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By Robert D. Boyden, Ph.D
Allow me to preface what follows with the admission that this author by no means could provide an answer for the question above.
What I have discovered is that heroes are quite rare, their qualities seem to be innate, their courage is beyond rational reasoning or explanation in human terms and their self-sacrifice is without limits including the ultimate sacrifice.
For the past few years, Philadelphia has been going through a very violent period and typically, like every other city, town, municipality, and borough the police are on the front lines providing as much civility and protection as they can under adverse physical and political conditions. In the past two years there have been numerous police officers shot and three killed in the line of duty in Philly, and this galvanized the realization that every day, police officers around the nation subject themselves to life threatening conditions for the greater good of society. These heroic and gallant officers all had one commonality, and that is they all paid or were willing to pay the ultimate sacrifice to protect strangers because that is what they took an oath to do. I have chosen six examples that made me ask myself, where do heroes come from? Being a retired police officer, and having been in two firefights, I am perfectly aware of the “fight or flight” conditions that police officers experience in such situations, a reaction better know as the “pucker factor.”
These six officers range from a rookie who had just graduated from the police academy and is expected to be naïve and green, to the 29-year veteran who paid his dues and might be thought to be burnt-out and reaching for retirement, however this was far from that presumption.
On Friday, June 27, 2008, Corporal Richard Findley, a ten year veteran of the Prince George’s County Police department, in Maryland was struck and killed by a fleeing vehicle while attempting to make an arrest. After Cpl. Findleys’ police vehicle was struck by the suspects, the Corporal exited his vehicle and was stuck and killed by the suspects. Corporal Findley was married and had two young daughters, and also dedicated much of his free time with the Beltsville, Maryland Volunteer Fire Department; a hero both on and off duty. Corporal Findlay’s killers still remain at large.
On a beautiful morning on September 24, 2007, having just completed his field training after graduating the police academy, Philadelphia police officer Richard Decoatsworth was on patrol in the western section of Philadelphia. At approximately 0900, Officer Decoatsworth observed a vehicle occupied by several males driving erratically, as Decoatsworth approached the vehicle, the driver jumped out and shot the officer in the face with a shotgun blowing off the officers’ lower jaw. Decoatsworth somehow managed to chase the suspect through four city blocks before collapsing due to the loss of blood. Officer Decoatsworth wrote a description of the perpetrator down while assisting police tended to his wound. Because of the description, the actors were apprehended several blocks away. In June 2008, the suspect was sentenced to 37-60 years in jail for his assault on the officer, and Officer Decoatsworth returned to work after seven reconstructive surgeries (he will need several more).
In Miami, Florida on January 8, 2008, Detective James Walker was off duty as a Miami police detective when an armed suspect attempted to steal a vehicle after being involved in a shooting in North Miami. Detective Walker observed the activity and confronted the suspect who then opened fire on Walker with an AK-47, killing the detective. Detective Walker was only thirty years old.
On January 28, 2008, New Orleans police officer Nicola Cotton, a two year veteran who was eight weeks pregnant, was attempting to arrest a rape suspect that was twice her size. While trying to handcuff the suspect, he gained control of Officer Cotton’s baton and struck her in the head, disorienting her. This coward then took the officers firearm and shot her fifteen times killing both her and her unborn baby.
On May 3, 2008, on a Saturday morning, Sergeant Stephen Liczbinsky, also with the Philadelphia Police Department was the supervisor for his sector and on patrol. A radio call came out of a robbery that had just occurred in a bank that was located in a supermarket. The store manager followed three actors out into the parking lot and provided the police dispatcher with valuable “flash” information. The suspects were armed with handguns and an AK-47 type assault rifle, and took off in a mini-van. Knowing the neighborhood better than the suspects, Sgt. Liczbinsky located the suspect vehicle and gave chase; Liczbinsky was joined by other police units. After a short chase the vehicle pulled over, and one suspect exited the vehicle and emptied a thirty round magazine from the AK47 at Sgt Liczbinsky hitting the Sergeant five times. The shooter was shot and killed by assisting units and the other two actors were apprehended. While Liczbinsky, a highly decorated twelve year veteran, lay bleeding in the street, several neighbors came to the Sergeants aid. According to the civilians assisting the wounded sergeant, Liczbinskys’ final words were, “tell my will and children I love them”. Sergeant Liczbinsky died on the way to the hospital; he left behind a wife and five children and a grandchild.
At approximately 0130 hours on June 25, 2008 (and is truly remarkable as well as ironic), 29-year veteran Philadelphia police officer Mark Uffelman, who is 52 years young, was working a plain clothes detail in south Philly looking for robbery suspects. Several armed robberies had recently occurred, one that took the life of a young college student who was shot during the robbery. While patrolling with his partner, this team of officers observed an armed robbery in progress involving two suspects—both armed with handguns. These two officers approached the suspects who then took off running. Officer Uffelman (who to this day holds the police academy record for the fastest mile) chased one suspect up a dark street. The suspect turned and empted a .38 caliber revolver at Uffelman striking him in the left arm. Bleeding and in pain, Uffelman ran the suspect down on foot and tackled him then made the arrest. Uffelman’s partner successfully arrested the second suspect without incident. Uffleman is recovering and when asked about retirement, he said that “retirement is out of the question, it would kill me!” Officer Uffleman’s father, who was also a Philadelphia police officer, was shot in killed in 1978 by a carjacker while off duty. Mark Uffelman was assigned his fathers badge and number to wear on duty.
These examples clearly make heroism tangible and take heroes from fictional characters in movies to real life icons. Where do they come from? As stated above, I have no idea, but their actions make us question our own virtues and social dedication in a profession whose errors may be unforgiving and judgment may have no margin for error.
While police officers’ jobs are by definition and description heroic, when you view it from an aggregate perspective as I tried to do here, it is hard to comprehend what rare quality these officers possess and what trait separates “them” from the rest. As politicians and union leaders argue over whether to give the police a three or four percent raise, the job demands increase exponentially and the streets grow meaner. The police service is a proud and honorable profession indicative of those who protect and serve, and if I could identify where these heroes come from then they may not be so rare and their exemplary service be taken for granted and diluted by the expectation of “that’s what they get paid for” mentality.
If you are chief or supervisor who is honored to have subordinates of the quality that are indicative of the aforementioned cases then I would go out of my way to nurture and retain these officers for God blesses us with so few but calls too many home.
For more information on the daily sacrifice made by your colleagues and to gain inspiration go to the Officer Down Memorial Page at www.odmp.org.
Dr. Robert D. Boyden is a retired police officer from suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who spent 21 years on the job. Dr. Boyden hold a Master Degree in Public Safety Administration, a Ph.D. in Law Enforcement Management and is completing his dissertation on police stress to receive a second Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration with a specialization in Public Safety Management and an emphasis on Terrorism and Disaster Management. Boyden has taught at various institutions and written numerous articles for police trade magazines and well as peer-reviewed journals and is a diplomat and fellow with the American College of Forensic Examiners International and is certified in level three in homeland security with ACFEI.
Dr. Boyden can be reached through his website at www.crimesceneconcepts.com.
