SAPD Officer Killed Friday Morning

[Johnny_Blaze_47]

This is the WOAI.com story. They don't identify the officer in the story, but a little research shows that he was Ofc. John Wheeler.



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SAPD Officer Killed in Wreck
LAST UPDATE: 10/14/2005 5:54:24 AM
Posted By: Jim Forsyth
This story is available on your cell phone at mobile.woai.com.

A veteran San Antonio Police Officer was killed today when his patrol car was rear ended by a motorist on Loop 410.

Detectives tell 1200 WOAI's Michael Main the officer was sitting in his Crown Victoria police cruiser on the shoulder of Loop 410 near Culebra Road about 2:30 this morning when a driver came up behind him at a high rate of speed and slammed into the back of his car.

Both vehicles burst into flames, and the officer and the other driver were pronounced dead at the scene.

The officer's wife is a San Antonio Police dispatcher, who was on duty at the time of the accident

The officer barely dodged death two years ago when he was shot in the neck after surprising burglars breaking into a southwest side gas station. The burglars fired some twenty rounds into his patrol car.

The accident forced to closing of Loop 410 southbound at Culebra for several hours.

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Godspeed, Officer Wheeler.

[ZStomp]

I kinda knew him. Not as well as I know others. I Made a few calls with him. I do know his wife.

I was at the scene when he was shot two years ago.

[SpursWoman]

[bigzak25]

Godbless him, Godbless his family, Godbless the SAPD, Godbless the speeder, Godbless their family.

Tragedy all around here.

hopefully lessons can be learned.

i don't want to jump to the drunk driver conclusion, but it seems too apparent. very sad either way.

[exstatic]

Crown Victoria police cruiser

I don't understand why departments still buy those deathtraps. There is a known issue, a la the Ford Pinto, with exploding gas tanks on rear impact. The article also doesn't say which shoulder he was sitting on. Ther is a place on E 410 near Broadway(?) where the cops sit on the inside shoulder (center divider) and you clear them by about 12 inches on a tight curve. I'm sure it's a great place to pop speeders, but it's also dangerous as .

[ZStomp]

The officer barely dodged death two years ago when he was shot in the neck after surprising burglars breaking into a southwest side gas station. The burglars fired some twenty rounds into his patrol car.

He didn't surprise Burglarys- he surprised Robbers who had just held the store up.

[PM5K]

I know a fix was in the works back in 02, newer models should either already have the fix or can be repaired with some type of kit, don't really know what the situation was with the cruiser this officer was driving.

That's really sad...

[Taco]

God Bless

[SWC Bonfire]

Condolences to his family.

[sa_butta]

too sad, another officer just died last week too in an accident.

[Ishta]

It's very sad.Officers do not get the respect they deserve in life, and only in death is when most people notice. My Father was a police officer for 20 years, so I know just what these officers sacrifice for all of us. All of the holdays they work, all the weird hours etc. So, when I hear of an officer dying, I think of the sacrifice that he has made, and also for his family who is left behind to grieve.So, I just want to say how sorry I am for his family, and how thankful I am to the officer who passed.