Plainfield honors police officer who took life-saving action with tow truck driver
PLAINFIELD, IND. (WISH) — Matt Roberts has been a tow truck driver for four years.
His life was threatened when a man, who Roberts was trying to help, shot him and stole his tow truck. Court documents say Joseph Jackson, 22, of Raytown, Missouri, on March 25 had called for a tow truck near the eastbound rest park on I-70 at the 64-mile marker.
Thankfully, Plainfield police officer Jake Smith was quickly on the scene to provide first aid.
Smith arrived to find Roberts shot in the arm. While creating a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, Roberts recalled saying to Smith, “Don’t let me die.”
On Monday night at a Town Council meeting in Plainfield Fire Territory Headquarters, Roberts again met up with Smith and other police officers. “I want to thank you, gentlemen, from the bottom of my heart,” Roberts said.
Joe Aldridge, deputy chief of the Plainfield Police Department support division, told News 8, that officers “see a lot of these types of runs — not that you get used to them, but it all goes back to training, and officers are trained to use their tourniquets every year.”
Aldridge also said, “To have the presence of mind to not only provide care for this victim who’s been severely wounded, but all while not know where the suspect is at this time.”
As Smith treated Roberts at the scene, the officer found another gunshot wound to Roberts’ chest. Smith immediately began packing the wound with gauze to stop the bleeding.
The deputy chief said, “We have a person that was gravely injured, his life was saved, and we have a suspect that was caught that day and is in custody.”
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“I’m just really proud that our town of Plainfield, our police department, and our community supports our officers and honors them when they perform like this,” Aldridge said.