THIS IS NEWS CHANNEL 8 AT 6
ON YOUR SIDE, THIS IS A VERY
DIFFICULT DAY FOR OUR ENTIRE
COMMUNITY. AND SPECIFICALLY
FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE TAMPA
POLICE DEPARTMENT KILLED IN
THE LINE OF DUTY.
BELIEVED TO HAVE RISKED HIS
OWN LIFE TO PROTECT OTHERS
FROM A WRONG-WAY DRIVER WHEN
YOU LOOK AT SOMEONE WHO'S
EARNED 7 LIFESAVING AWARDS AS
SUCH SWIFT ACTION AND DO THIS.
TONIGHT THE BAY AREA MOURNS
THE LOSS OF A TRUE HERO.
MASTER PATROL OFFICER, JESSE
MATTSON.
GOOD EVENING. I'M KEITH
KATE, AND I'M STACIE SCHAIBLE
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US
OFFICER MATT, SOME WORK FOR
THE TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT
FOR 16 AND A HALF YEARS HE WAS
ALSO A U.S. MARINE, THE POLICE
CHIEF SAYS THAT IT APPEARS HE
VEERED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC
TO STOP A WRONG-WAY DRIVER ON
I 2.75 RIGHT AROUND 1 O'CLOCK
AND THE WRONG-WAY DRIVER WERE
KILLED. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE
FOR YOU ON OFFICER MATT SON'S
LIFE AND LEGACY WILL BEGIN
WITH JEFF PATTERSON LIVE NEAR
THE SCENE OF THE CRASH.
GOOD EVENING. THE ACCIDENT
HAPPENED RIGHT THERE THE SITE
MARKED BY A SINGLE ORANGE
TRAFFIC CONE THE GUARDRAIL IS
DEMOLISHED AND THERE'S A
CHARGE SPACE ON THE GROUND
WITNESSES TELL ME IT WAS A
VERY VIOLENT CRASH AND 2
PEOPLE WHO LIVE RIGHT HERE RAN
OUTSIDE TO TRY AND HELP.
THIS IS WHAT THE ACCIDENT
SCENE LOOKED LIKE JUST AFTER
01:00AM A TAMPA POLICE CRUISER
AND ANOTHER CAR COLLIDED HERE
AFTER THE OFFICER RESPONDED TO
DRIVER HEADING SOUTH ON THE
NORTHBOUND SIDE OF 2.75 I WAS
GETTING MY SHOES ON AND I
HEARD A REALLY BIG BANG JON,
LESTER AND A NEIGHBOR HEARD
INSIDE AND GRAB MY TRAVEL BAG,
LESTER IS NOT A TRAINED
PARAMEDIC.
BUT HE KEEPS A BAG FOR
EMERGENCIES AND A NEW THIS
WINDOWS. HE HAD SO POLICE
BELIEVE 25 YEAR-OLD JOSHUA TO
VIEW OF GOLDEN COLORADO IN OR
2.75 AT BUSCH BOULEVARD
HEADING THE WRONG WAY.
45 YEAR-OLD VETERAN POLICE
OFFICER JESSE MADSEN HEARD THE
CALL FROM DISPATCH AND DID
WHAT HE COULD.
TO HEAD OFF THE WRONG WAY
DRIVER WE HAVE REASON TO
BELIEVE.
HE HAD VEERED INTO THIS
ONCOMING CAR TO PROTECT
OTHERS. THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE
GATHERED THROUGH SOME OF OUR
INVESTIGATION, JON LESTER WAS
THERE SECONDS AFTER THE CRASH
I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT MANY
CAR-PARTS THEIR CARTS LOADED.
THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF
THE WORST ACCIDENTS I'VE EVER
SEEN IN MY LIFE, HE SAYS THERE
WAS NOTHING ANYONE COULD HAVE
DONE TO HELP WHEN THEY GOT UP
TO THE FENCE. THE OFFICER HAD
JUST GOTTEN TO THE VEHICLE.
THE FIRST OFFICER.
GONE.
TAMPA POLICE ARE NOW
INVESTIGATING TO FIND OUT
WHERE THE WRONG-WAY DRIVER WAS
BEFORE THIS CRASH AND WHAT HE
MIGHT HAVE BEEN DOING THAT LED
UP TO THIS. REPORTING LIVE IN
TAMPA JEFF PATTERSON 8 ON YOUR
SIDE.
COLLEAGUES LINED THE ROAD AND
SALUTED AS HIS BODY WAS
ESCORTED TO THE MEDICAL
EXAMINER'S OFFICE. HIS DEATH A
MAJOR LOSS OF COURSE FOR THE
HE HAD RECEIVED 7
LIFESAVING AWARDS IN HIS 16
AND A HALF YEAR CAREER WITH
TPD.
