Remember heroism of Feb. 14 cops
Loved ones of the five victims of the Feb. 14, 2008, shootings put roses on the Cole Hall memorial during the wreath-laying ceremony in 2013.
February 10, 2014
This is Part 2 in a five-part series. Read: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
How do you feel about the police?
The first thing that comes to your mind is probably the parking ticket you got last week or the time you got pulled over for a broken taillight. Police enforcement doesn’t stop there.
Friday marks the six-year anniversary of the Feb. 14, 2008, shooting that left five students and the shooter dead.
People fail to remember how helpless they would be without the police, whether it be the NIU police, DeKalb police or any type of law enforcement.
The first recorded call to dispatch was logged in at 3:07 p.m. NIU officers responded less than one minute after the time of the 911 call.
Using their emergency medical training, the NIU police officers attended to the wounded students and provided them with immediate aid.
Records indicate the time was about 3:15 p.m. when Cole Hall was declared secure, just 12 minutes after the shooting started.
Bill Feithen, the DeKalb police chief at the time of the shooting, said his team was on campus immediately to secure the area, search for other suspects and provide first aid.
Donald Grady, the NIU police chief at the time of the shooting, was reported to have sprinted to Cole Hall after hearing what was happening.
Other universities and communities have requested presentations on how to put together emergency response plans from NIU after hearing about the effort local law enforcement made the day of the shooting.
Student, faculty and community members need to remember that law enforcement is here to protect and serve.
These men and women save lives and keep our community safe.
The day of the shooting might have ended very differently if it wasn’t for the courage of first responders.
Feithen said after the shooting, the DeKalb police continued to have practice responses, training and meetings to coordinate their plan of action if something were to happen again.
“Everyone should always review what they should do in those situations so they are prepared,” Feithen said.
The DeKalb community is lucky to have law enforcement that is dedicated to helping the campus and the town.
How do you feel about the police?
This is Part 2 in a five-part series. Read: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5