buck Aldridge was traveling in 

the right lane on Interstate 95. A 

pickup truck driven by Mr. Cure 

passed the deputy in the left lane 

traveling in excess of 100 mph. In 

many jurisdictions traveling that 

much above the speed limit is 

considered “reckless driving” and 

is accompanied by an arrest. 

Deputy Aldridge initiated a 

traffic stop with the intent to 

arrest the driver. 

INITIAL CONTACT 

It would be dishonest to ignore 

how Deputy Aldridge initiated 

the contact with Mr. Cure. Deputy 

Aldridge started by yelling at 

Mr. Cure as he approached. He 

yelled, “Step out! Get out! Step 

out!” 

The deputy did not introduce 

himself or announce the agency 

that he worked for. He did not 

explain the reason for the traffic 

stop or explain why Mr. Cure 

was being arrested (at least 

initially, he did later). 

So, this is not my style. In my 

opinion an officer should start 

with a “normal” traffic stop 

introduction or conduct a felony 

stop. Perhaps, the manner in 

which the deputy made initial 

contact was abrasive, rude, and 

possibly even a minor policy 

violation. However, the actions by 

the deputy were not illegal and 

I should also acknowledge the 

possibility the deputy had a valid 

reason for this approach/introduction 

that we are unaware of. 

Mr. Cure did exit the vehicle 

and Deputy Aldridge continued 

with, “Put your hands back here!” 

and Mr. Cure then said, “I ain’t 

doing shit!”. 

As you can predict - the interaction 

went to shit from there. 

USE OF FORCE 

The actual use of force by Deputy 

Aldridge was reasonable and 

measured. 

Deputy Aldridge gave verbal 

commands and then verbal 

warnings that force would be 

utilized to Mr. Cure. 

Deputy Aldridge initially started 

with empty hand tactics as he 

tried to move Mr. Cure’s hands 

behind his back. He then warned 

that Mr. Cure would be tased. 

These efforts were successful 

in gaining the compliance of Mr. 

Cure. 

Eventually Deputy Aldridge did 

deploy the Taser - which did not 

have the desired effect of neuromuscular 

incapacitation. 

Mr. Cure swung and swatted 

his arms to combat the Taser 

probes and quickly advanced 

towards Deputy Aldridge. Even-

The BLUES 17

tually the two men were embattled 

in a standing wrestling 

match with their arms wrapped 

around each other. 

DEADLY FORCE 

Mr. Cure was able to overpower 

Deputy Aldridge and wrapped 

his hand around the law officer’s 

throat and pushed his head back 

while he eerily taunted, “Yeah 

bitch. Yeah bitch.” 

It was from this position of 

extreme disadvantage, with a 

violent maniac’s hand wrapped 

around his throat - Deputy Aldridge 

was able to unholster his 

handgun and fired one shot at 

Mr. Cure - killing him. 

ANALYSIS 

Police officers can utilize deadly 

force if faced with a deadly 

threat. Being choked by a man 

who is resisting a lawful arrest 

is a deadly threat. There is no 

question. The use of deadly force 

in this case was objectively reasonable. 

BEN CRUMP AND THE CURE 

FAMILY DEFAME THE DEPUTY - 

DISHONEST CRITICISM 

Due to the fact that the use of 

deadly force was obviously legal 

- anti-police activists and their 

mainstream media partners have 

lowered themselves to personally 

attack Deputy Aldridge. They 

are combing through his Internal 

Affairs file and personnel history 

with a different law enforcement 

agency from a decade ago. 

This is how you know that they 

have nothing. 

“If the facts are in your favor 

- argue the facts. If the law is 

in your favor - argue the law. If 

neither the law or the facts are in 

your favor - pound the table.” 

The fishing expedition of Deputy 

Aldridge is an example of 

“pounding the table”. 

They will attempt to combine 

all of the imperfect aspects of 

Deputy Aldridge’s life. This is a 

way to hide from and bury the 

relevant facts of this specific 

case. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

Imagine if the roles were reversed? 

And Deputy Aldridge had his 

hands wrapped around Leonard 

Cure’s throat as he creepily 

taunted, “Yeah bitch. Yeah bitch.” 

I am guessing that Ben Crump 

and other anti-police activists 

would be spreading a different 

narrative about this case. 

How many police stations, 

businesses, and cities would be 

burned to the ground if the roles 

were reversed? 

Instead, in this case, it was 

Deputy Aldridge that played the 

role of George Floyd gasping 

for breath - opposite to Leonard 

Cure doing his best Derek Chauvin 

impression. 

18 The BLUES

The BLUES 19

AROUND THE COUNTRY 

RICHLAND CNTY, SC. 

Richland County Deputy Jacob Eric Salrin died from a fatal 

vehicle collision that occurred on September 29th. 

RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. – The 

Richland County Sheriff’s Department 

announced Saturday 

one of their deputies died in a 

car crash while on duty. 

23-year-old Deputy Jacob Eric 

Salrin was killed in a crash on 

Friday, September 29. 

Salrin was hired by the Richland 


in 2022 and graduated from the 

South Carolina Criminal Justice 

Academy in January of 2023. 

According to the South Carolina 

Highway Patrol, the crash 

occurred on Bluff Road. Salrin 

was the driver of a 2017 Ford 

that was traveling west when it 

collided with a tractor-trailer 

traveling east. 

Troopers said Salrin died at the 

scene. 

“As the Richland County Sheriff’s 

Department mourns the loss 

of their brother, we thank the 

community for their support,” 

deputies said. 

After Richland County Deputy 

Jacob Salrin died, his family and 

friends found themselves encouraging 

each other in texts to 

be more like Jake. 

That means trying to smile like 

Jake, laugh like Jake, be humble 

like Jake, work like Jake, draft 

20 The BLUES 

fantasy football picks like Jake, 

eat bacon like Jake — the list 

goes on and on. 

“Through it all, be like Jake, 

and, of course, serve like Jake,” 

Chris Salrin said during his cousin’s 

funeral Oct. 5. 

Law enforcement officers 

from across the state crowded 

into The Meeting Place Church 

in northeast Columbia, where 

representatives from Charleston 

to Greenville and everywhere in 

between paid their respects. 

Salrin died early in his career. 

Originally from Springfield, Ill., 

Salrin decided to join the Richland 


in March 2022. He trained at the 

South Carolina Criminal Justice 

Academy, graduating in January 

2023. 

There, Salrin earned the Clifford 

Moyer Marksmanship Award, 

which goes to the highest-scoring 

shooter of each class. 

At the sheriff’s department, 

Salrin patrolled southeast Richland 

County, which was where 

he struck a tractor trailer attempting 

to make a left turn on 

Broad River Road. “Our brother 

was unafraid and a true guardian 

of the Lower Richland community,” 

Sheriff’s Department 

OFFICER JACOB SALRIN 

Chaplain Chris Hutnyak said. 

“Rest easy, crimefighter.” 

By Skylar Laird slaird@postandcourier.com 

Salrin loved his family, particularly 

his older sister, Allie Salrin-Zammuto, 

who was his best 

friend and biggest supporter, 

Chris Salrin said. Allie and Jacob 

were so close, it was rare to 

hear one name without the other. 

“Allie and Jake, or Jake and 

Allie, ranked up there with other 

famous duos, like Batman and 

Robin, Han Solo and Chewbacca, 

peanut butter and jelly — you get 

the idea,” Chris Salrin said.

The BLUES 21


FORSYTH, GA. 

Georgia Correctional Officer Robert Clark died after being assaulted 

by an inmate at the Georgia Dept. of Corrections. 

FORSYTH, GA. - A Georgia correctional 

officer has died after 

an assault by an inmate at Smith 

State Prison, according to the 

Georgia Department of Corrections 

Office of Public Affairs. 

The release states Correctional 

Officer Robert Clark was escorting 

two offenders from the 

dining hall when one offender 

assaulted him from behind with 

a homemade weapon. The other 

offender stepped in to assist 

Clark and was also assaulted. 

The Georgia Department of 

Corrections says both Clark and 

the offender who assisted were 

transported to local hospitals. 

Clark, 42, began his GDC career 

at Smith SP in April of this 

year, and has tragically succumbed 

to his injuries at the 

hospital, according the agency. 

The offender who assisted remains 

hospitalized with injuries 

that are not life-threatening. 

“The entire GDC team is 

mourning the loss of one of our 

own and we collectively express 

our deepest condolences to Officer 

Clark’s family and friends,” 

said Commissioner Tyrone Oliver. 

“We will support them as 

they navigate this tragedy over 

the coming days, weeks and 

months.” 

According to the Georgia 

Department of Corrections, 

Offender Layton Lester, GDC# 

1000168433, will be charged in 

the assault and resulting death 

of Officer Clark, as well as the 

OFFICER ROBERT CLARK 

assault of offender Marko Willingham, 

GDC# 1137040. 

Further details of the incident 

will be made available as soon 

as they are confirmed. 

22 The BLUES 

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The BLUES 23


KNOXVILLE, TN. 

Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy Tucker Blakely was 

shot and killed while responding to a domestic call. 

KNOXVILLE, TN. (WATE) — 

More information about the night 

that Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy 

Tucker Blakely was shot has 

been revealed. 

Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler 

announced on Oct. 3 that 

Blakely, 29, had died after he was 

shot while responding to a domestic 

call in the Hardin Valley 

area around 11:30 p.m. Sunday. 

While speaking at Blakely’s Celebration 

of Life, Spangler shared 

more details of what happened 

that night. 

Blakely and a fellow officer 

were clearing a house looking 

for a man who had reportedly 

been in an argument with his 

spouse all day and evening. The 

complaint came from a neighbor, 

according to Spangler. 

While searching for the man, 

Blakely was struck by gunfire 

and “immediately incapacitated” 

said Spangler. The other officer 

exchanged gunfire with the 

man, who was killed. He has 

been identified as Matthew Logan 

Rose, 30. The officer attempted 

aid to Blakely before he was taken 

to UT Medical Center, where 

he later succumbed to his injuries. 

“Tucker’s final service was 

his wish to be an organ donor. 

Today, people that we may never 

know are alive because of Tucker,” 

said Spangler. 

Several non-profits have raised 

money and payed off the mortgage 

for Deputy Blakely’s family. 

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation 

is investigating the 

circumstances that led to the 

shooting. 

“Throughout the process, 

investigative findings will be 

shared with the District Attorney 

General for her review and consideration. 

The TBI acts solely as 

fact-finders in its cases and does 

DEPUTY TUCKER BLAKELY 

not determine whether the actions 

of an officer were justified 

in these types of matters; that 

decision rests with the District 

Attorney General requesting TBI’s 

involvement,” reads a release 

from the TBI. 

24 The BLUES

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The BLUES 25


MANHATTAN BEACH, CA. 

Manhattan Beach Solo Officer Chad Swanson was killed on 

Wednesday Oct. 4th in a crash on the 405 Freeway in California. 

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA. - A 

funeral procession and service 

were held Wednesday for Chad 

Swanson, a Manhattan Beach 

Police motorcycle officer who 

was killed in a crash on the 405 

Freeway. 

The funeral procession began 

at 8:30 a.m. in Manhattan Beach 

and was followed by a church 

service in Cypress. 

Manhattan Beach Police Department 

personnel and city 

staff joined the procession to 

“show unity and respect,” according 

to a police press release. 

Community members who 

wanted to attend the procession 

were encouraged to wear red, 

white and blue. 

Swanson, 35, was a 13-year 

veteran police officer. He died at 

Harbor UCLA Medical Center in 

Torrance, the police department 

reported. According to Manhattan 

Beach Police Lt. Kelly Benjamin, 

Swanson was married with 

three young sons. 

Manhattan Beach officials 

said Swanson was on his way 

to work Oct. 4 when the crash 

occurred. 

According to the CHP, the officer 

was in a crash that involved 

three other vehicles. The driver 

26 The BLUES 

of one of those vehicles may 

have been speeding and made 

a possibly unsafe lane change, 

striking another vehicle that careened 

out of control, according 

to the CHP. 

The officer’s motorcycle was 

struck by one of the vehicles, 

knocking him to the ground. He 

was taken to Harbor UCLA Medical 

Center, where he was pronounced 

dead. One other person 

suffered minor injuries and was 

also taken to a hospital. 

The other motorists remained 

at the scene and cooperated 

with investigators, the CHP reported. 

It was unclear which vehicle 

struck the officer. 

Manhattan Beach police Chief 

Rachel Johnson said Swanson 

joined the department 13 years 

ago and became a motorcycle 

officer in 2017. He previously 

worked as a civilian parking 

enforcement employee at the 

Hawthorne Police Department, 

Johnson said. 

“Chad lived a life of service to 

the community,” the chief told 

reporters. “His love for his work 

was evident each time I saw him. 

I last spoke with Chad on Sunday 

at the canine car show, and 

OFFICER BRIAN HOLLEY 

OFFICER CHAD SWANSON 

I watched as he lifted one kid 

after another kid onto his motorcycle 

to let them see what it was 

like to sit astride a police motor. 

He never tired of it. And I think he 

would have done it until sunset if 

that’s what it took to make every 

kid’s day. 

“Chad was a bright star in a 

world that wasn’t always the 

same. Chad was what I refer to 

as a seriously good dude. His 

infectious smile and laugh lit up 

every room he entered. To know 

Chad was to love him. If you 

weren’t laughing when he was 

in the room, you simply weren’t 

listening.”

The BLUES 27


PHILADELPHIA, PA. 

Philly Police Officer Richard Mendez was shot and killed in a parking 

garage at the Philadelphia International Airport. 

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Officials 

have identified the two officers 

who were shot in a parking garage 

at the Philadelphia International 

Airport on Thursday night, 

one of them fatally. 

Officer Richard Mendez, 50, 

was pronounced dead at the 

hospital shortly after he was 

shot multiple times in the upper 

body. 

Mendez was married and had 

a daughter. He had been on the 

force for nearly 22 years. 

The other officer, identified as 

Raul Ortiz, 60, was shot in the 

arm and is currently hospitalized 

in stable condition. 

Ortiz is also married and has 

three children. Police say Ortiz 

has 20 years on the force. 

The shooting happened just 

after 11 p.m. Thursday as the two 

officers, who were assigned to 

the airport unit, were coming 

into work at parking garage D. 

Interim Police Commissioner 

John Stanford said the officers 

saw several people breaking into 

a vehicle in the parking garage 

area. 

As the officers approached, 

“the suspects opened fire,” hitting 

Mendez several times in the 

upper body and Ortiz in the arm, 

Stanford said. 

28 The BLUES 

OFFICER BRIAN HOLLEY 

OFFICER RICHARD MENDEZ 

“Oh my God, we got an officer 

down, officer down first level,” 

a voice can be heard on a police 

radio call. 

Police say the suspects fled in 

a stolen black Dodge Durango 

after the shooting, and police say 

that same vehicle dropped off an 

18-year-old man with gunshot 

wounds at Children’s Hospital of 

Philadelphia at 11:29 p.m. 

That 18-year-old has been 

identified as Jesus Herman 

Madera-Duran of Camden, New 

Jersey. He had gunshot wounds 

to the chest, abdomen, and left 

arm, police say. He was pronounced 

dead at 11:37 p.m. 

Police believe he was shot 

in the same incident that left 

Ofc. Mendez dead and Ofc. Ortiz 

wounded. 

Authorities released surveillance 

video showing one of the 

suspects dropping off Madera-Duran’s 

body at CHOP. 

Police say the Durango was 

later found torched in South 

Brunswick in northern New Jersey 

around 1:30 a.m. Friday. 

The Durango will be processed 

by members of the ATF, FBI and 

the Philadelphia Police Crime 

Scene Unit for evidence. 

Police have since learned the 

Durango had been reported stolen 

in Philadelphia about a week 

ago. 

Officials said Friday afternoon 

that Ofc. Mendez’s gun is missing. 

It’s not yet known if anyone 

fired the weapon during the confrontation. 

It wasn’t clear if any other 

suspects were wounded in the 

shooting, authorities said, or how 

many of them had fired weapons. 

“It’s devastating to this city to 

know that this is the type of behavior 

that’s occurring, the type 

of individuals that are out there 

on the street to take someone’s 

life over a vehicle,” Stanford 

said.

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The BLUES 29


SAN BENITO, TX. 

San Benito Police Lt. Milton Resendez was fatally shot after he joined 

an hours long pursuit and the suspects fired at his patrol vehicle. 

SAN BENITO, TX (AP) — A South 

Texas police officer was fatally 

shot after he joined an hours 

long pursuit of two men who 

fled a traffic stop, authorities 

said. 

San Benito Lt. Milton Resendez 

was fatally shot as his vehicle 

crossed paths with the suspects’ 

vehicle late Tuesday night, police 

Chief Mario Perea said at a news 

conference Wednesday. Perea 

said it wasn’t known how many 

rounds were fired at Resendez’s 

vehicle but one round struck his 

front bumper and another went 

through the driver’s side door, 

hitting him just below his body 

armor in the abdomen. He was 

later pronounced dead at a hospital. 

“He cared about everyone, he 

got along with everyone,” Perea 

said. 

Cameron County District Attorney 

Luis Saenz said the pursuit 

began around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday 

on South Padre Island when a 

truck carrying the two men, two 

women and two small children 

was pulled over for speeding 

on the beach. As the driver was 

being questioned outside of the 

truck, a passenger started the 

truck, the driver jumped into the 

bed and they sped off, he said. 

At one point, the two women 

and the children got out of the 

vehicle, Saenz said. The women 

were detained and questioned. 

The two suspects — Rogelio 

Martinez Jr., 18, of Brownsville 

and Rodrigo Axel Espinosa Valdez, 

23, of Mexico — are facing 

multiple charges including capital 

murder, aggravated assault 

with a deadly weapon and evading 

arrest, Saenz said. Online jail 

records do not list attorneys who 

can speak on their behalf. 

Saenz said that after the men 

were pursued into Brownsville, 

located on the Mexico border, an 

exchange of gunfire made officers 

stand back and lose sight of 

the truck around 5 p.m. After the 

truck was found disabled, the 

suspects were then spotted in a 

sport utility vehicle in San Benito 

around 10:30 p.m. The confrontation 

in San Benito is where 

Resendez was shot. 

The pursuit then returned to 

Brownsville, where the men 

were arrested after fleeing from 

their sport utility vehicle after 

officers disabled it by performing 

a PIT maneuver where a vehicle 

LT. MILTON RESENDEZ 

is intentionally bumped, Saenz 

said. 

Perea said that Resendez spent 

about 30 years working as a 

police officer, with most of that 

time with the San Benito police. 

“It’s hard right now,” Perea 

said. “We lost one of our own. 

He worked with us for so long 

he’s not just a coworker, he’s 

part of our family now.” 

Gov. Greg Abbott said in a 

statement that “hearts across 

Texas grieve with the family and 

loved ones” of Resendez. 

The Texas Rangers are investigating. 

30 The BLUES

The BLUES 31


NASHVILLE, TN. 

The estranged son of Nashville’s police chief, wanted for 

shooting two officers, apparently committed suicide after being 

cornered in a shed after fleeing from officers in a stolen car. 

NASHVILLE, TN. — The estranged 

son of Nashville’s police chief, who 

was wanted in the shooting of two 

police officers, was found dead of a 

self-inflicted gunshot wound after 

leading police on a chase in a stolen 

car, authorities said. 

Police had been searching for 

John Drake Jr., 38, since Saturday, 

when two officers were shot and 

wounded outside a Dollar General 

store in La Vergne, a city about 20 

miles southeast of Nashville. 

Metro Nashville Police spokesman 

Don Aaron said Drake stole a car at 

gunpoint from a home southeast 

of downtown Tuesday night, WS- 

MV-TV reported. Drake asked a man 

and woman in front of a home for 

a ride and when they were unable 

or unwilling to give him a ride, he 

pulled out a gun and demanded the 

car in the driveway, Aaron said. 

Officers spotted the car a short 

time later and followed it to the 

Edgehill area south of downtown, 

where it crashed. Drake fled to a 

shed behind a home and when officers 

surrounded the area, a gunshot 

was heard, Aaron said. 

Officers found Drake dead with a 

gunshot wound that was apparently 

self-inflicted, the Tennessee Bureau 

of Investigation said in a statement 

posted on social media. Drake, who 

had been wanted on two counts of 

These images provided by the City of La Vergne shows La Vergne Police 

Officers Ashely Boleyjack and Gregory Kern. 

attempted first-degree murder, was 

the son of Metro Nashville Police 

Department Chief John Drake. The 

chief issued a statement Saturday 

confirming his son was the suspect 

in the shooting. He said his son has 

not been part of his life for some 

time. 

“Despite my efforts and guidance 

in the early and teenage years, my 

son, John Drake Jr., now 38-yearsold, 

resorted to years of criminal 

activity and is a convicted felon,” 

Drake said. 

Officers Ashely Boleyjack and 

Gregory Kern were investigating a 

stolen vehicle outside the Dollar 

General store when they struggled 

with the suspect, who pulled 

a handgun and shot them, said La 

Vergne Police Chief Christopher 

Moews. Both officers were treated 

and released from Vanderbilt University 

Medical Center. 

Reprinted from Police1.com 

32 The BLUES

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The BLUES 33


NEW ORLEANS, LA. 

“Super Fog” to blame for massive 158 vehicle,11-mile pile up 

on I-55. At least 7 fatalities were reported at the time. 

NEW ORLEANS, LA. – Seven people 

died and at least another two 

dozen were injured in a massive 

chain reaction crash that backed up 

traffic for 11 miles on a Louisiana 

interstate, according to reports. 

“Super fog” creating near zero 

visibility conditions was a major 

contributing factor to the 158 vehicle 

pileup on Interstate 55 Monday 

morning, according to Louisiana 

State Police. 

State Police cautioned that more 

fatalities could be discovered as the 

entanglement is cleared, Fox News 

Digital reported. 

After the Louisiana Department 

of Traffic Development reported an 

11-mile backup, law enforcement 

authorities later said a long stretch 

of I-55, a 24-mile-long highway 

near New Orleans, is expected to be 

closed “for the foreseeable future.” 

First responders and emergency 

crews worked for hours after the 

crash to clear debris from both 

northbound and southbound lanes, 

state police said. 

Police confirmed that a portion of 

the large scene caught fire shortly 

after the initial chain reaction collision. 

Louisiana State Police showed 

photos of the pileup, which resembled 

a war zone due to the fire and 

destruction. 

One survivor said she heard the 

sound of metal crunching and tires 

34 The BLUES 

popping as cars wrecked into one 

another for a considerable amount 

of time. 

“It was ‘Boom. Boom.’ All you kept 

hearing was crashing for at least 30 

minutes,” Clarencia Patterson Reed 

told The Times-Picayune/The New 

Orleans Advocate. 

Another driver told the outlet that 

a pickup truck crashed into his vehicle 

“and took me for a ride” after 

he hit the brakes to slow down. 

Christopher Coll, 41, had to kick 

open his passenger door to crawl 

out of his mangled automobile. 

Once outside, he ran to assist others 

stuck inside their vehicles and 

pulled one person out through their 

car window, he said, according to 

the New York Post. 

Authorities erected a large tent 

with portable restrooms and a 

communications center to stage the 

recovery and cleanup, Storm Chaser 

Brandon Clement told FOX Weather. 

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards 

said that he and his wife are “praying 

for those hurt and killed” in the 

crash.

The BLUES 35


PHILADELPHIA, PA. 

Former Philly Officer Patrick Heron,charged with more 

than 200 counts of sexual crimes pleads guilty. 

By Robert Moran, 

The Philadelphia Inquirer 

PHILADELPHIA, PA. — A former 

Philadelphia police officer was 

sentenced to 15 to 40 years in 

state prison after he pleaded 

guilty Friday to sexually assaulting 

vulnerable women and girls 

— often in the back of his police 

vehicle and while in uniform. 

Patrick Heron, 54, of Northeast 

Philadelphia, agreed to a plea 

deal with the District Attorney’s 

Office to avoid a fast-approaching 

trial on more than 200 

counts that included child sex 

assault, child pornography, kidnapping, 

and related offenses. 

Jane Roh, spokesperson for the 

District Attorney’s Office, said 

the guilty plea was welcomed by 

victims who are now spared the 

trauma of a trial. 

Heron’s defense lawyer, Anthony 

List, said he hoped the plea 

would allow the victims to avoid 

the anguish of having to testify, 

and added: “hopefully, everyone 

can move on.” 

Heron, who retired from the 

force in 2019, was initially arrested 

last year and accused of 

posing as an active officer to 

36 The BLUES 

lure girls, including some of his 

daughter’s friends. 

