Salem Police Department Announces
2009
Officer of the Year Recipient
Police Officer Sean A. Slusser, who is assigned to the Patrol Division of the
Salem Police Department, has been selected by his peers as “Officer of the Year”
for 2009 after he pulled a driver out of a car to safety during a traffic
accident.
“Anytime you get an award it is quite an honor, but when you work with
outstanding officers who think enough of you to not only nominate you, but vote
for you, that’s what really makes me extremely proud and honored,” says Officer
Slusser.
On December 9, 2009, Slusser was dispatched to a traffic accident that involved
a business located at the intersection of West Main and 4th Streets. After
arriving at the scene of the accident, he found that a vehicle had not only
struck the building, but that it had crashed through the wall and was now inside
the establishment.
Without hesitation, Officer Slusser pulled the driver out of the car to safety
even though electrical lines and leaking water pipes that had been damaged in
the crash were exposed overhead. The driver of the vehicle was transported to
the hospital where he was later released.
“It’s definitely a job where you have to make decisions quickly and trust in all
of the training you’ve been through,” says Slusser.
“I am extremely proud of Sean for not only assessing the accident scene so
quickly, but also for processing the situation, acting so instinctively and
pulling the motorist to safety,” says Salem Police Chief Jeff Dudley. “The
situation inside the business was uncertain at best, and Sean’s quick actions
kept it from being much worse.”
