I was teaching in the Midwest when I learned that two Salt Lake City Police officers, one the son of an old, good friend, had been seriously wounded in a gunfight in which they had swiftly responded to the deadly ambush, returned fire, and slain the would-be cop-killer. The sparse police log report is here: http://slcpd.com/watch-log-thursday-march-27-2014/ .  A more in-depth report, from local news, is here: http://fox13now.com/2014/03/28/2-police-officers-hurt-1-man-dead-after-salt-lake-city-shooting/.

Officers Mo Tafisi and Dan Tueller are credited with literally saving each other’s lives. If the latter name sounds familiar to gun folks, Dan is the son of Dennis Tueller, the famed SLCPD officer and trainer of a generation before, who did the ground-breaking research showing that the average man with a knife could close seven yards and deliver a fatal thrust in only 1.5 seconds, from a standing start. We’ll never know how many lives were saved by that knowledge; I can certainly point to a few.

Both are are recovering, but their recoveries won’t be overnight. Dan’s femur was shattered by the bullet he took, and one eardrum was ruptured by a close-range attempt to fire a bullet into his brain. Reconstructive surgery is going to take a long time. Yes, they get their paychecks and workmen’s comp, but cops with big families count on overtime and paid details to keep food on the table and clothes on the kids’ backs, and that’s gone for now.  With that in mind, I asked Dennis where concerned citizens could contribute. He replied:

“We now have both a website and bank account where donations can be made to help support Mo, Dan, and their families with some extra money to help get them through their recovery time. The website (developed by my son Jeff, via his web media studio) is: www.SLCSheepdogs.org where you will find a PayPal link. Contributions can also be made to any branch of Mountain America Credit Union (www.macu.com to find locations): SLC Sheepdogs, account #9807840.  You can also send checks to my address, below.

Donations of any amount are appreciated, and I thank you in advance for your help and support.  ~~Dennis Tueller, 1733 W. 12600 S. #113, Riverton, UT 84065, Dennis.tueller@gmail.com.  p.s. My wife, Marti and I are the Trustees and administrators of the account, so there are zero fees and no overhead. All donations will go directly to support the officers and their families.”

1 COMMENT

  1. Mas, I pray for their speedy recovery. Their lives will be changed forever through no fault of their own, but because evil assaulted them and they responded in defense of their lives, which is an instinct that is in all of us. Their training also stood them in good stead.
    Reading one of the comments to the Fox link gave me cause to believe their is an evil in our midst. I’m referring to the comment of one reader whose take on the incident was (paraphrasing) ” I guess this means when we see a couple of cops beating down a citizen, it’s ok to shoot them”. God help us.

  2. Mas, Thanks for sharing this info. I’ve spread this on Facebook in hopes that other LEOs will be able to lend support. I also wanted to ask your opinion on the “Bundy Ranch” fiasco that happened in southern Nevada. As someone who always looks at the facts before he speaks, I’d value your take othe situation.

  4. Thank God both officers survived. Excellent training played a part in their survival by the sounds of this.

    In my department you received two full weeks of regular salary then it rolled over to workers comp. which was only 66% of your base pay. These officers and families most certainly can use some financial help in their time of need.

  5. With all due respect to Dennis, that’s not what the comment said. Here it is in it’s entirety:

    [spence
    March 29, 2014 at 6:47 am
    so what about the next time a couple thug cops are beating someone to death (police brutality) someone can do something to the protect the victim? yea right! don’t shoot at cops if you don’t want to die]

    The sad, and unfortunate, reality in this country is that too many police officers have become militarized and highly aggressive in situations that don’t require it. The consequence is that police officers are now, too often, feared rather than respected and that mentality is reflected in the above comment.

    I used to have absolute faith in law enforcement when I was younger. That is no longer the case. I’m a 70-year old white male who now worries about unnecessary force being used on me if I’m ever unfortunate enough to be the focus of a traffic stop by an edgy, highly aggressive young officer. It’s sad what this world has turned into.

    I suggest that all law enforcement take a close look at themselves in the mirror and question their attitude – then think if they would want their loved ones to be the victims of an overbearing, even out-of-control, police officer.