Investigators later uncovered 

dozens of photos and videos 

showing that Heron’s predatory 

behavior spanned years and 

included dozens of young women 

and girls — often targeting 

victims who had run away, been 

arrested, or struggled with addiction. 

At a hearing last month, prosecutors 

shared a video that they 

said showed Heron encouraging 

a young woman to use heroin in 

the back of his cruiser. He then 

videotaped himself assaulting 

her while she lay unconscious 

in the back of his car, said Lyandra 

Retacco, chief of the Special 

Investigations Unit of the District 

Attorney’s Office. 

Before forcing one girl to perform 

sex acts on him, Heron told 

her that “It would help you in 

court to have a police officer on 

your side,” testified Sgt. Gerald 

Rocks, the investigator on the 

case. 

Heron met many of his victims 

while on the force, Retacco said, 

and prosecutors say his crimes 

occurred over a roughly 17-year 

span, from 2005 through 2022. 

Investigators have identified 

48 victims, though many of their 

identities remain unknown, Retacco 

said. There are likely more 

who haven’t come forward, she 

said. 

Once detectives searched his 

phone and other devices, they 

found numerous videos taken 

in 2016 and 2017, which showed 

Heron assaulting girls, some who 

appeared semiconscious, in his 

cruiser. 

Some victims contacted the 

District Attorney’s Office after 

seeing his photo in the news. 

EDITOR: Let’s hope this piece 

of garbage gets the justice he 

deserves from his fellow inmates. 

Karma!

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The BLUES 37


CORNING, CA. 

CHP officer shot, cruiser destroyed after man tries to 

flee traffic stop. 

By Jake Hutchison, 

Chico Enterprise-Record 

CORNING, CA. — A traffic stop 

on Interstate 5 took a violent 

turn Sunday when a man shot a 

California Highway Patrol officer, 

took his patrol vehicle, then 

crashed it. 

Upon investigating a vehicle 

stopped at around 11:40 a.m. 

near the Chard Avenue overpass 

in Corning, a CHP officer ended 

up in a gunfight. The officer sustained 

injuries as a result of the 

shooting, CHP said. 

The suspect proceeded to enter 

the patrol vehicle and head 

southbound on I-5. Continuing 

southbound, the vehicle eventually 

collided with a semi-truck, 

which caused both vehicles to 

head off the west shoulder and 

ultimately overturn. 

Law enforcement officers arrived 

at the scene and arrested 

the suspect, whose name has 

not yet been released, without 

further incident. The officer, 

the driver of the semi and the 

suspect were all taken to local 

DON’T MISS THIS MONTH’S 

WAR STORY ON PAGE 110 

hospitals with injuries. 

Because of the incident, CHP 

closed two lanes of I-5 at Chard 

Avenue and further south at 

Thomes Creek. 

CHP said there are ongoing 

investigations regarding this incident, 

with the Tehama County 

Sheriff’s Office taking the lead, 

and that additional information 

will eventually be released regarding 

this incident. 

TEHAMA COUNTY FIRE STATION 9 

Our thoughts and prayers are 

with our CHP family. The CHP 

officer who was struck by gunfire 

is expected to survive. The 

suspect was taken into custody 

by local law enforcement after 

shooting one CHP officer and 

stealing his patrol vehicle, then 

wrecking it on I-5 into a semi 

truck. The patrol vehicle caught 

on fire after the suspect exited. 

The suspect later died from his 

injuries. 

We are a small community, 

and when one hurts, we all hurt. 

We are thankful for swift action 

of our law enforcement partners 

to quickly apprehend the person 

who chose violence over reason. 

38 The BLUES

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The BLUES 39


MONTGOMERY CNTY, MD. 

MD. Officer loses use of legs after driver ‘intentionally’ hit him. 

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD. — 

A Maryland officer has lost the 

use of his legs after being intentionally 

struck by a suspected 

drunk driver this morning, WTOP 

reported. 

Montgomery County Police 

Sgt. Patrick Kepp, 36, remains in 

“critical condition” and has “lost 

the use of both of his legs,” Chief 

Marcus Jones said in a news 

conference. 

The driver, Raphael Mayorga, 

19, was speeding at rates of up 

to 110 mph leading up to the incident. 

Officers decided to pursue 

him when he ran another driver 

off the road, according to the 

report. 

Kepp parked in the crossover of 

the interstate before getting out 

of his car to deploy spike strips. 

“The vehicle is observed actually 

intentionally moving from 

the middle lanes to the far-left 

lanes and Mayorga came directly 

at Sgt. Kepp as he was deploying 

the ‘stop sticks,’” Jones said. “He 

intentionally struck Sgt. Kepp in 

the main lanes of I-270.” 

Mayorga kept driving until he 

was stopped further down the 

interstate with spike strips by 

another officer, according to the 

report. 

Mayorga is being charged with 

first-degree attempted murder, 

as well as other charges. He has 

Sgt. Patrick Kepp (left) and Chief Marcus Jones (right) at an awards 

ceremony in 2021. (Montgomery County Police) 

been known to “provoke officers 

into chasing him” in the past. 

“He does this intentionally to 

bait officers into chasing him 

as if this is some sort of a video 

game,” Jones said. 

“This should not be treated as 

a regular traffic incident and we 

should talk to our legislators 

about a way of criminalizing 

(provoking officers to pursue) in 

a different way,” County Executive 

Marc Elrich said. 

Kepp has worked for the department 

since 2014, according 

to the report. He’s been acknowledged 

in the past for his efforts 

to prevent impaired driving and 

has received awards for his work 

with the alcohol initiatives unit 

twice in recent years, according 

to the police department. 

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The BLUES 41


SAN ANTONIO, TX. 

Two San Antonio police officers are now reported to be in stable 

condition after being shot October 19th when they responded to 

the report of a domestic disturbance. 

SAN ANTONIO, TX. - Two San 

Antonio, Texas, police officers 

are now reported to be in stable 

condition after being shot 

Thursday, October 19th when 

they responded to the report of a 

domestic disturbance. Including 

these two officers, the San Antonio 

Police Department reports 

seven officers have been shot in 

the line of duty in the last two 

months. 

Chief William P. McManus 

provided details of the shooting 

during a media briefing Thursday 

night and said the two officers 

were responding to a family 

disturbance call and arrived at 

about the same time. 

“These types of calls are very, 

very volatile, very dangerous, 

because of the emotion involved 

in many, many cases,” the chief 

said. “And this was one of those 

cases where the officers were 

very luck they were not killed. 

The chief said a man had come 

to the home to retrieve his children 

and at some point, became 

involved in an altercation with a 

female and started dousing the 

house with gasoline and threatened 

to set it on fire. 

42 The BLUES 

Upon arrival, one officer was 

standing in the middle of the 

cul-de-sac and communicating 

with dispatch when he was shot 

three times. That officer went 

down in the cul-de-sac, the 

chief said. The other officer was 

also shot, once. 

After wounding the two officers, 

the suspect went inside, 

headed to the second floor, and 

began firing out of a window 

with a long gun. 

The second officer retrieved 

his rifle from his vehicle and 

returned fire while taking cover 

behind a vehicle next door. 

While returning fire at the suspect, 

the officer was able to 

move and create more distance. 

Other officers arrived, responding 

into what the chief called “a 

very hot zone.” 

“They were able to extract the 

officer who was down in the 

cul-de-sac, and they were able 

to extract the other officer, who 

was pinned down under another 

vehicle,” McManus said. “By the 

time they got them out, the suspect 

came out and gave himself 

up and was taken into custody.” 

Jesus Prado, 40, was arrested 

and charged with two counts of 

attempted capital murder of a 

police officer and one count of 

deadly conduct, reported KSAT. 

His bonds total $3 million.

The BLUES 43


LEWISTON, ME. 

22 Killed and 60 Injured in multiple shootings at a bowling alley and a 

restaurant in Lewiston has the suspect on the run and hundreds of officers 

searching for him. 

By David Sharp, 

Associated Press 

LEWISTON, ME. — Authorities 

carried out a multi-state search 

on land and water last month for 

a U.S. Army reservist who they 

say killed 22 people and wounded 

60 in a mass shooting at a 

bowling alley and bar that sent 

panicked patrons scrambling 

under tables and behind bowling 

pins and gripped the entire state 

of Maine in fear. 

Schools, doctor’s offices and 

grocery stores closed and people 

stayed behind locked door in cities 

as far away as 50 miles from 

the scenes of Wednesday night’s 

shootings in Lewiston. 

President Joe Biden ordered all 

U.S. flags to be flown at halfstaff 

as condolences poured 

in from around the nation and 

at home, including from Maine 

native and author Stephen King, 

who called it “madness.” The 

attacks stunned a state of only 

1.3 million people that has one 

of the country’s lowest homicide 

rates: 29 killings in all of 2022. 

The shooting suspect, Robert 

Card, is considered armed and 

dangerous and should not be 

approached, authorities said at 

44 The BLUES 

a news conference. Card underwent 

a mental health evaluation 

in mid-July after he began acting 

erratically during training, a U.S. 

official told The Associated Press. 

Police said they have had no 

reported sightings of Card since 

the shootings at Schemengees 

Bar and Grille and at Sparetime 

Recreation, a bowling alley about 

4 miles away. The Androscoggin 

County Sheriff’s Office released 

two photos of the suspect walking 

into the bowling alley with a 

rifle raised to his shoulder. 

Eight murder warrants were 

issued for Card, 40, after authorities 

identified eight of the victims, 

police said. Ten more will 

likely be issued once the names 

of the rest of the dead are confirmed, 

said Maine State Police 

Col. William Ross. 

Three of the 60 people wounded 

in the shootings were in 

critical condition and five were 

hospitalized but stable, Central 

Maine Medical Center officials 

said. 

Authorities launched a multistate 

search for Card on land 

and water. The Coast Guard

sent out a patrol boat Thursday 

morning along the Kennebec River 

but after hours of searching, 

they found “nothing out of the 

ordinary,” said Chief Petty Officer 

Ryan Smith, who is in charge 

of the Coast Guard’s Boothbay 

Harbor Station. 

Card’s car had been discovered 

beside a boat launch near 

the Androscoggin River, which 

connects to the Kennebec, and 

Card’s 15-foot (4.5-meter) boat 

remains unaccounted for, Smith 

said. But he added that officials 

didn’t have any specific intelligence 

that Card might have 

escaped aboard his boat. “We’re 

just doing our due diligence,” he 

said. 

The Canada Border Services 

Agency issued an “armed and 

dangerous” alert to its officers 

stationed along the Canada-U.S. 

border. 

A bulletin sent to police across 

the country after the attack said 

Card had been committed to a 

mental health facility for two 

weeks this past summer after 

“hearing voices and threats to 

shoot up” a military base. 

A U.S. official said Card was 

training with the Army Reserve’s 

3rd Battalion, 304th Infantry 

Regiment in West Point, New 

York, when commanders became 

concerned about him. 

State police took Card to the 

Keller Army Community Hospital 

at West Point for evaluation, 

according to the official, who 

was not authorized to publicly 

discuss the information and 

spoke to The Associated Press on 

condition of anonymity. 

Immediately after the shooting, 

police armed with rifles took positions 

around Lewiston, Maine’s 

second largest city, with a population 

of 37,000. The once overwhelmingly 

white mill community 

has become one of the most 

diverse cities in northern New 

England after a major influx of 

immigrants, mostly from Somalia, 

in recent years. 

UPDATE - OCT. 31ST 

A sense of relief washed over 

a grieving Maine community that 

endured two days of fear after 

authorities announced the man 

accused of killing 18 people at a 

bowling alley and a restaurant 

earlier this week was found dead 

on Friday, Oct. 27th. 

The body of Robert Card, 40, 

was discovered near a river 

some 10 miles from the shattered 

community of Lewiston 

with a self-inflicted gunshot 

wound, authorities said. 

Card’s body was found inside a 

box trailer sitting in an overflow 

parking lot of Maine Recycling 

Corporation in Lisbon, Maine 

Public Safety Commissioner Michael 

Sauschuck said at a news 

conference Saturday morning. 

Card had recently been fired 

from the recycling center, a law 

enforcement source told CNN. 

“Some of those trailers are 

locked. Some of those trailers 

aren’t,” Sauschuck said. “He 

was found inside one of those 

boxes that was unlocked from 

the outside.” 

Two firearms were found 

alongside Card’s body, Sauschuck 

said, and he was wearing 

the same sweatshirt seen 

in surveillance video of the 

Wednesday night shooting, 

suggesting he never changed 

his clothes. It is unclear when 

he took his own life. 

Sauschuck said the facility 

was initially searched and 

considered clear, but the owner 

of Maine Recycling directed 

law enforcement to additional 

trailers that investigators did 

not initially realize were part of 

the same recycling center. 

The discovery ended a roughly 

two-day manhunt that left 

many residents in the serene, 

picturesque area living on 

edge and fearful to leave their 

homes. 

The BLUES 45


ACROSS THE US 

The Latest Breaking News as we go LIVE. 

KAMALA HARRIS FLOATS GUN 

CONFISCATION IN THE UNITED 

STATES 

WASHINGTON D.C. – Vice President 

Kamala Harris lauded gun 

control laws in Australia where 

citizens do not have a legal right 

to gun ownership and where a 

mass gun confiscation took place 

in the 1990s, during a speech on 

Thursday. 

Harris said Australian gun laws 

proved that mass shootings do 

not have to be a regular occurrence, 

during her remarks delivered 

at a State Department 

luncheon earlier in the day with 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony 

Albanese. 

“As we gather details, we must 

continue to speak truth about 

the moment we are in,” Harris 

said. “In our country today, the 

leading cause of death of American 

children is gun violence. Gun 

violence has terrorized and traumatized 

so many of our communities 

in the United States.” 

“And let us be clear, it does 

not have to be this way — as our 

friends in Australia have demonstrated,” 

she continued to applause. 

According to a brief on the 

Australian Parliament’s official 

website, there is no legal right to 

gun ownership in Australia.” 

Moron #1 or in her case Moron #2 

D.C. MAYOR UNVEILS LEGIS- 

LATION TO ROLL BACK PARTS 

OF RECENT POLICE REFORMS 

AFTER CRIME SPIKE 

By Joanna Putman, 

Police1 

WASHINGTON — With D.C. 

crime numbers climbing, Mayor 

Muriel Bowser introduced new 

legislation this week to “give law 

enforcement additional tools to 

keep the District safe,” WTOP 

reported. 

The bill, called ACT (Addressing 

Crime Trends) Now, will 

allow police to declare temporary 

“drug-free zones,” add 

criminal penalties for organized 

retail theft and prohibit wearing 

a mask to commit a crime, 

according to the report. 

Bowser said the bill is intended 

to address some of the negative 

consequences of the Comprehensive 

Policing and Justice Reform 

Amendment Act of 2022. 

“Some of the changes that 

were made just don’t match the 

daily practice of safe and effective 

policing,” Bowser said. 

Acting D.C. Police Chief Pamela 

Smith called police reform legislation 

in recent years “well-intended,” 

but said it was “overly 

46 The BLUES

oad and jeopardizes public 

safety,” according to the report. 

“It creates situations where 

officers are kind of hesitant to 

go hands-on to apprehend an 

individual when it is appropriate. 

It has created circumstances 

where officers’ credibility has 

been called into question due to 

incidental contact,” Smith said. 

Smith said the new bill would 

remove limitations on pursuing 

suspects in vehicles, to allow the 

department to pursue suspects 

who pose an “imminent threat to 

the community.” 

It would also allow officers to 

review their own body camera 

footage when filing their reports, 

which was prohibited in 

the reform law, according to the 

report. 

This year, D.C. has seen a 39% 

increase in violent crime compared 

to last year, according to 

District statistics obtained by 

WTOP. 

“IT’S NOT THAT SERIOUS” 

18-YEAR-OLD SUSPECT IN- 

DICTED IN KILLING OF FORMER 

PD CHIEF LAUGHED, ASKED 

OFFICER FOR FOOD DURING 

ARREST 


Police1 

LAS VEGAS — The 16- and 

18-year-old suspects in the hitand-run 

killing of former police 

chief Andreas Probst have been 

indicted by a grand jury after 

one was seen on video questioning 

the seriousness of the 

charges, KTNV reported. 

Jesus Ayala, now 18, can be 

seen in a video laughing about 

the situation, seemingly convinced 

he would get “a slap on 

the wrist” from juvenile court at 

A true Hero 

the time of his arrest. Although 

he was 17 when the crimes were 

committed, he and 16-year-old 

Jzamir Keys will both be tried as 

adults. 

Their crime spree began when 

they hit and injured a 72-yearold 

bicyclist, according to the report. 

They went on to hit another 

car before fatally striking Probst. 

All three incidents were committed 

in separate stolen vehicles. 

The jury was shown videos the 

suspects took while committing 

the crimes and later posted on 

social media. They can be heard 

laughing and shouting encouragement 

during all three incidents. 

The jury was also presented 

with videos of Ayala’s arrest, 

when he acted jovial and even 

asked the officer for food. Ayala 

appears convinced that he will 

be quickly released and tells the 

officer that “it’s not that serious,” 


“Just a fucking hit and run. 

Slap on the wrist,” said Ayala. 

“Why you got to lie and say it’s 

something serious?” 

An absolute Thug 

Trial dates for Ayala and Keys 

have been set for Sept. 16 of next 

year. 

ED- We’ll see if this asshole is 

still smiling when he gets 30 to 

life and the other lifers in prison 

use him as a sex toy. Then who’s 

laughing asshole. 

CLEVELAND TAKES HISTORIC 

MEASURES TO ADDRESS PO- 

LICE STAFFING SHORTAGE 

CLEVELAND, OH. - An ongoing 

investigation by News 5 into 

the dire staffing shortage facing 

Cleveland police has revealed 

an alarming rate of resignations 

and retirements, with 128 officers 

leaving the force between January 

1 and September 27, 2023. 

This trend, which began in 

2020, has now seen a total of 

648 officers depart the Cleveland 

Division of Police since the 

beginning of 2020, leaving the 

department significantly understaffed. 

As of September, there were 

only 1,216 officers on the force, 

a shortfall of 424 officers compared 

to the budgeted strength 

The BLUES 47

of 1,640. 

Of the 128 officers who left 

the department between January 

1–September 1, 56% of those 

resigned and 40% retired. Three 

officers were terminated, according 

to department statistics. 

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb 

acknowledged the severity of 

the situation, calling it a “serious 

problem,” while Dr. Matt 

Nordlund, an expert in industrial-organizational 

psychology 

at Cleveland State University, 

attributed increased attrition to 

high burnout rates among officers 

and a potential vicious cycle 

leading to more resignations and 

retirements. 

“We know that police officers 

already have very high rates of 

burnout, and I imagine this could 

contribute to even higher rates 

in the future,” he said. “So you 

could have this vicious cycle, 

where you have a limited number 

of people trying to do more 

and more things, leading to more 

and more burnout and more and 

more resignations and retirements,” 

Nordlund said. 

One officer suffering from 

exhaustion and burnout was 

Officer Dominic Naples, a patrolman 

who was sworn into the 

Cleveland Police Department in 

September 2019. 

Following a car crash in which 

he was knocked unconscious, 

Naples decided he had enough. 

“I woke up in the hospital. 

Didn’t know who I was. Don’t 

remember any of the calls that 

happened that day. It made me 

kind of start to rethink everything,” 

Naples said. 

“It can burn you out really, 

really fast, and I feel like that’s 

what happened to me.” 

48 The BLUES 

JUDGE REINSTATES ALL 

CHARGES AGAINST EX-PHILLY 

OFFICER IN FATAL SHOOTING 

By Chris Palmer and Rodrigo 

Torrejón, The Philadelphia Inquirer 

PHILADELPHIA, PA. — A Philadelphia 

judge on Wednesday 

reinstated all charges, including 

first-degree murder, against the 

now-fired city police officer who 

fatally shot 27-year-old Eddie 

Irizarry in Kensington this past 

summer. 

The decision by Common Pleas 

Court Judge Lillian Ransom 

means that the prosecution of 

Mark Dial will now proceed to 

trial, an outcome that had been 

uncertain after another judge — 

Municipal Court Judge Wendy 

Pew — dismissed all charges 

after a preliminary hearing last 

month. 

Prosecutors charged Mark Dial, 

with murder and other charges 

for shooting and killing Eddie 

Irizarry while a Philadelphia Police 

officer. 

The development marks the 

latest chapter in the controversial 

case — one that has led to 

rallies and demonstrations at 

which Irizarry’s relatives have 

called for justice. Dial’s supporters, 

meanwhile, have contended 

that his actions did not amount 

to a crime. 

The case has attracted intense 

interest from community members, 

clergy leaders, and some 

elected officials. And after Pew 

dismissed charges last month, 

there were also numerous instances 

of burglaries and vandalism 

at businesses throughout 

the city — crimes that police 

were quick to say had been 

committed by “criminal opportunists” 

seeking to take advantage 

of the uproar over the case. 

On Wednesday, prosecutors 

told Ransom they believed Pew 

erred when she ruled that they 

hadn’t presented enough evidence 

to substantiate murder 

charges against Dial. They also 

said Pew was wrong to have 

considered the contentions of 

Dial’s lawyers that his actions 

were justified, saying such issues 

should be argued at a possible 

trial — not at a preliminary hearing. 

”There is no doubt ... that Mark 

Dial did something horribly 

wrong,” said Assistant District 

Attorney Lyandra Retacco, add-

ing that any “disputed facts” 

about how and why he shot 

Irizarry — and whether he should 

be convicted for it — were questions 

for a jury to consider. 

Dial’s lawyers, meanwhile, reiterated 

what they have said since 

the shooting happened Aug. 14: 

Dial’s shooting of Irizarry — who 

was holding a knife inside his 

car — was a tragedy, but not a 

crime. 

“This isn’t a murder case. 

It never was,” said Brian Mc- 

Monagle, insisting that Dial fired 

because he believed Irizarry had 

been holding a gun, and he was 

afraid for his safety. 

Ransom said the dueling interpretations 

showed the need 

for the case to go to trial. She 

ordered Dial jailed without bail 

until then, as is typical for people 

charged with first-degree 

murder. Dial was immediately 

taken into custody from the 

courtroom. 

McMonagle said afterward that 

he was “extremely disappointed” 

in the ruling but would be 

prepared to put the case before 

a jury. He said he planned 

to ask for jurors to be selected 

from outside the city, saying he 

believed panelists should be 

chosen from a place “where the 

governing officials of the city 

aren’t speaking out against” Dial. 

Irizarry’s relatives, meanwhile, 

said they were relieved that the 

case had been revived. Irizarry’s 

father, also named Eddie Irizarry, 

said accountability should apply 

to everyone. 

”We’re all humans. But when 

we make mistakes, we have to 

put our chest up and accept that 

we have to pay for those mistakes. 

Good or bad,” he said in 

Spanish. 

Zoraida Garcia, Irizarry’s aunt, 

said she stepped out before 

Ransom announced her ruling, 

overwhelmed with the emotion 

of dealing with the “hell” of the 

past two months. But afterward, 

part of the weight was lifted, 

Garcia said. 

”I’m feeling great,” she said. 

“There’s still steps that we have 

to take, but as of right now, he’s 

where he belongs.” 

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 

SHOOTING? 

Dial, 27, a five-year veteran of 

the force, shot and killed Irizarry, 

27, as he sat in his car in Kensington. 

Police said Irizarry had 

been driving erratically, including 

by swerving into a bike lane and 

driving the wrong way down a 

one-way street. And they initially 

said Irizarry had lunged at Dial 

with a knife, leading the officer 

to shoot him. 

But video — including footage 

captured on Dial’s bodycam — 

showed that wasn’t true: Irizarry 

was in his car, with the windows 

rolled up and a knife in his hand, 

when Dial opened fire within 

seconds of getting out of his 

police cruiser. 

On Aug. 23, then-Commissioner 

Danielle Outlaw said she was 

suspending Dial with intent to 

dismiss him from the force for 

refusing to cooperate with the 

department’s internal investigation 

into the shooting. 

About two weeks after that, 

District Attorney Larry Krasner’s 

office charged Dial with crimes 

including first- and third-degree 

murder, voluntary manslaughter, 

and aggravated assault. 

Prosecutors had alleged that 

Dial’s partner yelled “knife” 

before Dial opened fire, and that 

because he emerged from his 

police car with his gun drawn, 

and then fired within five seconds, 

he should be charged with 

murder. 

