OAKDALE BOROUGH, Pa. — “I’m hurt, I’m mournful, and it’s tragic. It makes you want to cry,” Oakdale Police Chief Jim Lauria told Channel 11.
RELATED: Man charged with homicide for shooting death of off-duty Oakdale police officer
Chief Lauria is still coming to terms that one of his own officers, Chuck Stipetich, will never put on his uniform again.
There’s now a “Back the Blue” wreath on the outside of the department’s front door to honor Chuck.
“It’s identically the same thought process as, ‘Oh my God, it’s one of my kids.’ It’s hard to get to the bottom of it right then and there, and it’s hard to sift through,” he added.
RELATED: ‘I couldn’t even save him’: Heartbroken family remembers off-duty officer shot, killed in Blawnox
Chuck had been a part of the Oakdale Police force for just a few days when his life was cut short after he was shot and killed in a road rage incident.
“It’s a member of the family. It’s like getting a call in the middle of the night, and saying that one of your kids or brother was injured, and is on the way to the hospital, and they’re doing chest compressions,” he said.
According to investigators, Kevin McSwiggen followed from Route 28 to his family’s home in Blawnox on Sunday, then allegedly pointed a gun at Chuck’s dad.
Chuck’s father told us, his son stepped in and saved his life before he was killed.
“This kid who had been a policeman for eight days was able to save his father’s life. In his final act of being a policeman, he was able to stop a threat from hurting his father,” Chief Lauria said.
To honor Chuck, Chief Lauria says he is creating a “Charles Stipetich Award for Heroism” that they will give to someone who goes above the call of duty.
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