An Omaha police officer is sharing lessons learned in coping with the loss of Kerrie Orozco.
Sgt. Jeff Kopietz spoke as part of St. Robert Bellarmine’s Night of Hope on Dec. 17, an annual event that features inspirational speakers.
“This spring my worst nightmare came true,” Kopietz said as he described the day Officer Kerrie Orozco was killed in the line of duty on May 20.
“I thought I was by myself, but I was wrong. The suspect was shooting at me, missed and struck Kerrie as she ran to my aid,” he recalled.
He described coping with her loss and the impact it had on his own family and coworkers.
“Often first responders receive praise and thanks from the public after tragic events, but their families are often forgotten. The family’s love and support are necessary for all these first responders to successfully complete their jobs every day,” Kopietz said after having other first responders in the audience stand.
The Omaha Police Department shared his presentation on its Facebook page Monday. You can watch it below.
Sgt. Jeff Kopietz has been on our department for almost 25 years. During that time he has been on the SWAT team 22 of...
Posted by Omaha Police Department on Monday, January 4, 2016
