On Being a Police Officer Ep. 78 - LAPD Gang Det. Tim Pearce on his 18-year LE Career and the “Officer Needs Help” Call That Changed Everything.
Ep. 78 - LAPD Gang Detective Tim Pearce reflects on choosing law enforcement; working the CRASH Gang Unit with his partner Kristina Ripatti who would become his wife; and on the “Officer Needs Help” call that changed everything for them both.
Tim joined LAPD in 1996 in the wake of the Rodney King riots and the OJ Simpson trial working Skid Row as a rookie and later what was then known as South Central. Tim was paired with Kristina who he met in the Academy as patrol partners and later as partners on the CRASH Gang Unit assigned to the Rollin’ 30s Harlem Crips.
We discuss all elements that go into collecting gang intel – the cars they drive, who they hang out with, their monikers, their secret monikers. He shares the hair-raising incident he responded to with Kristina that brought him face to face with a gangster and his shotgun and the millisecond decision that saved Tim’s life.
Tim and Kristina would marry in 2003 soon after have a daughter. They remained on the Gang Unit working separate districts.
Then, on June 3, 2006, Tim and his partner responded to the “Officer Needs Help” call. That officer, he would soon learn, was Kristina.
This is Tim’s story. It’s Kristina’s story. It’s also the story of what all of you risk every time you hit the streets. It is my feeling that the experiences of officers who have been injured in the line of duty and the impact on them and their loved ones is rarely told.
It is important to note that through this experience, Tim has been inspired to help law enforcement in a unique way. He has created a gunshot wound simulator called Accuracy Under Fire — a training tool designed to help officers respond while injured and under direct attack. Tim believes AUFIRE will help save law enforcement and military lives. Please check out Tim’s website to learn more.
Accuracy Under Fire
tim@aufire.com
Find Tim on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timpearceaufire/
We also talk about the fascinating story behind the film “Nothing to see here: Watts” which Tim helped produce and direct. It’s a unique documentary made by rival gang members, police, victims of violence all from Watts in LA. Check out the trailer here:
https://nothingtoseeheremovie.com/
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©Abby Ellsworth. All booking, interviews, editing, and production by Abby Ellsworth. Music courtesy of freesound.org
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