Marine and Air Force Veterans First to Respond to UCC Shooting

Police: First responders at UCC are military vets who ran toward gunfire, 'saved lives'
FOX 11 News
BY SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP
OCTOBER 7TH 2015

ROSEBURG, Ore. (Sinclair Broadcast Group) — In a press conference updating the investigation of the shooting at Umpqua Community College, authorities confirmed the names of the two officers who engaged in gunfire with the shooter, shortly before he killed himself.

Chief Jim Burge of the Roseburg Police Department said Sgt. Joe Kaney, and Det. Todd Spingath were first to arrive on-scene. They were in plain clothes, without body armor, but still ran toward the gunfire at Snyder Hall.

"They knew that they could be injured or killed as they ran toward the sound of gunfire" he said.

Sgt. Kaney, a former Marine, has been with the department for 23 years, receiving a medal of honor and purple heart for his service in a previous shooting incident in 2005 - where he was wounded in the ankle.

His coworker, Det. Spingath, was described as an Air Force veteran, employed with the department for 16 years. He was the recipient of a medal of valor for his role in the same 2005 shooting.
read more here