But Dial’s lawyers have said the 

officer thought his partner yelled 

“gun,” and that Dial’s shooting of 

Irizarry was justified under state 

law, which allows police to use 

deadly force to protect themselves 

or others from a threat of 

death or serious injury. 

Pew, the Municipal Court judge 

The BLUES 49

who presided over Dial’s preliminary 

hearing, said she agreed 

with that argument when she 

moved to dismiss all charges 

against Dial last month. 

Prosecutors immediately appealed 

that decision, setting the 

stage for Wednesday’s hearing 

before Ransom. 

During the proceeding, Retacco 

said it was simply not true that 

Dial’s partner, Michael Morris, 

had yelled gun. At Dial’s preliminary 

hearing, she said, Morris 

repeatedly testified that he had 

warned Dial that Irizarry was 

holding a knife. 

It wasn’t until he was 

cross-examined by McMonagle 

that Morris said it was “fair” to 

suggest that an audio recording 

of the events made it sound as if 

someone had yelled gun before 

Dial opened fire. 

And in either case, Retacco 

said, such a critical factual 

dispute was not a matter to be 

decided at this early stage of the 

case. 

Former Lt. Philip Fairchild 

50 The BLUES 

FORMER LIBERTY POLICE 

LIEUTENANT CHARGED WITH 

ABUSE OF OFFICIAL CAPACITY 

By Bluebonnet News 

LIBERTY COUNTY, TX. – Philip 

“Chip” Fairchild, a retired lieutenant 

for Liberty Police Department, 

is facing a charge of Abuse 

of Official Capacity. 

Fairchild surrendered Friday to 

authorities and was booked into 

the Liberty County Jail. He has 

since been released while the 

case works its way through the 

court system. 

According to sources close to 

the case, Fairchild is accused of 

running background checks for 

local businesses using software 

licenses owned by Liberty Police 

Department. 

Fairchild reportedly performed 

the background checks for pay 

an amount estimated to be 

between $2,500 and $30,000 

based on the charge. 

The case is being investigated 

by the Texas Rangers. No other 

information is available at this 

time. 

FLA. DEPUTY SHOT IN HEAD 

DURING TRAFFIC STOP HOPES 

TO RECEIVE $10M IN LOST 

WAGES, MEDICAL BILLS. 

By Shira Moolten, 

South Florida Sun-Sentinel 

BROWARD COUNTY, FL. — Over 

sixteen years ago, Maury Hernandez 

was shot in the head 

while conducting a traffic stop 

on a man who was supposed to 

be in jail. 

This year’s legislative session 

will mark the former Broward 

Sheriff’s deputy’s fourth attempt 

to receive $10 million in lost 

wages and medical bills from 

the state of Florida, and his 

supporters believe that he will 

succeed. 

“I really believe this is going to 

be the year,” said Matt Cowart, 

the BSO union president, who 

spoke on Hernandez’s behalf 

Saturday. “I can feel it from the 

dialogue with the legislature. I 

know we’re going to right this 

wrong after 16 years.” 

Though it’s often described as 

a miracle that Hernandez survived 

the shooting that day in 

2007, his past efforts to receive 

compensation from the government 

have proved less miraculous. 

Hernandez has permanent 

brain damage and is partially 

paralyzed, but his insurance 

provider stopped paying for his 

medical treatments, according to 

Cowart. His workers’ compensation 

provider has filed a $1 million 

lien against him. And though

Deputy Maury Hernandez, Broward County Sheriff 

Hernandez filed a lawsuit against 

the Department of Corrections 

after a BSO investigation found 

that the department was at fault, 

a judge decided that he could 

not receive the compensation 

he requested due to sovereign 

immunity. 

“It feels like you’re being betrayed,” 

Hernandez said in an interview 

with the Orlando Sentinel 

last April. “Other government 

agencies are supposed to be in 

your corner, not against you.” 

Hernandez’ past attempts to 

get a claim bill through the legislature 

failed because of a legal 

technicality, Cowart said. Last 

session, he tried to file a regular 

claim bill, but that kind of bill 

requires a previous legal judgment 

or settlement to go before 

a special master, who then 

passes it on to committee. 

A spokesperson for Senate 

President Kathleen Passidomo 

said at the time that the bill 

“does not meet the requirements 

for evaluation by a special master 

because there was no legal 

finding of negligence for the 

special master to evaluate, nor a 

settlement or proposed settlement 

to consider.” 

This year, Hernandez is filing an 

equitable claim bill, which seeks 

to receive “legislative grace.” 

Cowart described it as compensation 

that originates more out 

of a moral, rather than legal, 

obligation. 

These types of claim bills are 

rare, but Hernandez’s supporters 

are optimistic. Cowart and Hernandez 

have met with legislators 

across Broward and the rest of 

the state, from both sides of the 

aisle. They just returned from 

spending three days in Tallahassee. 

State Rep. Alex Rizo, the bill’s 

sponsor in the House, said that 

the union, IUPA, has “brought 

this issue, I believe, before every 

single member of the House.” 

The bill hinges on the argument 

that Hernandez should 

never have been shot, had the 

state Department of Corrections 

done its job. Hernandez, 28 at the 

time, was on his way to investigate 

a robbery when he saw the 

shooter, David Maldonado, run 

a stop sign on a motorcycle in 

Pembroke Park. 

When Hernandez pulled him 

over, Maldonado falsely identified 

himself as a police officer, then 

pushed him and ran away. During 

a foot chase, he turned around 

and shot at Hernandez twice. 

One of the bullets struck him in 

the head. 

Maldonado was on probation 

at this time and told his rookie 

probation officer that he was 

allowed to carry a gun because 

he was an armed security guard, 

Cowart said. He was not. 

The Miramar man was later 

found guilty of attempted murder. 

The BSO investigation found 

that the Department of Corrections 

had notified the state 

attorney’s office of repeated violations 

of Maldonado’s probation 

that should have put him in jail 

when Hernandez pulled him over 

that day. 

“If the DOC, if that person 

who’s a parole officer made that 

mistake and this is a result of 

that mistake, then it should be an 

act of legislative grace that we 

say, ‘that’s fine,’” Rizzo said. 

Added to the fact that Maldonado 

should have been in jail 

is the fact that he should not 

have had a gun when Hernandez 

pulled him over. 

Lance Block, Hernandez’s attorney 

of the last 16 years, said 

he would have rather gone the 

regular claim bill route, but 

“equitable remedies have passed 

in Florida before. And this is one 

that really calls out for justice.” 

“The wrongful act by DOC here 

is so egregious that it really can’t 

be ignored,” he added. “This is 

more than just simple negligence.” 

Hernandez was in a coma for 

three weeks after the shooting. 

Now, the entire left side of his 

body has muscle weakness and 

The BLUES 51

nerve damage. He still has bullet 

fragments lodged in his head, 

where a shunt is implanted to 

drain fluid from his brain. 

The 44-year-old is “burnt out” 

after his time in Tallahassee, said 

Cowart. Despite difficulty walking, 

Block said, Hernandez refuses 

to use a wheelchair when he’s 

going around the Capitol. But 

eventually he might need one, on 

top of other medical devices and 

treatments. 

“The state should step in here 

and say this is a special case,” 

Rizzo said. “In which we should 

say, let’s go ahead and let’s pass 

this claim and let’s allow him 

to live without the burden, the 

financial burden that was never 

something he went out and 

looked for himself. Instead, he 

just went out and tried to protect 

us.” 

TEXAS OFFICER RELEASED 

FROM HOSPITAL 2 WEEKS AF- 

TER SHOOTING 

HUNTSVILLE, TX. – Multiple 

agencies came together at the 

Huntsville Police Department to 

welcome Sgt. Kyle Dockery back 

including the Sheriff’s Department, 

Emergency Medical Services, 

and the Fire Department. 

A Huntsville, Texas, police officer 

who was shot multiple times 

while on duty two weeks ago 

was released from the hospital 

on Wednesday. The department 

held a reception and procession 

to welcome Sergeant Kyle Dockery 

back to the Huntsville Police 

Department on Oct. 25. 

Multiple agencies came together 

at the Huntsville Police 

Department to welcome Dockery 

back including the Sheriff’s 

Department, Emergency Medical 

Sgt. Kyle Dockery released from hospital 

Services, and the Fire Department. 

After Dockery was shot multiple 

times on October 12, the 

he was sent to a Conroe hospital 

for treatment of his critical 

condition wounds. While at the 

hospital for two weeks, Sergeant 

Dockery went through two surgeries 

to aid in his recovery that 

were both successful and helped 

him make his way home. 

“He’s got a way to go, obviously, 

with the recovery,” said 

Lt. Wade Roberts. “He suffered 

some pretty significant injuries 

that are going to take a while 

to recover from, but I know the 

community will continue to support 

him, I know we will continue 

to support him.” 

MAN WHO SHOT, KILLED 

CALIF. OFFICER CONVICTED OF 

FIRST-DEGREE MURDER 


Police1 

SALINAS, Calif. — A Salinas 

man has been convicted on all 

charges for the killing of Officer 

Jorge “JD” Alvarado, KSBW 

reported. 

Gustavo Morales shot and 

killed Alvarado on Feb. 25, 2022, 

during a traffic stop. Morales 

pulled over, immediately got 

out of his car and shot Alvarado 

while he was still in his patrol 

car, according to the report. 

Morales testified that he was 

acting in self-defense, thinking 

that Alvarado would have killed 

him if he had seen the loaded 

firearm in his car. 

“It was him or me. That’s how I 

saw the situation,” Morales said. 

“If I didn’t act in that moment, 

that was my last chance to save 

myself.” 

The prosecution testified that 

Morales was drunk driving on 

a suspended license, was on 

probation and was carrying a 

loaded gun. 

Morales was convicted of 

first-degree murder, shooting 

at an occupied motor vehicle, 

assault on a peace officer with a 

semiautomatic firearm, unlawful 

firearm possession and carrying 

a loaded firearm, according to 

the report. He faces life in prison 

without parole. 

Alvarado’s older brother, Jorge 

52 The BLUES

Ernesto Alvarado, served at 

the same department. He died 

off-duty last month due to a 

medical emergency. 

IDAHO OFFICER DIES AFTER 

ON-DUTY HEART ATTACK 

POST FALLS, ID. - Officer Nicholas 

McDaniel, 36, failed to 

respond to a status check from 

Post Falls Communications Center 

after completing a call for 

service. 

A Post Falls, Idaho, police 

died while on duty Sunday after 

experiencing what officials say 

was a massive heart attack. 

When officers arrived at Mc- 

Daniel’s last known location, 

they found him slumped over 

the wheel of his police vehicle. 

Officers started CPR then Kootenai 

County Fire and Rescue took 

him to Kootenai Medical Center 

where he was pronounced dead, 

KREM reports. 

Officer McDaniel had worked 

for Post Falls PD for a little under 

a year, with 13 years served 

previously in Hawaii. 

Officer Nicholas McDaniel dies from heart attack 

Sgt. Eric Kocheran receives Valor Award 

OHIO DEPUTY SEVERELY 

WOUNDED IN 2022 SHOOTING 

RECEIVES VALOR AWARD 


Police1 

COLUMBUS, OH — An officer 

who was shot in the chest 

while on duty last year received 

a Valor Award at the Ohio Law 

Enforcement Conference, the 

Ohio Attorney General’s Office 

reported. 

Sgt. Eric Kocheran was finishing 

his shift when a man knocked at 

the window of the Ross County 

Sheriff’s Office, according to the 

report. The man told him to go 

get more officers. When Kocheran 

asked him why, he claimed 

that someone threatened to hurt 

his family if he didn’t come to 

the station with a gun, seemingly 

to hurt officers. 

After Kocheran told him to put 

the gun down multiple times, his 

body camera footage shows the 

man firing at Kocheran. Kocheran 

returned fire and killed the man. 

The bullet bruised Kocheran’s 

heart, punctured his left lung and 

ended up in his liver. He underwent 

multiple surgeries and was 

in a medically induced coma. He 

is unlikely to ever return to duty, 


Sheriff George W. Lavender Jr., 

who nominated Kocheran, said 

the gunman “was intent on killing 

someone that day.” And even 

though his sergeant “did everything 

possible to avoid taking 

a life,” he said, “in the end, by 

taking a life, he possibly saved 

countless others.” 

WATCH VIDEO HERE: 

https://www.facebook.com/ 

watch/?v=462187119361588 

Have any news you’d like to 

see printed in The BLUES? 

Email it to: 

bluespdmag@gmail.com 

The BLUES 53

SURVIVING THE 

STREETS 


THE TWIST THAT SAVES LIVES 

Not that long ago any police commander who was buying tourniquets for officers 

and urging their use when appropriate, would have been thought reckless. 

But now more officers are carrying these life-saving devices on duty. 

54 The BLUES 

On April 15, 2013, two terrorists 

placed bombs on the street near 

the finish line of the Boston Marathon. 

The bombs, constructed in 

pressure cookers and concealed 

in backpacks, exploded at street 

level sending a hail of ball bearings 

and nails flying into spectators 

crowded on the sidewalks 

and participants in the annual 

footrace. 

That blast killed three people 

and wounded more than 260. 

Because of the placement of 

the bombs, most of the wounds 

inflicted on the victims were in 

the lower extremities. Sixteen of 

the surviving victims lost limbs 

to the blast or to medical amputation 

because of the severity of 

their injuries. 

Some emergency medical 

personnel were on the scene to 

provide support for the race, but 

many of the first public safety 

personnel to reach the bleeding 

victims were law enforcement 

officers. Those officers did not 

have emergency medical kits, so 

they did the best they could. 

Former Boston Police Commissioner 

Ed Davis told USA Today 

that the response to the bombing 

was the reason he decided to 

buy tourniquets for all of his officers. 

“Anybody could see there 

was just this enormous need,” 

Davis said. “People were ripping 

their shirts, pulling off their 

belts, and trying to find anything 

to help stop the bleeding. [Buying 

the tourniquets] wasn’t a hard 

decision.” 

CHANGING VIEWS 

Not that long ago any police 

commander who was buying 

tourniquets for officers and 

urging their use when appropriate 

would have been thought 

reckless. The medical wisdom 

of the day was that the use of 

tourniquets to stop bleeding was 

dangerous and could result in 

amputation of the victim’s limb 

and even death. 

Historians say ancient Macedonian 

and Roman armies used 

tourniquets to stanch blood flow. 

But widespread use of the tourniquet 

began in the 1700s, and 

they were used by both sides 

during the American Civil War. 

They were also widely used 

in World War I, which is likely 

where they started to be labeled 

as dangerous. In 1916 the Journal 

of the Royal Army Medical Corps 

called tourniquets the “invention 

of the devil” because soldiers’ 

attempts to use improvised tourniquets 

on the battlefields of the 

Western Front often led to tissue 

destruction, loss of limbs, and 

increased mortality. 

Disdain for tourniquets in 

emergency medical response 

prevailed into the 1990s. Boy 

Scouts and Girl Scouts studying 

first aid just a few decades ago 

were firmly discouraged against 

using tourniquets to stop blood 

loss because they would result in 

the person’s leg or arm being cut 

off. 

Medical attitudes toward 

tourniquet use in first aid started 

to change in the late 1990s and 

early 2000s. That’s when published 

studies of casualties in the 

Vietnam War started to reveal 

that as many as 2,500 wounded 

American soldiers died of 

bleeding from extremity wounds 

and that a substantial number 

of those deaths could have 

been prevented if the blood loss 

had been stopped in the field. 

That research was backed up by 

reports coming in from Afghanistan 

and Iraq. The Mayo Clinic 

reports that blood loss from 

extremity wounds accounted for 

7.8% of the preventable deaths in 

the early days of the Global War 

on Terror. As the wars against al

Qaeda and other enemies continued, 

the military decided it 

was time to try tourniquets, and 

the results were impressive. 

What the medical community 

knew all along about tourniquets 

is that the likelihood of 

ill effects caused by their application 

tended to increase the 

longer the blood flow was cut 

off. The reputation of tourniquets 

started to be revised when combat 

physicians in Iraq and Afghanistan 

realized that wounded 

personnel were reaching trauma 

care quickly enough to mitigate 

the damage caused to their 

extremities by squeezing off the 

blood supply. 

THE HARTFORD CONSENSUS 

Bloody events on the American 

home front such as the 

Boston Marathon Bombing and 

the Newtown, CT, school massacre 

led to a push to promote 

tourniquet use for first responders. 

The definitive emergency 

medical statement on the use of 

tourniquets by non-EMT public 

safety personnel was made by 

The Joint Committee to Create 

a National Policy to Enhance 

Survivability from Intentional 

Mass-Casualty and Active Shooter 

Events. This was a meeting of 

leading trauma surgeons, including 

tactical doctors, who assembled 

in Hartford, CT, in 2015 to 

draft what’s known as “The Hartford 

Consensus III: Implementation 

of Bleeding Control.” In this 

report, the committee concluded 

that one of the best ways to 

save lives in the aftermath of 

accidents and attacks was to 

train first responders, including 

law enforcement officers, in the 

proper application of effective 

tourniquets. 

The Hartford Consensus specified 

effective tourniquets because 

devices designed specifically 

to squeeze off blood 

flow are much safer than the 

old leather belt and stick. Purpose-built 

effective tourniquets 

are easy to slip on the injured 

The BLUES 55

56 The BLUES 

person’s limb, are wide enough 

to properly do the job, come 

with a built-in windlass (stick) 

or ratchet to tighten them so 

they stanch blood loss, and some 

have a clip or another device to 

keep the windlass in place after 

it has been tightened down. 

As for training, agencies thinking 

of issuing tourniquets to 

their officers don’t have to worry 

about a lot of time lost to training. 

Officers can be trained very 

quickly in when and how to use 

a tourniquet and what to do after 

it is applied. 

SAVING LIVES 

Thousands of American law 

enforcement officers are now 

carrying trauma kits that include 

tourniquets on patrol, and they 

have proven to be lifesavers. 

Trained officers can stop blood 

loss when civilians or fellow 

officers are injured in accidents 

or wounded in attacks. The purpose-built 

tourniquet is so easy 

to use that wounded officers 

have even put them on themselves, 

saving their own lives. 

Last May Philadelphia police 

officer James McCullough was 

shot through the upper thigh 

by a suspect who was trying to 

steal a car, according to police. 

McCullough realized that he was 

bleeding out and needed immediate 

intervention to stanch the 

flow. He applied a tourniquet to 

his own leg and likely survived 

the incident because of it. 

But perhaps the most widely 

known use of a tourniquet 

to save an officer wounded in 

action occurred in Boston last 

October. In that incident, two 

Boston officers responded to 

a domestic violence call that 

was a fight between two roommates. 

When they arrived, a man 

opened fire on them. Officer Matt 

Morris was hit in the leg, severing 

a major artery. He survived 

because his fellow officers had 

been trained in what to do. They 

put pressure on the wound and 

applied a tourniquet. 

The reason a tourniquet was 

available to save Officer Morris 

was former Boston Police 

Commissioner Ed Davis’ post 

Marathon Bombing policy. Every 

Boston officer is now issued a 

tourniquet and trained to use it. 

Issuing trauma kits with tourniquets 

to law enforcement 

officers and training them to 

effect emergency medical care 

is a revolutionary concept that 

once would have been unthinkable. 

But when blood is pumping 

out of a person’s torn limb, they 

may not survive long enough 

for paramedics to arrive. Time is 

blood is what emergency medical 

personnel say. 

And as we all know, blood is 

life.

The BLUES 57

SURVIVING THE 

STREETS 


BYRNA “NON-LETHAL” 

SD LAUNCHERS 

Galveston police officers used the Byrna SD 

to incapacitate a suspect from 40 feet away. 

GALVESTON, TX. — Last year 

the Galveston (Texas) Police 

Department used a less-lethal 

chemical projectile weapon 

called the Byrna SD to apprehend 

a hit-and-run suspect, according 

to a press release from 

Byrna Technologies. 

The Byrna SD is described 

as a powerful and non-lethal 

self-defense weapon, according 

to the company’s website. 

Powered by compressed air, 

the Byrna SD shoots .68 caliber 

round kinetic or chemical irritant 

projectiles that can disable 

a threat up to 60 feet away, the 

company says. 

Bodycam video shows an 

officer deploying the Byrna SD 

launcher from about 40 feet 

away. The video shows an officer 

firing about five rounds of the 

chemical irritant into the suspect’s 

open car door before the 

suspect surrenders. 

The incident began on May 12 

when police responded to a call 

about a hit-and-run involving a 

cyclist. A few minutes later the 

suspect was involved in a second 

hit-and-run collision. Officers 

eventually caught up with 

the driver and, after the suspect 

failed to comply with orders, deployed 

the Byrna SD. The suspect 

was arrested and charged with 

felony accident involving injury 

and felony evading in a vehicle. 

Why Byrna for Law Enforcement? 

1. NOT ALL SITUATIONS 

NEED LETHAL FORCE 

Law enforcement agencies 

need to be equipped with 

different tools to deescalate 

life threatening situations. 

They need to keep themselves 

and the community safe. Byrna 

not only offers a range of 

pistol and rifle launchers for 

different applications, but the 

powerful chemical irritant projectiles 

can incapacitate threats 

on distances up to 60 feet(20 

meter) away. 

2. INCAPACITATE VIOLENT OR 

THREATENING SUBJECTS 

Law enforcement agencies 

need to be equipped with different 

tools to deescalate life 

threatening situations. They 

need to keep themselves and the 

community safe. Byrna not only 

offers a range of pistol and rifle 

launchers for different applications, 

but the powerful chemical 

irritant projectiles can incapacitate 

threats on distances up to 

60 feet(20 meter) away. 

BYRNA PRODUCTS CAN EA- 

SILY BE DEPLOYED IN VARIOUS 

SCENARIOS, MAKING IT AN IN- 

DISPENSABLE TOOL FOR LAW 

58 The BLUES

Josh Schirard, Byrna’s director 

of law enforcement operations, 

applauded the officers’ efforts. 

“We are extremely pleased that 

Galveston PD was able to use 

the Byrna SD to great effect in 

apprehending a suspect, under 

ENFORCEMENT AND SECU- 

RITY PERSONNEL. WHETHER 

YOU NEED TO SUBDUE A SUS- 

PECT OR DISPERSE A HOSTILE 

CROWD. 

3. CONTROL THE OUTCOME 

A law enforcement officer 

needs to make quick decisions 

and mostly do so under a lot 

of pressure. These decisions 

can have serious consequences 

for the law enforcement officer, 

assailants, and bystanders. 

Dealing with metal health 

issues, old age, adolescent, 

drugged individuals are some 

scenarios that complicate deci- 

dangerous conditions, without 

having to resort to deadly force,” 

Schirard said in a statement. 

“This ‘high-risk stop’ is exactly 

what the Byrna SD was designed 

for – being able to disarm and 

disorient a non-compliant subject 

from a significant standoff 

distance, without risking serious 

injury or death. No other less-lethal 

device could have been effective 

under the circumstances.” 

The BLUES 59

sions in the continuum of force. 

The Byrna launcher is clearly 

colored in Orange and Black, 

communicating to the public 

and assailant that a less-lethal 

system is in use. Byrna 

less-lethal systems controls 

outcomes as it provides options. 

4. ONE TOOL WITH MULTIP- 

LE APPLICATIONS 

For law enforcement and 

security officials seeking a 

versatile and effective less-lethal 

system, Byrna is the ultimate 

solution. With a product 

line that can be used in various 

scenarios, Byrna products offer 

applications for example: 

Law enforcement 

Grab teams at riots 

Riot control 

Correctional Facilities 

Border Patrol 

Public spaces like malls or 

stadiums 

Private Security 

5. TRAINING, PROTOCOLS 

AND USE OF FORCE GUIDELI- 

NES 

Byrna’s close representation 

of a firearm allows quick deploys 

due to already well-developed 

muscle memory. This 

resemblance also allows quick 

transition between lethal and 

BYRNA’s less-lethal platforms. 

Byrna products can be used for 

real-life simulations, education 

as well as tactical training. 

THE BYRNA TEAM 

The Byrna LE Team has vast 

experience with law enforcement 

internationally and consists 

of retired police officers 

that have a mandate to certify, 

train, explain and teach the 

different applications and uses 

of using less lethal. 

BYRNA’S TECHNOLOGY 

COMPACT AND CONCEALABLE 

The biggest challenge in creating the Byrna was to pack enough stopping 

power into such a small piece of real estate. If the launcher could 

not easily fit in a glove box, purse, or jacket pocket, it might not be available 

when it was needed most. 

