|
Explorer Experience
Pays Off For Wounded Deputy From AJ
During critical moment, lessons from
police program saved an officer
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
In March of 2008, only two
months into his job as a Pima
County Sheriff’s deputy
(Tucson), Matt Salmon found
himself in a precarious position.
He was wrestling with
a suspect when suddenly the
perpetrator broke loose and
shot Salmon in the chest.
“I was shot square in the
chest with a .50-calibre hand
gun,” Salmon told a group of
Explorers Thursday, October
2. “It was at point-blank
range. It knocked me back
and my training kicked in
and I went into overdrive. I
ended up shooting and killing
him.”
The training he received
through the Explorer program
helped him deal with
the stressful situation, he said.
Exploring is a program for young men and
women ages
14-20 who are interested in a
career in law enforcement.
“Take the training seriously.
It could save your life one of
these days,” said Salmon, the
son of retired Apache Junction
Police Department Sgt.
Rick Salmon.
In a poignant moment, the
23-year-old Salmon passed
around his “trauma plates,”
metal plates placed in the uniform
that keep bullets from
passing through to the heart.
On his trauma plates, it is
clear a bullet nearly pierced
it. The worst injury he sustained
was a bruised heart.
His best friend, Nick Norris,
a fellow deputy who also
spoke to the group, said he
received a phone call from
a co-worker merely saying
Salmon had been shot. He
was unaware of the extent of
Salmon’s injuries.
“Luckily, he was safe. I ran
to the hospital,” said Norris,
the nephew of City Councilman
Rick Dietz. “Training is
the No. 1 thing for me. I love
to train. Training is so important.”
See
A-1
and see Explorer,
page
A-3

Radar Speeder May Be
Babeu Relative
Photos sent by readers resemble family
member
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
The “unknown” driver behind
the wheel of a speeding
car owned by Pinal County
sheriff candidate Paul Babeu
could be his sister-in-law
who lives in his Queen Creek
home.
Babeu received a photo radar
speeding ticket and although
he admitted owning the 2004
Chevrolet, he said he is unsure
who was driving his car.
According to pictures sent
to The News by concerned
citizens after a September 29,
2008, article on the incident,
the driver bears a resemblance
to Babeu’s sister-in-law. The
vehicle appears to be driven
by a woman with two children
in the backseat.
Although Babeu cooperated
with an interview for the original
article, he did not respond
to requests for an interview
for this article.
According to Michael Minter,
the sheriff’s department’s
public information officer, if driver’s
license does not
match the person in the photo,
the office will research the
case to find out who, in fact,
is behind the wheel.
See
A-1
and see Radar Ticket,
page
A-3

Celebrating 100th
Birthday
Jean McMahon was born in New York in
1907
By Meghan McCoy
The News
An Apache Junction resident
celebrated her 100th
birthday Tuesday, September
30, 2008, with her son and
friends at the Apache Junction
Health Center.
Jean McMahon was born in
Fishermans Landing, N.Y.,
on September 30, 1907. Her
parents owned a restaurant
on the lake there and Jean has
three brothers and a sister.
She attended college and
worked in New York City
as a proof reader in a firm of
attorneys. She also did missionary
work in Brazil and
Mexico.
She was married in 1934
and had three sons. One son,
Ralph Junior Morton, also
lives in Apache Junction with
his wife Nancy.
Last Tuesday, McMahon’s
son and friends helped her
celebrate her birthday with a
cake, ice cream, flowers, balloons
and presents.
Lou Dwyer, who works at
the Apache Junction Health
Center, said Jean is a wonderful
lady who is very spunky
and very family oriented.
See
A-1

AJHS Girls Golf Team
Has Been Busy

By Chuck Baker
The News
The Lady Prospector golf
team from Apache Junction
High School has been very
busy of late as they prepare
for their upcoming Desert
Sky Region Tournament.
This past Monday, playing
in a four-team match at
Las Colinas Golf Course
in Queen Creek, the AJHS
girls came up with a big
team victory, scoring 192
for first place with Queen
Creek (195) taking second,
Tempe McClintock (209)
finishing third and Tempe
(259) coming in fourth.
Amber Hampton led the
Lady Prospectors with her
solid round of 42. Katie
Stout posted a round
of 46, Jordan Grams shot
49, Lacey-Shea Chronister
came in with a 55, and
Presley White shot 63.
On September 24, the
AJHS girls defeated Williamsfield
211 to 253 as
Hampton shot the day’s
second best round with a
46. Stout came in with a
round of 51, Grams shot
56, Chronister shot 58 and
White shot 77.
The Lady Prospectors
also picked up a victory on
September 22 playing at
Springfield Golf Course in
Chandler, defeating Perry
High School 191 to 235.
See
B-1
and see ATHS,
page
B-2

|