{"id":6756,"date":"2017-11-28T15:20:53","date_gmt":"2017-11-28T20:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=6756"},"modified":"2017-11-28T15:20:53","modified_gmt":"2017-11-28T20:20:53","slug":"police-psychology-my-guardian-angel-testimony","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=6756","title":{"rendered":"Police Psychology: My Guardian Angel Testimony"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

My Guardian Angel Testimony<\/h1>\n
by Deputy Sheriff Michael Lutz<\/span><\/p>\n
York County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Criminal Response Unit<\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
On June 9^{th<\/sup>, 2016, my unit was dispatched to assist the York City Police Department in the apprehension of a man with an arrest warrant named James Nickol.\u00a0 He was wanted for felony escape and had prior burglary charges.\u00a0\u00a0 Our team met up with the City Police and developed a plan of action.\u00a0 However, none of us could have predicted what was going to happen next.\u00a0 I would soon find myself face to face with an armed gunman, fighting for my life.\u00a0 It was vicious. It was bloody. It was a close quarters gun battle; as close as it gets.\u00a0 This is my story as seen through my eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n}
When I reached the end of that narrow breezeway, I was the first to make contact with the individual we were looking for.\u00a0 He was about three feet away from me, standing on a small wooden deck of the residence.\u00a0 I immediately gave him commands, in full duty uniform and at gun point, to show me his hands.\u00a0 I could tell by the look on his face that he was shocked to see me.\u00a0 I expected him to give up and allow me to handcuff him, but instead, he ignored my commands, and turned away from me.\u00a0 I held my position and continued to repeatedly shout, \u201cPolice! Let me see your hands!\u201d \u00a0He kept his back turned to me, bent down, and started doing \u00a0something with his hands, but I couldn\u2019t see what that something was.\u00a0 At this point, my instincts kicked in and something was telling me to move in and grab him, and that\u2019s exactly what I did.\u00a0 I brought my pistol down to my right hip, stepped up onto the deck, and grabbed ahold of him with my left hand.\u00a0 My intent was to bring him down, handcuff him, and end the situation peacefully.\u00a0 Instead, he quickly turned into me, and fired a revolver directly into my face.\u00a0 My head got rocked from the impact as his bullet struck me through the nose, shattering the bones in my right cheek.\u00a0 It continued to bore its way through my face, striking my jaw, and finally deflecting out the right side.\u00a0 Blood started pouring out of my face and both of my ears started ringing loudly.\u00a0 Though an incredibly hard hit, it didn\u2019t knock me down.\u00a0 My feet didn\u2019t move, and I came right back into the fight.\u00a0 I immediately placed my finger into the trigger-well of my pistol, and returned fire, striking him with two simultaneous rounds.\u00a0 I stopped firing, punched out with my left hand and grabbed his gun in an attempt to disarm him, but he again pulled the trigger.\u00a0 The bullet struck my left thumb and the force of the blast caused me to lose the grip on his weapon, and my left arm flew back into my chest.\u00a0 His bullet sheared off the top of my thumb, and now I was bleeding from the face and hand.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n
I knew at that moment I had no choice but to put him down to stop his violent actions.\u00a0 It was fight or flight but flight was not an option. \u00a0Bleeding profusely, I fired two more simultaneous rounds again from the hip as he continued to fire at me.\u00a0 Our gunfire exchange sounded muffled as if we were fighting inside of a tunnel.\u00a0 I started bringing my gun up, firing two right-handed shots.\u00a0 I then used every ounce of strength left in me to put my hands together.\u00a0 I zeroed in, seeing my front sight post and my left thumb which was spewing blood like a geyser.\u00a0 I was able to get one last round off, striking him.\u00a0 His eyes widened, he turned, and fell face down onto the deck.\u00a0 I felt like the fight was finally over.\u00a0 I started stumbling backwards trying to make my way off the deck while blood continued to pour out of my face.\u00a0 It felt like a warm shower.\u00a0 I had lost so much blood that I was too weak to hold onto my pistol anymore, and it slipped out of my hands.\u00a0 Though dizzy and disoriented, I stayed on my feet, staggering towards the back yard.<\/span><\/p>\n
