Lloyd and Shaklee Rescue Man from Fire
Hotchkiss Marshal’s Report April and May, 2012
Marshal Dan Miller reports that the first three weeks of May were relatively calm with nothing beyond the ordinary to report––traffic related and routine items and a fairly smooth Dog Trials weekend. The number of incidents responded to by the department during the month of April was significantly down from previous months due to having only two officers on staff for half of the month and then being in transition with the hiring of new deputy, Gates Shaklee, for the remainder.
The most dramatic incident of the month was the previously reported response to an apartment fire in the 200 block of East Orchard Avenue. Deputies Chad Lloyd and Gates Shaklee responded and found an apartment filled with smoke.
It was Shaklee’s second day on the job and he was working under Lloyd‘s supervision. They evacuated the residents from the rest of the building and Lloyd, having had numerous contacts with the resident of the apartment with the fire was concerned that he was still inside.
According to the report both officers entered the smoke-filled apartment on hands and knees, located the victim burned and unconscious in the bathroom and dragged him to safety. The Hotchkiss Fire Department responded and extinguished the blaze. The victim was transported by ambulance to the hospital and from there to a burn facility in Greeley.
According to the Fire Department the cause of the fire was the victim smoking in bed. Both officers, credited with saving the man’s life, received Medal of Valor commendations at the May 10th Town Council meeting.
New deputy Shaklee is a 2005 graduate of Hotchkiss High School, a graduate of Adams State College in Durango and of the law enforcement academy at the Delta-Montrose Vo-Tec School.
There were 74 total logged incidents during the month of April with 31 of those being vehicle related. There were four traffic accidents with the most common type being incidents of improper backing in the City Market parking lot.
Of the other incidents most were minor in nature ranging from third degree assaults (2), harassment (3), larceny thefts (3), criminal mischief (3), disorderly conduct (2), violation of restraining orders (3), suspicion reports (4), indecent exposure (1), and three animal problems (dogs). In the thefts, most from unlocked vehicles, property valued at $845 was stolen during the month of April. Marshal Miller advises citizens to keep their vehicles locked with valuable items out of sight.
