NCJ Number
223322
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 29 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2005 Pages: 52-54,56
Date Published
May 2005
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article presents the compelling testimony of an officer who was shot and critically wounded during a traffic stop, his adjustment to life in a wheelchair after the wounding, and the lessons learned from his experience.
Abstract
In August of 2003, Officer Kyle Olinger of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Police Department stopped a group of men in a Chrysler New Yorker. A stop that seemed to be routine went terribly wrong and Officer Olinger was shot and seriously wounded. However, his ordeal was just beginning. Officer Olinger was paralyzed from the chest down and was told he would never walk again. In this article, Officer Olinger speaks about his horrific ordeal, his medical recovery, his outlook on his future, and how he can serve as an educator in police safety. He speaks to the lessons learned and what he would have done differently the night in which he was shot. He wants other officers to learn from his experience, of which his shooting is being studied at the Montgomery County Police Academy.