Sgt. Anthony Schnacky and Officer Matthew Curry of the Rosenberg (Texas) Police Department are the recipients of NLEOMF's Officer of the Month Award for June 2015. (Photo: NLEOMF)
For saving a man from a burning car, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has announced the selection of Sgt. Anthony Schnacky and Officer Matthew Curry of the Rosenberg (Texas) Police Department as the recipients of its Officer of the Month Award for June 2015.
On November 8, 2014, at approximately 2:30 a.m., Rosenberg police officers were dispatched to a serious, single-vehicle crash. Upon arriving at the scene, Sgt. Schnacky located a pickup truck overturned on its side. He accessed the scene and was able to make contact with the driver through the shattered back window. The driver informed Schnacky that his leg was broken and that he was trapped inside the vehicle as it quickly began to fill with smoke.
Officer Curry arrived at the scene and rushed to assist Sgt. Schnacky. The two officers quickly determined that they must extract the driver regardless of his injuries as the heat and flames rapidly grew. Risking their lives, Schnacky and Curry pulled the driver from the burning vehicle to safety.
Within two minutes the truck was completely engulfed in flames. Sergeant Schnacky and Officer Curry's heroic rescue was caught on film by a dashboard camera.
According to Rosenberg Police Department Patrol Lieutenant Cody Dailey, "Without their commitment, in the fear of danger, the driver of this vehicle might not have survived." The driver of the vehicle suffered a broken leg and shoulder.
"Sergeant Schnacky and Officer Curry's quick thinking and heroic actions enabled them to save this citizen from the burning truck," said Memorial Fund Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Craig W. Floyd. "Their actions are deserving of our 2015 June Officer of the Month Award."
Located in the nation's capital, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of America's law enforcement officers. The Memorial Fund's Officer of the Month Award Program began in 1996 and recognizes federal, state, and local officers who distinguish themselves through exemplary law enforcement service and devotion to duty.
Sergeant Anthony Schnacky and Officer Matthew Curry, along with the other NLEOMF Officer of the Month Award recipients for 2015, will be honored at a special awards ceremony in Washington, DC, in May 2016, during National Police Week. In addition, their stories of service and heroism will be featured in the Memorial Fund's annual calendar.
For more information about the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund's Officer of the Month Award, visit www.LawMemorial.org/OTM.
About the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
Established in 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement and making it safer for those who serve. The Memorial Fund maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, which contains the names of 20,538 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. The Memorial Fund is now working to create the National Law Enforcement Museum, which will tell the story of American law enforcement through high-tech, interactive exhibitions, historical artifacts and extensive educational programming. For more information, visit www.LawMemorial.org.