I started taking off my gloves to assess my hand injury and that\u2019s when I looked up and saw my partner, Deputy Nate Payne, coming to my aid.\u00a0 I remember telling him \u201cHe got me good bro! He got me good!\u201d I was mumbling my words as it was difficult to speak.\u00a0 It felt like the entire right side of my face was missing.\u00a0 Nate grabbed ahold of me and pulled me to safety in the alleyway.\u00a0 He got me behind the cover of a fence and started applying pressure to my face to stop the bleeding.\u00a0 I was standing there slumped over, holding myself up by my knees, looking down at the ground, watching my blood pour out onto the pavement.\u00a0 I was completely soaked from my face down to my boots in my own blood.\u00a0 I could hear Nate telling me to \u201cget down on the ground,\u201d but I didn\u2019t want to.\u00a0 If I was going to die, I wanted to die on my feet!\u00a0 I figured that it would only be a matter of seconds until I\u2019d go out.\u00a0 I felt certain I was about to die.<\/span><\/p>\n
Nate had to force me down to the ground.\u00a0 I heard him call out Deputy Rich Drum, for help.\u00a0 I felt more pressure against my face as Rich had placed his hand over Nate\u2019s, but the blood still needed somewhere to go.\u00a0 It started running down the back of my throat.\u00a0 I began swallowing and spitting it out.\u00a0 I told Nate \u201cI\u2019m swallowing too much blood, brother I\u2019m swallowing too much blood!\u201d\u00a0 I started desperately reaching for my phone in my right cargo pants pocket because I wanted to be able to talk to my wife one last time, but it was still plugged into the charger of my patrol car.\u00a0 That\u2019s when I looked up at Nate and gave him what I thought was going to be my final request before I died.\u00a0 I asked him to promise me he\u2019d tell my wife and boys that I love them and would always be with them.\u00a0 Nate responded, \u201cStay with me Lutz, you\u2019re going to make it, the ambulance is on the way!\u201d\u00a0 He wouldn\u2019t let me give up, as I started to choke on all the blood I\u2019d been swallowing.<\/span><\/p>\n
I felt him take my injured and bloodied left hand and place it on his uniform.\u00a0 He said \u201cGrab onto me and don\u2019t you let go!\u201d\u00a0 I began to pray.\u00a0 I was praying to Jesus, preparing myself to meet Him.\u00a0 I asked that my wife and children would always be watched over and protected, and that my partners would be kept safe from harm.\u00a0 The next thing I remember was being placed into the back of an ambulance.\u00a0 Nate never left my side; he was still with me, applying pressure to my face.\u00a0 The medic had to forcefully remove my hand from the grip I had on Nate so he could start an IV in my arm.\u00a0 Hearing Nate\u2019s voice, knowing he was there, gave me great comfort as I hung on to life.<\/span><\/p>\n
The ambulance was moving, but I was getting weaker by the moment.\u00a0 I continued to pray.\u00a0 I prayed for the man that I had just exchanged gunfire with.\u00a0 I prayed that he would be OK, and I prayed for his family.\u00a0 In and out of consciousness, I don\u2019t remember much after that until the doors of the ambulance swung open and I was being carted into the trauma room at the York Hospital.\u00a0 They started cutting off my uniform and were preparing me for a CAT scan.\u00a0 One of the nurses held my right hand.\u00a0 I looked up at her.\u00a0 She told me that they were working on saving the other guy.\u00a0 That\u2019s when I remember first starting to cry as if the whirlwind of my emotions and adrenaline had just collided.\u00a0 I told her \u201cI didn\u2019t want to have to shoot him, but he gave me no choice.\u201d\u00a0 While tears rolled down my face, she let go of my hand as I started moving into the machine.<\/span><\/p>\n
Inside, it felt like an eternity.\u00a0 I was crying, bleeding, and in pain.\u00a0 All I could hear was the loud sound of the machine running and the ringing in my ears.<\/span><\/p>\n
Later, in recovery, a doctor entered the room.\u00a0 He told me he had been working on Mr. Nickol.\u00a0 I remember seeing blood on his scrubs.\u00a0 He took off his gloves, grasped my right hand and told me he was sorry.\u00a0 He said \u201cWe did everything we could, but he didn\u2019t make it.\u201d\u00a0 I took this news very hard, but thanked him for all he did to try and save him.<\/span><\/p>\n