  6. Sam in Oregon, I stand corrected. My paraphrasing was a little loose, but I stand by the the my interpretation of the attitude being inferred.
    I am becoming more concerned every day of the growing distrust in local law enforcement. Yes, their are legitimate instances of abuses that occur and are dealt with, but I believe their is a growing misconception of widespread police misconduct being fueled on the internet by initial reports, often not based on all the facts, of perceived police abuses being repeated from blog to blog, only to be abandoned when the actual facts come out.
    When disinformation is repeated often enough by individuals with personal
    axes to grind, it takes on a life of its own.
    I don’t go around in fear of being stopped by police. Why? Is it because I’ve read somewhere they are a bunch of nice guys who would never mistreat me? No, it’s because every contact I’ve had has ended well, because I treated them with respect and received respect in return. Never met the officer that was looking for a confrontation. If I had, I would have taken one of the myriad of actions available to have corrective action taken against him.
    Truck drivers are a different story, I treat them as if the only reason they get out of bed in the morning is to hunt me down and run over me. I try my best to not have contact with them for that reason.

  7. Dennis,
    Perception is everything. If you believe everyone is out to get you, that’s how you will live your life. If you believe everyone is wonderful and there’s nary a threat on the horizon, that’s how you will live your life. However, reality has a nasty habit of inserting itself when it’s least expected.

    While I freely admit I have not had a seriously negative experience with our local police, that does not mean that all cops are good. And, certainly, not all cops are bad. I’ve even attended our local Sheriff’s Citizens Academy – twice – and come away with positive perceptions.

    However, whilst one can argue facts vs written disinformation, it’s pretty hard to argue with a lot of the videos available on the Internet that show some very bad actors in blue carrying badges. While I know videos can be doctored, I would wager enough of the ones I’ve seen are real.

    You also cannot argue the fact that way too many of our police departments have become seriously militarized and SWAT callouts are abused. Whatever happened to my friendly beat cop when I was growing up?

    As for truck drivers, I don’t feel as you do. In fact, my own son was one for a couple of years. Again, some of them are good and some aren’t. Should all of us fear truck drivers because you do? Should everyone fear their local police because I do? One thing’s for sure, truck drivers don’t have armored personnel carriers and SWAT teams invading the wrong house or shooting innocent people. And I know you know what I’m talking about. If not, I’ll be glad to find the links for you.

  8. I posted on two courageous police officers who were ambushed, fought back, and protected themselves, each other, and the public they served from a vicious, murdering asshole.

    And a couple of people feel that’s a good excuse to badmouth cops in general? In THIS discussion thread?

    Enough of that.

  9. Sam,
    No animosity on my part toward you. My point was that many negative opinions of police are fueled by what they heard or saw on the internet. My admitted poor paraphrasing of an internet comment on one of the links Mas provided was still a derogatory portrayal of cops in a response to a factual recount of an unprovoked attack meant to kill two officers who were going about their sworn duty to enforce the law.
    I don’t fear truck drivers, but I do respect their potential to kill me based on numerous instances where I have been tailgated by, cut off by, and run completely off the road by them. I would suspect more people can relate personal near death experiences with truck drivers than personal bad experiences with the police.
    Just picked truck drivers as an example. I could have pointed out that you are much more likely to be killed by a mistake by a doctor than by a police officer. Or in fact by your spouse.
    I don’t see many threads damning any of these.
    I do know that if this narrative continues and the continued intentional challenging of authority based on erroneous information escalates, the anarchy so many seem to want will settle upon the once great people who make up this country, and it won’t be pretty.
    In the meantime, I will pray for these fine officers and their families, while refusing to give comfort to those who would denigrate those who perform this thankless and often perilous job.
    By the way, I too have many truck driving friends.

  10. Thankfully they survived, and the bad guy didn’t… Sounds like that was a close one! And I hate to see this thread get hijacked like it’s been… Truly sad.

  11. Mas, Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Contribution is on the way. We wish the best to these brave folks as they recover.

  14. Mas, thanks for getting this out there. Fortunately, one of my, and your, students who is now a FLETC instructor sent me this as I am not very up to speed on blog commo.

    Dennis, thank you for all that you have taught us, and my absolute best to you all in Mo and Dan’s recovery. My check is on the way to your address.

    Stay safe,

    Bob