Photo By Sgt. Jasmine Higgins | (From left to right) Col. Christopher A. Burns, commander, 42nd Military Police...... read more read more
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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - Shoot me! He taunted as he exited the bathroom door. The click from the .410 caliber shotgun trigger echoed throughout the room, resonating the ears of the four officers at the scene.
The actions executed by the officers in the seconds proceeding would determine if a Soldier losing his will to live was ready to be given up on just yet.
To acknowledge the events that occurred that day, the Army awarded Staff Sgt. Scott Frantz the Soldier's Medal and three Department of the Army civilian police officers, Lt. Marcus Todd, Officer James Smet, and Detective James Earnest, the Meritorious Civilian Service Award during a ceremony at the French Theater on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, Nov. 10.
“The Soldier’s Medal is the highest award for valor during peacetime and the meritorious Civilian Service Award is equivalent to that,” said Col. Christopher A. Burns, commander, 42nd Military Police Brigade and Director of Emergency Services for JBLM. “They represent the acts of heroism displayed by our service member and the three DA Civilian police officers that actually saved a life back in August 2014.”
On Aug. 17, 2014, Frantz along with three DA civilian police officers, were called out to a scene with a suicidal male armed with a .410 caliber shotgun.
“We responded to a domestic call,” said Frantz, a native of Hudson, Michigan, a patrol supervisor assigned to 504th military police battalion, and 42nd MP brigade. “It was verbal at the time of the call, but once we got there, it escalated and he barricaded himself in the bathroom with a shotgun.”
At one point during the negotiation, the subject actually fired upon the officers, and the bullet narrowing Frantz, whizzed right over his shoulder and into the next adjacent room.
“I thought to myself ‘is this real?” said Frantz. “I just tried to remain calm. I remembered I had Soldiers there as well, so I had to set a good example for them and keep a clear head.”
Soldiers and officers face the same types of situations that these men encountered on that day in August of 2014, but it was their actions and decision to save a man’s life that led to them being recognized as heroes.
“In this case, they had the absolute authority to take a life and within that 10-12 seconds they made a decision,” said Burns. “Instead of shooting a guy that was armed with a shotgun, they decided to taser him and incapacitate him – they decided to save his life.”
Frantz along with three of his civilian counterparts walked out of French Theater with the satisfaction of knowing their actions allowed someone else a second chance at life.
“Our MP’s and our DA civilian police officers put their life on the line every single day they walk out to get into the squad car,” said Burns “I couldn't be more proud of that group of individuals that we recognized today.”
| Date Taken: | 11.12.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.12.2015 13:55 |
| Story ID: | 181782 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Hometown: | HUDSON, MICHIGAN, US |
| Web Views: | 638 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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