St. Petersburg undercover cop wounded on duty given medals

Undercover cop wounded on duty given medals
By Luis Perez, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, March 30, 2010


ST. PETERSBURG — When it was his turn on the podium, the detective told a story of what he asked God in a dark alley.

It was Jan. 26, 2009, just before 10 p.m. He lay on the ground, south of an Exxon station at 31st Street and First Avenue N. He was shot several times. His service weapon was empty of bullets, and the bad guys, who had just robbed the gas station, were running away. His partners from an elite anti-crime unit raced toward him.

"I said to God, 'If this is it, if this is my time, I'm okay with that,' " said the officer, whose name is being withheld by the St. Petersburg Times because he works undercover. "I asked God if he would please take care of my wife and boys.

"Apparently, he felt my wife and five boys were too much work," said the officer, who is 42 and a 20-year veteran of the force. "I thank him so much for that."
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