THE BYRNA NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO STOP AN ASSAILANT 

The Byrna needed to have ample stopping power. Our goal was to give 

ordinary citizens the ability to disarm, disable and deter a would-be assailant 

without causing permanent injury or death, in order to give them 

and their family time to get out of harm’s way. 

ALWAYS AT THE READY – THE BYRNA NEEDS TO BE 

READY TO DEPLOY AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE 

With most .68-caliber launchers, the CO2 cylinder is punctured when 

it is loaded into the launcher. Over the next 24-hours, the CO2 will leak 

out, rendering the weapon inoperable. In response, Byrna developed its 

patented first-shot, pull-pierce technology. This allows the CO2 cylinder 

to remain in the launcher, unpunctured, until needed. Then, when the 

trigger is pulled, the CO2 is punctured and the projectile is fired simultaneously, 

meaning that the Byrna is always at the ready whether it has 

been sitting for a week, a month, a year, or several years. 

DISTANCE EQUALS SAFETY 

With batons and stun guns, you are in hand-to-hand combat before they 

are effective. Even with pepper spray or a Taser, you are range-limited 

to 10 to 15 feet. By then, the situation has escalated out of control. The 

Byrna SD and EP have a 60’ effective range and the Byrna LE has an 80’ 

effective range. 

MULTIPLE SHOTS 

Byrna’s handheld pistols carry up to 7 rounds in a magazine and can fire 

multiple magazines from a single CO2 cylinder. Tasers, by comparison, 

are limited to just one or two shots. The ability to fire multiple shots 

without reloading, allows the user to put multiple rounds on target and/ 

or confront multiple threats simultaneously. 

60 The BLUES

LAW ENFORCEMENT PRODUCTS 

BYRNA MISSION 4 

BYRNA TCR 

BYRNA/FOX ARRAY OF DEFENSE SPRAY 

BYRNA PEPPER 

PROJECTILES 

BYRNA MAX 

PROJECTILES 

BYRNA 12-GAUGE LESS-LETHAL AMMO 

AVAILABLE AT COP STOP / CLICK LOGO FOR WEBSITE 

BYRNA SD PEPPER KIT 

6831 Broadway, STE F • Pearland, TX 77581 

(281) 412-7358 

The BLUES 61

ALAN HELFMAN 

40 years of friendship and 

support to The BLUES. 

WORDS BY: DR. TINA JAECKLE, SENIOR EDITOR 

MICHAEL BARRON, PUBLISHER 

Forty years. That’s how long River Oaks and Alan Helfman have 

supported our magazine. In other words, the entire time the magazine 

has been in business. Sure, there may have been a few issues 

here and there without their ad, but over the years Alan Helfman has 

been our Number One supporter. But Alan and his son Blake, have always 

been more than just customers of The BLUES, they are more like 

family. Our friendship dates to the early 70’s when my uncle worked 

for his dad. We met in our teens and have been friends and Brothers 

in Blue ever since. The generosity of this man is never ending. His 

passion for selling cars is only surpassed by his desire to help those 

in need, especially First Responders. Not a day goes by that he isn’t 

either arranging another fund raiser or donating thousands of dollars 

in sports memorabilia to raise money for someone in need. Alan 

Helman is a star among stars. His personality and generosity have 

earned him the title Mr. Philanthropy. A fitting title if there ever was 

one. And my friends as they say, here is the rest of the story. 

SGT. MICHAEL BARRON, RET, FOUNDER & PUBLISHER 

62 The BLUES 

62 The BLUES

Mr. Philanthropy 

The BLUES 63 

The BLUES 63

RIVER OAKS 

CHRYSLER, JEEP, DODGE, & RAM 

How it all began. 

From grandfather, to father, to son. 

BY DR. TINA JAECKLE 

SENIOR CONTRIBUTING WRITER/EDITOR 

Like so many before me, I met Alan Helfman and 

was immediately drawn to his kindness and unquestionable 

dedication to helping others, especially 

law enforcement and first responders. As a 

long-term member of this community, Alan has 

raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for those 

who dedicate their lives to protecting others and 

for some, made the ultimate sacrifice. When I 

asked him about his own law enforcement service, 

he shared he has always felt a calling to 

give back. That pretty much sums up who Alan 

Helfman is. For the better part of his life, Helfman 

has dedicated himself to serving others, earning 

the nickname “Mr. Philanthropy.” 

On most days you’ll find him making deals at 

his dealership on Kirby Drive, just off the Southwest 

Freeway – River Oaks Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep 

& Ram. But what you may not know is that many 

of those ‘deals’ have nothing to do with cars. The 

big deals going on in that second-floor office of 

this full-time salesman and part time cop, are 

the deals that will raise hundreds of thousands of 

dollars for charities, police and fire departments, 

schools, parks and hospitals and long-term care 

facilities. Truth is, I don’t think there is a person or 

cause that Alan hasn’t raised money for. It’s in his 

blood and DNA to help others and he’s damn good 

at it. So, last year when The BLUES staff gath- 

JACK HELFMAN, FOUNDER 

RIVER OAKS CHRYSLER, JEEP, DODGE & RAM 

64 The BLUES 

64 The BLUES

In 1959 Samuel Helfman opened a car lot on Washington Avenue. 

His son Jack, Alan’s dad, worked side by side with Samuel learning all he could about the car business. 

A legacy that would be handed down through the Helfman family for generations to come. 

ered to decide who might be the recipient of their 

first ever LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, Alan 

Helfman was the first name everyone selected. 

Here’s how it all got started. 

THE HISTORY OF HELFMAN AUTO 

The legacy of Helman’s entry into the auto business 

dates to 1959 when Alan’s grandfather Samuel 

Helfman opened a used car lot in 1959 on Washington 

Avenue just south of I-10 (The car lot was 

there for the longest time under a variety of different 

owners from W&R Auto Sales to Buddy’s Used 

Cars). Alan’s dad, Jack Helfman, worked alongside 

his father Samuel honing his sales skills while 

at the same time helping to build a successful 

used car dealership. That experience gained over 

13 years working with his dad laid the foundation 

to what would become a successful 39-year 

relationship with Chrysler. Fueled by the success 

of Helfman Motors, Jack began looking into the 

possibility of selling new cars. He had his eyes set 

on a small dealership, inside the loop, owned by 

a local businessman named Bob Ring. Soon the 

papers were signed, and in 1972 the Helfman’s took 

control of River Oaks Chrysler Plymouth. Unfortunately, 

Samuel Helfman would pass away shortly 

after the Helfman’s acquired the dealership. 

During Jack Helfman’s years of success as a 

dealer, he had been very involved in the community. 

For the past 30+ years he had been a major 

contributor to the Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care 

Services, a nursing home in the Houston area. 

Contributing not only money, but his time as well. 

Throughout his years of service to Seven Acres, he 

donated wheelchairs, walkers, and other supplies 

as they were needed. He also encouraged his children 

into the service of the elderly, and on many 

occasions, they would spend their time reading to 

the residents. When it came time for the annual 

Seven Acres Jewish Senior Care Services Gala, he 

would donate a car or truck for raffle, and personally 

make the calls necessary to sell the raffle tickets. 

In 2001 Jack Helfman and his wife Elaine were 

presented with the 2001 Sprit of Life Award at that 

year’s annual Seven Acres Gala. But that was only 

one of many charities he had given to. He annually 

contributed to: The United Jewish Federation, 

Muscular Dystrophy, March of Dimes, United Way, 

The BLUES 65 

The BLUES 65

and many others. Seven Acres was simply the one 

believed to have been closest to his heart. 

Jack Helfman had been honored over the years 

for many achievements. In 2004 Jack Helfman 

was the recipient of the 2004 Time Magazine 

Quality Award. This award is given to new car 

dealers for exceptional performance in their 

dealership, and distinguished community service. 

This award was given to 63 dealers out of nearly 

20,000. This is the highest honor achievable 

by a dealer. Jack was honored that his son Alan 

decided at an early age to follow in his footsteps 

into the auto business. Alan earned his business 

degree at UT and quickly adopted the strong 

work ethic his dad lived his entire work life. “Dad 

was very austere but fair,” Alan said. “He taught 

you a hard work ethic – work morning ‘til night, 

six days a week. Work hard and play hard. He 

didn’t have a lot of outside interests. We (the 

car industry) went through tumultuous times in 

2007 but he was grateful that we had something. 

He wasn’t the kind of man to spend money on 

expensive hobbies or pastimes.” Jack Helfman 

also taught his son to give generously to worthy 

causes “as long as they were legitimate.” The 

Helfman family made a large contribution toward 

the construction of Helfman Football Field 

at Emery-Weiner School, where Alan and Renee 

Helfman’s three children attended school – Blake, 

Eric, and Caitlin. Today, Jack Helfman would be 

extremely proud of his son’s generosity and unending 

desire to help others. 

66 The BLUES 

66 The BLUES

The Beginning of: 

Mr. Humanitarian & Mr. Philanthropy. 

Tom Kennedy, a longtime editor of the HPOU’s 

Badge & Gun Newspaper, wrote a great article 

about Alan a few years ago. Here is just some of 

that article on how Alan came to be known as “Mr. 

Humanitarian and Mr. Philanthropy.” 

Alan Helfman is the car dealer with a TCOLE Certification 

who constantly goes the proverbial extra 

mile for HPD Officers and other Law Enforcement 

causes, using his sales ability on the auction circuit 

to raise funds for Officers in need. The company 

chieftain in the well-tailored suit always seems 

to have a phone in his ear. He crisply moves from 

one call to another, juggling conversations about 

his car business or his extra-curricular passion – 

auctioning sports memorabilia to raise funds for 

injured or ailing Houston police officers. When 

soliciting auction items or the bidders for same, 

he repeats once, twice, three times the purpose 

and the beneficiary, consistently underscoring 

all the reasons for a generous donation – say an 

autographed J. J. Watt jersey – or an extraordinarily 

high bid on it. No potential beneficiary is 

The BLUES 67 

The BLUES 67

off-limits to Alan Helfman, whose fundraising 

talents almost always benefit officers in predicaments 

encountered off-duty. Ask him and he will 

tell you that the men and women in blue routinely 

perform dangerous, life-threatening tasks safely 

and soundly, only to meet problems beyond their 

control when they’re not on Houston streets. 

There are an ample number of examples. 

A fire in an officer’s house near Baytown caused 

him to gut the place and left him and three children 

at a total loss of their possessions and keepsakes. 

Insurance covered some but not all of this 

tremendous loss. Auctioneer Helfman spearheaded 

an HPOU-sponsored fundraiser, complete with the 

Union’s Barbecue Team and suddenly Officer Kevin 

Warren had the necessary funding to begin rebuilding 

the charred home. 

Retired Officer Vonda Higgins, left paralyzed 

when she was shot in 1998 while working undercover 

narcotics, underwent several painful surgeries 

and years of rehabilitation. Higgins achieved her 

independence and was able to drive, only to have 

somebody steal her special wheelchair-accessible 

van. It was recovered with substantial damage and 

deemed unfit for her to operate. Helfman led the 

charge to raise funds for a new vehicle. Many of 

the items he auctioned at the Breckenridge Porter 

Building were pieces of sports memorabilia that 

helped bring in more than $90,000. He donated 

them! 

One June a few years back, HPOU and the Assist 

the Officer Foundation pitched in to raise about 

$27,000 to help retired Senior Police Officer Karen 

Sampson and her family in Sampson’s determined 

fight against breast cancer. Again, Helfman was 

the auctioneer. 

And then, in January 2013, Helfman, HPOU and 

ATO set a fundraising record. When totaled, 

$104,390 was raised for the wife of Officer Hans 

Wagner and the couple’s two children, ages 7 and 

13. Wagner suffered severe head injuries when the 

family vehicle was broadsided in the summer of 

2012. Fortunately, his wife, son and daughter were 

not seriously hurt. While recovering, Wagner died 

a few weeks after the accident. The fundraising 

effort drew unprecedented media attention. Coincidentally, 

the record-setting Wagner fundraiser 

was Helfman’s 50th benefiting law enforcement 

officers or first-responder personnel. 

Quite simply, this unconditional money-raising 

spirit throbs throughout the bloodstream inside 

Alan Helfman. He admits that he’s a salesman who 

uses his talent making pitches to help officers in 

need. Selling cars also is in his blood. Helfman 

owns River Oaks Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram 

on Kirby Drive just off the Southwest Freeway, a 

location that opened in 1971. His family has been 

in the car business since his grandfather opened a 

car lot on Washington Avenue in 1959. 

68 The BLUES 

68 The BLUES

His showroom office is easy to find, off in the 

corner on the north side, his desk positioned under 

a large photograph of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams 

(Williams signed it). That and his University of 

Texas Bachelor of Business Administration diploma 

(1979) decorate the walls alongside framed declarations 

of appreciation from, among others, former 

HPOU President Ray Hunt. “He goes above and beyond 

on every single fundraiser we do,” Hunt said. 

“There has never been a time that I’ve called Alan 

Helfman that he hasn’t delivered. He forms the 

perfect picture of a person who delivers invaluable 

service to each and every police officer.” 

For the record, Helfman now has led hundreds 

of fundraisers over the last 40 years. Recent years 

have seen him step up the number. He now averages 

at least one per month but, when pressed by 

the Badge & Gun, admits that many months see 

him do one every week. 

One might wonder: Why does he do this? 

The BLUES 69 

The BLUES 69

Helfman laughed and said he first knew he had 

an inclination toward becoming an officer while in 

elementary school when he was selected to be a 

student crossing guard. “I loved sticking that badge 

on,” he remembered. “You put the stick down – it 

had an orange flag at the end. You put it down and 

the younger kids could cross the street. I kept trying 

to make good grades to keep the badge.” This 

badge-and-orange-flag experience happened at 

Bendwood Elementary School in the Spring Branch 

Independent School District. Later, while a senior 

at Memorial High School, Helfman was visiting a 

neighbor whose dad had just passed away. It was 

late at night when Helfman and another friend 

said goodbye. They left, thieves accosted the grieving 

family members, taking money from them. 

Houston police arrived minutes later. Although the 

officers didn’t immediately encounter the robbers 

and throw them in jail, Helfman experienced the 

impression that has proven to be lasting. “Officers 

could come help you in the middle of the night 

when someone was breaking into your house,” he 

said. “They do this all the time even if it might be 

dangerous.” 

Early on, Helfman wanted to become active in 

charity work with an emphasis on the law enforcement 

community. “I had to ask a billionaire 

to help me early in life on fundraisers for different 

charities,” he recalled. “I told him I’d put a statue 

of him on every corner. He turned me down.” So, 

he figured out a way to get the job done by himself. 

The answer: autographed balls and bats that 

bring a lot of money at benefit auctions. He found 

that he could easily acquire these sports memorabilia 

items with the right sources and auction 

them to Houston’s proliferation of sports fans who 

regularly demanded autograph material from the 

Astros, Texans and Rockets. It can easily be said 

that Helfman acquires more pieces of sports memorabilia 

than he has new and used cars at River 

Oaks on any given day. Back in the day, Helfman 

acquired most of his memorabilia from Kent Sessions, 

a wholesale dealer in Houston. “I’d sell him 

memorabilia. He auctioned it off and donated the 

proceeds to officers, depending on their particular 

problem,” Sessions said. “He tries to be hands-on 

with every single one of the people who need help 

and are associated with the police department. 

“He has a strong work ethic. One of the things he 

takes away from work is the help he gives police 

officers. To him it’s like his duty. He’s part of the 

city and he knows the importance of police in a 

city like this. 

“People are struck down that don’t have the help 

that some other people have. He wants to help 

– it’s a part of the philanthropic attitude that he 

has.” “He wants to feel the needs of that individual 

person. That’s unique to a philanthropist.” 

Helfman’s aforementioned showroom office 

70 The BLUES 

70 The BLUES

seldom sees a day that he’s not making a car 

deal with an officer, lieutenant, sergeant or chief 

from police agencies across the state. Retired 

HPD Officer Johnny Sessums was driving a Jeep 

he bought from Helfman as he was en-route to a 

West Texas deer camp. Sessums detailed his work 

with Helfman, saying that he and Dr. Al Barringer 

took the steps to set up a police academy at the 

Houston Community College System in 1988, firmly 

establishing the school’s criminal justice program. 

A few years passed with Barringer (father of 

HPD Officer Jay Barringer) and Sessums wanted to 

take the program “to the next level.” They needed 

someone who knew both the politics involved and 

the ability to create the proper business plan and 

a funding mechanism. “Alan devised a business 

plan and got support from the community and the 

(HCCS) board,” Sessums recounted. “He rolled the 

fire training part of it into the plan and designed 

the complex that involved SWAT training situations 

and paint ball tactics.” 

In addition, Helfman helped set up the financ- 

The BLUES 71 

The BLUES 71

ing and got the right people in the right places to 

help Barringer and Sessums. The business plan he 

developed enabled HCCS to “make enough money 

to pay for it,” Sessums said. The complex is part of 

HCC’s Northeast College and entails a gun range, 

classrooms, a driving track, and a six-story tower 

for firefighter training – all of it with environmentally 

sound furnishings such as the use of propane 

instead of hay bales for the fire drills and the 

recycling of rainwater for other fire training. The 

gun range is environmentally sound with its special 

lead abatement aspect. “We recycle the brass 

on the gun range,” Sessums said. “It’s a pretty cool 

setup.” Sessums is now director of the whole outfit, 

which is known as the Public Safety Institute of 

HCC-Northeast. 

“Alan has always been a law enforcement supporter 

from the get-go,” the director said. “I don’t 

know why but from our standpoint I’m glad he 

is.” “He provides total support. We met with him 

several times when we were talking about how 

fast he was putting his business plans together. 

He’s got a great business plan with the right buzz 

words and phrases to catch attention. “He really 

helped us with the focus and direction to literally 

take our dream to the next level.” 

Helfman said that the original plan was sketched 

out on a napkin at Houston’s restaurant where he, 

Sessums and Barringer had one especially productive 

meeting. The business vision has brought 

to reality not just the police and fire academies in 

Sessums’ bailiwick but also the Emergency Medical 

Academy. 

“Alan’s all about first responders. He has a passion 

for that. Any time we would bring it up it was 

an all-inclusive discussion. He’s all about training. 

He’s TCOLE-certified and we’ve helped him keep up 

his certificate. 

“His political influence was probably one of the 

key reasons that we ended up having Public Safety. 

He played a very important part of that – not just 

for us but law enforcement in general.” 

Helfman has been TCOLE-certified since the mid- 

1980s when he went through the law enforcement 

school at the University of Houston – Downtown, 

while sponsored by Harris County Constable Precinct 

4. 

“I’ve stayed a commissioned officer ever since,” 

he said with pride. “I hold a TCOLE commission 

presently at Harris County Precinct 7 as a reserve 

captain.” “I have a uniform for Precinct 7. But I’ve 

been commissioned by Precinct 5, Precinct 3 twice 

and Precinct 7 twice. I’ve been around a little bit.” 

His fundraising mindset permeates every day of 

business at River Oaks. He has a massive scrap 

book of the newspaper accounts of the fundraising 

activities, which over the years has included more 

than 50 for Texas Southern University. At one point, 

Helfman learned that the school’s golf team had 

no way of getting to out-of-town tournaments, 

so he donated a $30,000 Chrysler Town & Country. 

When pressed a little, he can recall a steady 

list of contributions to churches, the University of 

Houston and both public and private organizations 

in need of funds. “We do a myriad of fundraisers 

72 The BLUES

almost every day,” Helfman said. “Every day somebody 

asks me for auction items.” 

This brings us to the unlisted office upstairs. A 

few years ago, one could navigate directly to a 

large, executive desk where endless deals have 

been reached for Jeeps, Dodge Hellcats and the 

other vehicles in the Helfman realm. Today, you 

can hardly find a place to sit down or get around, 

for there are stacks of boxes containing baseball 

bats, football jerseys (all signed with certificates 

of authenticity), footballs, baseballs, basketballs 

and maybe even an autographed soccer 

ball. Framed 16x20 autographed pictures also are 

propped up everywhere. Helfman tailors the list of 

auction items to his audience. Right now – football 

season – he would probably pick through the 

The BLUES 73

autographed football items, box them up and load 

them in a vehicle bound for the auction venue. 

“He’s a promoter extraordinaire,” former 100 Club 

executive director Rick Hartley said. “He’s done a 

lot of wonderful things to help law enforcement 

off and on during the years. He’s a life member of 

the 100 Club.” 

Other evidence of Helfman’s activism can be 

found on both walls of the hallway leading to the 

upstairs office. He has plaques from mayors of 

Houston recognizing his support, alongside those 

from civic and political organizations thanking him 

for his dedication to their causes. He always walks 

the walk with his talk of support for officers. He 

has written op/ed pieces for the Houston Chronicle 

advocating progressive changes in policing philosophies. 

He has funded two horses for the HPD 

Mounted Patrol and shares a special personal experience 

about his sponsorship for a canine member 

of the Department’s K-9 unit. “I pulled up to 

a Mounted Patrol one day,” he remembered, “and 

there was one of the K-9 officers standing there. 

The officer said he didn’t have a dog. How can that 

be? I asked. “I got together with Lt. (Steve) Marino 

and got that guy a dog.” 

He thrives on providing support for his pet causes 

and promptly calls “time out” from a car deal 

on the table to traipse upstairs to the supply office. 

He plucked out a Pete Rose bat and some baseballs 

for a Catholic church and up to a dozen other 

auction items for fundraisers planned by smaller 

police departments from south side suburbs to 

benefit officers. He can’t remember the details of 

the very first fundraising auction he championed 

but thinks it might have been at Cody’s in the 

Village, raising more than $20,000 for a Houston 

officer. “We did a fundraiser in a vacant lot across 

from a U. S. Post Office,” he said. “A guy had barbecue 

pits on a makeshift stage. “One time we had 

one at a bar. I got all the people at the bar to buy 

Bagwell and Biggio balls. We raised $10,000.” 

As you might well imagine, Helfman has written 

car deals for hundreds of officers. One was a 

sheriff’s deputy severely injured in a recent off-duty 

accident, leaving him unable to drive. Insurance 

coverage was not as complete as it needed to be. 

So Helfman helped him pay off the roughly $2,500 

he owed on his vehicle. 

LIFETIME A 

T 

74 The BLUES

CHIEVEMENT AWARDS 

HE BLUES & THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, 2021 

The BLUES 75

76 The BLUES

The BLUES 77

40 YEARS AGO 

Working for Sheriff Jack Heard in 1984 

With the announcement of 

the 40th anniversary of “The 

Blues”, Police Magazine, I 

thought it would be fun to take 

a look back at what it was like 

around the Harris County Sheriff’s 

office (Houston, Texas) in 

1984, the year The Blues was 

founded. Okay, lets back up a 

few years and lay the groundwork 

prior to 1984. 

The Sheriff at the time was 

Jack Heard, former Chief of the 

Houston Police Department, and 

Assistant Director of the Texas 

Department of Corrections 

(TDC) The Texas Prison System. 

Jack Heard had returned to Houston 

to establish residency in 

78 The BLUES 

Sheriff Buster Kern 

By Detective Art Woolery, RET 

Sheriff Jack Heard 

preparation to run for sheriff in 

the 1972 election. He would challenge 

Sheriff C.V. “Buster Kern”, 

a former Chief of Detective at 

H.P.D. Kern had been the Harris 

County Sheriff for 24 years. Timing 

was right for Heard, it was 

time for change, and change we 

got. Jack Heard defeated Buster 

Kern and became Sheriff on January 

1, 1973. 

It was an exciting time for all 

of us. The old brown and tan 

uniform would soon be gone. 

No more chocolate color patrol 

cars, replaced in time by new 

blue and gold uniforms and gold 

& white Plymouth Gran Fury’s. 

Young patrolmen and eventually 

patrol women were all fired 

up. Applications came in from 

all over the country. Some of 

those applicants went on to 

become leaders of the department, 

who would be part of 

modernizing what became a 

totally self-standing organization. 

No longer having to call 

on other agencies for support, 

because their budget allowed 

them to have specialized divisions 

and equipment. However, 

even though the department 

had grown, we still had a long 

road ahead. 

Over the next 10 years, or so, 

during Sheriff Heard’s three 

terms, the department had cre-

Detective Art Woolery, 1984 Deputy Michael Barron, 1984 

(Yes our founder, when he had a full head of hair) 

ated four patrol districts. Each 

with one Captain, a Lieutenant 

and a Sergeant per shift, and 

additional patrol deputies. 

