An Indiana State Police trooper was alerted by a passing driver that a nearby home was on fire on Saturday night. Around 10 p.m. on September 12, Master Trooper Mick Dockery was at a traffic stop near Edison Road and Crestwood Boulevard in South Bend when another driver told him that a house was on fire down the street. The trooper left the traffic stop and went to the home in the 3000 block of Edison Road. The east side of the house and garage were fully engulfed in flames, according to ISP. Dockery ran to the front door of the house and saw a man trying to open the front storm door but he wasn’t able to. Dockery forced the door open so he could get the man out but the man disappeared back into the house yelling he needed to get his dog out, ISP said. According to ISP, Dockery then noticed a woman who appeared disoriented in the front room, so he went in and dragged her from the home. Dockery yelled for the man to leave the home and a short time later, the man came outside and was soon followed by a German Shepherd. ISP did not say what caused the fire or if any injuries were sustained to the home’s occupants. Dockery was later cleared at a local hospital.

As of Tuesday, Washington State Patrol will be in their 100th year of service to the state of Washington. WSP's history traces all the way back to June 1921, when Washington lawmakers agreed to create a new state agency that primarily worked on traffic enforcement. When a decision was reached, 16 men were given three days of training, and on September 1, 1921 were sworn in as the first WSP patrolmen, though back then they were called the Washington Highway Patrol. In the early days of the agency, those officers looked a lot different than they do now. For one, they had no uniform: instead they were given just a badge and a Highway Patrol armband. They also didn't drive patrol cars but were instead assigned WWI surplus Indian motorcycles. Officers would be deployed all across the state, sometimes alone, and would often have to carry camping gear in their motorcycle side-cars for longer deployments. In some cases, deployment could last for months. Trooper Vernon Forth was the first WSP trooper to die in the line of duty, killed on September 30, 1923 when he was hit by another officer's motorcycle while on the way to the Lynden Fair. In the early days of the agency, there were more horses than cars on the road, and less than a thousand miles of paved road in all of Washington state. WSP says the officers spent most of their time enforcing the speed limit (a new, and at the time controversial regulation), but also would be called to respond to forest fires. Eventually, in 1924 the officers were issued uniforms, but it would be almost two decades before they were given actual patrol cars. Also different at the time was the badges the troopers wore. From 1921 to 1927 troopers wore a silver, shield shaped badge somewhat similar to a firefighters crest, before adopting the six-pointed star badge that troopers wear today. In honor of WSP's 100th year, troopers have been authorized to wear the classic "Centennial Badge" once again. The patrol says they'll also be using their hundredth year to look back at all the troopers who have been killed in the line of duty— taking time to remember the lost troopers on the anniversary of their deaths. WSP says the first anniversary memorial will be September 3 for Trooper Gene Bolstamd who died attempting to save a drowning teenager in Long Beach on September 3, 1957. To date, 30 WSP troopers have died on the job.