The events of that day have been very difficult to process. Every time I think about the gun battle, though everything happened so quickly, I see it all, every detail, replaying over and over again in slow motion.\u00a0 One moment in particular was especially hard for me to accept for the longest time, when I had that grip on his gun.\u00a0 I would think to myself, if only my thumb hadn\u2019t been covering his barrel. \u00a0I might have been able to disarm him, and the outcome may have been different.\u00a0 Instead, he fired at me five times, emptying his weapon.\u00a0 I was somehow able to avoid being struck by three additional rounds. \u00a0I wasn\u2019t wearing eye protection, my ballistic sunglasses were up on top of my head, but yet everything but my eyes got peppered with gun powder.\u00a0 Psalm 91:11 tells us \u201cFor He will command his Angels to protect you in all you do.\u201d\u00a0 God did just that; He sent His Angels to protect me, and I now understand that it was Nickol\u2019s decision to pull the trigger.\u00a0 There was nothing I could do to stop him.<\/span><\/p>\n
Some people have told me how lucky I am to have survived such a shot to the face and are amazed that it didn\u2019t knock me off my feet.\u00a0 But I do not believe in luck.\u00a0 I am a man of faith as I have been my entire life.\u00a0 I believe that when he fired that first shot directly into my face, my Guardian Angel rose up a shield and deflected his bullet causing it to take the path that it did.\u00a0 If it had been just a fraction of an inch one way or the other, it could have killed me instantly.\u00a0 This was truly a miracle and divine intervention at its finest.\u00a0 Philippians 4:13 says, \u201cI can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.\u201d\u00a0 God gave me strength that day.\u00a0 The strength to stand and not fall!\u00a0 The strength to fight back and survive!\u00a0 He protected me, and my partners, Deputies Nate Payne and Rich Drum, saved me.\u00a0 If it weren\u2019t for their actions to slow the bleeding, I may not be here today.\u00a0 They are true examples of the meaning \u201cI got your six.\u201d\u00a0 I will always be indebted to them for this, and they will forever be my brothers.<\/span><\/p>\n
The York County 911 Dispatchers sent out the call, and law enforcement, medics, and fire fighters answered it.\u00a0 The medics got me to the hospital as quickly as they could.\u00a0 Then gifted nurses and doctors at the York Hospital kept me alive and took great care of me.\u00a0 They all deserve the utmost admiration for the heroic, selfless work that they do.<\/span><\/p>\n
I found out later the vast police response that took place after the officer down call went out over the radio.\u00a0 All they knew was that a fellow officer had been shot and came to my aid.\u00a0 This is true bravery, how law enforcement looks out for each other, and what the thin blue line is all about.\u00a0 I may never know everyone who responded, but I want them all to know how grateful I am for what they did.<\/span><\/p>\n
I want to thank my Sheriff, Chiefs and leadership, and all my fellow Deputies for their unwavering support.<\/span><\/p>\n
The recovery process is long and hasn\u2019t been easy.\u00a0 The nerve damage in my face continues to heal.\u00a0 I have seven pieces of bullet shrapnel in my face, each piece encapsulated with scar tissue, five small fragments and two larger ones.\u00a0 The largest piece is so deeply imbedded between the bone of my sinus cavity and nerve endings in my right eye that surgeons are unable to remove it.\u00a0 I was told that if attempted, it could cause both loss of vision and loss of strength in the entire right side of my face.\u00a0 The second largest fragment, however, can be removed and I am set to undergo surgery soon.\u00a0 The medications for pain management and therapies designed to help me with these discomforts are ongoing as my body continues to heal.\u00a0 The concussion from the gun blast causes me to suffer from headaches and other neurological complications.\u00a0 I lost 60% of the hearing in my left ear.\u00a0 The ringing in my right ear stopped, but my left which was closest to the gun blast continues to ring.\u00a0 I was told that I will have permanent tinnitus in this ear and have been trying to deal with it the best I can.\u00a0 Though I suffer these afflictions, I am working hard to retrain my body and mind to accept them for what they are.\u00a0 All the support from my doctors, family, and friends has been a big help in pushing me onward.<\/span><\/p>\n
