Page 41 - FOP Magazine August 2020

Nathaniel Hollis is surrounded by Chicago Police Officers in the hospital after surviving a bullet to the chest thanks to his protective vest.
Foundation would not be able to support all the officers that we do on a daily basis.”
Matt O’Shea, alderman of the 19th Ward of Chicago, also at- tended the July press conference announcing the recent dis- tribution of protective gear. He serves on the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation advisory board and holds an annual fundraising pancake breakfast for Get Behind the Vest. O’Shea was taken aback by Hollis’s unbelievable story of his lifesaving vest.
“It just reinforces why I’m involved with such an important organization to support police families,” the alderman says. “[Hollis] survived this experience that, had it not been for a bulletproof vest, he would not have survived. I’m honored to be part of this organization and a proud supporter — not just of the Memorial Foundation, but also the men and women who serve.”
Hollis received his brand-new, completely free bulletproof vest in early July at police headquarters. The first-generation law enforcement officer with a year and a half on the job has wanted to be a Chicago Police Officer since childhood, and he is thankful he gets to continue his calling of protecting and serv- ing the public because of the lifesaving equipment he wears.
“You just can’t let down your guard, but I’m thankful for the vest that really saved me,” Hollis says.
When the officers arrived at a house on the West Side on that June evening, Hollis surveyed the area to ensure that the of- fender had left the scene. The unit was doing interviews with the family when one of the family members caught movement out of the corner of his eye and became tense.
the rear of the house. About 20 feet away stood the man who is now cemented in Hollis’ memory. They exchanged fire — the bullet that struck Hollis’s vest — before the offender fled the scene on a bicycle.
“He ended up about two blocks away from the actual crime scene,” Hollis recalls. “That’s where other officers detained him and recovered the weapon. I went on the scene and they had me name the offender and say, ‘Yes, that’s the offender who shot me.’ And then that’s when they made sure I was OK.”
Luckily, Hollis didn’t feel a direct body hit from the bullet, but he was still taken to a nearby hospital to ensure his safety. Aside from a knee scrape, Hollis sustained no injuries or bruising. His vest took the full impact from the shooting.
“I’m glad things went the way they did, because I’m here,” Hollis says. “I’m able to give my story, and I’m in good spirits. They got another offender off the street and the gun was recov- ered, so I’m glad everything went the way it did.”
Hollis does not hold residual fear from the tragic event, be- cause he knows that he wears a vest that promises life to him, even in the scariest situations. Though he wasn’t able to sleep for two days after he was shot because of the adrenaline that was still pumping, Hollis’s zest for protecting the streets of Chi- cago has not faltered.
When faced with fight-or-flight situations, he promises to continue the fight for justice, knowing that the vest is there to help keep him safe.
“I like helping people, and I like giving back — I feel like this is my calling,” Hollis says. “This is something I can do for other people, and for the public. One time I met a lady I’d never seen a day in my life and she said, ‘There’s something special about you.’ And that still sticks in my head 10 years later — I think this incident might have been it.”
With 11 relatives who answered the call to service, I understand and am grateful for your sacrifices.
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Hollis and his partner cleared the family out and moved to
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ AUGUST 2020 41
a r .