8 ON YOUR SIDE'S OLIVIA
STEEN JOINS US LIVE OUTSIDE
POLICE HEADQUARTERS WITH MORE
ON HIS LEGACY LIBYA.
WELL OFFICER JESSE MADSEN
WILL NOW JOIN THE OTHER
OFFICERS LISTED ON THIS
MEMORIAL OUTSIDE OF TPD I WAS
TOLD THAT HE WAS THE IDEAL
OFFICER WILL ALWAYS BE
REMEMBERED.
THERE ISN'T A PERSON THAT
DOESN'T WALK THROUGH THERE
THAT ISN'T TELLING AND JESSE
STORY RIGHT NOW ABOUT EXACTLY
HOW MUCH THEY ADMIRED AND
LOVED HIM AND DANNY ALVAREZ
WITH THE POLICE BENEVOLENT
ASSOCIATION SAYS OFFICER JESSE
MATTSON WAS EVERYTHING YOU'D
WANT IN A PUBLIC SERVANT.
CORPS. HE SERVED HE'S A
DECORATED COMBAT VETERAN, HE
ALSO SERVED THE FLORIDA
NATIONAL HE SERVED WITH 3
DIFFERENT POLICE AGENCIES
AT THE TEMPE POLICE
DEPARTMENT SO SERVICE WAS
NOTHING NEW TO HIM HE PUT HIS
LIFE ON THE LINE SEVERAL TIMES
CALLS TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND
GET THIS WE COVERED A SHOOTING
HERE AT THIS NIGHTCLUB
HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS BACK IN 2012
WHERE THIS EX-MARINE USED HIS
ALL QUICK CLOT COMBAT GAUZE TO
OUT.
ON TUESDAY MORNING HE MADE
THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE
STOPPING A WRONG-WAY DRIVER ON
INTERSTATE 2.75 WITH HIS OWN
FAMILY FRIENDS AND EVERYONE
WHO LOVED THE REALIZATION
THAT.
YOU KNOW ONE OF THEIR GREAT
FRIENDS IS GONE AND ONE OF
THOSE PEOPLE THAT THEY ADMIRED
AND LOOK FORWARD TO THOUGH
NEVER ANSWERED THE PHONE NEVER
TEXT BACK. THEY JUST TALKED TO
HIM YESTERDAY AND NOW THEY'RE
TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS
AND THE PBA IS ALSO SELLING
T-SHIRTS THAT WILL LOOK
SIMILAR TO THIS ONE THEY WILL
HAVE HIS NAME ON THE BACK AND
ALL THE PROCEEDS WILL GO
FIND OUT HOW TO GET ONE OF
THOSE ON WFLA DOT COM LIVE IN
TAMPA ALIVIA STEEN 8 ON YOUR
SIDE.
OFFICER MATTSON IS THE 3RD
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER TO DIE
IN A TRAFFIC RELATED CRASH.
THIS YEAR. IN JANUARY SERGEANT
BRIAN LOVE, I'M WAS KILLED
AFTER DEPUTIES SAY A SUSPECT
INTENTIONALLY CRASHED INTO THE
DRIVER'S SIDE OF HIS CRUISER
HE WAS JUST ONE SHIFT AWAY
FROM RETIREMENT VINE LEAVES
BEHIND A WIFE, 2 CHILDREN AND
ONE OF THEM WORKS FOR THE
FEBRUARY. THIS IS PINELLAS
COUNTY DEPUTY MICHAEL MAGLI HE
WAS PUTTING OUT STOP STICKS
WHEN THE SHERIFF SAYS A
FLEEING SUSPECT LOST CONTROL
AND STRUCK THE DEPUTY'S
VEHICLE THAT COLLISION PIN
MAGLEY UNDER THE CRUISER
KILLING HIM THE 30 YEAR-OLD
LEAVES BEHIND A WIFE AND 2
CHILDREN AND THEN OF COURSE
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HERE THIS
MORNING EARLY THIS MORNING
OFFICER JESSE MATTSON KILLED
AFTER VEERING AND TO SOME
ON-COMING TRAFFIC LIKELY TO
SAVE OTHERS FROM A WRONG-WAY
DRIVER ON INTERSTATE 2.75. THE
45 YEAR-OLD IS A U.S. MARINE
WHO HAD WORKED FOR THE TAMPA
POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR 16 AND A
HALF YEARS MATTSON LEAVING
BEHIND A WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO
WE'VE PUT SOME INFORMATION
ABOUT THAT ON OUR WFLA APP
WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON THE
FUNERAL PLANS FOR THIS FALLEN
HERO.