Justin Garner is credited with shooting and subduing Robert Stewart, the suspect in the nursing home massacre in Carthage, N.C. (CarthagePD.com / March 30, 2009) |
The gunman suspected of slaying eight
people at a North Carolina nursing home was stopped by a single
shot to the chest fired by a decorated police officer responding to
a 911 call.
Carthage Police Chief Chris McKenzie said Monday that 25-year-old Officer Justin Garner "saved I don't know how many" lives when he chose not to wait for backup Sunday before going inside Pinelake Health and Rehab Center.
Garner has worked for the Carthage Police Department for almost five years.
Holly Foster, who lost Jesse Musser in the attack, said would love to meet Officer Garner "The very first thing I wan tto do is meet the officer. He's 25 and my son is 26. I want to meet him and I want to give him a big hug. I think it's absolutely phenomenal what he did going in alone and taking this man who was, from what I understand, armed with 4 different weapons when he walked in there. I believe if it wasn't for that officer, there would be many more casualties," said Foster.
McKenzie said Monday police are still working to uncover the motives of 45-year-old Robert Stewart for a rampage in the Pinelake Health and Rehab center on Sunday that claimed the lives of seven residents and a nurse.
It ended when Garner fired his weapon once and wounded Stewart in a hallway around 10:15 a.m.
Stewart wounded Garner three times in the leg as they traded gunfire in a hallway, McKenzie said.
"Whether he realizes it now, he will hopefully realize someday how many lives he has saved," McKenzie said, adding: "A lot more lives would have been lost, I honestly feel, had he not done what he did. For certain."
McKenzie called Garner's actions "heroic" and said the officer was "doing quite well" in his recovery.
Garner hasn't spoken publicly, but McKenzie said "he's a very experienced officer." He said Garner was born and raised in the area, is married and has been with the police department for four and a half years.
Carthage Police Chief Chris McKenzie said Monday that 25-year-old Officer Justin Garner "saved I don't know how many" lives when he chose not to wait for backup Sunday before going inside Pinelake Health and Rehab Center.
Garner has worked for the Carthage Police Department for almost five years.
Holly Foster, who lost Jesse Musser in the attack, said would love to meet Officer Garner "The very first thing I wan tto do is meet the officer. He's 25 and my son is 26. I want to meet him and I want to give him a big hug. I think it's absolutely phenomenal what he did going in alone and taking this man who was, from what I understand, armed with 4 different weapons when he walked in there. I believe if it wasn't for that officer, there would be many more casualties," said Foster.
McKenzie said Monday police are still working to uncover the motives of 45-year-old Robert Stewart for a rampage in the Pinelake Health and Rehab center on Sunday that claimed the lives of seven residents and a nurse.
It ended when Garner fired his weapon once and wounded Stewart in a hallway around 10:15 a.m.
Stewart wounded Garner three times in the leg as they traded gunfire in a hallway, McKenzie said.
"Whether he realizes it now, he will hopefully realize someday how many lives he has saved," McKenzie said, adding: "A lot more lives would have been lost, I honestly feel, had he not done what he did. For certain."
McKenzie called Garner's actions "heroic" and said the officer was "doing quite well" in his recovery.
Garner hasn't spoken publicly, but McKenzie said "he's a very experienced officer." He said Garner was born and raised in the area, is married and has been with the police department for four and a half years.
