Police Officer Injured While Tracking Suspect

[trauma74 111]

On 1/15/07 at approx 2130 hours, PO Brian McLean & his K9 Rommel were tracking a suspect who was involved in a strong armed robbery of a purse from a female in front of the Shop Rite on Windsor Highway (aka Rt 32). The track lead PO McLean and Rommel into a vacant apartment. A concrete floor gave out under the feet of PO McLean and his K9. They both fell about 4 feet to the sub-floor below. This was the second time during the shift that PO McLean & K9 Rommel had to conduct a track looking for this suspect. This suspect had committed the same crime in the apartment complex a few hours earlier.

PO McLean suffered a shoulder injury and was transported by New Windsor EMS to Cornwall Hospital. He was released around midnight and he has to get an MRI in the next few days. K9 Officer Rommel was not injured in the fall. He stayed by PO McLean's side all they way up until PO McLean was put into the awaiting ambulance.

Two Detectives & the Duty Sgt came to the immediate aid of PO McLean when he put out his officer needs assistance call after falling thru the floor. The Town Fire Inspectors Office and the NWPD CSI Detective responded to the location for documentation of the condition of the vacant apartment. The apartment was subsequently condemmed by the FI's Office.

PO McLean will be out of work until further notice. At the time of this post, the robbery suspect has not been taken into custody, but the New Windsor Detetcive Division lead by Detective Sgt Michael Suttlehan is working non-stop to find this suspect.

In an incident unrelated to the robbery, PO McLean saved the life of a female who was trapped in her vehicle after a head on MVA with another vehicle. PO McLean was on scene of the MVA just as I transmitted the call over the radio. PO McLean found a female trapped in a vehicle and they vehicle was on fire. The fire, which started in the engine compartment has breached the cars firewall and almost burned the feet of the driver. PO McLean used two fire extinguishers from his vehicle and three more for other officers that arrived on scene within minutes. The fire was kept at a minimum until the FD got on scene and used a handline to put the fire out. The FD was able to extricate the driver from the vehicle, she was taken to Saint Lukes ER in Newburgh. Medivac was not flying due to weather.

Edited January 17, 2007 by trauma74