LIVE DOWNTOWN DETROIT. LOCAL 4 NEWS AT FIVE STARTS NOW. SHE LOST HER BEST FRIEND IN AN
INSTANT. I REMEMBER HEARING THE
GUNSHOTS, SEEING THE MUZZLE
FLASH. FEELING THE GLASS BREAK
FOR THE FIRST TIME, OFFICER
AMANDA HODGINS IS SPEAKING OUT
ABOUT THE DEATH OF HER PARTNER,
LAUREN COURTS. TONIGHT YOU’LL
HEAR WHAT HAPPENED MOMENT BY
AGONIZING MOMENT AND THE PROMISE
SHE KEPT TO HIM AND THOSE LAST
FATEFUL MINUTES. WHEN OFFICER
LAUREN COURTS WAS KILLED LAST
WEDNESDAY, HIS PARTNER, AMANDA
HUDGENS, WAS IN LOCKSTEP WITH
HIM. THAT’S RIGHT. AND WHEN
COURTS WENT DOWN, HODGINS KNEW
WHAT SHE HAD TO DO, EVEN IF IT
PUT HER OWN LIFE IN PERIL. SHE
DESCRIBES THE TIMELINE OF HOW IT
HAPPENED. WE WERE SINGING. I.
SINGING ALL THE TIME. BUT AS
SOON AS WE GOT CLOSE, THE RADIO
GOT SHUT OFF. WE PULL IN UM. I
REMEMBER HEARING THE GUNSHOTS,
SEEING THE MUZZLE FLASH. FEELING
THE GLASS BREAK. AND SEEING HIM
GET OUT OF THE CAR AS I’M
GETTING OUT OF THE CAR. AND WE
RUN IN SYNC. WE MOVE IN SYNC.
EVERYTHING WE DO IS INSANE. HE
GOES ONE WAY. I’M GOING THE SAME
WAY WE GOT EACH OTHER ALWAYS.
AND I SEE HIM HOLDING HIS NECK
AND THEN HE COLLAPSED. AND I
JUST I SCREAMED A HORRIFIC
SCREAM. I COULDN’T. THE EAST
SIDE. HEARD ME. EVERYBODY HEARD
ME. I KNOW THE CITY OF DETROIT
HEARD ME. AND I JUST HELD HIM
AND I HOLD PRESSURE. I REMEMBER
TURNING AROUND. UM AND I
REMEMBER SEEING THE GENTLEMAN
HOLDING. A DRACO. I KNEW WHAT IT
WAS AS SOON AS I SEEN IT, AND I
JUST LOOKED AT, LAUREN SAID. I
LOVE YOU. I WASN’T LETTING GO OF
HIM. BECAUSE I’M I WON’T EVER
LET GO OF HIM. AND I JUST HELD
ON AND I TURNED MY BACK. I
COULDN’T DRAG HIM TO COVER
BECAUSE I COULDN’T LET GO. SO
THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF
WAS TO BE HIS COVER. AND JUST
HOLD HIM. SO YOU HAVE YOUR BACK
TO THE GUNMAN. YEAH YOU USED
YOUR BODY TO SHIELD HIM. YES.
WHAT IS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND?
THE SAME HIM. HELP ME. THANK
YOU. YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME HERE. SO
LIKE YOU’RE MY FIRST FRIEND
HERE. WERE YOU TALKING TO HIM
WHERE YOU’RE SAYING? YOU SAID I
LOVE YOU. WERE YOU TRYING TO
KEEP THEM BEGGED HIM NOT TO GO.
I COULD FEEL HIM BREATHING. AND
THEN IT’S SLOWING DOWN AND I
JUST STARTED TO SCREAM. HELP ME.
AND I FEEL LIKE HE WAS WATCHING
OVER ME. BECAUSE THAT’S WHEN THE
OTHER OFFICERS CAME. BECAUSE I
WAS BRACING TO GET SHOT BY A
DRACO IN MY BACK. WE HAVE BODY
ARMOR. IT DOESN’T PROTECT YOU
FROM A DRACO. IT DOESN’T PROTECT
YOU CLOSE. SO, UM. I WANTED TO
HOLD ON BECAUSE I KNEW ALL MY
WEIGHT ON HIM. MIGHT HELP HIM.
AND THEN. EVERYBODY STARTED
COMING AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET
HIM IN THE CAR WAS GOING THROUGH
YOUR MIND AT THAT POINT HELPED
HIM JUST HELP HIM. WERE YOU
THINKING? THAT WAS THE LAST TIME
THAT YOU WOULD SEE HIM? I WAS
HOPING, HOPING NOT. YOU KNOW, I
DON’T WANT THE LEFT THAT TO BE
THE LAST TIME I SEEN HIM. IF YOU
COULD SAY SOMETHING TO HIM TODAY
TO LAUREN, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I
LOVE YOU. YOUR KIDS ARE GOING TO
BE OKAY. I’LL MAKE SURE I’LL
MAKE SURE THEY’RE OKAY. SHE IS
JUST INCREDIBLE. AND YOU KNOW,
WE’VE REPORTED HOW OFFICER
COURTS NICKNAME WAS BATMAN.
OFFICER HODGINS JUST GOT THIS
TATTOO IN HIS HONOR. IT’S THE
BATMAN LOGO. YOU SEE THERE WITH
OFFICER COURTS BADGE NUMBER IN
THAT LOGO WATCHING OVER THE CITY
OF DETROIT AND THE DATE OF HIS
DEATH 76. 22 BOYS JUST
REMARKABLE TO HEAR HER TALK
ABOUT WHAT CHIEF WHITE TALKED
ABOUT LAST WEEK. SHE HAS HER
BACK. SHE’S BRACING TO BE SHOT
AND SHE JUST WANTS TO PROTECT
HIM FROM GETTING SHOT AGAIN.
SOMETHING ELSE. REMARKABLE TOO.
SHE KEPT HERSELF LEVEL HEADED
ENOUGH TO CALL OFFICER COURTS
FATHER AND THEY HAD ALREADY
TALKED ABOUT WHAT IF SOMETHING
LIKE THIS HAPPENS, WHAT SHOULD
SHE DO? AND HE SAID CALL MY DAD.
DON’T CALL MY MOM. I DON’T WANT
MY MOM TO WORRY, COMMENT, DAD,
SO SHE WAS LEVEL HEADED ENOUGH
TO CALL HIS DAD WHILE SHE’S
DRIVING TO THE HOSPITAL BEHIND
THE CAR THAT HAS HIM. IT’S JUST
SHE’S JUST INCREDIBLE, REALLY,
REALLY REPORTED LAST WEEK HOW
HIS DAD GOT THERE, SO SHE SAID,