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During the very early morning hours of Tuesday, December 13, 2011, Sulphur Police Department Officer A.J. Powell and Reserve Officer Matthew Harrell observed a suspicious vehicle parked at Pattison Field.
When the officers called in the license plate number into dispatch, the occupant of the vehicle decided to drive off against Officer Powell’s commands resulting in a pursuit.
Informing dispatch and other officers of the situation, Communications Officers Rachel Reed and Lacy Coleman efficiently gathered and relayed information to officers in the field advising them that the vehicle was in the NCIC database as stolen, having been taken in an alleged aggravated robbery in Texas. That information was important to the responding officers in their risk/gain assessment regarding whether to continue the pursuit or not.
Responding was Officer Keith Welch, along with with Reserve Officer John Moran, Officer Shaun Stewart, Captain Louis Boudreaux and Officer Mike Molitor. Officer Molitor placed himself in the secondary position and was on top of the situation when Officer Powell’s unit was disabled. Officer Molitor immediately took the primary unit position and continued to call the pursuit, with Officer Stewart taking the secondary position. Officer Molitor’s command of the situation was exemplary.
Upon the termination of the pursuit due to the suspect crashing, Officer Molitor’s quick thinking may have saved the lives of officers and the suspect alike when he issued a warning about downed power lines, which was a result of the crash. As well, during the takedown procedures, Officer Molitor learned the vehicle was on fire and instructed an officer to immediately remove the suspect. Officers Molitor, Welch, Stewart and Moran approached the burning vehicle in spite of the possible danger from the suspect, fire and unknown weapons. They broke the windows of the vehicle in order to get the suspect to safety.
The SPD commends the officers, stating that their actions are a prime example of police work of the highest magnitude and just one of the many reasons the citizens of the City of Sulphur are fortunate to have officers such as them protecting them.
During the very early morning hours of Tuesday, December 13, 2011, Sulphur Police Department Officer A.J. Powell and Reserve Officer Matthew Harrell observed a suspicious vehicle parked at Pattison Field.
When the officers called in the license plate number into dispatch, the occupant of the vehicle decided to drive off against Officer Powell’s commands resulting in a pursuit.
Informing dispatch and other officers of the situation, Communications Officers Rachel Reed and Lacy Coleman efficiently gathered and relayed information to officers in the field advising them that the vehicle was in the NCIC database as stolen, having been taken in an alleged aggravated robbery in Texas. That information was important to the responding officers in their risk/gain assessment regarding whether to continue the pursuit or not.
Responding was Officer Keith Welch, along with with Reserve Officer John Moran, Officer Shaun Stewart, Captain Louis Boudreaux and Officer Mike Molitor. Officer Molitor placed himself in the secondary position and was on top of the situation when Officer Powell’s unit was disabled. Officer Molitor immediately took the primary unit position and continued to call the pursuit, with Officer Stewart taking the secondary position. Officer Molitor’s command of the situation was exemplary.
Upon the termination of the pursuit due to the suspect crashing, Officer Molitor’s quick thinking may have saved the lives of officers and the suspect alike when he issued a warning about downed power lines, which was a result of the crash. As well, during the takedown procedures, Officer Molitor learned the vehicle was on fire and instructed an officer to immediately remove the suspect. Officers Molitor, Welch, Stewart and Moran approached the burning vehicle in spite of the possible danger from the suspect, fire and unknown weapons. They broke the windows of the vehicle in order to get the suspect to safety.
The SPD commends the officers, stating that their actions are a prime example of police work of the highest magnitude and just one of the many reasons the citizens of the City of Sulphur are fortunate to have officers such as them protecting them.