People have asked me if I would still have attempted that warrant not knowing how it was going to happen but knowing I\u2019d be severely injured.\u00a0 My reply without question is yes as I have always been prepared to put my life on the line to save someone in trouble.\u00a0 It\u2019s all I\u2019ve known my entire life, protecting and saving people no matter what the cost, and without regard for my own personal safety.\u00a0 I am comforted in knowing that my actions that day saved innocent civilian lives by stopping a man who had, among other items found at the scene, additional weapons, ammunition, and the intent to kill.\u00a0 I am glad that it was me who took the bullets that day.\u00a0 I was able to stop the threat and keep my partners and York City Officers safe from harm.<\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0My prior military and police training instilled in me what I call the Spartan Mindset.\u00a0 Modeled after the ancient Spartan warrior, it is best described as never give up, never let anything stop you, and never accept defeat.\u00a0 This is not something you are born with; it is what you learn by overcoming the most difficult situations in both training and real life.\u00a0 That first shot I took to the face should have knocked me down, but it didn\u2019t.\u00a0 That\u2019s the Spartan Mindset.\u00a0 It\u2019s about courage, self-discipline, teamwork, strength, and perseverance.\u00a0 You cannot let fear control you.\u00a0 From my experiences, if you go into a dangerous situation afraid, you are more likely to make a mistake.\u00a0 You must be confident in everything you do and have a sense of fearlessness about you.\u00a0 You have to train your mind to channel that fear into positive energy.\u00a0 Once you\u2019ve learned to do this, you will be prepared to face whatever comes your way.\u00a0 As a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army, I taught this to my soldiers.\u00a0 I also taught them that just because you are wounded, it doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019re out of the fight.\u00a0 You pick up your weapon, and you get back in the fight.\u00a0 You fight until the battle is won or you die trying, and that\u2019s it.\u00a0 No retreat.\u00a0 No surrender.\u00a0 I hope that they are proud of me for leading by example.<\/span><\/p>\n
I have searched for reasons to explain why this all happened.\u00a0 I believe one reason I survived is to be able to share my story as a testament to my faith. I would like you to use what happened to me and for all that I\u2019ve endured, if for nothing else; as a sign of hope.\u00a0 I am proud to be a living example of how powerful God is and proof of His existence.\u00a0 If my story isn\u2019t proof enough, then I don\u2019t know what is.\u00a0 In John 20:29 Jesus says, \u201cBecause you have seen me, you have believed; but blessed are those who have not seen me and yet have believed.\u201d\u00a0 Always remember that in the battle of good versus evil, good will always prevail in the end.<\/span><\/p>\n
I turned 35 three days before the shooting.\u00a0 I had a 2 month old son, a 2 year old son, and a loving wife at home that morning.\u00a0 I thank God every day that I am still here to continue to be a husband and father.<\/span><\/p>\n
Mothers and fathers, hold your children close.\u00a0 Hug them, kiss them, and tell them every day how much you love them.\u00a0 Husbands, tell your wives every day that you love them.\u00a0 You never know just how short life really is until it\u2019s almost taken away from you.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Site Administrator:\u00a0 Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
Please share this article from down below.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n
Please join the email list on the top of the sidebar and you can get these sent to your email.\u00a0 Also follow me on Twitter (https:\/\/twitter.com\/ThinBlueMind<\/a>) for other articles and ideas, and YouTube at\u00a0 https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCfjNw0510ipr3bX587IvAHg<\/a> .<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My Guardian Angel Testimony by Deputy Sheriff Michael Lutz York County Sheriff\u2019s Office, Criminal Response Unit \u00a0 On June 9th, 2016, my unit was dispatched to assist the York City Police Department in the apprehension of a man with an arrest warrant named James Nickol.\u00a0 He was wanted for felony escape and had prior burglary […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[17168797,17169019,17168831],"class_list":["post-6756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stories","tag-police-psychology","tag-police-shooting","tag-police-stress"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":949,"url":"https:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=949","url_meta":{"origin":6756,"position":0},"title":"Police Psychology | How Policing Can Be Improved with Science","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"January 5, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | How Policing Can Be Improved with Science \u00a0Marcus Clarke is the author of psysci.co a psychology blog that examines the latest research and explains findings in simple terms. 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