The new County Jail, a 13-story 

facility located at 1301 Franklin, 

opened on September 13, 1982. 

With the opening of this new 

home base, came the opportunity 

to restructure how the department 

would operate in the future. 

The Special Investigations 

Unit (S.I.U.) was created and 16 

Detectives were reassigned from 

general assignments to work 

persons crimes, (Homicides, 

Robbery, and Sex Crimes) out of 

1301 Franklin. 

The new headquarters building 

was 850,000 square feet 

and housed 4000 inmates, along 

with S.I.U., Dispatch, I.D., and the 

Courts Division. 

The Special Operations Unit 

was formed and also worked out 

of this downtown location. 

Fast forward to 1984, election 

year and Jack Heard was running 

for a 4th term, or so we 

thought. Let me explain, there 

is no point in asking those born 

in the late 60’s and early 70’s 

or later what happened in 1985 

at H.C.S.O. They don’t know 

and really don’t care. Those of 

us who were there, are now 

in our 70’s and 80’s. Our brains 

have lost the key to the memory 

room. Most of us can’t remember 

or can’t accurately recall 

what all happened. So here 

is what I know as fact. During 

Jack Heard’s 3rd term, he decided 

to run for Mayor of Houston. 

He lost significantly to Mayor 

Kathy Whitmire. After that loss, 

he decided he would try to 

remain as Harris County Sheriff. 

Former Major J.J. Klevenhagen, 

Jr. decided he would also run 

for Sheriff. He did run and he 

did win, ending Sheriff Jack 

Heard’s law enforcement career. 

Next month, I will pick up 

the changing of the guards to 

newly elected Sheriff J.J. Klevenhagen, 

Jr. on January 1, 1985. 

Stay tuned, and stay safe, my 

friends. 

Art Woolery, H.C.S.O. Detective, 

J.V.P.D. retired. 

The BLUES 79

IS A NEW HOME IN 

YOUR FUTURE? 

Follow along as we take you through the entire process of 

purchasing a new home from DR Horton. 

By Michael Barron 

80 The BLUES 

POLICE MAGAZINE 

ments, and incentives for First 

Responders. 

Once you’ve decided on the 

school district and a community 

that has affordable taxes and 

reasonable HOA fees, as well 

as all the amenities you’d like 

in a planned community, the 

next step is choosing a home 

builder. The logical first step is 

finding a home that you like, a 

floor plan that fits your needs as 

well as your likes. Do you prefer 

a one-story or two-story. Are 

you looking for a split-floor plan 

that accommodates having an 

elderly parent living with you, 

or a conventional plan with the 

Master Bedroom downstairs, 

and the additional rooms are 

upstairs. Do you need 3, 4 or 5 

bedrooms and how many full 

baths. 

Every builder has a website 

with photos of their homes as 

well as each unique floor plan. 

Plan a visit to the sales office 

and tour their model homes. 

Many times, a builder will have 

homes either completed or very 

close in the floor plan you like, 

that you can tour. That way you 

get a sense of how big or small 

the home actually is, the size of 

Are you House hunting? If 

you’re in the market for a new 

home, this 5-part series may 

interest you. As it turns out, I’m 

doing just that. Selling my home 

of 15-years, making a decent 

sized profit, and reinvesting in a 

brand-new home. Beginning next 

month, I’ll take you through the 

entire process of buying a new 

home from America’s Largest 

Home Builder - DR Horton. 

But this month, let’s discuss the 

options available when choosing 

a new community and then 

a home builder. If you’re just 

starting a family, you probably 

already have a home community 

picked out that is zoned for the 

schools you’d like your kids to 

attend. Schools and school districts 

are the number one priority 

among young home buyers today. 

Coming in second, should be the 

tax rate for your new home. In 

some cases, the taxes, insurance, 

and HOA fees may be higher than 

your house payment. Combined, 

you may find you can afford the 

house, but not the taxes. In an 

upcoming issue, we’ll discuss 

taxes, interest rates, down paythe 

bedrooms and bathrooms, 

as well as the size of the lot 

the house is situated on. Once 

you’ve toured all the models, 

and looked at the builder’s floor 

plans, now you must decide 

which builder to go with. There 

are dozens, if not hundreds, of 

home builders across the country 

that offer homes in just about 

every price range. In doing your 

due diligence, you’ll probably 

want to check out the reviews 

of each builder. See what other 

owners have to say about the 

construction and any problems 

they have encountered after they 

closed on the home. 

What you’ll most likely find 

is that nearly every builder has 

negative reviews. Horror stories 

about homes that have water 

leaks, roof leaks, poor construction, 

etc. In fact, I’ll go as far to 

say, EVERY BUILDER has negative 

reviews. Whether it’s car 

purchases or home purchases, 

most people only post negative 

reviews, not positive ones. So, it’s 

nearly impossible to determine 

what the ratio of good to bad 

homes are with any one builder. 

In my case, I had three builders 

to choose from: DR Horton,

The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES 81 

81

K. Hovnanian and Castlerock. 

After touring all three, comparing 

the floor plans and reading 

what seemed like thousands of 

reviews (most of which were 

negative on all three) I chose DR 

Horton. First off, I’ve owned a 

Horton home, and I don’t recall 

having any major issues. Structurally 

it was a solid home, and 

the appliances and HVAC were 

average and lasted longer than 

expected. Overall, we enjoyed 

living in the home for over 7 

years before moving to a larger 

home. 

Second, Horton had a floor 

plan I liked, with a 3-car garage, 

larger bedrooms than the 

other builders and a game room 

and media room upstairs. Overall, 

the home is smaller than 

my current home, but seemed 

roomier in the living area, with 

an open kitchen, larger utility 

room and did I mention a 3-car 

garage. And the greatest feature 

82 The BLUES 

of all, was choosing an oversized 

cul-de-sac lot that was situated 

at the end of the street with a 

green space on one side and an 

oversized driveway. All in all, it 

seemed like the perfect house, 

on a great lot, on a small culde-sac, 

in a great community. At 

a price that fit my budget and a 

low tax rate. 

As far as the negative reviews, 

I truly believe the difference 

between having a home built the 

way DR Horton himself would 

want it done vs a shoddy build, 

is up to the trades they use and 

the Building Superintendent 

who oversees them. If the super 

is doing his job and overseeing 

the build and catching any mistakes 

along the way, you’ll have 

a home with very few problems. 

Having a Super who isn’t doing 

his job, well anything is possible. 

In my case, in this development, 

Horton has some top-notch people 

building good homes. 

Finally, DR Horton, both the 

man and his company, fully 

support First Responders. Horton 

even offers a $1000 discount off 

the home as well as other incentives 

depending on the area 

you live in. (We’ll discuss incentives, 

upgrades, and mortgages 

in future segments of during 

5-month process.) Since you 

have a choice in builders, why 

not choose one that supports 

First Responders especially police 

officers. DR Horton acknowledges 

the sacrifices we make 

daily and wants to build a home 

your family feels safe in. In the 

end, it was a no brainer. 

I’d like to thank the fine folks 

at DR Horton for their hospitality 

and cooperation in this project 

and my future home. We look 

forward to working with their 

team as we bring this home 

buying and build process to you 

each month. 

See you in next month.

Follow along as we watch this vacant lot... 

... become this finished DR Horton home. 

The BLUES 83

NOW HIRING 

PRIORITY BOLO 


IS YOUR ISD PD 

HIRING? 

YOUR DEPARTMENT’S RECRUITING AD 

CAN BE LISTED HERE FOR ONLY $250 

bluespdmag@gmail.com 

84 The BLUES

ALDINE ISD 

POLICE DEPARTMENT 

JOIN OUR TEAM 

EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS 

• Sick Leave 

• Paid Vacation 

• Paid Holidays 

• Personal Days 

• Teacher Retirement System 

TCOLE CERTIFICATION INCENTIVE 

• Intermediate PO: $2,400 

• Advanced PO: $4,800 

• Master PO: $7,200 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS 

• Must be 21 Years Of Age 

• Must Hold an Active Tcole Peace Officer License 

• Must Complete the Following: 

• Pass Physical Agility Test 

• Background Investigation 

• Psychological Evaluation 

• Drug Screening 

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT 

SGT. HALL AT 281.442.4923 

OR VISIT ALDINEISD.ORG 

APPLY AT 

ALDINEISD.ORG 

STARTING SALARY $55,000 WITH NO EXPERIENCE 

UP TO $85,000 DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE 

ALDINE ISD PD OFFERS 

DEPARTMENT BENEFITS 

• Uniforms Provided, Including Duty Weapon 

• Department Provided Training 

• Starting Pay Depends on 

Qualifications / Experience 

• TCOLE Certification / Education Pay 

• Most Officers work Day Shift with Weekends Off 

(INCENTIVE PAY FOR DETECTIVES, K-9 HANDLERS, AND 

FIREARM INSTRUCTORS.) 

SPECIALIZED DIVISIONS 

• Criminal Investigations 

• Emergency Response Team 

• Honor Guard 

• Gang Task Force 

• Community Outreach Division 

• K-9 Division 

• Firearm Instructor 

$1,000 SIGNING BONUS 

 

Montgomery County’s 3 rd Largest Law Enforcement Agency 

• $50,363 minimum starting salary 

• Certification pay: 

Int - $1,600, Adv - $2,400, Mstr - $3,700 

FULL-TIME POLICE OFFICER 

• Competitive insurance & benefits 

• Teacher Retirement System (TRS) 

• 20 paid leave days & 12 paid holidays 

Opportunity 

multiple divisions including 

Investigations, Patrol, and 

K-9 services 

Growth 

100+ annual training hours, 

promotion opportunities, 

Field Training Officer 

Balance 

overtime pay, comp time, 

most weekends off, prior LE 

experience pay 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT 

HTTPS://POLICE.CONROEISD.NET/DEPARTMENT/ADMINISTRATION/EMPLOYMENT/ 

police.conroeisd.net 

CISDPolice 

@CISDPolice 

The The BLUES 85 85

NOW HIRING 

PRIORITY BOLO 


FIND YOUR ISD 

POSITION HERE 

86 The BLUES

Now Hiring 

School District Police Officer 

Must be TCOLE Certified 

www.pfisd.net/police 

226 day work schedule with starting 

salary between $52,884 and $60,821 

depending on experience 

Overtime Opportunities Available 

Stipends for TCOLE Advanced & Master 

Licenses, MHO Certification, College 

Degrees, and Bilingual Proficiency 

Thanksgiving, Winter, & 

Spring Breaks off 

Take Home Vehicle Program 

Great Insurance & Benefits 

Package with TRS 

Retirement 

SPRING BRANCH ISD POLICE DEPARTMENT 

WE’RE 

HIRING 

Patrol & Onsite Officers (HS/MS) 

Gang Officer 

Mental Health Officers 

Community Relations Officer 

Emergency Management 

Criminal Investigations 

K-9 programs 

*All equipment provided including duty weapon 

**Training opportunities available 

DEPARTMENT 

HIGHLIGHTS 

55 officer department 

44 square mile district 

47 schools 

35,000 population 

24/7 Patrol 

We want you to preserve, protect, and defend our future. 

Starting Pay $63,000 (TCOLE Basic Peace Officer certification with no experience) 

Language pay 

Shift differential pay 

Intermediate, Advanced and 

Master Peace Officer 

certificate pay 

Paid time off 

Ample overtime opportunities 

Apply online today. springbranchisd.com/join-our-team 

The BLUES 87

1-3 Sexual Deviant Offenders *BY PATC Texas City, TX 

5-10 National Honor Guard Academy Texas City, TX 

6 High Risk/Profile Trial Operations 7 Planning By Court Security Concepts Denton, TX 

88 The BLUES 

NOVEMBER 

6 Bulletproof Report Writing by Blue to Gold Denton, TX 

6-8 Background Investigator Training by ProFirst Training Pharr, TX 

6-9 Tactical Training for Narcotics & Vice Units Cedar Park , TX 

6-10 Hostage Negotiations Phase 1 By LLRMI Pharr, TX 

7 Bulletproof Courtroom Testimony by Blue to Gold Denton, TX 

7-9 Reid PEACE Method of Investigative Interviewing Dyess , TX 

13-17 GST Defensive Tactics Instructor Course Seguin, TX 

13-17 Methods of Instruction - Training Practical Professional Policing Skills McKinney, TX 

14 Mastering Search & Seizure (In-Person & Live-Online) by Blue to Gold San Antonio, TX 

14-15 Protests, Demonstrations and Civil Unrest Operations By LLRMI Georgetown, TX 

15-16 Bulletproof Report Writing Blue to Gold (In-person & Live Stream) San Antonio, TX 

16 Duty to Intervenes (In-Person & Live-Online) by Blue to Gold San Antonio, TX 

16 Real World De-Escalation (In-Person & Live-Online) by Blue to Gold San Antonio, TX 

28-30 Pat McCarthy’s Street Crimes - Real World Training for the Real Police Jourdanton, TX 

DECEMBER 

1 High Performance Leadership - By Leading Blue Cincinnati, OH 

4-6 Advanced Homicide Investigation by IPTM Jacksonville, FL 

4-6 Effective Strategies for Staff Inspections by IPTM Altamonte Sp., FL 

4-6 Officer Involved Shooting-3 Day *BY PATC Columbus, OH 

4-6 Pat McCarthy’s Street Crimes - Real World Training for the Real Police Billings, MT 

4-6 Pat McCarthy’s Street Crimes - Real World Training for the Real Police Lafayette, LA 

4-6 Pat McCarthy’s Street Crimes - Real World Training for the Real Police Marysville, WA 

4-6 Penn State - Grant Writing - Virtual University Park, PA 

4-6 Recovery of Human Remains by Suncoast Forensics St. Cloud, FL 

4-6 Tactical Breaching Instructor Course Warrensburg, MO 

4-7 PRW Police Sniper BASIC Nunn, CO 

4-8 Advanced Undercover Techniques and Survival Westminster, CO 

4-8 Covert Entry Specialist I & II Course (5-Days) San Marcos, TX 

4-8 Criminal Investigations Using Cellular Technologies SME 40 hour Palm Beach, FL 

4-8 Death and Homicide Investigation *BY PATC Corpus Christi, TX 

4-8 Detective and New Criminal Investigator *BY PATC Baytown, TX 

4-8 Force Science Certification Course Sacramento, CA 

4-8 Hostage Negotiations, Phase III *BY PATC Pearland, TX 

4-8 Methods of Instruction - Training Practical Professional Policing Skills Sanford, FL 

28-1 Reid Investigative Interviewing & Advanced Interrogation San Antonio, TX 

JANUARY 

9-11 Interview and Interrogation for Investigators *BY PATC Texas City, TX 

16-18 Supervising and Managing the Drug Unit *BY PATC Angleton, TX 

16-19 Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing Pharr, TX 

17-19 First Responder to Death, Injury and Sexual Violence Scene Texas City, TX 

22-24 3 Day UAS “Drone” Search and Rescue & Thermal Imaging Trophy Club, TX 

22-26 5 Day Use of Force and Officer Involved Shooting by LLRMI New Braunfels 

22-26 Covert Entry Specialist I & II Course Dallas, TX 

22-26 Covert Entry Specialist I & II Course Dallas , TX 

22-26 Death and Homicide Investigation *BY PATC Texas City, TX 

23-26 Reid Technique of Investigative Interviewing Angleton, TX 

FEBRUARY 

1 Women in Command by Calibre Press Webinar 

1-2 Negotiating Team Leadership *BY PATC Lansing, MI 

1-2 SLR15 Law Enforcement Shotgun Armorer Course Defiance, MO 

1-2 Tactical Debrief: Intelligence gathering for law enforcement Texas City, TX 

2 Geofence Investigations St. Charles, MO 

5-6 Homicide Investigations Seminar Las Vegas , NV 

5-6 SLR15 AR15 / M16 / M4 / AR308 Armorer Course Lake Zurich, IL 

5-6 Tactical Street Enforcement & Violence Wheeling, WV 

5-7 Detecting Deception- 2.5 Days *BY PATC Lawrenceville, GA 

5-7 Field Training Officer by IPTM Jacksonville, FL 

5-7 FTO Certification and Program Managers course Little Rock, AR 

5-7 Real World Training for the Real Police Mt. Washington, KY 

5-7 Real World Training for the Real Police South Bend, IN 

5-8 Force Science Certification Course Dallas, TX 

5-8 Mobile Phone Investigations & Cellular Record Analysis Bowling Green, OH 

5-9 40 Hour Cellular Technologies Course Gilbert, AZ 

5-9 Death and Homicide Investigation *BY PATC Thornton, CO 

5-9 Event Data Recorder Use in Traffic Crash Reconstruction Noblesville, IN 

5-9 Hostage Negotiations and Crisis Intervention, Parmus, NJ 

5-9 Hostage Negotiations and Crisis Intervention, Lansing, MI 

5-9 Internal Affairs Conference and Certification *BY PATC Phoenix, AZ 

5-9 Mastering the Leadership Challenges of Law Enforcement New Braunfels, TX 

5-9 New Detective and Criminal Investigator *BY PATC Shawnee, OK 

5-9 Officer-Involved Shooting and Use-of-Force *BY PATC Greer, SC 

6-7 PREA *BY PATC Massillon, OH 

6-8 Criminal/Drug Interdiction Techniques and Concealment Angleton, TX 

6-8 Supervising and Managing the FTO Unit - by LLRMI Noblesville, IN 

6-8 WZ Criminal Level I Investigative Interviewing Techniques Lake Forest Pk, WA 

7-8 Child Death and Homicide Investigation *BY PATC Bentonville, AR 

7-9 Social Media, Open Source & Geofence Investigations Ruston, LA 

12 Marijuana Impaired Driving Detection for Law Enforcement Largo, FL 

12 SLR15 1911 Pistol Armorer Course Ottumwa, IA 

12-13 Covert Surveillance *BY PATC Ontario, OH 

12-13 Force Encounters: Investigation, Somerton, AZ 

12-13 Supervising the Toxic Officer *BY PATC Middleton, ID 

12-14 3 Day UAS “Drone” Search and Rescue & Thermal Imaging Trophy Club, TX 

12-14 Burglary/Robbery Investigations by IPTM Altamonte Sp., FL 

12-14 Effective Supervision & Leadership (meets TCOLE 3737) Georgetown , TX 

12-14 Hands-On Vehicle Fire/Arson Investigation - by LLRMI Pharr, TX 

12-14 Major Case Management by IPTM Myrtle Beach, SC 

12-16 40 Hour Criminal Investigations Using Cellular Technologies Largo, FL 

12-16 Advanced Field Training Officer Course Savannah, GA 

12-16 Bones Bones & more Bones I&DI by Citgroup Miami, FL 

12-16 Commercial Vehicle Crash Investigation - Level I by IPTM Jacksonville, FL 

12-16 Criminal Investigations Using Cellular Technologies 40 Hour Peachtree City, GA 

12-16 Event Data Recorder Use in Traffic Crash Reconstruction - Humble, TX 

12-16 Hostage Negotiations, Phase III *BY PATC Hoover, AL 

12-16 Injury & Death Investigations (MIAMI) Miami, FL 

12-16 Internal Affairs Conference and Certification *BY PATC Franklin, IN 

12-16 Training Practical Professional Policing Skills Chandler, AZ 

12-23 At-Scene Traffic Crash/Traffic Homicide Investigation Albany, OR 

12-23 SSGT Vanguard Defensive Tactics Instructor Certification Hoover , AL 

13 Advanced Marijuana Impaired Driving Detection Largo, FL 

13 Mastering Search & Seizure by Blue to Gold Marion, OHnar 

13-14 Managing the Property and Evidence Room *BY PATC Hutchinson, KS 

13-14 SLR15 AR15 / M16 / M4 / AR308 Armorer Course Ottumwa, IA 

13-15 Fugitive Mission Planning & Cellular Investigative Techniques Sacramento, CA 

13-15 Inside the Tape Investigation & Crime Scene Management League City, TX 

13-15 Investigating Basic Sex Crimes *BY PATC Des Moines, IA 

88 The BLUES

The BLUES 89 

The BLUES 89

HONORING OUR 

DEPUTY SHERIFF SHANNON ERIC “SHANE” LANG, SR. 

90 

90 The 

The BLUES 

BLUES 


MARION COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, TENNESSEE 

END OF WATCH SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2023 

AGE: 48 TOUR: 23 YEARS BADGE: 119 

Deputy Sheriff Shane Lang suffered a fatal heart attack after removing heavy tree branches 

from Highway 156 in New Hope, Tennessee. After clearing the highway, he began to feel ill. 

The following morning, while on his way to a call, he felt worse and went to Parkridge West 

Hospital in Jasper, where he suffered a cardiac arrest and could not be revived. 

Deputy Lang had served with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department for nine years and 

previously served with the Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida State Department 

of Corrections. He is survived by his wife, two sons, three daughters, two brothers, two 

sisters, and eight grandchildren.

FALLEN HEROES 

CAPTAIN JOHN ROBERT RANDOLPH, III 

RINGLING POLICE DEPARTMENT, OKLAHOMA 

END OF WATCH MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 

AGE: 59 TOUR: 29 YEARS BADGE: 1504 

Captain John Randolph succumbed to injuries he received when he fell while working as a school resource 

officer at the Ringling High School football game. He was escorting a teacher carrying the gate money at the 

school’s varsity football game at about 8:00 pm. He tripped on wood debris and fell forward onto a wood pile. 

He was transported to a nearby hospital and ultimately airlifted to Medical City Hospital in Denton, Texas, where 

he died from internal injuries three days later. Captain Randolph was a United States Army Operation Desert 

Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom veteran. He had served with the Ringling Police Department for two 

years and previously served with the Healton Police Department for two years, Carter County Sheriff’s Office 

for two years, Lone Grove Police Department for one year, and the Ardmore Police Department for 22 years. 

He is survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents, and brother. 

The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 91 

The BLUES 91

HONORING OUR 

PAROLE OFFICER CHRISTINE GUERIN-SANDOVAL 

Community Parole Officer Christine Guerin-Sandoval was struck and killed by a vehicle near the intersection 

of W Bijou Street and N Spruce Street while she and two other parole officers attempted to arrest a parolee. 

They located the man inside a vehicle parked at a convenience store at the intersection at about 3:45 pm. As 

the officers approached the vehicle, the man intentionally reversed into them before fleeing the scene. Officer 

Guerin-Sandoval and one of the other officers were both struck. They were transported to UCHealth Memorial 

Hospital Central where Officer Guerin-Sandoval succumbed to her injuries. 

Officer Guerin-Sandoval had served with the Colorado Department of Corrections for five years and had previously 

served with the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office for 12 years. 

92 The BLUES 


COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, COLORADO 

END OF WATCH THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 

AGE: N/A TOUR: 16 YEARS BADGE: N/A

FALLEN HEROES 

CORRECTIONAL OFFICER I ROBERT DANFORTH CLARK 

GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, GEORGIA 

END OF WATCH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2023 

AGE: 42 TOUR: 6 MONTHS BADGE: 1797 

Correctional Officer I Robert Clark died after being assaulted by an inmate with a homemade weapon at the 

Smith State Prison. He was escorting two prisoners from the dining hall when one of them attacked him from 

behind with the weapon. The second prisoner attempted to stop the attack but was also assaulted and injured 

before the attacker was subdued. Officer Clark and the wounded inmate were both transported to a local hospital 

where Officer Clark succumbed to his wounds. The inmate who attacked him, who was already serving a 

life sentence for murder, was charged with Officer Clark’s murder. 

Officer Clark had served with the Georgia Department of Corrections for only six months. He is survived by his 

mother, two brothers, four sisters, six nephews, and nine nieces. 

The BLUES POLICE The MAGAZINE BLUES 93

HONORING OUR 

DEPUTY SHERIFF TUCKER BLAKELY 

KNOX COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, TENNESSEE 

END OF WATCH MONDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2023 

AGE: 29 TOUR: 2 YEARS BADGE: N/A 

Deputy Sheriff Tucker Blakely succumbed to gunshot wounds he received while responding to a domestic 

violence call at the 3200 block of Denver Lane in Knoxville. At 11:30 p.m., deputies encountered an armed 

subject after receiving a domestic violence call. The situation escalated, and a gun battle ensued. Deputy 

Blakely was struck twice. The subject was shot and killed by returning gunfire. Deputy Blakely was transported 

to UT Medical Center and remained on life support so his organs could be donated. 

Deputy Blakely was a United States Army veteran and had served with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office for two 

years. He is survived by his wife, son, and brother. 

