EL CAJON, Calif.
Two police officers were honored Friday night for their actions during an El Cajon standoff last year.
El Cajon police Officer Jarred Slocum and his rookie partner, Officer Tim McFarland, were two of many officers who responded to shots being fired in an August 2011 standoff with a man who had already killed his baby daughter and mother-in-law.
Resident Dave Lembcke watched as McFarland rushed to Slocum's aid after he was shot in the head and fell near a fence. While still in the line of fire, Lembcke ran to help the officers.
"The man had death in his eyes. The guy was just ? and his partner just, you know ? He went out there knowing he was the target," Lembcke said. "I know we were only in that street for a few seconds, and it felt like eternity. And I kept expecting the bullets to start ringing out again."
Lembcke said he is no hero, and added, "To me a hero's nothing but a sandwich, but if you want to know about a couple of heroes, I seen a couple right there and then I seen a whole bunch more show up."
During the El Cajon Police Department's 23rd Annual Police Officer Awards Ceremony, Slocum received the department's Medal of Valor and Purple Heart. He was also named El Cajon's "Officer of the Year."
"There's no words to describe how it feels when you're watching it," Slocum said.
While he looks healthy, Slocum is still on the mend with a brain injury.
"Long, slow baby steps to get back. It just takes time," he said.
McFarland also received the Medal of Valor for his actions.
"I was going to do what I could to make sure that he was at least in a safe position to get help to him. I wasn't going to be that guy that was going to hide behind the car and not help my partner out.," said McFarland, who was in his third day as Slocum's partner when the standoff occurred.
Doctors said it was a miracle Slocum survived, and for a moment he questioned it as well.
"First thing, I spoke to God and said, 'Is this my time?' and I didn't hear an answer, and I just knew that I had to shoot back and get home to my family," said Slocum.
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