Woodbridge, NJ officer honored after stopping Turnpike bus hijacking
Today’s Blue Friday honoree is Woodbridge Police Officer Matthew Kammerer.
Earlier this summer passengers on a bus traveling the New Jersey Turnpike were suddenly thrust into the middle of a very dangerous situation.
A man armed with a knife had taken control of the bus, threatened the passengers, and then stabbed the driver in the arm.
Imagine: a bus hijacked on the New Jersey Turnpike.
A knife at the bus driver's neck
Thankfully, Woodbridge Officer Matthew Kammerer was on patrol when an emergency call came over the radio.
He spotted the bus, and then he saw something that immediately brought the situation to the next level.
The hijacker had a knife to the bus driver’s neck.
He got the bus stopped near the exit for the Garden State Parkway. The suspect stepped off the bus still holding the knife.
Officer Kammerer drew his weapon and ordered him to drop it.
Think about that moment: An armed man, a knife, and bus full of people, all happening on the side of one of the busiest highways in the Northeast.
After several tense moments, the suspect finally surrendered. New Jersey State Police arrived and took him into custody.
His job wasn't over when the suspect surrendered
But Kammerer’s job wasn’t over. He immediately got onto that bus.
The driver was bleeding from a stab wound to his upper arm, and Officer Kammerer began emergency medical treatment until additional help arrived.
That tells you everything you need to know about the job of a police officer.
One minute, you’re confronting an armed man, shouting at him to put down the weapon while covering him with your own firearm.
The next minute, you're trying to stop the bleeding and keep a stab victim stable.
Officer Matthew Kammerer is just 29 years old. He joined the Woodbridge Police Department in January after previously serving with the NYPD and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Woodbridge honors an officer who stepped up
Woodbridge Township has now honored him with the department’s Lifesaving Award.
And it is well deserved.
Because when innocent people were in danger, Matthew Kammerer didn’t wait for help. He was the help.
He leaned in and solved the problem. That's the mark of a hero.
Woodbridge Police Officer Matthew Kammerer, you are our Blue Friday honoree.
Thank you for your courage.
Thank you for your calmly implementing what you've been trained to do, and thank you for reminding us what wearing that badge is supposed to mean.
Once in a lifetime day-trip experience from NJ
Gallery Credit: Kyle Clark
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Spadea. Any opinions expressed are Bill's own.
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