94 The BLUES 

POLICE MAGAZINE

FALLEN HEROES 

POLICE OFFICER CHAD SWANSON 

MANHATTAN BEACH POLICE DEPT., CALIFORNIA 

END OF WATCH WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2023 


Police Officer Chad Swanson was killed in a motorcycle crash on the 405 Highway at Del Amo Avenue. 

While on his way to work at 5:15 a.m., a vehicle struck his department motorcycle after another vehicle made 

an unsafe lane change. The impact threw Officer Swanson off his motorcycle. He was transported to Harbor 

Medical Center where he died from his injuries. In 2017, despite being wounded at the Route 91 Harvest 

Country Music Festival, he repeatedly ran into the crowd bringing people to safety. 

Officer Swanson had served with the Manhattan Beach Police Department for 13 years and previously served 

with the Hawthorne Police Department. He is survived by his wife, three sons, and parents. 


HONORING OUR 

POLICE OFFICER RICHARD MENDEZ 

Police Officer Richard Mendez was shot and killed at the Philadelphia International Airport’s Garage D at about 11:00 

p.m. He and his partner arrived in the parking garage, preparing to start their shift, when they observed subjects breaking 

into a vehicle. As they approached the men, the subjects fired at them. Officer Mendez was struck multiple times, 

and his partner was shot in the arm. Officer Mendez was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where he 

succumbed to his wounds at 11:34 p.m. The suspects fled in a stolen vehicle. One of the suspects, who died from 

gunshot wounds, was dropped off at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The rest of the suspects remained at large 

until October 16, 2023, when an 18-year-old suspect was arrested. 

Officer Mendez had served with the Philadelphia Police Department for almost 23 years and was assigned to the 

Airport Unit. He is survived by his wife and daughter. 

96 The BLUES 


PHILADELPHIA POLICE DEPARTMENT, PENNSYLVANIA 

END OF WATCH THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2023 

AGE: 50 TOUR: 22 YEARS BADGE: 5041

FALLEN HEROES 

LIEUTENANT MILTON RESENDEZ 

SAN BENITO POLICE DEPARTMENT, TEXAS 

END OF WATCH TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2023 


Lieutenant Milton Resendez was shot and killed during a police pursuit at the 1100 block of North Sam 

Houston Boulevard in San Benito. At 10:58 p.m., the San Benito Police Department was notified that a fleeing 

vehicle being pursued by the Texas Department of Public Safety was entering their jurisdiction. Lieutenant 

Resendez was traveling north on North Sam Houston Boulevard when the fleeing vehicle approached from the 

southbound lanes. The subjects fired at his patrol vehicle. One bullet hit the front of his vehicle, and the second 

struck the driver’s side door. One of the bullets pierced Lieutenant Resendez in the abdomen below his vest. 

He was transported to Valley Baptist Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. 

Lieutenant Resendez had served with the San Benito Police Department for 27 years and previously 

served with the Brownsville Police Department and Palm Valley Police Department. 


HONORING OUR 

CORRECTIONAL OFFICER I KELLY BERNARD ROLANDO 

MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS, MO 

END OF WATCH SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2023 

AGE: 34 TOUR: 8 YEARS BADGE: 136115 

Correctional Officer Kelly Rolando was killed in a vehicle crash at 7:14 p.m. on the 54 Bypass in Mexico, Missouri. 

Officer Rolando was returning to the Northeast Correctional Center in Bowling Green from a temporary assignment at 

the University Hospital in Columbia when he collided head-on with a vehicle traveling southbound. He and the driver of 

the other vehicle were killed instantly. 

Officer Rolando had served with the Missouri Department of Corrections for eight years. He is survived by his mother, 

father, grandmothers, grandfather, three sisters, and two brothers. 

98 The BLUES 

POLICE MAGAZINE

FALLEN HEROES 

“When a police officer is killed, 

it’s not an agency that loses an 

officer, it’s an entire nation.” 

Chris Cosgriff, ODMP Founder 


WORDS BY SGT. MICHAEL BARRON, RET. 

Apartment 203 

I was only a block away when 

the call dropped. “Fight in progress, 

man fighting with young 

female at the Bridgestone Apartments, 

Apartment 203, possible 

weapon involved.” As soon as I 

turned into the complex, I saw 

a crowd of people gathered in 

the parking lot. Well, I guess the 

fight has moved downstairs. 

See this wasn’t my first time at 

Apt 203. In fact, I knew both tenants 

very well. Angelia and Marcus 

Smith. Common-law man 

and wife, boyfriend/girlfriend, 

fightee and fighter. As I checked 

out, I thought here we go again. 

Same ole bullshit. 

As I walked up, the crowd 

backed up and there on the 

ground in a pool of blood was 

Angelia. Her head flattened 

against the concrete sidewalk, 

her leg twisted and obviously 

broken. I felt for a pulse and 

found nothing. All the previous 

calls I had responded to over 

the years, all the drama, all for 

nothing. I called for a supervisor, 

detectives, ambulance, and a 

Crime Scene Unit. “Dispatch, can 

100 The BLUES 

100 The BLUES 

you notify the ME and get them 

enroute.” It’s going to be a long 

night. 

• • • 

I first met this lovely couple 

about two years ago. They had 

moved to Spring Texas from Gulf 

Port, Mississippi. I really don’t remember 

why, but they were both 

Meth heads and nothing they 

ever said really made any sense. 

Marcus worked construction and 

Angelia did a little bit of everything. 

When they needed a fix 

between paydays, Marcus would 

send Angelia out to do tricks so 

they could score some crystal. 

Then he would beat the crap out 

of her when he got wasted for 

whoring around. Dude, you sent 

her out to get money to score 

your dope. Now you’re beating 

her for doing exactly what you 

asked her to do. WTF. 

Now mind you all this took 

place in the early 80’s and Domestic 

Violence laws weren’t a 

thing yet. The wife/girlfriend had 

to appear as the complainant 

not the State. And every single 

time I took ole Marcus to jail and 

filed on him, Angelia would drop 

the charges. 

“But I really love him, and he 

loves me. He says he’s sorry and 

that he didn’t mean to hit me.” 

Repeatedly, I’d show up, file a 

report, and file charges. She’d 

either drop the charges or refuse 

to go to court. And the ADA 

would yell and scream at me 

every time. Once, she even asked 

if she could ride to the jail with 

us so she could bail him out. 

“Sure Angelia, get in the back 

seat with him. I’ll have to handcuff 

you, it’s policy” Now I’m 

going to book your stupid ass for 

PI and whatever the else I can 

think of, to put your ass in jail

with him. 

Didn’t matter, they were both 

out the next day and within 

hours fighting again. They moved 

to a dozen different apartment 

complexes over the past twenty-four 

months, as apartment 

managers grew tired of the police 

kicking in doors to stop their 

fights. 

On two different occasions, I 

actually helped her move out. 

I rented her a van, helped her 

move what little stuff she had 

while Marcus was at work. I 

enrolled her in a drug rehab and 

signed her up to get help from 

the women’s shelter. The first 

time she stayed away a couple 

of months. Then “she missed 

her man” and low and behold 

one Friday night I’m back at yet 

another apartment complex and 

he’s beaten the crap out of her… 

again. He goes to jail, she cries, 

yada yada. 

The second moveout was different, 

or so I thought. I checked 

her into a new Drug Treatment 

Center that had opened in downtown, 

and it was locked down 

tight. Check-in and you don’t get 

out until you’re clean and ready 

to move on with your life. Angelia 

stayed inside for six months 

and according to her counselor, 

she was really doing well. She 

had met a really nice guy inside 

and was ready to start a new 

life. BUT. She got released and 

he didn’t. I heard she kept visiting 

him while staying at a nearby 

women’s shelter. 

Eight months had passed, and 

I was proud that I had taken a 

meth head and got her rehabilitated 

and stopped a string of 

violence between her and Marcus 

that would have eventually 

ended in tragedy. At least in my 

mind anyway. Then early one 

Wednesday night, I got a disturbance 

call at the Bridgestone 

Apartments, Apt. 203. Imagine 

the look on my face when I 

walked in an open door and saw 

Angelia sitting on a couch with 

a bloody nose. Are you fucking 

kidding me? 

What the hell are you even 

doing up here Angelia? “I broke 

up with Steven (the rehab boyfriend) 

and I missed Marcus.” 

Holy shit are you kidding me 

with this crap. And are you high? 

NO, I just took a bump with Marcus! 

I’m not HIGH! And where the 

hell is Marcus? 

“He’s at his brothers around 

the corner. He didn’t want to get 

popped, he’s on probation you 

know.” She says in a slurred, 

barely audible drunken voice. 

Naw, I didn’t know. Are you 

going to file on him this time and 

actually GO TO COURT. 

“Yes, yes, I will. I’m tired of his 

shit.” 

So, I drive around the corner 

and there in the courtyard of yet 

another dirtball complex, was 

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The BLUES 101

Marcus and his dirtball brother. 

One thing I will say about 

Marcus, was he was never any 

trouble. He may have been a 

fuck-up, but I never had to fight 

him. I cuffed him, went back to 

Bridgestone, wrote the report 

and transported the boy to jail. 

Angelia, I hope this is the last 

time I have to come out here. 

“I promise it’s the last time. I’ve 

learned my lesson. I promise. 

I’d sooner die then come back 

here.” 

Uh huh. We’ll see. 

• • • 

As soon as the detectives 

arrived on the scene, I told the 

lead detective I’d be right back. 

He looked at me like I was nuts. 

“You’re leaving? Do we have any 

suspects? Do we have a description? 

Where the hell are you 

going?” 

To arrest a guy for murder, 

where else! He looked at me like 

I was crazy. 

“Hey, bring me back some 

Whataburger, I know that’s 

where you’re going. Arrest a suspect, 

my ass.” 

I drove around the corner, and 

yep, I was right. There were 

Marcus and his dumb ass brother 

smoking a pipe in the parking lot. 

As soon as I walked up, Marcus 

looked me right in the eye and 

said “I know, I know, I’m sorry 

I didn’t mean to fight with her, 

and I didn’t mean to push her. 

But she’ll be OK, and she won’t 

file on me. She loves me. I’m her 

entire world. I’ll go with her to 

the hospital, and I’ll take care of 

her. I promise officer.” 

As I handcuffed him for the last 

time, I said, “no Marcus you aren’t 

going to the hospital, you’re 

102 The BLUES 

going to prison… for life. See 

this time, I’m filing the charges, 

and I don’t need Angelia. And she 

won’t ever have to worry about 

you beating her again. She’s 

finally at peace.” As I finished 

reading him his rights, he says, 

“Naw, she always comes back to 

me. She’ll be back, you’ll see. It 

was just a little push, she’ll be 

OK.” 

No Marcus, she won’t. As we 

pulled back into the Bridgestone 

Apartments for the last time, the 

ME was loading Angelia’s body 

into their van. Marcus didn’t fully 

understand what was going on 

until we got out of the car and 

the detectives walked up. Detective 

Martin, this is Marcus Smith. 

I mirandized him and he has just 

confessed to pushing his common 

law wife Angelia Smith off 

the second-floor balcony and 

killing her. 

Oh, and I’m sorry, I couldn’t 

pick up Whataburger for you, I 

was a little busy. But I’m headed 

there now to finish my report if 

you wanna join me, after you 

book this moron. 

• • • 

The following month, The 

Texas Legislature passed a new 

law that allowed Texas Peace 

Officers to file the charges 

against an actor in family violence 

offence. No longer was it 

up to the victim to file charges 

and they could no longer dismiss 

the charges either. Had the law 

been enacted only 6-months 

earlier, perhaps Angelia Smith 

would still be alive. Either way, 

Marcus would have still ended 

up in jail. The court convicted 

him of First-Degree murder and 

sentenced him to life in prison. 

I heard he was paroled 15 years 

later. I guess Angelia’s life was 

only worth 15 years. 

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The BLUES 103 

The BLUES 103

WORDS BY SGT. MICHAEL BARRON, RET 

My first OIS. The day we made history. 

Working day shift is, well 

downright boring. Reports, 

reports and more reports. Accidents? 

Yeah, more reports. 

Mail runs, prisoner transfers, 

court, you name it. Just boring 

same-ole, same-ole. So, when a 

chase pops up, you join right in 

if you’re close, sometimes even if 

you’re not. 

Today would be one of those 

days when you say enough is 

enough and you just go. It was 

about 2:45pm on a Thursday 

and I had just pulled into the 

Humble substation to turn in 

some reports. As I walked in the 

door, the stations radio was a 

buzz with what would become 

one of the longest chases in the 

history of our department, at 

least back in those days anyway. 

Now this was long before unit 

numbers had changed to make 

any sense of who was who, and 

I have no idea who was really 

involved so I’m just making these 

up, so please don’t take offense 

(I meant to use that word by the 

way) if I use your number and 

you weren’t a part of this history 

making event. 

104 The BLUES 

104 The BLUES 

The chase started at Aldine 

Mail Route and Aldine Westfield 

at a small grocery store. A unit 

passing by observed an old piece 

of shit van parked outside with 

a white male inside, the motor 

running and expired plates. As 

the deputy pulled in, the subject 

he took off and as they say, the 

chase was on. 

Half the law enforcement 

agencies on the North Side of 

Houston joined in the pursuit of 

this broken down, piece of crap 

van. Besides the dozens of traffic 

violations he was racking up 

and fleeing from the police, no 

one had any idea this moron was 

involved in a much bigger crime. 

Seems there was a reason he 

was sitting in this particular 

parking lot. His common-law 

wife was inside robbing the 

place. Thirty minutes into the 

chase, the dispatcher drops a 

robbery in progress call from 

that very same grocery store. 

The suspect, his wife, ran outside 

expecting to get inside the 

getaway van. Problem was the 

van/getaway car was long gone. 

So, she sat on the curb and waited. 

Incidentally, she did get a 

ride. With a sheriff’s deputy who 

kindly arrested her. 

As the chase criss-crossed 

the north side of Houston , a 

good friend of mine Detective 

John Hill who was assigned to 

my district, walked out of JP 

court and wanted to know what 

was going on. Why is everyone 

standing around the radio Barron? 

Listening to what could become 

one of the longest chases 

in the county’ s history. “Well 

hell”, he said, “let’s go be a part 

of history.” And just like that, we 

headed south on the Eastex Freeway 

to join in on the action. 

By the time we reached Beltway 

8, the chase had centered

itself around the George Bush 

Airport and all the side streets 

in the area. We exited the freeway 

onto the Beltway and low 

and behold as we approached 

JFK Parkway, the damn van turn 

north on JFK right in front of us 

and we were the lead vehicle. 

What the hell? Holy Shit Batman! 

With dozens and dozens of cops 

behind us, we began calling out 

this idiot’s crazy driving skills. 

No sooner had we began heading 

towards the airport, the suspect 

made a U-turn and headed 

back south on JFK. Within a few 

seconds, it sounded like we were 

driving through rocks or gravel. 

A metallic sound hitting the 

fenders of our car. My partner 

says, “what the hell is that?” It 

was at that moment we realized 

that the mile-long stream of 

cops on the opposite side of the 

median WERE SHOOTING AT THE 

VAN AND BULLETS WERE HIT- 

TING US. 

WTF. I SCREAMED INTO THE 

RADIO, STOP SHOOTING AT THE 

VAN! Now to the hundreds not 

involved in the chase this sounded 

stupid. But to those on the 

opposite side of the road they 

knew exactly what I meant. A 

unit behind me was more direct 

“Stop fucking shooting you idiots, 

you’re gonna fucking hit one 

of us.” 

At this point the chase was into 

its second hour and supervisors 

were getting pissed. Units were 

getting trashed, wrecks were 

popping up everywhere, and 

news helicopters were starting 

to arrive along with HPD’s fox. 

(Not sure why it took so long for 

either to arrive, but if I remember 

correctly, some larger news 

story was breaking on the opposite 

side of town) 

We had now traveled up and 

down Beltway 8 several times 

in both directions. DPS had tried 

several times to shoot out his 

tire, with no success. Mind you 

this was before we had ‘stop 

sticks.’ This guy was all over 

the road, curbs, driveways, you 

name it. By this time, we were 

no longer the lead vehicle. Our 

brakes had faded to the point 

they were useless. As we approached 

JFK for the like the 

20th time, we needed gas and 

decided to pull into a Circle K on 

Aldine Bender. 

By the time we gassed up and 

taken potty breaks, it was nearly 

5:30. The chase had lasted almost 

3 hours at this point. As we 

pulled out of the Circle K, I heard 

“Unit 4205 we are now Eastbound 

on Aldine Bender from 

Aldine Westfield. WTF. They are 

headed our way AGAIN! 

At this point, I guess from 

having watched way too may 

cop chases on TV, we decided 

to block the intersection with 

our car. STUPID MOVE!! We both 

got out and stood behind the car 

with guns drawn, just like in the 

movies. SECOND STUPID MOVE. 

Now here we are, two stupid 

The BLUES 105 

The BLUES 105

cops, hiding behind a stupid car 

in the MIDDLE OF THE STUPID 

ROAD. As this caravan of cops 

appeared in the distance with 

what seemed like hundreds of 

flashing lights I remember saying 

“uhhhh, maybe this isn’t such 

a good idea.” 

It was at about that moment, 

we both started to run towards 

the ditch on the opposite side of 

the road. Just as we reached the 

ditch, I looked over my shoulder 

and the damn van was headed 

straight for us. The SOB was 

going to run right over us at 100 

mph. I will never forget the terrified 

look on the drivers face as 

he drove straight for us. They say 

I fired 4 times. I don’t even remember 

that. I do remember his 

wind shield being all fractured 

with bullet holes. I remember it 

passing so close to me I could 

feel the force of the air push me 

backwards into the ditch. What 

I didn’t see was my partner. One 

minute he was beside me and 

then he wasn’t. I remember hearing 

gunshots, but I didn’t know 

where they were coming from. 

As the van hit the ditch, it 

sailed right over us. My partner 

was already at the bottom of 

the ditch. As it crossed the ditch, 

it rolled onto its side throwing 

mud and water everywhere. As it 

slid to a stop, I remember seeing 

dozens of cops running past me 

with guns drawn. All screaming 

something. I turned around saw 

John there in the ditch, exactly 

where that van had just been. 

OMG, John are you alright? 

“Yeah, the asshole went right 

over the top of us.” No shit. 

We both ran towards the van 

as officers were handcuffing 

106 The BLUES 

the suspect. It was obvious that 

he had been struck by multiple 

rounds and was bleeding profusely. 

As I looked into the van, 

I swear there was no less than 

a hundred bullet holes in the 

side of that smoking piece of 

shit. What happened next, I will 

never forget as long as I live. The 

sound of a baby crying coming 

from inside the van. One of the 

officers opened the back doors 

and there inside the back of the 

van was an 18-month-old baby 

girl. Bleeding but alive. Thank 

God. 

I remember yelling into my 

radio – send me LIFEFLIGHT. We 

have an injured baby. Almost 

instantly an ambulance pulled 

alongside us and took the baby 

and began treating her. Miraculously 

the baby wasn’t severely 

injured. The suspect was 

transported to a local hospital 

and survived. As we all stood 

and stared at the smoking van, 

I remember a Sgt. walking up 

and asking, “OK I need to see 

everyone who fired their weapon 

during this chase.” Suddenly 

dozens of cops were GONE. Only 

John and I were left standing 

there. 

I looked at the Sgt. and said 

“Wait a minute!!! No fucking way 

we were the only ones firing 

rounds into that van. There’s like 

a hundred fucking holes in it!” He 

said, “son I wouldn’t say another 

word until your union rep gets 

here.” 

Suddenly this became a nightmare. 

Union Rep? Within a few 

minutes, the DA’s shooting team 

arrived, took our guns, put us 

in separate cars and drove us 

downtown. I took the Sgt’s advice; 

I didn’t say a word until my 

union attorney arrived. That was 

the first time that I had ever had 

my rights read to me. To say I 

was sacred shitless, would be an 

understatement. But I knew we 

hadn’t done anything wrong. We 

were clearly in danger and were 

acting to protect ourselves. And 

thank God the asshole admitted 

he had every intention of mowing 

us down. He should have 

waited for his union rep. 

At 10pm, John and I exited separate 

interview rooms at the DA’s 

office and were told we were 

free to go. We both looked at 

each other with a sign of relief. 

“WTF just happened I asked.” 

John says, “we just made history 

son, we just made history.” 

Hey! Where the fuck is my car? 

• • • 

The suspect was charged with 

evading arrest; attempted capital 

murder of two peace officers; 

endangering the life of a minor; 

robbery and about ten thousand 

traffic fines. The female was 

charged with robbery and child 

endangerment for leaving the 

child with a wanted fugitive. The 

child fully recovered and was 

turned over to relatives. The deputy 

that started the chase was 

stopping by the store to purchase 

a loaf of bread and milk 

for his wife on his way home. He 

had no idea the store was being 

hijacked nor did he have any 

reason to question the suspect 

other than the expired plate. Had 

the subject not run, most likely 

the two would have escaped and 

the chase would have never hap-

pened. Crime scene investigators 

found 107 bullet holes fired from 

various weapons all over the 

van’s exterior. The fact the baby 

survived all those rounds was 

an absolute miracle. When the 

detective returned my revolver, 

I had fired 4 rounds, John had 

fired 5. The identity of those who 

fired the other 98 rounds remains 

a mystery. Oh yes, my patrol car 

had one round through the front 

left fender. It remained there 

until the car was sold at auction. 

HISTORY!! 

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The BLUES 107 

The BLUES 107

A BADGE OF HONOR 

healing our heroes 

Some Tough Love 

For many of us Post Traumatic 

Stress can become a way of life, it 

normalizes our actions. Over time, 

it changes our mental mindset and 

our way of thinking. 

It’s like having chronic back pain 

and learning to adjust your lifestyle 

to live with the daily pain. 

But the real issues are not so 

much living with the pain of 

post-Traumatic stress, it’s the way 

we approach it. 

It doesn’t have to be this way. If 

we are suffering from an injury, we 

seek the proper treatment. Proper 

treatment is key, you wouldn’t go 

see a heart specialist for a knee 

injury? 

Many suffer, but few take the 

steps to get treated. Many would 

rather live with the pain, attempt to 

hide it or drown it in alcohol, drugs, 

porn or some self-destructive path. 

Some even blame the stigma attached 

to it. All excuses to deny the 

fact we are suffering. 

Post-Traumatic Stress is not curable, 

but it is 100% manageable. It 

does not have to control your life; 

it can enrich your life in ways you 

never thought of. It’s acceptance is 

what heals you. 

When you’re suffering from trauma, 

your mind begins to close itself 

off to new experiences. It stops you 

from enjoying life’s activities going 

on around you. You find yourself 

isolated, even if you do participate 

in a function, you lack the emotion 

to truly enjoy it. 

We begin to push things off, making 

excuses about why we cannot 

participate. We use work, chores, 

and other things to deflect the real 

issue. If we fail to see the impact 

108 The BLUES 

it has, we fail to see the treatment 

options that are available. We begin 

to believe we are not fixable; we 

feel we are just existing. It’s what 

Post Traumatic Stress does. It tricks 

our mind into thinking negatively. 

If we continue down this path, 

eventually it will cause irreversible 

harm to ourselves and others. Just 

like a bucket slowly filling with 

water or putting too much air into a 

tire, it’s only a matter of time before 

it overfills or explodes. 

Without acceptance, we can’t 

heal properly. 

This leads me to what treatment 

you need. It varies as each person 

copes differently. Many factors go 

into the whys. What affects one 

person, does not necessarily affect 

another. Sometimes it goes deeper 

than the actual trauma itself, we 

must look at all factors. Childhood, 

relationships, financial issues. All 

this impacts stress levels in our 

brain. 

In order to bring your mind back 

into a healthy state, you have to 

heal all traumas, past and present. 

My PTS was elevated due to past 

traumas which occurred in my own 

childhood, causing unhealthy coping 

skills placing me in denial. 

I was sexually abused as a child, 

keeping it bottled up for more than 

4 decades. I was hiding and trying 

to bury it deep inside, just stacking 

my first responder trauma on top it. 

This severely impacted my coping 

mechanisms which led to anger issues, 

alcohol, relationship problems 

and more. 

I share this for a reason. Being 

transparent and open, I hope will 

help others deal with their own 

SAMANTHA HORWITZ & 

JOHN SALERNO 

hidden issues. We can’t heal current 

issues without healing some past 

ones. 

