Fresno, California - Wounded officer honored
By Louis Galvan of The Fresno Bee, September 27, 2006
Brian Nieto, the Fresno police officer who was given little chance of surviving after being shot three times during a traffic stop, received a standing ovation during ceremonies Tuesday before the Fresno City Council.
Nieto, seated in a wheelchair pushed by his father, used a cane to steady himself, stood up and took a few steps forward to accept a proclamation from the city declaring Tuesday "Officer Brian Nieto Day."
Holding a microphone with his right hand and the cane with his left, Nieto turned to the audience and in a soft, but clear voice, thanked the countless people — relatives, friends, fellow officers, doctors, nurses and others he has never met — who rallied to his side after he was shot the night of July31.
"Everybody's prayers did not go unanswered," Nieto told the crowd, which included about 100 police officers. The officer was surrounded by his parents, Larry and Mary Nieto, Fresno police Chief Jerry Dyer, and Mayor Alan Autry. "The support, the prayers," he said, "has helped me get through this tough time."
Dyer, noting doctors at University Medical Center gave the motorcycle officer "no more than 24 hours to survive" the night he was rushed to the emergency room, described the officer's path to recovery "a miracle of God."
In a news conference in front of City Hall after the ceremony, Dyer called Nieto "my hero, Fresno's hero," and said he would like to see Nieto return to the department by Jan. 1.
Nieto said he, too, would like to return to duty, but does not know when he might be able to do so. He said wounds to his torso and other parts of his body appear to be healing well, but that nerve damage to his left leg is taking longer to heal and is a source of constant pain, numbed only by daily pain medication. "It's getting better, but right now that is what is holding me down," he said.
According to police, Nieto and his partner, James Young, were trying to make a traffic stop on a car in central Fresno the night of the shooting. After a short pursuit, the car suddenly came to a stop, investigators said, forcing Nieto to also brake and swerve to avoid running into the vehicle. Nieto said Tuesday he didn't know who was driving the car, but that he caught a glimpse of the gunman when the shots were fired from the driver's side window.
Young said he was about 30 yards away when he heard the shots and saw Nieto fall to the pavement. He fired five shots at the vehicle. "My first thought was to get help for him," Young said. Young said he is ready to welcome Nieto back to the force. "He will be my partner when he comes back," he said.
Shortly after Nieto's shooting, police announced they were looking for Joaquin Figueroa, 25, for questioning in the shooting. He was shot and killed by a Fresno police officer Aug. 3 after a car in which he was a passenger was stopped in southeast Fresno.
The reporter can be reached at lgalvan@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6139.
Retrieved October 1, 2006 from http://fresnobee.com/local/story/12781917p-13474381c.html
Brian Nieto, the Fresno police officer who was given little chance of surviving after being shot three times during a traffic stop, received a standing ovation during ceremonies Tuesday before the Fresno City Council.
Nieto, seated in a wheelchair pushed by his father, used a cane to steady himself, stood up and took a few steps forward to accept a proclamation from the city declaring Tuesday "Officer Brian Nieto Day."
Holding a microphone with his right hand and the cane with his left, Nieto turned to the audience and in a soft, but clear voice, thanked the countless people — relatives, friends, fellow officers, doctors, nurses and others he has never met — who rallied to his side after he was shot the night of July31.
"Everybody's prayers did not go unanswered," Nieto told the crowd, which included about 100 police officers. The officer was surrounded by his parents, Larry and Mary Nieto, Fresno police Chief Jerry Dyer, and Mayor Alan Autry. "The support, the prayers," he said, "has helped me get through this tough time."
Dyer, noting doctors at University Medical Center gave the motorcycle officer "no more than 24 hours to survive" the night he was rushed to the emergency room, described the officer's path to recovery "a miracle of God."
In a news conference in front of City Hall after the ceremony, Dyer called Nieto "my hero, Fresno's hero," and said he would like to see Nieto return to the department by Jan. 1.
Nieto said he, too, would like to return to duty, but does not know when he might be able to do so. He said wounds to his torso and other parts of his body appear to be healing well, but that nerve damage to his left leg is taking longer to heal and is a source of constant pain, numbed only by daily pain medication. "It's getting better, but right now that is what is holding me down," he said.
According to police, Nieto and his partner, James Young, were trying to make a traffic stop on a car in central Fresno the night of the shooting. After a short pursuit, the car suddenly came to a stop, investigators said, forcing Nieto to also brake and swerve to avoid running into the vehicle. Nieto said Tuesday he didn't know who was driving the car, but that he caught a glimpse of the gunman when the shots were fired from the driver's side window.
Young said he was about 30 yards away when he heard the shots and saw Nieto fall to the pavement. He fired five shots at the vehicle. "My first thought was to get help for him," Young said. Young said he is ready to welcome Nieto back to the force. "He will be my partner when he comes back," he said.
Shortly after Nieto's shooting, police announced they were looking for Joaquin Figueroa, 25, for questioning in the shooting. He was shot and killed by a Fresno police officer Aug. 3 after a car in which he was a passenger was stopped in southeast Fresno.
The reporter can be reached at lgalvan@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6139.
Retrieved October 1, 2006 from http://fresnobee.com/local/story/12781917p-13474381c.html