An emotional Ben Horton reflected on an incident that could have changed his family forever if not for the quick response of an off-duty police officer. “I don’t know what I would do without my daughter in my life. I [have] only known her for seven weeks, but I can’t remember what my life was like before she entered the world,” the Taneytown resident said in an interview. “My family is my everything.” Horton’s wife, Terria Lemaster, said she was driving on Baltimore Street in Taneytown on Aug. 19 when she looked into the car’s baby mirror. It gave her a clear view of their baby, Ivy-Jade. It was a sight she will not soon forget. “I looked back, and she was completely red,” Lemaster said. “I pulled over as fast as I could, took her to the sidewalk, and turned her over. She wasn’t breathing and it looked like she was choking on thick mucus.” Lemaster stopped, her voice filled with emotion. “She is my first baby, so it was hard,” she said. “I wasn’t looking for help; I was just trying to get her airway clear. In the middle of all that, this woman pulled over, and then a man pulled over, too. “The woman asked, ‘Do you need help? I’m an off-duty state trooper,’ ” Lemaster said, and then she handed over her 6-week-old baby. Trooper 1st Class Amber Cerreto is a 10-year veteran of the Maryland State Police. “The first thing I noticed was where she was pulled over,” Cerreto said. “On that part of the roadway vehicles aren’t normally in the travel portion. Then I saw Lemaster at the rear of her vehicle and she appeared to be in distress.” Cerreto said she didn’t hesitate. “I swore an oath to protect and defend the citizens of Maryland — and anywhere else if I am able, whether or not I am on duty,” she said. Lemaster watched as Cerreto flipped Ivy-Jade over and began to lightly pound on her back. “She knew exactly how to get a baby breathing,” Lemaster said. “Afterward, she talked to me. She told me, ‘Don’t be afraid to do this.’ She was so nice.” Cerreto said was trained in infant CPR in 2010. She recently recertified during a biannual update with the Maryland State Police. This was the first time she had to use what she learned on an infant. “Infants are so small and delicate that you have to be deliberate with the back thrusts using the palm of your hand,” she said. “In addition, instead of using two hands as you would with an adult or adolescent you would use two fingers to complete the compressions.” Cerreto said Lemaster had a look of relief on her face as she watched her daughter take in fresh air. “It was almost as though she herself could breathe again,” Cerreto said. “This is why I continue to serve the State of Maryland as a trooper. I happen to be in the right place at the right time, and I will not stop in my continued effort to protect as many people as I can. I am relieved that I was able to help both of them and grateful that Lemaster allowed me to assist.” Lemaster explained how she had stayed calm and focused during the event, but afterward, she said, she was “a mess.” “I had to call Ben and ask him to leave work,” she said. Horton found the missed call from his wife on his lunch break. “I called her back, and she was distraught, crying and telling me all about Ivy-Jade, how she [had] stopped breathing while she was driving home and how an off-duty state trooper had assisted her and saved Ivy. I felt a mixture of emotions, so helpless that I wasn’t able to be there when my child needed help, and grateful that Amber was there to help my wife and baby, concerned that there is definitely something wrong with my daughter and that she needed to go to the doctor, concerned for my wife’s mental fortitude after the events of the day, and relieved that everyone was alive.”It was not long until the two were headed to the doctor with Ivy-Jade. That’s where they learned their little girl has acid reflux. “They said [the choking] is a panic response, because their airways are so tiny it can go up their nose,” Lemaster said. “She had already been having some sinus issues, so, for her, it was a mucus that got stuck.” After it was all over, Lemaster realized she hadn’t gotten the names of either person who stopped to help, so she took to the Taneytown Neighborhood group page on Facebook, posting: “To the man and woman who stopped while I was panicking on the side of the road with a choking 6-week-old, thank you for getting her to breathe correctly and teaching me CPR for a child. I can never thank you enough!” Cerreto saw the post and responded, “I’m glad to hear your daughter is better. Sorry we met in circumstances like this, but I’m happy to hear she is better now. Learn that CPR!” Lemaster said she is almost grateful it happened, because she now knows what to do if it happens again. She said she is eternally grateful to the two people who stopped to help and is still hoping the man who stopped will also see her Facebook post, so she can thank him. She said she will never forget how Cerreto saved Ivy-Jade’s life. Cerreto had a message for the entire family: “I hope your baby girl continues to grow up — into a strong woman one day. Thank you for allowing me to help you. And to Ivy-Jade — you are stronger than you know, even at 6 weeks. Keep it up!”

John Bagnardi, AAST Development Director (non-uniform) presents the winners plaque to AAST Georgia State Director Sergeant Michael Hall and some of Georgia State Patrol’s Command Staff. Lt. Colonel Wright, who took the winning photo of the GSP Cruiser, is to the right of Bagnardi. The presentation was conducted at the Headquarters of the Georgia State Patrol on Tuesday September 15, 2020. As the winning agency, GSP will grace the cover of the 2021 America’s Best Looking Cruiser Calendar and the month of January. Calendars go on sale today! Proceeds from the sale of the calendar benefit the AAST Foundation which provides higher education scholarships for AAST troopers children dependents. This year, the Foundation awarded 95 scholarships totaling 70,500.00. Since the inception of the program, AAST has awarded 4058 scholarships totaling more than 2.9 million dollars.

Congratulations to GSP and all the states featured on the calendar!     