The uniforms we wear help 

protect us, but what protects us 

when the uniform comes off. We 

must take the first steps to a healthy 

mental mind set. We must dig deep 

within ourselves and accept we may 

have changed. We ourselves must 

see this. As the Stigma goes, “Just 

rub some dirt on it”, well when will 

we stop allowing the dirt to be rub 

on us. Our lives depend on it. 

When we stack work trauma on 

top of personal trauma, we end 

up striking a match which ignites 

a fuse to disaster. I lit that match, 

which almost cost me my life. I 

tried many traditional couch therapies, 

some of which failed me, 

some I failed them. Feeling frustrated, 

impatient and lost. Then I found 

equine therapy. A program I would 

have never approached, a program 

I would have discarded if not for 

some support from my peers and 

colleagues. 

Proper treatment can douse the 

lite fuse. Find the treatment plan 

which works for you. Giving up is 

not an option, it’s an excuse. 

Stop making excuses. You are 

worth it. 

Ret. NYPD John Salerno

The BLUES 109

DARYL LOTT 

daryl’s deliberations 

“Don’t!” 

Have you ever visited the 

Capitol of the United States? It’s 

an impressive monument that 

serves as a temple to democracy. 

The rotunda of the great 

complex is topped with a statue 

named “Freedom.” It sits so 

high that passersby can’t really 

see its details. The construction 

and extension of the building 

was started in the 1850’s. There 

was much controversy because 

it would cost the taxpayers a 

lot of money. In those days the 

government didn’t spend money 

it didn’t have. 

But the building had 

a champion who 

would navigate 

the troubled waters 

and provide the 

Union with a building 

stately enough 

to house the entire 

Legislative Branch of 

our government. The 

statue, the rotunda, 

the expansion to two 

houses, the hallway 

between the houses 

all owe their existence 

to their champion: 

Senator Jefferson 

Davis (D-Miss). 

That’s another story 

for another time. 

The statue appears 

as a three-dimensional 

figure atop the 

dome, but directly 

under the dome are 

paintings. The most famous one 

is Washington appearing as a 

divine figure. Nearby, however, is 

our friend, “Freedom.” I took the 

photo accompanying this essay 

and I draw your attention to it. 

The painting was done as the 

Capitol was nearing completion 

during the Civil War. Probably 

much to Senator Jefferson 

Davis’s chagrin, “Freedom” is 

on the move. She has no olive 

branches or doves in her arsenal. 

People are in trouble. People are 

dying. Liberty is on the march 

DARYL LOTT 

as the United States 

Army frees more and 

more of the enslaved. 

“Freedom” is drawing 

all those who wish 

to be free under the 

weapons she does not 

bear in vain. The Eagle 

soars with “Freedom” 

clutching arrows to be 

loosed in her name. 

“Freedom” has cried, 

“Havoc!” The dogs of 

war have slipped their 

chains. 

I don’t think it’s often 

that “Freedom” draws 

her deadly arsenal 

and threatens those 

who would murder 

and sow mayhem, but 

now is one of those 

times. As the U.S.S. 

Gerald R Ford and her 

lethal escorts provide 

the cover Israel 

110 The BLUES

equires to reestablish safety 

for her citizens, I have confidence 

in our Navy and Air Force. 

I have confidence in the IDF. I 

could never have imagined such 

depravity as Hamas revealed. 

I never thought there was any 

mind on earth capable of such 

evil. I was wrong. As I look at the 

vision of an outraged “Freedom” 

painted on the ceiling of our seat 

of government, I wish her Godspeed. 

I call on the G-d of Abraham, 

Isaac, and Jacob to protect 

those who fight in His holy name. 

I ask Him to give comfort to the 

people of Israel and to establish 

justice among men and nations. 

Amen. 

To connect with the author’s 

blog and newsletter: www. 

faithfultexasfootprints.com 

The BLUES 111

DR. TINA JAECKLE 

blue mental health 

The Pain of Media Scrutiny 

and Officer Mental Health 

I often read national news 

stories that are published when 

an officer experiences a very 

public fall from grace. It seems 

such easy fodder for journalistic 

organizations to, on one 

hand, highlight the vulnerable 

side of the individual behind the 

badge, then, on the other hand, 

promote intense scrutiny for the 

mistake. It is important to me to 

try to understand the impact on 

the officer’s mental health and 

subsequent short- and longterm 

adjustment. For public 

safety mental health professionals, 

we clearly know that 

there is often more to the story, 

and we encourage officers not 

to read it, especially the comments 

from keyboard warriors. 

But they do, and it cuts, deeply. 

Please do not misunderstand, 

I am not referring to those now 

ex-officers who have been 

arrested for egregious acts 

against others. My focus is on 

the officers who have made 

mistakes that frequently arise 

as symptoms of a larger problem. 

Trauma, cumulative stress, 

depression, moral injury, alcoholism 

and substance abuse. 

I have met numerous officers 

who do not begin to remotely 

consider that their need to 

medicate pain is in response 

112 The BLUES 

DR. TINA JAECKLE 

to deeper unresolved issues. 

At times, it is, in part, the pain 

of seeing the consequences of 

their decisions in such a public 

forum that brings them to their 

knees and opens the floodgates 

to finally ask for help. 

When these situations arise, I 

am blessed to be reminded of 

the amazing behind the scenes 

network of wonderful professionals 

who always pick up 

the phone and ask how they 

can help. While I utilize several 

types of treatment programs, 

I wanted to highlight one that 

has provided consistently high 

levels of care and focuses on 

the specific needs of first responders. 

The National Law Enforcement 

and First Responder 

Wellness Center at Harbor 

of Grace’s (Maryland) Mental 

Health Treatment Program is 

a clinically managed, medium-intensity 

residential program 

for adults, 18 years and 

older, with a diagnosed mental 

health disorder, needing a safe 

and structured living environment 

that allows additional 

time for stabilization and recovery 

skill development. The 

program provides 24-hour care 

with trained staff for patients 

able to tolerate and use an active 

milieu or therapeutic community 

setting. Daily groups, individual 

and family counseling 

and education/experiential sessions 

are designed to address 

physical, mental, emotional 

and spiritual aspects of mental 

illness. Patients develop a 

deeper understanding of themselves 

and their disease, laying 

the foundation for recovery and 

healing. The length of stay in 

the HoG Residential Program is 

determined on a case-by-case 

basis, however most patients 

stay a minimum of 14 days. The 

treatment team is comprised of 

active and retired police officers, 

firefighters, SWAT medics, 

EMT’s, military veterans and 

mobile crisis personnel that 

have 500 years of combined 

public service experience and 

125 years of combined personal 

recovery and they are licensed 

therapists, professional interventionists, 

crisis negotiators

and Critical Incident Response 

Specialists. 

Co-founders Ken Beyer and 

Dr. W. David Hill patiently 

assembled a compassionate 

team of seasoned professionals 

led by Tim Thompson, a 24- 

year veteran of the substance 

abuse treatment field. As word 

spread, Harbor of Grace rapidly, 

but purposefully, expanded its 

treatment team to effectively 

deliver a widening range of 

treatment methods including 

Ambulatory Detox. They have 

grown to a forty-four bed, medium 

intensity residential facility 

with simultaneous Partial 

Hospitalization and Intensive 

Outpatient programs. (https:// 

harborofgracerecovery.com/ 

first-responders/why-chooseus/). 

Lastly, I offer this small bit 

of advice. I encourage you to 

refrain from judgement and 

criticism when a law enforcement 

officer has a very public 

fall from grace. There is often 

more to the story. Trust me, he 

or she will have to deal with 

the consequences. Every single 

one of us will be forced to our 

knees by something devastating 

in our lives. What is more 

important is that you do not 

stay down, there is help for you 

to stand up and start again. You 

must, however, choose to help 

yourself before anyone else can 

assist you. We live in a world 

full of anger and impatience 

right now. Offer grace, even if it 

only means keeping your negativity 

to yourself. 


NOT SO BRIGHT AWARD 

Light Bulb Award 

REP. JAMALL BOWMAN 

Another moron on Capitol Hill. What should 

have been a felony is now a slap on the wrist. 

By Chris Donaldson 


The hotheaded “Squad” member 

somehow thought that it would be 

a good idea to obstruct Congress 

when he yanked the lever down on 

the distinctive box clearly marked 

as a fire alarm and then lied that it 

was a mistake but as is always the 

case with Democrats, there would 

be no real consequences. 

CRAZIEST THING IN WASHING- 

TON TODAY: Democrat Rep. Jamaal 

Bowman of New York pulled the 

fire alarm potentially so Democrats 

would not vote and shut down the 

government. He later blamed ignorance. 

pic.twitter.com/B6TLm5Hz- 

VN — Simon Ateba (@simonateba) 

September 30, 2023 

On Wednesday, Rep. Bowman 

was charged for the September 30 

incident at the Cannon House Office 

Building and is scheduled to appear 

in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday 

morning to be arraigned for one 

count of making a false fire alarm. 

The misdemeanor charge carries 

a maximum penalty of up to 

six months behind bars but there’s 

virtually no chance whatsoever that 

the human time bomb will see the 

inside of a jail cell for his actions 

that caused a brief shutdown of 

Congress, unlike the J6 protesters 

who have been rotting in captivity. 

“I’m thankful for the quick resolution 

from the District of Columbia 

Attorney General’s office on this 

issue and grateful that the United 

States Capitol Police General Counsel’s 

office agreed I did not obstruct 

nor intend to obstruct any house 

vote or proceedings,” he posted to 

X, the platform previously known as 

Twitter. 

Statement from Congressman 

Jamaal Bowman pic.twitter.com/ 

n4NT5k0vjt — Congressman Jamaal 

Bowman (@RepBowman) 

October 25, 2023 

“I am responsible for activating a 

fire alarm, I will be paying the fine 

issued, and look forward to these 

charges being ultimately dropped,” 

Bowman added. “I think we all 

know that Republicans will attempt 

to use this to distract everyone 

from their mess, but I look forward 

to putting this behind me and to 

continue working hard to deliver for 

New Yorkers.” 

Committee on House Administration 

Chairman Bryan Steil (R-WI) 

called B.S. on Bowman in a statement 

posted to X. 

Chairman @RepBryanSteil statement 

on charges against Rep. 

Jamaal Bowman: pic.twitter.com/ 

s40wQ41D82 — House Admin. Committee 

GOP (@HouseAdmin) October 

25, 2023 

“Rep. Bowman’s excuse does not 

pass the sniff test. After pulling the 

fire alarm, Rep. Bowman fled the 

scene, passed by multiple Capitol 

Police officers and had every 

opportunity to alert USCP of his 

mistake,” Steil said. “I want to thank 

U.S. Capitol Police for their swift attention 

to this incident, and encourage 

the Ethics Committee to further 

pursue this matter.”

CHICAGO COFFEE CITY, TX. – MAYOR, 

Residents of 

STILL A MORON 

a small Texas town that is famous 

mostly for a robust speed trap 

operation are worried after the city 

council disbanded the entire police 

force. 

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According to the outlet, the city’s 

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And a lot of those officers had 

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More than half of Coffee City’s cops 

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enforcement, according to personnel 

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Jeff Blackstone, the mayor of Coffee 

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Portillo on a 30-day suspension and 

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Following that investigation, the 

city council on Monday voted to fire 

Portillo and temporarily “deactivate” 

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city’s investigation confirmed allegations 

that Portillo had received a DUI 

prior to being hired as police chief, 

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The BLUES 121

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The BLUES 123 

The BLUES 123

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The BLUES 125

NOW HIRING 

LE job positions 

Nassau Bay Police Dept. Get Info Patrol Officer 10/01/2023 - 5pm 

Liberty Police Department Get Info Detective 10/01/2023 - 5pm 

Liberty Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 10/01/2023 - 5pm 

Burnet Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/02/2023 - 5pm 

Burnet Police Department Get Info School Resource Officer 10/02/2023 - 5pm 

Polk Co. Fire Marshal's Office Get Info Environmental Enforcement Officer 10/04/2023 - 5pm 

Anderson County Criminal District Attorney Get Info Investigator 10/06/2023 - 5pm 

Chapel Hill ISD Get Info Police Officer 10/06/2023 - 5pm 

Lancaster ISD Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/07/2023 - 5pm 

Georgetown Police Dept. Get Info Police Officer - Lateral 10/09/2023 - 5pm 

Pflugerville ISD Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/01/2023 - 5pm 

Oak Ridge North Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/10/2023 - 5pm 

Addison Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/15/2023 - 5pm 

Erath County Attorney's Office 

Get Info Police OfficerPre-trial Investigator/Officer 10/01/2023 - 5pm 

Pflugerville Police Department Get Info Officer 10/15/2023 - 5pm 

City of Bulverde Police Get Info Police Officer 10/16/2023 - 5pm 

Richardson Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/16/2023 - 5pm 

Schleicher County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Deputy Sheriff 10/16/2023 - 5pm 

Crowley Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/16/2023 - 5pm 

University of North Texas Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/13/2023 - 5pm 

Dallam County Sheriff's Office Get Info Patrol Deputy 10/17/2023 - 5pm 

Dallas County Marshal Service Get Info Deputy Marshal 10/14/2023 - 5pm 

Westover Hills Police Department Get Info Patrol Officers 10/20/2023 - 5pm 

Eastland County Sheriff's Office Get Info Peace Officers 10/20/2023 - 5pm 

Mills County Sheriff's Office Get Info Patrol Deputy 10/15/2023 - 5pm 

Texas State Technical College Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/17/2023 - 5pm 

Hartley County Sheriff's Office Get Info Deputy Sheriff 10/21/2023 - 5pm 

Alabama-Coushatta Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 10/24/2023 - 5pm 

Ore City Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/15/2023 - 5pm 

Knox City Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/23/2023 - 5pm 

Aransas Pass Police Department Get Info Harbor Safety & Enforcement Officer 10/23/2023 - 5pm 

Rollingwood Police Department Get Info Patrol Officer 10/23/2023 - 5pm 

Onalaska Police Department Get Info Peace Officer 10/27/2023 - 5pm 

Harris County Sheriff's Office Get Info Part-Time Deputy - Bailiff 10/27/2023 - 5pm 

West Orange-Cove CISD Get Info School Police Officer 10/27/2023 - 5pm 

Natalia Police Department Get Info Patrol Officers 10/27/2023 - 5pm 

League City Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/27/2023 - 5pm 

Bexar County Hospital District Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/27/2023 - 5pm 

Round Rock ISD Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/27/2023 - 5pm 

Lamar CISD Police Department Get Info Police Lieutenant 10/27/2023 - 5pm 

West University Place Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/20/2023 - 5pm 

Ore City Police Department Get Info Police Sergeant 10/20/2023 - 5pm 

UT System Police Department Get Info Police Inspector II 10/20/2023 - 5pm 

Anderson County Sheriff's Office Get Info Deputy 10/29/2023 - 5pm 

Aldine ISD Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/29/2023 - 5pm 

Fate Police Dept. Get Info Municipal Court Bailiff (P/T) 10/08/2023 - 5pm 

Grimes County Sheriff's Office Get Info Narcotics Investigator 11/10/2023 - 5pm 

Fulton Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/06/2023 - 5pm 

Greenville Police Department Get Info Police Officer Exam 10/13/2023 - 5pm 

126 The BLUES

Brownwood Police Department Get Info Police Officer Exam 10/13/2023 - 5pm 

River Oaks Police Department Get Info Certified / Lateral Peace Officer 11/09/2023 - 5pm 

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Venus ISD Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/10/2023 - 5pm 

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Van Alstyne Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/31/2023 - 5pm 

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Kyle Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/26/2023 - 5pm 

Fort Worth Police Department Get Info Police Trainee 10/31/2023 - 5pm 

City of Olmos Park Get Info Chief of Police 11/13/2023 - 5pm 

Alamo Colleges District Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/31/2023 - 5pm 

Buda Police Department Get Info Patrol Officer 11/13/2023 - 5pm 

Fulton Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/06/2023 - 4pm 

Schertz Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/13/2023 - 5pm 

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission Get Info Probationary Agents 10/29/2023 - 5pm 

Katy Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/15/2023 - 5pm 

Normangee Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/17/2023 - 5pm 

Conroe ISD Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/17/2023 - 5pm 

Madison County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Patrol Deputy 10/11/2023 - 5pm 

City of Hurst Get Info Police Officer Test Entrance Exam 11/03/2023 - 5pm 

Selma Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/18/2023 - 5pm 

Travis County Sheriff's Office Get Info Sheriff's Deputy - Facilities 10/06/2023 - 5pm 

Valley Mills Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/20/2023 - 5pm 

Anderson County Sheriff's Office Get Info Bailiff (Deputy Sheriff) 11/19/2023 - 5pm 

Lago Vista Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/21/2023 - 5pm 

Anderson County Sheriff's Office Get Info Deputy Sheriff (Mental Health) 11/19/2023 - 5pm 

Burleson Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/21/2023 - 5pm 

Anderson County Sheriff's Office Get Info Deputy Sheriff (Livestock) 11/19/2023 - 5pmm 

Travis County Sheriff's Office Get Info Law Enforcement Deputy 10/30/2023 - 5pm 

Travis County Sheriff's Office Get Info Sheriff's Deputy 10/06/2023 - 5pm 

Sunset Valley Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/21/2023 - 5pm 

Manvel Police Department Get Info Patrol Officer 11/21/2023 - 5pm 

Mesquite Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/01/2023 - 5pm 

Burleson Police Department Get Info Lateral Police Officer 10/27/2023 - 5pm 

Carrollton Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/27/2023 - 5pm 

Bryan Police Department Get Info Police Officer 10/25/2023 - 5pm 

New Braunfels Police Department Get Info Certified Officers, Laterals, and Cadets 10/30/2023 - 5pm 

Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department Get Info Police Officer 11/30/2023 - 5pm 

Seguin Police Department Get Info Police Officers 11/25/2023 - 5pm 

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STATEWIDE VACANCIES FOR JAILERS 

Tarrant County Sheriffs Office Get Info Detention Officer 10/06/2023 - 5pm 

Ellis County Sheriff's Office Get Info Detention Officer 10/01/2023 - 5pm 

Hood County Sheriff Office Get Info Jailer 10/01/2023 - 5pm 

Richardson Police Department Get Info Detention Officer 10/16/2023 - 5pm 

Anderson County Sheriff's Office Get Info County Jailer - Sergeant 10/29/2023 - 5pm 

Anderson County Sheriff's Office Get Info County Jailer 10/29/2023 - 5pm 

Balch Springs Police Department Get Info Jailer 11/11/2023 - 5pm 

Grimes County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Jailer 10/19/2023 - 5pm 

Burleson County Sheriff's Office Get Info Detention Officer 11/19/2023 - 5pm 

Dallas County Sheriff’s Office Get Info Detention Service Officer 11/25/2023 - 5pm 

STATEWIDE VACANCIES TELECOMMUNICATION OPERATOR 

Richardson Police Department Get Info Telecommunicator 10/08/2023 - 5pm 

Crowley Police Department Get Info Telecommunicator 10/16/2023 - 5pm 

Alabama-Coushatta Tribe Police Dept. Get Info Telecommunicator 11/30/2023 - 5pm 

Guadalupe County Sheriff's Office Get Info Dispatch 10/23/2023 - 5pm 

Balch Springs Police Department Get Info Telecommunicator 11/11/2023 - 5pm 

Lago Vista Police Department Get Info Dispatcher 11/17/2023 - 5pm 

Lago Vista Police Department Get Info Dispatch Supervisor 11/21/2023 - 5pm 

City of University Park Get Info 911/311 Communications Specialist 11/21/2023 - 5pm 

Kyle Police Department Get Info Police Dispatcher 11/21/2023 - 5pm 

Van Alstyne Police Department Get Info Telecommunicator 11/21/2023 - 5pm 

Goose Creek CISD Police Department Get Info Dispatcher 10/15/2023 - 5pm 

The Port of Corpus Christi Authority Get Info Surveillance Analyst/Dispatcher 11/24/2023 - 5pm 

Austin Community College District Police Dept. Get Info Dispatcher 11/25/2023 - 5pm 

PLACE YOUR DEPARTMENT’S AD TODAY FOR ONLY 

$250 FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR 

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JOIN OUR TEAM! 

ARANSAS PASS POLICE DEPARTMENT 

IS HIRING FOR 

TCOLE CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICERS 

The Aransas Pass Police Department is a progressive agency, employing some of the sharpest 

minds and equipping them with some of the best technology available. We continue to seek 

applications from those desiring to become part of our law enforcement family. 

Making a positive dierence in our community is what APPD is all about! Are you in? 

Opportunities 

Bike Patrol 

Crisis Intervention Team 

DEA Task Force 


Gang/Narcotics Investigations 

Criminal Investigations Div. 

Marine Patrol & Dive Team 


School Resource Officer 

TCOLE Training Instructor 

Salary 

Annual Salary: 

$44,200.00 Base 

$6,600 Retention Stipend 

Hourly Incentives: 

$1.50 Max for College Degree 

$0.50 Per TCOLE License Step 

$0.50 Bi-Lingual 

$0.50 Special Assignment 

Benefits 

Paid Bereavement Leave 

Cell Phone 

Holiday Pay/Leave 

Longevity Pay 

Paid Personal Leave 

Sick Leave 

TMRS Retirement (2:1 at 6%) 

Tuition Reimbursement 

Vacation Leave 

Weapon Purchase Program 

Point of contact: Administrative Captain Troy Poe (361) 758-5224 ext. 2421 or tpoe@aptx.gov 

For an application or more information visit: police.aptx.gov/jobs 

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The City of Aransas Pass is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or disability.

ALDINE ISD 


JOIN OUR TEAMAPPLY AT 

EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS 


• Paid Vacation 

• Paid Holidays 

• Personal Days 

• Teacher Retirement System 

TCOLE CERTIFICATION INCENTIVE 

• Intermediate PO: $2,400 

• Advanced PO: $4,800 

• Master PO: $7,200 

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS 

• Must be 21 Years Of Age 

• Must Hold an Active Tcole Peace Officer License 

• Must Complete the Following: 

• Pass Physical Agility Test 

• Background Investigation 

• 132 Psychological The BLUES Evaluation 

• Drug Screening 

ALDINEISD.ORG 

STARTING SALARY $55,000 WITH NO EXPERIENCE 

UP TO $85,000 DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE 

ALDINE ISD PD OFFERS 

DEPARTMENT BENEFITS 

• Uniforms Provided, Including Duty Weapon 

• Department Provided Training 

• Starting Pay Depends on 

Qualifications / Experience 

• TCOLE Certification / Education Pay 

• Most Officers work Day Shift with Weekends Off 

(INCENTIVE PAY FOR DETECTIVES, K-9 HANDLERS, AND 

FIREARM INSTRUCTORS.) 

FOR MORE INFO CONTACT 

SGT. HALL AT 281.442.4923 

OR VISIT ALDINEISD.ORG 

SPECIALIZED DIVISIONS 

• Criminal Investigations 

• Emergency Response Team 

• Honor Guard 

• Gang Task Force 

• Community Outreach Division 

• K-9 Division 

• Firearm Instructor 

$1,000 SIGNING BONUS

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NOW 

HIRING 

BIG SPRING PD IS NOW HIRING POLICE OFFICERS 

• 100% PAID ACADEMY TRAINING FOR 

NON-CERTIFIED CADETS 

• EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS ARE PROVIDED 

INCLUDING TAKE HOME VEHICLES 

• TMRS RETIREMENT (2:1 CITY MATCH) 

• 100% EMPLOYEE MEDICAL AND LIFE 

INSURANCE PREMIUM PAID BY THE CITY 

• PAID VACATION AND HOLIDAYS 

• PAID SICK LEAVE 

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• LONGEVITY PAY FOR YEARS OF SERVICE 

• EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM 

• PROGRESSIVE ANNUAL IN-SERVICE 

TRAINING AND EXTERNAL TRAINING 

OPPORTUNITIES. 

• OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIVERSE 

EXPERIENCE IN ASSIGNMENTS SUCH AS 

SWAT, NARCOTICS, TRAFFIC, AND CRIMINAL 

INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION 

• $1500 ACADEMY REIMBURSEMENT AND 

$2400 RELOCATION PAY FOR CERTIFIED 

OFFICERS 

$55,900 STARTING ANNUAL SALARY FOR CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICERS. 

