Syracuse, N.Y. — It wasn’t the bang of a bullet leaving a gun that alerted Officer Brian Patterson to a shooting in his midst. With Fourth of July celebrations still in full swing, the noise just as easily could have been a firework.
Instead, Patterson, a combat war veteran, took notice of the telltale zip of the bullet whizzing through the air. Then, he heard the thunk of the bullet striking flesh.
Pastor Marcus Jackson was shot July 5 outside the emergency department at Upstate University Hospital. He was at the hospital as a volunteer to help people affected by another shooting earlier the same night.
Patterson had been talking with the pastor when he saw Jackson go down and sprang into action.
“He got right in front, like right in the line of fire. If somebody was shooting in that door, he would’ve taken it to protect me,” Jackson said of Patterson’s actions. “I can’t tell you how that made me feel, just honored. I really appreciated it.”
Another officer, Lt. John Stefanko, was just behind Patterson and Jackson in the building. He also immediately ran toward the danger.
“You don’t really have time to think – your training just kicks in, and before you know it, you’re like, ‘Wow, I can’t believe I’m doing this,’ ” said Patterson, an officer with the New York State University Police stationed at Upstate. “It’s kind of like an out-of-body experience.”
After making sure Jackson got inside safely, both officers threw themselves between people who were still outside the emergency department – including another pastor and several family members of gunshot victims – and the perceived danger.
“You just know you need to get them out of there, away from the danger, because you have a general idea of where the shot came from, but we didn’t know where the shooter was,” Patterson said. “There’s so many things running through your head, but you just know to get everybody inside, everybody under cover, to stop anybody else from getting injured.”
Officers posted to Upstate are tasked with protecting the hospital’s 13,000 employees and more than half a million people who visit the hospital each year, according to D. Paul Waltz, chief of the New York State University Police Department.
“Regardless of what their life is outside, once you cross the threshold, you become a patient, and our patients are under our protection; they’re under our wing,” Waltz said. “And that’s always how we try to act.”
Officers from the Syracuse Police Department and the Syracuse University Department of Public Safety also responded and helped search the area for a shooter or shooters.
Police are still investigating the incident. So far, no one has been charged.
Waltz joined local and state politicians in Syracuse Wednesday morning for a small ceremony honoring the officers for their bravery July 5. Patterson and Stefanko were both presented with proclamations from the New York State Assembly commending their “selfless actions in the line of duty.”
Patterson came to the event straight off an overnight shift, stopping home to brush his teeth and comb his hair before walking shyly onstage to accept a gold-plated plaque. Stefanko, who only worked until 1 a.m., had time to get at least a little sleep, he said.
The camaraderie between the two men has only grown stronger since they faced the shooting together, Stefanko said: “If anything, you just kind of form a closer bond because you realize that – if I need you, you’re gonna be there.”
“And honestly, that reassurance of [Stefanko] right behind me, it calmed me and allowed me to do what I had to do in what was a scary moment,” Patterson said. “When I knew he was right there behind me, right with me, it was almost like … I got nothing to worry about.”
Got a tip, comment or story idea? Call or text Megan Craig at 315-925-7137, email her at mcraig@syracuse.com or send a direct message on Twitter @megcraig1.
"danger" - Google News
September 23, 2021 at 07:05PM
https://ift.tt/39uDauH
When shots rang out at Syracuse’s Upstate Hospital, officers ran toward danger - syracuse.com
"danger" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3bVUlF0
https://ift.tt/3f9EULr
No comments:
Post a Comment