Bulletin Notes
Law enforcement officers are challenged daily in the performance of their duties; they face each encounter freely and unselfishly while answering the call to duty. In certain instances, their actions warrant special attention from their respective departments. The Bulletin also wants to recognize those situations that transcend the normal rigors of the law enforcement profession.
One morning, the Dundee, Michigan, Police Department (DPD) and Dundee Fire Department (DFD) were dispatched to a pond in reference to a 911 call reporting that someone had fallen through the ice. Emergency crews began arriving within three minutes and observed a subject, later identified as a 12-year-old boy, in the middle of the pond struggling to stay afloat in the 20-foot water.
Upon arrival, DPD Reserve Officer Joe Schumaker grabbed personal flotation equipment and made his way out to the victim. While doing so, he also fell through the ice but continued wading out to complete the rescue. Officer Schumaker was joined by two local men, as well as DPD Officer Christine Hicks; Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Lestock; and DFD firefighters, who assisted with a line from shore to help bring them safely back to land.
Once out of the water, the victim was treated on scene by EMS personnel and transported to a local hospital for additional care. Officer Schumaker was also treated before returning to duty.
Officer Joe Schumaker
Nominations for the Bulletin Notes should be based on either the rescue of one or more citizens or an arrest(s) made at unusual risk to an officer’s safety. Submissions should include a short write-up, a separate photograph of each nominee, and a letter from the department’s ranking officer endorsing the nomination. Submissions can be emailed to leb@fbi.gov.