Valor Awards
Gold Medal Of Valor
Officer Josh Lee Vadell Officer Thomas McCabe Atlantic City Local 24
This one’ s for Tommy
The applause for Josh Lee Vadell thunders every time he appears with the NJ State PBA or at one of these events to honor his valor. But this time, Vadell clapped the loudest and longest.
He wanted the tribute to go to his partner, his best friend, his brother and fellow Atlantic City Officer Tommy McCabe, whose heroics on that Sept. 3, 2016 night when Vadell was hit with a debilitating, skull-shattering, almost-life-ending shot in the head were lifesaving, meritorious, solid gold and more.
“ I’ m actually happy Tommy is getting the recognition he deserves,” exclaimed Vadell who with every step he takes and every move he makes rocks McCabe’ s world.“ As I always say to you, if it wasn’ t for Tommy, there wouldn’ t be a story to tell. He stepped up and took action that most people would think they couldn’ t do.”
For the one or two people who haven’ t been inspired by this story, on Sept. 3, 2016, Vadell and McCabe were on patrol when they pulled up on a suspect in a parking lot near Caesar’ s holding a gun to a victim’ s head. A robbery appeared to be in progress and when Vadell and McCabe saw the victim’ s pants around his ankles, they went into action.
The man with the gun got off a shot, that Vadell recalls hitting him in the head. He heard McCabe return fire. He couldn’ t move. McCabe took out the gunman, then moved Vadell to the squad car to rush him to the hospital. There was no time to wait for an ambulance, and that’ s probably what saved Vadell’ s life.
More than a year later, Vadell shared what transpired in the squad car prior to the shooting that night; what went on many nights that proved to be the difference in this situation.
“ We always rehearsed what we would do if we were in a shooting situation,”
Vadell revealed.“ And Tommy stuck to that plan. Then, he rendered aid to me, got me to the hospital and saved my life. I am forever indebted to Tommy.”
McCabe noted that instinct, fueled by military training and primarily training from his time with Atlantic City, took over.
“ A few of the guys in our department always talk about mindset,” he explained.“ That’ s the ultimate thing that not only saved Josh’ s life but allowed me to perform the way I did. We always discussed if this happens, this is where we go, this is what we do. Thank God that’ s what happened that night.”
More than a dozen surgeries later, including skull reconstruction, Vadell pushes his recovery beyond expectations every day. Nobody celebrates that more than McCabe.
“ Pretty much, every time he’ s recognized, it feels like the first time I got the phone call when he woke up in the hospital,” McCabe shared.“ Because it still isn’ t reality. There’ s no way this happened and he’ s as good as he is now. He’ s made so much progress that it’ s unheard of.”
For their PBA sisters and brothers and for the supporting public, Vadell and McCabe will be forever linked by that night. McCabe confided how he will never forget Vadell’ s head lying in his lap while they raced to the hospital, part of his head obliterated and Vadell talking the entire ride. Vadell said he will never forget McCabe telling him,“ Stay with me. Stay with me, Josh.”
And they will forever be family. Vadell will be best man at McCabe’ s wedding in 2018. When he gets up to make his best man’ s toast, it will probably go something like this:
“ He’ s got the biggest heart of anybody I know,” Vadell cheered.“ Since that day, anything I ever needed, I ask Tommy. And he’ s always right there, no matter what else he’ s got going on in his life.”
All the while, McCabe will be sitting there, continuing to marvel at how Vadell has made it to this point.
“ The only thing I can say to people is that he’ s Josh Vadell,” McCabe honored.“ And that explains everything. His attitude alone, you can’ t compare it to anybody else. He’ s not normal. He’ s extraordinary.” d
www. njcopsmagazine. com ■ DECEMBER 2017 47