Page 40 - FOP Magazine August 2020

Phil Cline, executive director of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, speaks at a press conference for the foundation’s Get Behind the Vest Campaign on July 21, after the recent distribution of 2,230 free bulletproof vests to Chicago Police Officers.
Life Vest n BY KAREN STAHL
The story of Officer Nathaniel Hollis illustrates the importance of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s continued efforts to Get Behind the Vest
n PHOTOS BY JAMES PINTO
Nathaniel Hollis locked eyes with the gun’s barrel. In the si- lence of the early-June evening, Hollis saw the muzzle flash and the bullet glide through the air in slow motion.
The officer took a hit to his chest — fortunately protected by his vest — and fell back seven feet. Hollis immediately asked himself, “Am I hurt right now?”
Through his perspective, the moment felt like it stretched 10 minutes. In reality, this shooting exchange — one that Hollis would refuse to let affect his devotion for the job — lasted only about five seconds.
“Everything happened so fast,” Hollis says. “[Vests] are defi- nitely needed. With what law enforcement officers go through every day encountering offenders, especially in potentially deadly situations, they’re needed. Mine saved my life.”
And that’s the exact sentiment Hollis shared at the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s Get Behind the Vest press confer- ence on July 21, which came at the conclusion of the organiza- tion’s two-week initiative distributing 2,230 brand-new bullet- proof vests for Chicago Police Officers.
The vests, which were originally fitted in February, were de- layed slightly from their original May distribution date due to COVID-19, according to Bridget Schuda, the development and communications officer for the Chicago Police Memorial Foun- dation.
The Get Behind the Vest campaign, which began in 2014, has now provided more than 11,250 vests free of charge for Chica- go Police Officers. In 2020 alone, the campaign has distributed 3,300 vests.
“We always thank our donors and appreciate all that they do,” Schuda says. “Without their support, we at the Memorial
40 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ AUGUST 2020
At the Get Behind the Vest press conference on July 21, Nathaniel Hollis describes how his vest saved his life.
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