ENTRY LEVEL TESTING ON AUGUST 1, 2023 

APPLICATION DEADLINE IS JULY 26, 2023 

APPLY NOW AT WWW.MYBIGSPRING.COM 

THE CITY OF BIG SPRING IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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Montgomery County’s 3 rd Largest Law Enforcement Agency 

FULL-TIME POLICE OFFICER 

• $50,363 minimum starting salary 

• Certification pay: 

Int - $1,600, Adv - $2,400, Mstr - $3,700 

• Competitive insurance & benefits 

• Teacher Retirement System (TRS) 

• 20 paid leave days & 12 paid holidays 

Opportunity 

multiple divisions including 

Investigations, Patrol, and 

K-9 services 

Growth 

100+ annual training hours, 

promotion opportunities, 


Balance 

overtime pay, comp time, 

most weekends off, prior LE 

experience pay 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT 

HTTPS://POLICE.CONROEISD.NET/DEPARTMENT/ADMINISTRATION/EMPLOYMENT/ 

142 The BLUESpolice.conroeisd.net 

CISDPolice 

@CISDPolice

October 15 

WATCH FOR NEW TEST DATES 

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Cuero Police Department 

Now Hiring for Patrol Officer Position 

Department Benefits 

14 Paid Holidays 

2 Weeks Paid Vacation 

Certification Pay 

100% Insurance Paid for Employees 

Retirement 2 to 1 match (20yr Retirement) 

FSA for Employees 

Longevity Pay 

Equipment & Uniforms Provided Including Duty Weapon w/ Red Dot Sight 

Take Home Vehicle Within Surrounding Counties 

10 Hour Work Shifts 

Membership Paid to Local Gym 

Department Provided Training 

Off-duty Security Opportunities 

Cell Phone Stipend 

Starting Pay Depends on Qualifications 

Requirements: Must be TCOLE Certified or currently enrolled in an accredited Police 

Academy and pass a background investigation. 

Email TCOLE Personal History Statement to sellis@cityofcuero.com 

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Paid academy up to 

$70,560 

Lateral pay up to 

$81,321.70 

Additional Pay 

Education Pay 

Bachelor's 

Intermediate Cert. 

Advanced Cert. 


Shift Differential 

FTO Pay 

Language Pay 

WE'RE 

HIRING 

300+ NEW OFFICERS 

$2,880/yr 

$3,600/yr 

$600/yr 

$4,800/yr 

$7,200/yr 

3.5%-6.5% 

$1,200/yr 

$1,800/yr 

Benefits 


Pension plan 

Compensation plan 

15 paid vacation days 

12 paid holidays 

15 days military leave 

Additional 6 weeks paid 

parental leave 

Health/ Vision/Dental/ Life 

Insurance 

21-44 YEARS OLD 

45 COLLEGE 

CREDIT HOURS 

MUST MEET ONE REQUIREMENT 

19.5-21 YEARS 

OLD 

60 COLLEGE 

CREDIT HOURS 

ACTIVE TCOLE 

LICENSE 

MUST HAVE VALID 

TEXAS PEACE 

OFFICER LICENSE 

3 YEARS 

ACTIVE MILITARY 

HONORABLE 

DISCHARGE 

dallaspolice.net/join-dpd 214-671-4409 

148 The BLUES 

Civilian positions available: (Apply at www.Dallascityhall.com)

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GALVESTON 

COUNTY 

SHERIFF’S OFFICE 

Seeking Individuals Who Are Interested in a Rewarding Career in Corrections 

Begin Your Career Today! 

GALVESTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ESTABLISHMENT OF ELIGIBILITY 

Position: Corrections Deputy I 

Bureau/Division: Corrections/Jail 

Title/Rank: Corrections Deputy/Deputy I 

Reports to: Sergeant - Corrections 

Starting Salary: $51,250.00 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES 

Maintains the security of the facility by conducting security checks, settling disputes, and performing cell searches and 

inspections; conducts outside perimeter checks. 

Preparation and proper completion in the documentation of inmate records. 

Issues inmate meals, clothing, linens, and personal items. 

Supervise inmate programs (recreational, legal, health care, visitation and religious services) 

Prepares reports on jail and inmate activities, enforce inmate handbook rules. 

Supervises inmates performing such assignments as cleaning and maintaining the jail facility and continuously observe 

locations and activities of inmates. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

• High School / GED Certificate and must be at least 18 years of age. 

• Must be a U.S. Citizen and resident of the contiguous United States for a period of time sufficient to conduct a 

background investigation. 

• Must be able to work days, nights, weekends, holidays and mandatory shifts when needed. 

• Must be able to work during natural disasters and or under declarations. 

• Must possess a valid Texas driver's license and an acceptable driving record as determined by the Galveston County 

Sheriff's Office in effect at the time of application. 

• Must have favorable employment history. All information given regarding past employment will be thoroughly checked. 

• Must have a stable credit history. 

• Must possess good computer skills and demonstrate comprehensive reading and comprehension skills. 

• No conviction above a Class B Misdemeanor or a Class B misdemeanor within the last 10 years nor have been on or 

currently on court-ordered community supervision or probation for any criminal offense and no Family Violence 

convictions of any level. 

• Applicant must pass all phases of the required testing. 

• Must be eligible for licensing by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) for the position applied for, if not 

presently licensed. 

TO APPLY 

An applicant interested in any of GCSO position shall first download, complete and return 

the Application Packet, per the instructions on the downloadable form. 

The Application Packet can be found at SHERIFF.GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV 

JOIN US 

VISIT SHERIFF.GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV TO APPLY! 

The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer 

CONTACT US 

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409.763.7585 : SO.EMPLOYMENT@GALVESTONCOUNTYTX.GOV

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ARE WE 

HIRING 

Criminal Background 

Pass 

proficiently 

Type 

Nights, Weekends & Holidays 

Work 

Speaking Preferred 

Spanish 

11th Street 

1015 

Texas 

Hempstead, 

Hour work schedule 

12- 

every other weekend 

off 

THE CITY OF 

TELECOMMUNICATIONS DIVISION 

HEMPSTEAD POLICE DEPARTMENT 

Dispatchers 

QUALIFICATIONS 

18 years of age 

Minimum 

Starting Salary: $41,600 

B E N E F I T S 

BlueCross Blue Shield 

Vision & Dental Insurance 

Longevity Pay > 1 year 

Certificate Pay 

Uniform Shirts Provided 

77445 

156 The BLUES 

www.hempsteadcitytx.gov (job opportunities)

JOIN OUR TEAM 

Place your department’s recruiting ad 

in The BLUES for only $250 for an 

BECOME entire A HEMPSTEAD year, only $20 a POLICE month. OFFICER 

Hempstead's Finest 

Starting Salary: $57,750 

- BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD 

- VISION & DENTAL INS 

- CERTIFICATE PAY 

- WEAPONS ISSUED 

- OFF EVERY OTHER WEEKEND 

- CONTINUING TRAINING 

NOW HIRING 3 POLICE OFFICERS 

HPD BOASTS: 

- Training Provider 

- Canine Program 

- Narcotics Investigation 

- Crash Investigators 

- Telecommunications 

Division 

1015 11th St Hempstead, TX 

hpdrecruing@hempsteadcitytx.gov 

Or call us at: (979) 826-3332 

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LATERAL DEPUTY

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WE ARE 

HIRING! 

BENEFITS 

• Free basic Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance for 

employee 

• Free basic Life insurance 

• Long Term Disability (LTD) 

• Affordable Medical, Dental and Vision benefits for 

eligible family members 

• Flexible Spending Accounts 

• 10 paid holidays per year 

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) including 10 vacation 

days and 13 sick days per year accrued biweekly 

• Paid Parental Leave 

RETIREMENT 

• Harris County matches your investment at 225% 

• 7% of your salary is invested pre-tax in your 

retirement account 

• Retirement Vesting after 8 years 

• Eligible upon earning 75 points (age+years of service) 

SALARY SCALE 

INCENTIVE PAY 

CLASSIFICATION SERVICE HOURLY ANNUAL 

DEPUTY I 0-47 $26.23 $54,558 

DEPUTY II 48-83 $28.07 $58,386 

DEPUTY III 84-119 $29.73 $61,838 

DEPUTY IV 120-155 $31.23 $64,958 

DEPUTY V 156+ $32.78 $68,182 

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TCOLE CERTIFICATION 

ANNUAL 

Intermediate $1,560 

Advanced $3,420 

Master $6,000 

EDUCATION 

ANNUAL 

Associate Degree $1,320 

Bachelor Degree $3,180 

Master/Doctorate $4,500 

Bilingual Pay $1,800 

Receive up to fourteen (14) years of credit for time served! (Restrictions apply) 

LATERAL DEPUTY 

REQUIREMENTS 

• Must be a licensed Peace Officer by the Texas Commission on Law 

Enforcement (TCOLE) in good standing 

• Must be currently employed as a Peace Officer (any break in service 

will be considered on a case-by-case basis) 

• Must have a minimum of 12 consecutive months experience as a 

Peace Office at any one agency 

• Must successfully pass the HCSO Physical Abilities Test (PAT) 

• Meet HCSO firearms qualification standard 

• Must pass a thorough background investigation (criminal 

background check, fingerprinting, personal interview, etc.) as 

required by TCOLE 

• Must pass a physical and psychological evaluation as required by 

TCOLE 

• Valid driver’s license and liability insurance (Texas by start date) 

• Eyesight must be correctable to 20/20, normal color, and peripheral 

vision 

• Correctable normal audible range in both ears 

• A two (2) year minimum commitment to Patrol before being eligible 

to transfer to other Bureaus 

TO APPLY 

SCAN THIS CODE 

For additional information contact 

Harris County Sheriff’s Office Recruitment Unit 

(713) 877-5250 

@HCSOTexas 

Harris County 

Sheriff’s Office 

HCSOTexas HCSOTexas @HCSOTexas

Now Hiring 

OFFICERS 

TCOLE Certified Peace Officers 

Hutto ranked one of the 

safest cities in Texas. 

Our fast-growing City shows a trending decrease in crimes based 

on four offenses from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting. 

Additional Pay 

+ Education Pay up to $175/month 

+ Specialty/Certication up to $260/month 

Highlights 

Top-of-the-line Equipment 

and Technology 

Beards and Tattoos Allowed 

No Written Test for Most Lateral Officers 

Benets 

Retirement 

2-to-1 City match with TMRS 

Take-home Patrol Car 

For officers living within 25 miles 

Starting Salary 

$62K to $81K 

Annual Leave Accruals 

12 paid holidays, 80 hrs vacation, 96 hrs sick leave 

Multiple Positions Available 

A wide variety of units and assignments available 

To learn more or apply, visit or scan 

https: //linktr. ee/huttopd 

Questions? Email: PDrecruiting@huttotx.gov 

Tenure agreement required. 

Sign On Bonus! 

$5,000* 

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THE KILLEEN POLICE DEPARTMENT 

IS NOW 

Hiring 

FOR THE POSITION OF 

Police Officer 

Online Applications 

will open: 

July 31, 2023 

Application Deadline: 


Civil Service Exam will 

be: 


To apply, go to: 

www.killeentexas.gov/16 

8/Job-Opportunities 

Wear The Badge, 

Make a Difference 

D 

b 

th 

a 

Officer De'Vonte Johnson 

Recruiter 

254-200-7987 

DJohnson@killeentexas.gov 

The Killeen Police Department is an 

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Equal Opportunity Employer

Starting pay - $57,889 

Paid: Vacation, Holiday & Sick Leave 

$15K Sign-on incentive for TCOLE 

certified Peace Officers 

College Degree pay incentive 

7% retirement plan through TMRS 

with a 2:1 match ratio 

Comprehensive Benefits Package 

Opportunity to work in various 

specialized units 

The Killeen Police 

epartment is dedicated to 

uilding a partnership with 

e community to fight crime 

nd improve every citizen's 

quality of life. 

Follow us at: 

KilleenPD 

KilleenPolice 

JoinKilleenPD 

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Visit www.KilleenPD.com for further details

L A P O R T E 

P O L I C E D E P A R T M E N T 

Lateral Police Officer 

Starting Pay $ 62,416. to $73,775. 

Effective October 1, 2022 

No prior experience required. High School diploma or GED required. 

Possession of Class C Texas Driver License. 

Must possess a TCOLE License or be enrolled in accredited Basic Peace Officer Academy. 

Certification Pay (bi-weekly): 

$46.15 - Intermediate Peace Officer 

$69.23 - Advanced Peace Officer 

$92.31 - Master Peace Officer 

Education Pay (bi-weekly): 

$46.15 - Associates Degree 

$69.23 - Bachelors Degree 

$92.31 - Masters Degree 

Employee Benefits: 

Medical / Dental / Vision Insurance 

Longevity Pay 


TMRS Retirement (2 to 1 match) 

ICMA Deferred Compensation/Roth IRA 

$1,000 Physical Fitness Program 

Weapon Purchase Program 

Take-home Vehicles 

Specialized Divisions: 

SWAT / Bomb Squad 

Bike Patrol 

Criminal Investigative Division 

Crime Scene Unit 

Drone Pilots 

School Resource Officers 

Traffic/DOT Officers 

Police Area Representatives 

Apply online at 

www.laportetx.gov/jobs 

Paid Leave Benefits 

15 days vacation (Civil Service) 

15 days sick leave 

Military Leave 

9 observed holidays per year 

2 employee holidays per year 

Bereavement Leave 

Comp Time 

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LEWISVILL 

E 

Benefits and Additional Pay: 

• $2500 Sign - On Bonus 

• Lateral Entry Program 

• Take - Home Vehicle 

$77,314 - $97,679 

• Cross Fit G ym 

• 24 /7 Private Indoor/Outdoor Range 

• Load Bearing Vests 

• Tattoos and Beards 

• Tuition Reimbursement 

• 20 Year TMRS Retirement 7% , 2:1 match 

• 457 Deferred Compensation p lan with 3.76% city match 

• 3 Weeks Paid Vacation 

• 15 Days Paid Sick Leave 

• 9 Paid Holidays 

• Field Training Officer 

• Bilingual 

• Longevity 

• Education /Certification 

GET PAID FOR YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A CERTIFIED OFFICER 

• 1 YEAR $83,566 

• 2 YEARS $86,877 

• 3 YEARS $90,373 

• 4 YEARS $93,677 

• 5 YEARS $97,679 

Specialized Units : 

• SWAT 

• Street Crimes 

• K - 9 

• Narcotics 

• UAS Drone 

• Bicycle Patrol 

• Criminal In vestigations 

• Traffic 

• DWI 

• Commercial Vehicle Enforcement 

• Training 

• School Resource Officer 

• Neighborhood Resource Officer 

• Co - Care Crisis Team 

www .PROTECTLEWISVILLE. com 

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- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

- 

 

 

 

 

---

WE’RE HIRING 

Join our team and receive: 

• Medical, dental, vision and life insurance 

• Paid vacation, employee days, well days, 

sick days and holidays 

• Competitive pay (including bilingual pay incentive) 

AND MUCH MORE! 

APPLY NOW 

Scan here or visit 

RideMETRO.org/Careers 

Call 713-739-4953 or email JoinMPD@RideMETRO.org 

for additional information. 

METRO I S AN EQU A L O PPOR TUNIT Y E M P L O YER. 

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LONGVIEW POLICE DEPARTMENT 

JOIN OUR 

TEAM 

2-TIER HIRING 

INCENTIVE 

STARTING SALARY 

$60,085 

$3,000 

Insurance 

120 Hours Vacation 

11 Paid Holidays 

80 Hours Sick Leave 

20-Year Retirement Plan 

2/1 City Match TMRS 

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Beards & Tattoos Allowed 

Academy Pay 

Equipment Provided 

Excellent Training Provided 

Speciality/Cerification Pay 

Community Support 

Plentiful Outdoor Activities

$65,709-$67,685 

Based on Population and Experience 

25 YEAR STEP PLAN 

$60,085 - $84,308 

STEP INTO YOUR FUTURE 

NEW POLICE STATION 

COMING 2023 

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MEMORIAL VILLAGES POLICE DEPARTMENT 

Serving the Villages of Bunker Hill, Piney Point and Hunters Creek 

POLICE OFFICER 

The Memorial Villages Police Department is currently looking for experienced officers who are 

self-motivated, innovative, enthusiastic and love working for a community that supports them. 

5+ Years Patrol Experience Required 

Hiring Bonus $1,500 

Night Shift Differential $3,600 

E.C.A $1300 

Bi-lingual Pay 

Education Pay 

Intermediate, Advanced, Master 

Peace Officer Certification Pay 

Healthcare, Dental and Vision Insurance 

100% paid for employee, 75% for 

spouse/dependents. 

Paid long-term disability and Life Insurance 

for employee, additional life insurance 

available for spouse/dependents. 

Health Savings Account with Department 

contributions up to $4,200 annually. 

TMRS Retirement 7% w/ 2:1 match (20 yr). 

457 Deferred Compensation Plan with 

employer contribution of 2.5% of annual 

salary. 


Longevity Pay up to a max of $2,400 

annually at 10 years of service. 

12 Hour shifts with every other Friday, 

Starting at $83,459 up to $94,164 

Scan for more 

information 

W W W . M V P D T X . O R G 

11981 Memorial Drive – Houston, Tx 77024 

713.365.3700 

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____________________________________________________________________________

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MAKE A 

DIFFERENCE 

IN YOUR 

COMMUNITY 

We are looking for outstanding individuals to 

join our team! As a Pearland Police Officer your 

mission will be to prevent crime and disorder, build 

partnerships within the community, and positively 

impact the quality of life for all our residents. 

CITY OF PEARLAND, TEXAS 

• Competitive Salary • Outstanding Training 

• Career Advancement • Exceptional Benefits 

The City of Pearland is one of the fastest growing 

communities within the region. Pearland is located 

approximately 20 minutes south of Downtown Houston 

and the current population is approximately 130,000 

residents. 

JOIN OUR TEAM 

HIRING POLICE OFFICERS AND CADETS 

$5,000 Hiring Incentive for T.C.O.L.E Certified Police 

Officers who qualify with at least 2 years of experience. 

TEST DATE: 

SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 8:30 A.M. 

Register by: April 12. 

Pearland Recreation Center & Natatorium 

4141 Bailey Road, Pearland, TX 77584. 

Doors Open: 7:15 a.m. No admittance after 7:45 a.m. 

Candidates must park in the north parking lot. 

SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES WILL APPLY 

• Attendance limited to first 150 arrivals 

• Mandatory temperature checks 

• Masks required, hand sanitizer available 

• Candidates seated 6 feet apart 

For additional information and to register for an upcoming Civil Service Exam, visit 

pearlandtx.gov/PDCareers 

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PORT HOUSTON 


WE ARE 

HIRING 

SIGN UP TODAY! www.porthouston.com/career 

Are you looking for a career with meaning? 

Do you want to make a difference in a highly 

supportive community? 

Join our team at Port Houston! 

STARTING PAY* 

$60,000 up to $71,000 

* Salary depends on experience 

182 The BLUES 

REQUIREMENTS 

• Must be 21 years old 

• Must have 2+ years of police officer 

experience 

• Must have valid Texas Driver’s License 

• Must be a U.S. Citizen 

• Must have an honorable discharge 

from the military (if applicable) 

• Must never have been convicted of a 

Class A Misdemeanor or above 

• Not been convicted of a Class B 

misdemeanor within the last 10 years 

• Must have a GED or high school diploma

s-2 

BENEFITS: 

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance 

eligible first day of employment 

• Wellness Program 

(can earn up to $600 credit per year if requirements met) 

• Enrollment with Calm App for Wellbeing 

• Defined contribution plan (401a) 

– Employer Sponsored 

• Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan) 

– Employee Contributions 

• Vacation 


• Paid Holiday 12 days/year 

• Life and Accidental Death and 

Dismemberment Insurance 

• Short Term and Long-Term Disability Benefits 

• Flexible spending account (FSA) 

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 

• Pet Insurance 

• Legal and Identity Theft Protection 

• Tuition Reimbursement 

Up to the IRS annual limit and a maximum lifetime 

reimbursement of $25,000 

• Onsite Credit Union – Port of Houston Credit Union 

EMPLOYMENT 

TESTING 

Employment is contingent on passing 

any post-offer pre-employment 

screening as listed below: 

• Criminal background check 

• Motor Vehicle Record check 

• Drug screening 

• Physical exam 

• Psychological exam 

• Additional as required 

SCAN 

QR CODE 

TO APPLY 

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Welcome Aboard 

Rowlett Police Department 

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Provide Exceptional 

Service to All! 

CONTACT 

US NOW 

NOW HIRING 

972-412-6240 

kharrelson@rowlett.com 

4401 Rowlett Rd., 

Rowlett, TX 75088 

Accepting Lateral 

Police Officers. 

Get paid for your 

experience! 

CURRENT SALARY 

Starting salary is $65,554 

Top Out Police Officer salary is $90,861 

Lateral Transfer - May be eligible for a starting 

salary of up to $75,221 

UNITS/ DIVISIONS 

Containment Team 

SWAT 

Bike Unit 

Community Services 

School Resource Officer 


Criminal Investigations Division 

Traffic 

Crisis Assistance Team 

Crisis Negotiation Team 

BENEFITS 

TMRS Pension 7/14 

Medical Insurance 

Dental Insurance 

Vision Insurance 

10 paid vacation days during 

first year & 10 Paid Holidays 

Paid Sick 

Beards and tattoos are 

authorized 

Longevity Pay 

Long Term Disability 

Life Insurance 

Dry cleaning 

Three department issued 

firearms 

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GROW WITH US!

SEGUIN PD IS 

NOW 

ORDER - UNDERSTANDING - RESPECT 

HIRING 

POLICE OFFICERS 

UP TO $3,000 SIGN ON BONUS 

INCENTIVE PAY FOR TCOLE 

CERTIFICATION, BILINGUAL SPEAKERS, & 

EDUCATIONAL PAY 

WELLNESS PROGRAM PROVIDING ON-DUTY 

TIME FOR FITNESS AND FITNESS REWARD 

LEAVE 

POLICE CADETS CAN APPLY AFTER START 

OF ACADEMY, AND BEGIN RECEIVING 

CADET PAY OF $52,350 

EQUIPMENT AND UNIFORMS ARE PROVIDED 

INCLUDING TAKE HOME VEHICLES, HANDGUN 

WITH RED DOT SIGHT & SUPPRESSED PATROL 

RIFLE 

TMRS RETIREMENT (2:1 CITY MATCH) 

100% EMPLOYEE MEDICAL/DENTAL PREMIUM 

COVERED BY CITY 

PROGRESSIVE IN-SERVICE AND EXTERNAL 

TRAINING EXCEEDING NATIONAL TRAINING 

AVERAGES 

STARTING PAY AT $63,784 

ELIGIBLE FOR ANNUAL STEP RAISES 

OPPORTUNITIES FOR DIVERSE EXPERIENCE IN 

SPECIALIZED UNITS AND ASSIGNMENTS SUCH 

AS SWAT, K9, NARCOTICS, SPECIAL CRIMES, 

MENTAL HEALTH, TRAFFIC, AND CRIMINAL 

INVESTIGATIONS DIVISION 

$ 6 7 , 0 1 3 L A T E R A L S A L A R Y 

APPLY NOW AT: WWW.APPLITRACK.COM/SEGUINTEXAS/ONLINEAPP 

T H E C I T Y O F S E G U I N I S A N E Q U A L O P P O R T U N I T Y E M P L O Y E R 

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SPRING BRANCH ISD POLICE DEPARTMENT 

WE’RE 

HIRING 

DEPARTMENT 

HIGHLIGHTS 

55 officer department 

44 square mile district 

47 schools 

35,000 population 

24/7 Patrol 

We want you to preserve, protect, and defend our future. 

Starting Pay $63,000 (TCOLE Basic Peace Officer certification with no experience) 

Patrol & Onsite Officers (HS/MS) 

Gang Officer 


Community Relations Officer 

Emergency Management 

Criminal Investigations 

K-9 programs 

Language pay 

Shift differential pay 

Intermediate, Advanced and 


certificate pay 

Paid time off 

Ample overtime opportunities 

*All equipment provided including duty weapon 

**Training opportunities available 

Apply online today. springbranchisd.com/join-our-team 

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We are hiring 

Police 

Officers 

now. 

Join the Waco ISD 

Police Department team! 

Pay Grade: 310 

Days: 207 and 226 

Salary: $42,228 to $55,542* 

*Depending on workday calendar 

and years of experience. 

Sign-on Bonus: $5,000 

Qualifications: 

Education/Certification: 

• High School Diploma or GED 

• Texas Peace Officer License issued by TCOLE 

• Current valid Texas class “C” drivers license 

To learn more or 

apply, please visit 

Wacoisd.org/apply 

Waco ISD Police Department 

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HUNTER BIDEN

Nov 2023. Blues Vol 39 No. 11

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