Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer Survives Attack Due To His Training
By Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission // December 31, 2015
FWC TOP STORY OF 2015
Routine Vessel Stop Exploded Into Shootout Last August
FWC Best of 2015: Officer Survives Vicious Attack
FWC (August 12, 2015) – A routine vessel stop exploded into a shootout and an attack on one of our officers.
While he was helpless in the water, he could have been left for dead but he had some luck on his side.
Here’s what happened:
Officer David Brady was patrolling St. Andrews Bay last August and boarded a sailboat because of a call about a disturbance there.
Officer Brady asked the two men on board for ID and when one came out of the cabin he was carrying a handgun and began shooting at our officer.
Officer Brady jumped into the water and began returning fire. Fortunately, he had some lucky stars in his corner – one was that he was wearing his bullet-resistant vest, which protected him.
However, he still suffered two gunshot wounds.
Next, the suspects jumped into Brady’s patrol boat and attempted to run over him several times as he kept returning fire, striking one of the men.
After one of the suspects was wounded, they sped off in Brady’s patrol boat. Thanks to his tenacity, tactical training and physical ability, Brady was able to survive the attack and flag down the Coast Guard. They scooped him out of the water, got him to shore and arranged transportation to the hospital.
Meanwhile, officers from FWC and our partner law enforcement agencies set up a perimeter to capture the suspects.
Because of his lucky stars – the vest, training and nearby help – Brady was released from the hospital the same day and fully recovered from his injuries.
Both suspects involved in the Panama City Beach shooting were arrested within a few hours of the shootout and the case was investigated by FDLE and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.
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