PATRIOTS CORNER
Patriots Corner by American Patriot and American Veteran , Benton J . Lovoi Jr . U . S . N .
This article does not necessarily represent the opinion of Thunder Roads Louisiana Magazine or its staff .
To get the full grip of this article I would like you to open your mind or close your eyes and get someone else to read it to you .
I know it sounds crazy but hey give it a try .
You ’ re a police officer on patrol riding in your unit when you get a call just before midnight about a suspicious subject . When you arrive on the scene , you begin to walk around the grounds to see what you can find . Suddenly you come across the suspect . A suspect you have dealt with before . You ask for identification , and the suspect pulls out his ID and there where you can see it is a marijuana cigarette . You think no big deal it ’ s just a joint . But now you have to search further … it ’ s your job .
Your suspect freaks , drops the ID and joint , and begins reaching for what you think is more pot to dump . But it ’ s not . It ’ s a long barrel revolver . Your instincts kick in . You only have a split second , so you grab the gun pushing the barrel away and gripping the cylinder to stop the gun from firing . Now you ’ re locked in a fight for your life . You and the suspect begin to try to gain control of the weapon . You ’ re trying to hold the gun and disarm the suspect . You are trying to obtain the weapon in the struggle , and the suspect squeezes the trigger . The first goes through your lower leg right below the knee and exits mid calf . At this point all you see is your pants leg exploding as your adrenaline kicks in and you feel no pain .
You continue to fight as you see the railing on the stairs behind you , and you push him over . The short drop should cause him to release the weapon . As you hit the railing it springs you and the suspect back like the ropes in a boxing ring , causing you to lose your grip on the weapon . As you take a few steps back the suspect points the weapon at you ............
The suspect points the weapon at you and begins to fan it like an old western movie . Training kicks in and you draw your weapon . You feel a round slam into your back . but thankfully you ’ re wearing your vest . You suddenly feel something is not right . As the entire right side of your body goes dead , your right arm drops , and your foot feels like its on fire . You are still standing . You pick up your right hand that is holding the gun , and with your left hand you try to shoot just as the suspect puts another round into your upper back . You feel like your vest took that round . It felt like a slap . You are standing as the third round that hit your back pushes you to the ground as the suspect runs .
Sitting on the ground with legs crossed , you raise your gun with your left hand hoping he is not coming back to finish you . Lucky , you have your radio on your shoulder you queue your mic to call for help , but you ’ re out of range . Now you have to get off the ground and move to get a signal while looking for the suspect . You walk 50 or 60 yards and finally get a signal to call for help . You now begin to have trouble breathing . You ’ re still trying to maintain watch for the suspect and begin a physical assessment of your injuries . You know your left leg is hit .
Well if you think your safe now well you ’ re not . Things are not getting better at this point . You take your vest and shirt off and feel a large knot under your right collar bone the size of a golf ball . While you are assessing your injuries , you are thinking about vital organs . You know you are shot on the left side and you have a knot on your right side under your collarbone . You know you are in bad shape . You hear the ambulance sirens and you know you ’ re safe now … but wait they can ’ t see you , and the area is still considered a hot zone so they can ’ t come and help you yet .
It only took 9 minutes for responders to get there but 9 minutes is forever when you ’ re sitting with bullets in your body . Your breathing becomes harder and harder . Finally , the area is clear . Paramedics cut your clothes off to work on you . The paramedics try to lay you down but you refuse , to you it ’ s symbolic . If you lay down you might not get up . The ambulance is now taking you to the hospital . You are safe .
Once you get to the emergency room , it ’ s crazy with activity . You hear a lot of talking . You hear a comment that you won ’ t make it . You look up to your LT . and he says you ’ re gonna be ok . People are holding you down jamming tubes in your side as big as your thumb , and the painkillers are not working . The tubes make a popping sound like a balloon . The pain is extreme . As the second tube goes in you it sounds like someone dumping a bucket of water on the ground . That ’ s the fluid coming out of your lung . You can now breathe but it is painful .
This happened to Deputy Donald Bourg on July 27 , 2009 . After all of that the doctor walked in and told him life as he knew it was over . as far as his career as a police officer . The doctors weren ’ t sure if he would ever walk again . That ’ s when he found out he had a bullet in his spine . Management came into talk to him but he it was hard to talk after the news of how severe his injuries were .
After some time , he got feeling back in one leg . It would take 7 years and he is still going through therapy . He was promoted to Lieutenant . Yes ! He is still a police officer . if you think anything else but Hero then you need to evaluate yourself because you may be the problem with society today . What really amazes me is the guy ’ s attitude . Don is just a straight up nice guy not bitter at all . He is an amazing airbrush artist who has no problem teaching me all kinds of tricks and showing me new skills .
When you run a red light , or speed and then yell at the officer that pulled you over , or if you threaten that officer who is there to protect you , just think of that maybe that police officer did a couple of tours overseas defending your life as an American , and now you ’ re taking it out on him because you did something wrong and got caught . Maybe his family has situations a sick child , lost a loved one , or just maybe someone left a bullet in his spine ran off and left him for dead . The men and women need to be treated with honor . Don Bourg is a man I ’ m proud to know and honored to call a friend . If you know you broke the law accept what you get . Don ’ t do the crime if you can ’ t do the time . This is dedicated to the men and women who protect our streets ……….
DEPUTY DONALD BOURG
8 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana / Mississippi | November 2017 | www . thunderroadslams . com