NCJ Number
206342
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 28 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2004 Pages: 46-49
Date Published
June 2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article presents the story of Officer Jason Pruitt, who used a backup gun to save his life when he was attacked by a prisoner he was transporting.
Abstract
Officer Pruitt and his commander, Capt. Steven Jonas, of South Congaree, SC, arrested Leavy Costello Rish at a convenience store in September 2003 on outstanding warrants for resisting arrest and giving false statements to police officers. While waiting handcuffed in the police vehicle, Leavy managed to slip out of his handcuffs, so police officers secured him again, taking the extra measures of shackling his ankles and using a carabiner through the handcuff chain. While transporting Leavy to jail, he complained of being hot. Officer Pruitt cracked the car windows and lowered the Plexiglas window divider between the front and back seats. Unbeknownst to Officer Pruitt, Leavy had moved his handcuffed hands to his front; when the window was lowered, Leavy lunged forward and grabbed Officer Pruitt’s .40 caliber Glock sidearm with both hands. A struggle ensued and Officer Pruitt was shot in the finger. Officer Pruitt managed to save his life by reaching for two of the backup guns he was carrying. Although Officer Pruitt had been ridiculed for carrying so many guns, they ended up saving his life. The town of South Congaree bought every officer on the force a Glock 27 for use as a backup gun.