A special thank you to our calendar corporate sponsors – AT&T First NET – TREMCO Anti-Theft Devices and Police Products – Sig-Sauer – Federal Signal Corporation

A young boy was feeling sick while traveling with his family over Labor Day weekend. The remedy for his illness? A big ol’ bear hug from a Missouri state trooper. The Missouri State Highway Patrol shared the story on social media Monday night. Corporal Levi Rawson stopped to check on a motorist in distress on Labor Day when he realized it was actually a child who was in distress. “This little guy was feeling ill as his family traveled and Levi had just what he needed to feel better....A Big Ol’ BEAR HUG!” MSHP Troop D tweeted. The troop shared dashcam video of the trooper kneeling down to hug the boy.

It’s got a HEMI under the hood scoop, a trained trooper behind the wheel and it's right behind that aggressive speeder who just passed you on the Buckman Bridge. Say hello to the Florida Highway Patrol's new friend — a Dodge Challenger R/T with a 370-horsepower V-8 engine under a sleek, yet still familiar black and yellow paint scheme. Jacksonville just received one of Florida's 10 new muscle car cruisers for use in Troop G's Duval County district, which includes Baker, Bradford, Clay, Nassau, Union and St. Johns counties. It's joined by one of 10 unmarked Ford Mustang GTs circulating the state in stealthier shades of white, silver, black, gray and red. The muscle cars are part of a renewed wave of more agile and powerful "specialty vehicles" that can blend in with traffic as they tackle aggressive speeders, Master Sgt. Dylan Bryan said. “Those are the small percentage of people who we want to get, those who are really grotesque with their driving violations and cause a lot of safety issues on our highways,”  Bryan said. “The Mustangs are unmarked, which means there is no lighting on the outside. And the Challengers have been kept in a slick-top fashion, the lights of those vehicles in the interior, so there are no external pieces you would recognize.” Florida drivers may remember that two-door muscle cars sporting the Highway Patrol’s familiar “bumblebee” paint job patrolled highways and state roads in recent years. First were the Fords Mustang SSPs, with more than 15,000 of the notchback coupes supplied to multiple agencies. Florida was the second-biggest buyer of them from 1982 until 1993. They packed a 5-liter V-8 and a certified calibrated speedometer to track speeders. The Highway Patrol also used sleek Chevrolet Camaros in recent years, as well as a few other sports cars like Nissan 300ZXs and Dodge Stealth coupes that it confiscated in raids. The Highway Patrol first showed off the new Challenger late last year in images in front of the Main Street bridge and St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos in a bid to win the American Association of State Troopers Foundation's “America’s Best-Looking Cruiser” contest. It came in ninth to the Nebraska State Patrol's Dodge Charger, then joined 11 other top vote-getters in the association's current 2020 calendar. Troop G’s new Challenger is the R/T model with a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 good tor a 5.5-second run to 60 mph in the civilian version. The emergency lights are tucked in the top of the windshield and rear window. Other strobes flash from fenders and side windows. It also gets a 360-degree HD camera to record any pursuit for later evidence gathering. "Coming up from behind, it looks like a black Challenger on your back door," Bryan said. The 460-horsepower Mustang GT is one of a number of police vehicles that Ford offers, from one based on the Explorer SUV, to a Transit Van for prisoner transport. Its civilian version can get to 60 mph in just over 4 seconds. The Highway Patrol's unmarked Mustangs also have hidden emergency lighting. Spoiler alert — Jacksonville's is silver, Bryan said. “They are being used more to combat aggressive driving. That's why they have been left unmarked,” Bryan said. “... We have no issues telling the public the color. We want them to see it and know that it's out there working because there are so many drivers who will still do hazardous behavior even with a marked car there." The Highway Patrol Mustangs also carry FHP license plates for an eagle-eyed driver to spot, Bryan said. The Challenger and the Mustang pursuit vehicles were purchased as part of the Highway Patrol's annual budget. They are also receiving a lot of public interest as recruitment tools by the Highway Patrol, as well as a traffic safety public relations tool in parades and events, Bryan said.

