Page 32 - FOP June 2019 Magazine

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shots. Turcinovic was in front of the other officers.
“I couldn’t see the shots, but I consider myself very lucky,” he
shared.
As the shooter fired, he left small windows for Turcinovic to
find a clean shot to take him out. He recalled the last one oc- curring a little bit slower, just enough time to hit him. Certain- ly, training kicked in to make the difference, but he said it was more than that.
“The training is great, but I don’t think you can prepare for the real thing just with the training,” he disclosed. “You have to have the mindset, and I want to say luck as well.”
Top Cops has an affinity for generating the revelry police offi- cers don’t get enough opportunity to enjoy. Quijano seemed to find a rewarding calm amid all the pride flowing.
He had not even looked at the body cam footage of the inci- dent until nearly three months after, and it was a very emotional experience. He saw how he bumped into Jimenez, not know- ing who he was. He recalled hunkering down behind his vehi- cle and pulling Dr. Tamara O’Neal out of the fray to administer aid after the gunman, her ex-fiancé, shot her. He remembered the feeling of the two punches – the shots that hit his holster – and the massive exhale after sweeping his body and finding no blood and no gunshot wound.
Quijano divulged how grateful he is to be alive and able to continue his career. And on the night he was called a Top Cop, he knew why.
“I’m really glad our department is serious not only about ac- tive-shooter training, but also how to deal with a situation like that, coping with the PTSD and the stress management,” Qui- jano added. “The thing I was having the most trouble with was the fact that maybe I didn’t do enough. The professional I talked
Members of the CPD SWAT team with Elvis Turcinovic (center, holding award).
to, she put it into words how the police were there to help. It helped me with a lot of closure.”
As the photo ops continued, Alderden watched the action and observed what was so top-notch about the Department.
“Every one of those guys, I’m very happy to have them as part of my day,” he said. “I am proud to be a Chicago Police Officer every day.”
Of course, looking back on that day, these Top Cops want- ed to remind that nobody should ever forget the Top Cop who couldn’t be there.
“Samuel Jimenez was loved not only by his friends, but also by his peers,” Turcinovic accentuated. “He’s a true angel and a hero.”
32 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JUNE 2019