GilHere is the short version...........LOLIt all started on March 30, 9.00pm in 1990, at M/M 109 WB, I was working as Dep Sheriff on regular patrol, when I received a CB call from a W/B trucker, asking for a LE to check out a W/B Chevy PU with Ca plates traveling W/B on I-80, that was a possible drunk driver.I waited at m/m 112 W/B while talking to the trucker, a few minutes later the Chevy PU passed by me, I fell in behind it and call SO dispatch that I was following a possible 10/55 (drunk driver) and dispatch replied that the plate was clear.As I followed the PU, it crossed the center line and the right hand fog line several times and had a radar speed of 70 mph (55 was the posted speed limit), I advised dispatch I would be pulling a traffic stop at mm 109 w/b.The pu pulled off the hiway onto a wide shoulder and stopped. I pull my Patrol Suburban in behind and about 20' and offset the vehicle, and walked up to the drivers side door and the driver rolled the window down and then put both his hands on the steering wheel.Introduced myself and asked the driver, did he know the reason why I stopped him, he replied,"Ya I was speeding", to which I said that I would be issuing a citation for 70 mph in a 55 posted zone. I asked for his drivers license, registration and proof of insurance, he leaned towards the glove box, then quickly set up straight and had a lever action 30/30 rifle in his hands and pushed it towards my face.I warped my left hand over the bbl and attempted to lever the rifle away from him, I couldn't get it away from him and thru the rifle back into the cab and started running back towards my patrol rig. I was just in front of the patrol rig when I heard the rifle fire and I looked up at the front bumper right over my head.I grabbed my chest mike a yelled "SHOT'S FIRED, I have been hit and need back up", dispatch replied, "Helps on the way". When I looked back towards the pu, I saw the door open and the driver stepped out and lever another round into the action.I went full auto on him with my Coonan 357 pistol and he dove back inside the cab and shut the door, I reloaded and called dispatch again advising her, I need help as I was paralyzed from the waist down and couldn't move.I looked at the pu and saw the bbl of the 30/30 sticking out of the drivers door and pointed at me, and heard another round fired which hit the left side tire, right above my head, I double tapped the drivers door with a couple of rounds and the rifle with drew inside the cab. When I looked again, the rifle bbl was pointed at me a another shot was fired, which hit the radiator and blew it up, I again double tapped the drivers door and the rifle disappeared inside the cab.I heard sirens coming and and the rifle fired again and I heard the bullet hit my rig, I dumped a couple rounds at the door and the shooting stopped, I saw a shadow in the back window and fired a round, thru it, then reloaded a new clip. The rifle fired a couple times more, and I heard the rounds hit the rig, but I couldn't see the driver.I heard the PU start up and started driving away from me along the shoulder, I started shooting at the drivers door/cab with 7 rds and the PU left the scene. I looked up and there was an unknown person standing right where the PU had stopped. I drew down on him and yelled "DON'T Move. or I'll shoot", this person stated "I'm here to help you", I again told him "Don't move", then I heard a voice say, is this person the one that shot you, I recognized Rich's voice (another Dep Sheriff) and told him I don't know, and he garbed my pistol as I past out.I woke up in Washoe Med Hospital, just before going into surgery for a gunshot wound/gut shot with a damaged right hip. On July 4 1990 I returned back to work, lite duty....I later learned form HP, the Detective for the PCSO, that the driver had 3 felony warrants on him and there was another subject curled up on the passenger floor boards (which I never saw), and the NHP had closed I-80 between Lovelock and Fernley.The next morning the Fish & Game had the Whirly bird up and was providing cover for the SO/NHP that were checking out the abandon PU in a deep wash, they tracked the suspects over 5 miles, Lou Burgarello a Washoe CO LE Dog officer brought his tracking dog and bite dog to help track down the suspects, that had started cross county attempting to get to Calif.When I talked to Lou in the Hosp, he told me, that his tracking dog stopped beside a large sage brush and refused to move, Lou looked down and saw a pair of eyes starring back at him, he screwed his shotgun into the face and told him, "DON'T Move" and the second suspect raised his hands up out of the sand and froze as his bite dog (a BIG German Shepard) was crouched less than a foot away from his head. The suspects had covered themselves with sand when they saw the Helicopter flying around.The shooter got 58 yrs for several felony counts and his passenger got 6 yrs.I found later, that I had fired 21 rounds and the driver had shot 7 rounds, the total fire fight lasted 1 min 45 seconds per dispatch notes, shortly there after the Sheriff changed the bullet weight of all the dep's weapons, as the issued 125gr 357 bullet failed to get inside the cab, the bullets got thru the outer skin, but were stopped on the inside skin, I now have rounds that will start at the tailgate and stopped in the dash board from any angle.The Detective presented me with a fired/expanded 150gr 30/30 Federal bullet was found lying on the edge of the pavement, the drivers 1st shot that went thru me and hit the inside of my Second Chance vest, and the courts gave me the Marlin 30/30 rifle & ammo/fired shells after the court was finished.
God bless you Don and thank you for your service. Words cannot express. . . . .Bad memories.One evening back in 94 I was walking from my apartment in Los Angeles to my car when one of the local gang bangers appeared unexpectedly and flashed a pistol at me. Things get fuzzy here. I must have resisted because I caught a .380 slug in my left hand and one in my jaw. I got a pretty serious head injury too. I woke up on a gurney at City of Angeles with a bloody LAPD Transit Police officer lying next to me. He was the first responder to a neighbor's 911 call. He took a charge of 12 gauge bird shot at point blank but he capped two of them. Thank god for that (off duty!) LEO! People told me all of this afterwards. I have no recollection after the initial few seconds.I am a park ranger. I wear the same uniform and badge as LE. I am permitted to work armed and I do.
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