Life Saving Incident
February 1, 2000
California
San Diego
San Diego
On February 1, 2000, Reserve Officer Quinton Kawahara and his partner, Officer Mitch Vitug, were dispatched to a call of a man acting suspiciously in a downtown San Diego hotel.
The officer’s located the suspect and began speaking to him. Suddenly, the suspect attempted to flee. When the officer’s attempted to restrain him, the suspect pulled a gun and began shooting.
Officer Vitug was shot in the abdomen and Officer Kawahara was shot in the shoulder striking their body armor. During the exchange of gunfire, Officer Vitug was shot again, this time in the right arm severing the brachial artery. Despite being critically wounded, Officer Vitug switched hands with his gun and continued to return fire.
The trauma room physician and the Director of Trauma Services at Mercy Hospital described Officer Kawahara’s immediate first aid to Officer Vitug’s actively hemorrhaging wound as lifesaving.
The history of law enforcement in the United States is a long and wonderful history of bravery. This website is dedicated to documenting the heroic deeds of law enforcement officers throughout the United States who have either given or risked their lives to save others. There are many stories of bravery and heroism for many who are considered first responders. However, it is those in law enforcement who are most likely to be the first to arrive upon a location requiring life saving acts engaging dangerous hostage takers, running into burning buildings/vehicles, providing first aid to seriously injured victims, saving near drowning victims and much more are what the women and men of law enforcement do routinely and at many times, great peril to their own safety.
It is our mission to document the history of lives saved by those dedicated women and men in law enforcement. To share with others the dramatic deeds of those individuals who are the first, first responders. It is so important for our citizens to understand that law "enforcement" is not always about enforcing the law but rather being there when our citizens need us.
It is to this end we are dedicated to promoting documentation regarding the history of law enforcement and the lives they have saved.