9/2/2020

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Monday announced her choice to lead the state’s largest law enforcement agency. Terri Davie is a 24-year veteran of law enforcement in Oregon, Brown said in a statement. Davie will assume the role Nov. 1, pending approval from the state Senate. Davie has "a strong record of leading by example,” Brown said. “She brings a focus on inclusivity and is dedicated to listening to community voices—including Oregon’s Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Tribal communities—as we work towards a more fair and just law enforcement system in Oregon. I look forward to her leadership as we do the hard work of transforming law enforcement standards and training and putting the state on a path toward racial justice.” Davie began her career with the Oregon Department of Corrections, where she was a correctional officer and a lieutenant at the Oregon State Penitentiary. In 2001, Terri joined the Oregon State Police as a patrol trooper assigned to the Albany Area Command. Over the years, Davie has served in many different assignments, including as a major crimes detective, a crisis negotiator on the agency’s SWAT Team, and as a station commander at the Capitol in Salem. She has served as state police deputy superintendent since July 2016. Davie holds an advanced law enforcement certification and is an active member of the FBI National Executive Institute and the International and Oregon Association Chiefs of Police. Previous superintendent Travis Hampton announced his retirement earlier this month. The leadership change comes as Oregon State Police will again start patrolling Portland’s nightly protests against systemic racism and police brutality with help from officers from neighboring communities. That’s part of a plan announced by Brown late Sunday to tamp down on vandalism and violence following a fatal shooting.

A mysterious handgun found in the middle of a field a year ago has since made its way back home to the N.C. State Highway Patrol along

with its rich history,

The gun, a Colt revolver, was discovered by someone mowing a field located off South Main Street in 2019. An empty black backpack was found beside the rusted gun, said Salisbury Police detective Jay Basinger.

Basinger said a patrol officer was called to the scene to retrieve the gun. When the officer couldn’t make out any markings on the gun, he turned it over to Basinger. As a crime scene investigator, Basinger processes guns regularly with serial numbers etched off or older guns like the revolver that was found.

“We got enough to where we could read the serial numbers and the markings,” Basinger said.

The detective said he was able to clean and restore the gun in June 2019 enough that he could make out the letters N.C.S H.P. No. 10. on the bottom of the grip. Basinger said he contacted the local Highway Patrol Troop E office located on South Main Street. There, law enforcement officers were able to determine that the gun had not been reported stolen.

But Basinger said it was a mystery to him as to why the gun was left in a field. The police department’s records only go so far, he said.

The gun was found and restored two weeks before the 90th anniversary of the Highway Patrol.

“This piece of history was found and returned to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol during the year of our 90th anniversary. The highway patrol has always taken pride in our rich heritage,” said Sgt. Christopher Knox with the State Highway Patrol Public Information Office.

Knox said the highway patrol contacted the Colt Firearms Manufacturing Company to check the serial number to determine the origin of the gun. The Office of the Colt Historian in Bloomfield, Connecticut, determined the gun was originally shipped to the State Highway Patrol in care of Capt. Chris D. Farmer on April 29, 1929.

The revolver was No. 10 of 39. It was chambered in .38/c with a 5-inch barrel, blue finish and a beige grip.

The gun would’ve been assigned to R.R. Glover, who was a Raleigh native, and the 10th original member of the organization. When Glover became a trooper, he was employed by the State Highway Commission in Raleigh. During the 1931 reorganization, Glover was promoted to corporal. While working out of Asheville, he was ambushed and shot near Canton.

He was the first member of the highway patrol organization to be shot but he was not seriously injured. After working for the highway patrol for a number of years, he transferred from patrol to work for the License Plate Identification Division of the Department of Motor Vehicles in Raleigh.

Knox said it’s not clear if Glover lost the gun or it was stolen.

He said they have not been able to connect with any of Glover’s family members.

The gun is fully functional and will remain with the Highway Patrol’s Armory in the Historical Firearms Section.

8/27/2020

Savannah Parker was in the car with her father when he got into an accident and died. His law enforcement family is still showing up for her special occasions. P

Two years ago in March 2018, an off-duty Georgia State Patrol trooper lost his life in a personal car accident in Cordele.

Trooper Tyler Parker's daughter, Savannah, was in the car with him and survived.

She will always miss her dad, but she's got a big family that will be there for the special occasions in life.

GSP Trooper Robert Donaldson was part of a brigade that drove through the streets of Cordele on Monday morning.

"We just decided to take her to school that day and make a show of it," he said.

