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April 2020 Blues Vol 36 No 4

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April 2020 Blues Vol 36 No 4 Surviving COVID - 19

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Voted #1 Condo Rental! Continued from Previous Page call me when she knew more. Seriously, there was absolutely no way that I was going home. I headed straight to UTMB with even more importantly…What if I could have kept it from happening? Maybe if I had been a little quicker loading the stroller, if I didn’t feel the need to always be ment, he said, “I treated him with respect when I called his name, and he shot me down like a dog. If Clemente Garcia had not been there, I have no doubt he would both kids in tow. Dad was rushed to surgery, so I couldn’t see him right away. Mom told me that he had been shot twice and we were so prepared caring a bulky loaded bag everywhere we went, or if I didn’t stop at Wendy’s for the 99 cents chicken nuggets, or if one have finished the job.” In July of 2004, Espinosa was found guilty of two counts of attempted capital murder. The jury’s verdict Thank You Texas First Responders and Law Enforcement waiting for an update from the doctor. As I stood there holding less car was ahead of me in line… maybe he would have seen me was 55 years in prison with eligibility for parole in the year 2030. Be the Hero of Your Family’s Vacation! • Mention The Blues for 10% off Daily Rates • On the Beachfront Across from Popular my son and watching my daughter, that afternoon instead of Henry, After 27 years of service, my Sunday – Friday through 2020 Babe’s Beach I was in complete and utter and he would have been giving dad retired from Galveston Police • Fun Packages With Popular Attractions • Bar-B-que Park • All suites with full kitchen amenities • Friendliest Staff on the Island • Private Gulf View Balconies • Maid Service and 24 hour Front Desk shock. I just couldn’t understand…how us hugs instead of being put in Department on December 26, • Two Sparkling Pools (one seasonally heated) • Courtyard Meeting Facilities Perfect for Business could this happen?! Why? What did MY DAD do to the line of fire. I wanted more than anything to go back in time 2003. Then on January 8, 2004, he went on to serve and protect • Centrally Located to Restaurants & Attractions and Church Retreats and Family Reunions Book Direct with our Onsight Galveston Team deserve to be gunned down?! and change just one little thing, Galveston with the Port of Galveston Police for 13 more years. casadelmartx.com for Best Rates and Packages Then the details of the shooting anything that could have put me began to surface. My dad was traveling in his patrol car down seawall boulevard with Officer Clemente Garcia Jr. They spotted Henry Espinosa in the 5900 block of Seawall Boulevard. He was wanted on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. They turned the patrol car around, and my dad got out and called out to Espinosa, who responded by pulling a 9 mm pistol from his waistband and shooting him twice, one bullet hitting his leg and one hitting his abdomen. 11 more shots were fired as he exchanged fire with Garcia before running off, but no one was hit by these shots. My dad fell to the ground but remained on his knees. I found out later that he was afraid if he succumbed to the pain and laid down on the cement, he never would have gotten up again. Hearing those words truly killed me. For years, the what ifs haunted me! I was right there! What if I there with my dad instead. My dad was in the hospital for 10 days. I spent 3 of those nights there with him. The vision of the strongest man you know, your protector, laying helpless in a hospital bed hooked up to IVs, monitors and a ventilator was the most painful sight ever. I always worried about my dad and his safety as he was doing the job he loved. But I guess I had a certain about of blind confidence that “it won’t happen to him.” Well, that day I learned the harsh reality that it can, AND DID happen to him…my dad! His tactical belt truly saved his life. The bullet to the abdomen hit the belt and ricocheted miraculously avoiding all major organs. It was a rough recovery, but he overcame the injuries and returned to work. The criminal trial finally took place in September of 2004. It was hard to hear the details of the case, as an attempted defense was made for Henry Espinosa’s actions. In My dad being a police officer is all I know and remember. He was hired September 13, 1976 when I was almost 10 months old. He was very dedicated to his job and worked countless hours. I know it was hard for him to miss moments with my twin sister and me growing up, but he was working hard protecting us and countless others. We sometimes take for granted the sacrifices that police officers make to keep us safe. They put themselves in danger every day because they have a calling to serve others. It takes a special person to walk towards danger while everyone else is running away. My dad is my hero today and every day. I am so blessed and thankful to God that he is still here on Earth so I can hug him, hear his voice, get cards with handwritten messages in them, text him “Goodnight, John Boy”, and tell him in person that I love him TOO much! 409-572-0371 had witnessed the shooting? But my dad’s victim impact state- 18 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 19

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