Please Help Deputy Shane Charles
By Wyatt Earp | April 8, 2011
Buchanan County (VA) Deputy Sheriff Shane Charles and his partner were ambushed by a sniper while responding to a trespassing call. Charles was paralyzed from the waist down, and sadly, two backup officers were killed responding to Charles’ assist call.
It’s safe to say the deputy could use some good thoughts right about now, and since I try to spread the word when an officer is injured, I wanted to share this story with you.
Hopefully, you will share the story with others, because those of us in the law enforcement community know the next time it could be one of us.
Virginia Deputy Sheriff Shane Charles is at the Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta. On March 13, Shane and Deputy Eric Rasnake responded to a trespass call. They arrived to find a sniper with a .223 caliber rifle who shot both deputies. Shane put out an officer down call. The next two deputies who arrived – Neil Justus and Billy Stiltner – went in to rescue the injured officers, and both were shot and killed by the sniper.
The closest SWAT team to his town was 2 hours away. This SO is a 33 person department. Losing 2 deputies and having 2 critically injured has been tragic. It appeared the sniper was in a dispute with a neighbor, and he went to the back of the neighbor’s property to shoot the entire family. Shane is paralyzed from the waist down, but he believes he will walk out of the Shepherd Center. He is going through physical therapy and will have more surgery (he has a shattered vertebra).
Shane was very depressed and he and his family were all alone, but Shane has become much more positive. He has started a great patch collection, he’s receiving cards and letters and words of encouragement. Shane’s family is so grateful that people care. The cards he is starting to receive really cheer him up, and he reads them all. (H/T – Kim)
If you’d like to help, you cand send a card or short letter here: Deputy Shane Charles, Room #411, Shepherd Center, 2020 Peachtree Rd., NW, Atlanta, GA 30309.
Topics: The Job | 7 Comments »
April 8th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Well our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen and for this man. Good lookin out. but I gotta ask WHY don’t you have a “Share” link for your posts? It would really make it easier for things like this to get national attention. A facebook share button is a plugin for WP. Hook it up man.
I’ll be sharing this with as many as I can.
April 8th, 2011 at 7:14 pm
Thanks, Wyatt. My children are making cards for him and want me to print out pictures of our new baby goat. Unfortunately, they asked about 20 minutes ago and I need Hubby to do the whole computer/printer/battery bank/inverter hook-up thing and he is on a fire call.
April 8th, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Hey Wyatt – this is just a damn shame. Prayers and sympathies go out to the families and friends of Neil Justus and Billy Stiltner and to Deputy Sheriff Rasnake, and of course to Deputy Sheriff Shane Charles, to whom I will be sending a letter
Thank you for letting us know about this Wyatt.
I hope the sumbitch who shot and killed those two officers and wounded Charles and Rasnake does get the death penalty. And soon, too.
April 8th, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Robert – Because truth be told, I am a techno idiot. Jim from bRight & Early handles most of the tech specs here.
Kim – You’re welcome. Thanks for letting me know. I didn’t even hear about this story until you sent it.
Real – If I read another article correctly, the shooter was killed by police at the scene.
April 8th, 2011 at 11:17 pm
How absolutely heartbreaking.
April 9th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Prayers sent. No words can convey the sadness I feel for the officers and their loved ones. May God give them strength in the days to come. Bless them, and may the perpetrator be…. well, I leave that to God.
Stay safe, Wyatt.
April 10th, 2011 at 1:12 pm
Wyatt:
My prayers and thought go to ALL those families of the officers.
Wilco on the card/letter…a damn good idea.
Stay safe.