Savannah's grandfather, Gary Parker, was there to see her heading into her first day of Pre-K.

"[There was] not a lot of talking. There was a lot of ugly faces with red eyes, but Savannah knows she knows she's loved by everyone," said Parker.

Gary Parker is a retired state trooper, and he lost his son two years ago.

Tyler Parker, who was 23 at the time of the fatal accident, hydroplaned off a road and slammed into a tree.

"It was a horrible rainstorm. I've never seen anything like it," Gary recalled.

From that day forward, the men and women in blue pledged to stick by the Parkers, especially Savannah.

"The only way for Savannah to know her daddy and to know the trooper he was is to have the family of the Georgia State Patrol be a part of her life," Gary projected.

"Tyler was a great guy and if the roles were reversed he would have done it for any of us," said Donaldson, "I don't want them to go it alone. The state patrol is always going to be there for them."

It will take a few years for Savannah to realize the significance of this day and that's okay, but these folks don't plan to ever leave her side.

"She can call any of us. She has a whole list of numbers she can call anytime and we'll all be there day or night," said Donaldson.

Gary Parker says the troopers have also showed up in uniform for birthday parties.

8/26/2020

After seeing a news story about Silas Oliver, a 6-year-old boy with special needs from Elyria, wishing for a tricycle so he could play with his siblings, Massachusetts'Hampden County Sheriff's Department Deputy Robert Charland decided to take it upon himself to build the very specialized tricycle for Silas. Deputy Charland builds and works on bikes, and is the founder of Pedal Thru Youth, a nonprofit that donates bikes to children. After Deputy Charland contacted Massachusetts State Police, they agreed to help transport the specially-made tricycle to Silas. They then reached out to New York State Police, PA State Police and the Ohio State Highway Patrol to ask for assistance in relaying the tricycle nearly 600 miles. This evening, Lt. Alan Dunbar and Trooper Cyara Castillo, Elyria Post, finished the multi-state relay and delivered Silas his new, special tricycle after the trek started early this morning. Thanks to the partnership between these agencies and the generosity of Deputy Charland and his organization, Silas was able to receive something special he has been wishing for, and will now be able to play with his siblings.

source:https://www.facebook.com/OhioStateHighwayPatrol

8/20/2020

A funeral for was held this past weekend for a Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper killed while off-duty and working a second job.

Morris, a 27-year veteran of the Mississippi Highway Patrol, was driving a mail truck for a company contracted by the U.S. Postal Service early Friday, Aug. 7, when he got a flat tire on U.S. 61 in Jefferson County. Morris called Mississippi Highway Patrol and the sheriff’s department to report the flat while he waited for another truck. A deputy later arrived on scene and found Morris shot to death inside the truck, investigators said.

Morris was 58, and Jefferson County Sheriff James Bailey said Morris, who was only a few months shy of retiring from the Mississippi Highway Patrol, leaves behind a wife, Gale, and a daughter.

“We’ve pretty much been raised together in law enforcement,” Bailey said. “He was a dear friend of mine. He loved his job, was dedicated to his job, he did his job, and he believed in what he did. … My heart is broken and I’m saddened by his loss. I’m glad that we were able to capture the three suspects … so we can bring justice and closure to his family.”

Bailey said the three suspects who were arrested in relation to the murder, Damion Whittley, 25, Cdarrius Norman, 17, and Treyon Washington, 24, are now in custody in Mississippi and are all being held without bond.

“This was a senseless, heartless act and a horrific crime. It’s uncalled for and unjust to kill a law enforcement officer,” Bailey said. “We do not have a motive at this time and may not ever get one. All we know is we have the three subjects who were involved in custody and it was a murder. We are going to do everything we can to get justice and closure.”

Whittley is being detained in Gulfport on another murder charge and Washington and Norman are being detained in Jefferson County, Bailey said.

A warrant had been issued for Whittley by Gulfport police in relation to the May 2019 shooting death of Delfred Lewis Jr.

“I want to thank every agency who took part in this investigation,” Bailey said.

Natchez Police Chief Walter Armstrong who is retired from the Mississippi Highway Patrol worked with Morris and said Morris was a hardworking professional lawman.

Armstrong said he had met with Morris in Morris’ office at the Brookhaven Highway Patrol headquarters the week before Morris was killed.

