ORLANDO, Fla. – Authorities on Monday released the names of 11 officers who fired at the shooter who killed 49 people and injured 53 others inside an Orlando nightclub.
Most of the officers are with the SWAT team that stormed the Pulse nightclub after Omar Mateen took people inside hostage. The officers range in experience from about 25 years to two years with the Orlando Police Department.
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One officer on the list was Michael Napolitano, who was shot in his Kevlar helmet but survived. A photo of the helmet has been widely circulated online. Napolitano has been with the department since 2012.
The other officers are:
- Officer working extra duty at Pulse: Officer Adam Gruler, member of OPD since 2001
- First Patrol Unit On Scene (also a SWAT Member): Lt. Scott Smith, member of OPD since 1992
- First Patrol Unit On Scene (also a SWAT Member): Sgt. Jeffrey Backhaus, member of OPD since 2004
- SWAT: Officer Timothy Stanley, member of OPD since 1998
- SWAT: Officer Kevin Easterling, member of OPD since 1994
- SWAT: Officer Andrew Bishop, member of OPD since 1994
- SWAT: Sgt. James Parker, member of OPD since 1991
- SWAT: Detective Raul Rivas, member of OPD since 1992
- SWAT: Lt. Jonathan Bigelow, member of OPD since 2001
- SWAT: Officer Ricardo Duenas, member of OPD since 2014
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigates all of OPD’s officer-involved shootings.