A 32-year veteran of the Houston police force, who has been shot twice in the past, received the third battle wound of his career on Jan. 28 during a drug raid in Houston, Texas, according to police at a media briefing.
As the breacher, the unnamed veteran officer opened the suspect’s door, clearing the way for his fellow officers. When they fell—one by one, greeted by a revolver—the veteran, possessed by courage, entered the house to save his comrades and took a bullet in the neck.
The 54-year-old narcotics officer is in stable condition and currently recovering alongside four other Houston City Police Department officers in Memorial Hermann Hospital. The city of Houston is praying for the officers who attempted to keep the community safe by serving a warrant an alleged drug house.
The police chief nearly broke his firm disposition at the Jan. 29 press conference, as he shared the contents of a note that the wounded veteran passed on to his officers:
“I had to get in there, because I knew my guys were down,” said Police Chief Art Acevedo, reading the note.
No names were released for any of the officers during the briefing. But ages, health conditions, and brief descriptions of their enforcement history were disclosed for four of the five officers: one 10-year veteran, 33; a 27-year veteran, 50; and a 25-year veteran, 50.
According to Chief of Trauma Surgery Michelle K. McNutt, two officers were confirmed to have surgery, and three are expected to be discharged on Jan. 29 or later this week.
The family of the last officer requested that no information be given of his condition, but the chief asked for the city’s prayers on their behalf. All other officers are in stable condition.
Incident in Houston
Acevedo described the bravery of his officers as he retold the incident, as well as the risks they took in entering through the narrow doorway of the home.
When the first officer from the squad of nine entered the house, a pit bull lunged at the 10-year veteran who neutralized it with his shotgun. He was then shot in the shoulder with a revolver by suspect Dennis Tuttle, 59. The officer fell on a couch, after which the second suspect, Rhogena Nicholas, 58, went for his shotgun and took fire from the other officers.
“Unfortunately, when you’re going through a door, that’s really a fatal funnel … our officer’s don’t have a choice; they’ve got to enter that fatal funnel,” said Acevedo. “The tactical advantage really is in the hands of the suspect.”
A gun match between the officers and Nicholas followed. Although the chief couldn’t release the breacher’s name, he commended the African-American officer’s tremendous courage, rushing into danger for the sake of his team. After the home was secured, the suspects were pronounced dead.
Marijuana and what could either be cocaine or heroin was found, along with two 12-gauge shotguns, one 20-gauge shotgun, a 22 caliber rifle, and one Remington 700 rifle. Pictures of the suspects were disclosed at the media briefing.
The Ox’s Virtue
Sometimes the master learns from the student, and this was one of those cases. Acevedo honored the 54-year-old undercover officer, who he called “The Ox,” for his heroic actions many times in his speech, and he said that he plans to rub on him, in hopes of gaining some of his courage.
“I think God had to give him that big body to be able to contain his courage; because the man’s got some tremendous courage.”
The chief made it clear throughout the briefing: He takes pride in leading his officers—Houston’s heroes.
From The Epoch Times