“Troy and I had a very candid conversation, and we talked about our careers in law enforcement and we talked about our years of knowing each other and working beside each other in the field of the Mississippi Highway Patrol,” Armstrong said. “It is very sad that a person who had dedicated over 27 years of his life serving and protecting the citizens … that someone just comes along and just takes his life.”

Armstrong said above all, Morris was a kind man.

“Troy was just a kind-hearted person,” Armstrong said. “. . . He was fair and he was honest and just a down-to-earth guy. He was pretty much a happy-go-lucky guy. In other words you never saw him where he was down in spirit. He was one of those uplifting guys.”

Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said Morris’s death was unexpected and a tragedy to the community Morris served.

“It’s unfortunate whenever we lose and officer, period, and this case is no different,”

Patten said. “This is one of the last ways you expect to lose an officer. It’s tragic. My heart and my condolences go out to his family.”

Steven Freeman, who works part-time at the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and at Miss Lou Body Shop, said he met Morris four years ago while working on his patrol car.

Freeman said Morris was a true hero — one who gave of himself and put his own life at risk for the greater good of others.

“The more I talked to him, the more I realized he’s nothing like you’d perceive him to be,” Freeman said. “He was 100% a state trooper and he was also pretty down to earth. He took his job seriously and he was good at it, but he’s good at cracking you up too.”

Freeman said he and Morris would tease each other back and forth just like old friends even after having known each other for a short amount of time.

“From the first time I met him we became good friends, and the second time we talked it was just like we had known each other for quite some time. He was a joker.”

Freeman said Morris gave 27 years of his life to the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the looks on the faces of Morris’ ‘brothers and sisters in blue’ showed how deeply saddened they were at his loss.

“As close as we became in four years, you can imagine the kind of impact he’s had on people just over the last 27 years. His was a vital loss to the state of Mississippi. I don’t think you’ll ever find another person that touched as many people as he did. … It’s a hell of a loss, plain and simple. … Hopefully the justice system will help his family get closure. Not just his blood family but the blue as well,” Freeman said.

Morris’ family could not be reached for comment on this story.

The Mississippi State Troopers Association has created an online fundraising campaign at fundthefirst.com to benefit Morris’ family.

“All proceeds will go directly to Mrs. Morris and their family,” the website states. “Thank you all for the love and support and God Bless.”

credit:https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2020/08/14/funeral-arrangements-set-for-slain-mississippi-trooper/

8/17/2020

An upcoming fundraiser in Ionia is set to help pay for medical expenses for a Michigan State Police trooper battling a brain tumor.

A yard sale, bake sale and car wash to support MSP Trooper Dane Van Ells is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Ionia Fairgrounds, 317 S. Dexter St., in Ionia.

George’s Concession will provide fair-type food and a raffle is scheduled to take place, said organizer Sarah Shattuck.

Those interested in donating “good used condition” items for the yard sale and returnables can contact Shattuck’s husband — Trooper Scott Shattuck — at 616-914-2028. There are plans to have a pick-up and drop-off location for returnables on Sept. 12.

“Everything that we make from the bake sale, the yard sale and the car wash will go directly to Dane... Hopefully that’s a good turnout for him,” Sarah Shattuck said.

Van Ells, of Pewamo, is a 2016 graduate of Pewamo-Westphalia High School. He graduated from the 135th Trooper Recruit School in 2019 and was assigned to the MSP Lakeview Post.

In November 2019, Van Ells was diagnosed with a brain tumor. A GoFundMe page was launched to support Van Ells and a fundraiser took place in January at P-W High School, with both receiving positive support, Shattuck said.

Since January, Van Ells has been receiving chemotherapy treatment at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.

“There’s been some but very little progress,” Shattuck said.

Van Ells was given one to three years to live by the University of Michigan, Shattuck said.

Van Ells’ family located a doctor in Houston — Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski — who has had success in treating his type of cancer. The treatment, however, is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — meaning Van Ells’ medical insurance won’t cover testing or medications.

“All this money has to come out of pocket,” Shattuck said.

After Van Ells’ family learned his prognosis and spoke with families in and out of state that had someone receive treatment from Burzynski, his medical records were forwarded to Texas, Shattuck said.

