Revisit to Newhall

[FormerCSP]

When I was initially trained at the Colorado State Patrol academy in 1982, we learned about the Newhall Incident in great detail as it related to the dangers of high risk stops. While visiting LA last week I revisited the site and it was interesting to see the changes to the roadway and area. I had dinner at the Marie Callenders (on the former site of J's restaurant) and was amazed to see the word COURAGE mounted in large letters next to the salad bar!!! I thought that to be so unusual so I casually asked the server about it and mentioned if she was aware of the terrible tragedy that occurred many years ago in that very driveway. Although the word actually wasn't related, she did mention to me that many of the managers have heard weird noises after closing. Holy cow! Here's another interesting bit of trivia. On the TV show CHiPS 1st season, episode 12 entitled "AWEIGH WE GO", Ponch and Jon are assigned to the Castaic scales. In the opening scene during the credits, a semi pulls into the very same driveway and the driver goes into "J"s! I wonder if they realized they filmed on such hallowed ground!!! Never forget these brave officers supreme sacrifice! So many officers lives have been saved since including my own as we learned from their courage..And God Bless the civilian hero Gary Kness!

[LAenforcer]

Nce story....here is the picture of the memorial sign they put on the freeway.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3466/3378612512_35b5f62b83.jpg

[FormerCSP]

Right before I left the job in Colorado to move to AZ, a trooper that I had worked alongside for many years was murdered by a clean cut 19 year boy after he invited 2 of them into his car while verifying the registration of their car during a traffic stop for no front plate. Turns out they had stolen the vehicle.
These boys were from the Columbine High school area (long before that tragedy happened). Totally unprovoked, the one pulled a 38 revolver from his jacket and shot the trooper in head. Amazingly, the troopers son (a local Sheriffs officer) was the first on the scene to discover his father murdered. I had the honor of representing the family at his funeral. The trooper was just months before retiring and was originally trained in the same era as the Newhall officers.
Guess these kind of events stay in your mind...there's never a moment an officer should let their guard down until the contact is over. I always remembered...there's always a weapon involved in a contact....many times it could just be yours! Stay safe and diligent!

[SB 405]

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/304866_10150298776784700_824924699_7739734_5925134 _n.jpg

[PapaBear]

From the CHP site: "Badges of Honor - In Memoriam"

The Newhall Incident (http://www.chp.ca.gov/memorial/newhall.html)

[LadyVol@330]

I'm not pushing anything here, and I haven't read any of these books, but for those of you who have no access to further CHP material on this horrific event, you and others might be interested in at least looking at a few pages on-line of these books. This occured days before the birth of my daughter and I will never forget it. These officers are gone, but they are certainly not forgotten and never will be.

http://www.amazon.com/Newhall-Incident-Americas-Uniformed-Massacre/dp/1884956017#_.

I don't know if this was posted here at one time, but this is another informative publication:

http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/du1971.htm