Quick action by Wilmington VA police saves veteran

Charlie Squad patrolled the grounds, monitored vehicle and foot traffic and maintained general security in and around the campus buildings.

“The night was like any other, we had just finished our required checks of the medical center campus and were discussing the upcoming retirement of a fellow officer,” said Lieutenant David Stroup, a Marine Corp Veteran and a VA police officer for the last seven years.

For Officer Ardell Francis, who has twice deployed to Afghanistan as a civilian with the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency as a quick reaction force specialist and has been an officer with VA for less than two years, he was using this time to learn from the elder statesmen in the group.

“I remember talking with Officer Mark Roberts about his retirement plans,” he said. “I was looking forward to picking his mind that night and seeing what else I could learn from him before he retired. I remember him telling me that if I work hard and do what I have to, good things will come.”

It was during this conversation when the officers of Charlie Squad responded to an alarm in the emergency department.

Lieutenant Stroup and Officer Francis recall that after responding to an alarm, they noticed several nurses walking with a Veteran toward the exit. The nurses said the Veteran was Ok to go and said he was just frustrated, and that he was on his way out of the medical center.

The officers had no reason to stop the Veteran, but they knew they should speak with and see what assistance they could offer to help this Veteran.

“I felt deep in my soul that something was wrong when I saw the Veteran was departing. I couldn’t put my hand on it at the time, but my gut was telling me to follow him and make sure he was truly okay,” Officer Francis said. “Sometimes people say they are good but deep down inside they are screaming for help.”

VA police officers rely on their breadth or training/experiences to prepare them for interactions like this.

“Due to my training and experience, I could tell something was off with the Veteran and wanted to exhaust every opportunity I had with him,” said Stroup, who is certified in crisis intervention, a member of the Veterans Response Team, a certified mental health first aid trainer and provides mental health-focused training to Delaware law enforcement officers.

As the conversation progressed, the officers walked with Veteran to the main entrance of the medical center to see him on his way as the Veteran left for the evening. But then, the tone of the conversation shifted when the Veteran informed the officers he was homeless and declined offers connecting him with a social work team for temporary shelter options.

The Veteran then unexpectedly walked onto a busy four-lane highway outside of the medical center while verbally making a threat on his own life.

“The Veteran made a statement that he was simply just going to cross the road, said Lieutenant Stroup. “Officer Francis and I began watching north and southbound traffic lanes as the Veteran was approaching the highway. At that moment, there was no traffic coming, and as the Veteran began to cross the road, he began walking in a straight direction, in the middle of the highway. We gave several commands for him to get out of the road, but the Veteran ignored us as oncoming traffic approached, without appearing to slow down.” 

With no regard for his personal safety, acting strictly on reflexes, Officer Francis ran onto the highway, narrowly missing passing vehicles, to protect the Veteran. Lieutenant Stroup and Officer Roberts followed suit and leapt into action assisting Officer Francis. Together, these officers of Charlie Squad saved the Veteran’s life.

“When I first saw the Veteran headed towards traffic, I thought to myself this cannot be happening.” Officer Francis said. “I looked up and saw that the vehicles weren’t slowing down. I don’t recall thinking anything in that moment. I just remember seeing the cars and reacting. It all seemed to be happening in slow motion. It wasn’t until I saw the video footage that I realized just how close it truly was. At the end of the day when I’m asked what made me do it? I believe that’s a simple answer. I did it because that’s someone’s dad, that was a Veteran who served our great country. He risked his life for us, so why not do the same for him?”

Francis says his upbringing instilled ideals in him to think of others and to protect.

“My mother was a cop, my stepfather was a cop,” he said, “and they showed me that one person can make a difference in life. They are not here today, but if they were, I know they would have done the same thing. When you put on this badge you are representing your agency and this country. I swore to protect our Veterans whether I knew them or not. That’s what we signed up to do. The reward for me is knowing that I was able to say thank you to one of our Veterans in a unique way and that means the world to me.”

Officer Francis also says his actions are a testament to the team culture the department has at Wilmington VA Medical Center.

“This department takes pride in helping our Veterans,” he stated. “When I was hired here, I could just feel the enthusiasm to help our Veterans running through the veins of every single police officer here. I have worked for many police departments, but none have given me such an immense sense of pride like this one. When I go home, I truly feel like I did something special. I get to hear stories from Veterans as I help wheel them to their vehicle or help when lost on campus. I go home and feel like I actually helped improve a Veteran’s day. The VA is a completely different type of policing than I am used to experiencing. This police department is about being way more involved with the community you serve and knowing your craft. The more you know the more you can help our Veterans. This department does all it can to provide us with what we need to ensure that our veterans receive the best service possible. It’s been a humbling experience to be a part of this caring culture.”

For his actions described above, Officer Francis was awarded the National VA Police Heroism Award.

“The actions of Officer Francis define heroism and make him the ideal candidate for such an award,” said Paul Woodland, who nominated Officer Francis for the award and is currently the Acting Chief of Police at Wilmington VA Medical Center. “His actions were above and beyond the call of duty, but I am sure this humble officer would say he was, ‘Just doing my job’. Had Officer Francis not taken this action, we would most certainly be looking at a tragedy. Additionally, we are thankful the he made it out in good health, despite risking his life to save someone else’s.”

Officer Francis said he felt humbled by the nomination.

“It doesn’t feel real; I was honored just to be nominated,” he said. “I want to say thanks to Deputy Chief Paul Woodland for nominating me for this award; I find it hard to even comprehend that I was chosen to receive this award, its feels surreal! Truthfully speaking my shift deserves credit as well. Lieutenant David Stroup and Officer Mark Roberts played a pivotal role in keeping this Veteran safe. If it wasn’t for their heroic actions that night, the Veteran could have made his way back onto the highway a second time. One thing is for certain, I am blessed to be a part of this team!”

Some of the award criteria include:

• Officer(s) must have responded to, or acted in response to, a single incident regarding the imminent loss of life situation. 
• The single act must be ‘extraordinary’ and not in the normal and regular course of response duties; the response act must be beyond the ‘normal’ call of duty.
• The level of danger and personal risk to officers and others’ potential loss of life must be imminent danger.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month
If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran in crisis, please call the Veterans Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255, Press 1 or text 838255 to connect with a responder for 24/7 confidential help.

More information
The VA police force is made up of more than 5,000 officers nationwide. They are responsible for ensuring a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for employees and Veterans alike. They maintain order through voluntary compliance and law enforcement as needed and are integrated into the patient care team through a variety of relationships and committee memberships.

Wilmington VA Medical Center provides health care services to approximately 33,000 Veterans through its main medical center and five Community Based Outpatient Clinics in Delaware and southern New Jersey. For more information, visit wilmington.va.gov.