“They felt this was the next road they needed to take,” Shattuck said.

Van Ells departed for Texas on Saturday, Aug. 8, after attending the funeral of fellow MSP Trooper Caleb Starr, who died on July 31 after injuries suffered in a July 10 crash.

Van Ells and Starr graduated from the same Trooper Recruit School and were each assigned to the MSP Lakeview Post.

Van Ells and his mother arrived in Texas Sunday, Shattuck said. The medical costs are expected to be roughly $20,000 per month out of pocket, she said.

“We’re doing some additional fundraising to try and bring in whatever we can get to offset those costs,” Shattuck said.

Those wishing to help Van Ells can donate to his GoFundMe page. Those who want to follow Van Ells’ journey can follow the Facebook page: Dane’s Walk By Faith.

Biggby Coffee, 2331 S. State Road, in Ionia is offering vouchers that allow $1 of purchases to go toward Van Ells.

Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-trooper-vanells

KSP Raises Over $16K for Special Olympics

The first Kentucky State Police (KSP) “Cover the Cruiser” event is in the books and raised $16,206.16 to support Special Olympics of Kentucky (SOKY).

KSP posts across the state parked their cruises at designated locations and encouraged the public to cover their cruisers with custom SOKY stickers. A minimum donation of $1 was requested to place a sticker on the cruiser, but Kentuckians donated more than the minimum.

The 'Cover the Cruiser’ campaign was developed when the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Each year, The Torch Run escorts the Special Olympics Flame of hope to kick off the Kentucky State Summer Games in Richmond. State Troopers, in conjunction with national law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S., participate to raise awareness and funding for Special Olympics programs.

KSP Spokesman Sergeant Josh Lawson gave credit to the troopers who hosted the local 'Cover the Cruiser' events. "Even in the midst of a global pandemic our troopers stepped up and took ownership of this new program, adding it to their long list of community outreach activities," said Lawson. "Whether it was during torrential downpours or sweltering heat they did what was needed, as they always do, to demonstrate their service to the citizens of Kentucky."

SOKY President Trish Mazzoni said the new campaign was a tremendous success. “We are deeply grateful to the Kentucky State Police, all of the Troopers who took part, our host locations and to everyone who donated," said Mazzoni. "Thank you to KSP and to all of the law enforcement community that continues to be so deeply committed to the support of Special Olympics Kentucky Athletes.”

The fundraiser developed into a friendly competition among Kentucky State Police posts*. For this inaugural event, the London Post took top honors with a total of $2,577.94 raised. Trooper Scottie Pennington organized the post fundraiser and battled heavy rain on the date of his event. ”To say that I am humbled by the support and generosity of our Laurel County Citizens is an understatement. Special Olympics of Kentucky holds a special place in my heart and it was an honor to assist them in this way."

Special Olympics is the world’s largest program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The organization has been serving the needs of our athletes and their families since 1970 and welcomes 11,300 athletes in Kentucky.

Photo Description: Trooper Scottie Pennington, KSP London Post accepting a donation from a young girl at the London Walmart.

Special Olympics Kentucky

Source: KSP Facebook see original post here: https://www.facebook.com/KentuckyStatePolice

8/10/2020

 Sometimes, you just happen to be in the right place at the right time.

Back on June 23, New York State Trooper Joshua Neal was driving along I-88 in Fenton when he noticed a motorcycle next to him. After losing sight of it around a curve, Tpr. Neal saw a cloud of dust, and the bike crashed on the shoulder.

Neal immediately knew something was wrong and pulled his car over. 15-20 yards away he saw Joe Casiuk badly wounded and losing blood fast. By quickly applying a tourniquet and calling for help, but largely because of how close behind he was, Neal is believed to have save Casiuk's life.

"If he wan't there, at the time that he was with how quickly he responded, I would have been dead," Casiuk told 12 News Tuesday.

Trooper Neal said he was simply doing his job, but the experience as reaffirmed his livelong passion to be a police officer. Casiuk said after recovering for four weeks in the hospital, he has a renewed sense of life and an understanding of what's important to him.

Despite losing roughly a third of all of the blood in his body, Casiuk only fractured his clavicle in addition to his leg injury.

8/5/2020