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Charlie Deckert
ATX Protective & Investigations Corp., Austin
‘A TRUE TEXAS HERO’
Security Officer of the Year 2009, Jeremy Gonzales
In the early morning hours of July 20, around 2:10 a.m., Officer Jeremy Gonzales, a security officer with ATX Protection & Investigations Corp., located in Austin, Texas, was working his normal patrol route. While conducting a foot patrol of a contracted property Gonzales heard yelling and engines revving. As he made his way to the back of the property on foot to investigate, he witnessed a silver Chevy Tahoe and a red Ford truck at a standoff across the street at another apartment property. The silver vehicle wanted out and the red truck wanted in. The red truck attempted to pull away and move to the next entrance. In an apparent case of road rage the silver vehicle accelerated and smashed into the red truck. The silver vehicle reversed, and accelerated forward again crashing into the red truck, then reversed, accelerated and smashed into the red truck a third time, this time pushing it several feet down the street. The silver Tahoe then fled the scene.
As Gonzales was making sure everyone was okay he heard a vehicle approach at a high rate of speed. He saw it was the vehicle that had just rammed the red truck and its occupants. Gonzales, using his flashlight signaled for the vehicle to stop, it did. Gonzales then saw the passenger door open at which time the silver Tahoe accelerated in reverse, he saw something tumble out from under the Tahoe. When he noticed the object was a person it was clear the driver had just run over his own passenger. While this victim was laying motionless in the street Gonzales again ordered the driver to stop. The driver then accelerated forward toward the passenger and Gonzales. Gonzales again ordered the driver to stop, with one last order to stop the driver continued forward. Fearing for the life of the already run over victim and his own safety, Gonzales fired his weapon at the driver of the vehicle in an effort to stop him.
The suspect driver stopped, turned around fled the scene for the second time. Gonzales signaled to a bystander to call 911 at which time Gonzales took the phone and explained to 911 operators what had just occurred while at the same time he was rendering aid to the man who had just been run over. According to the witness accounts, Gonzales was defending the lives of at least five people including his own. The suspect driver was later apprehended and taken to the hospital where he died from gunshot wounds.
With a No Bill decision the Travis County Grand Jury determined Gonzales acted appropriately. Gonzales acted swiftly and bravely as he was faced with a difficult situation and was able to rely on his training and instincts to save the lives of four strangers.
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