Manatee County, Fla., Deputy Willie Finklea isn’t just a hero when he’s in uniform, he’s also one out of uniform.
According to the web site Blue Lives Matter, Finklea was on his motorcycle with his wife on August 19 when he came upon a car on fire. The two people inside — Neil and Claudia Cook — were trapped because the fire had disabled the electronic locks and windows.
Finklea is quoted as saying, “I saw that they were in a dire situation and I just went into action.… I just wanted to get them out of that car. All I had was my keys and my pocket knife, so I had no other tools other than my off-duty weapon to make entry into the car.”
He used his gun to shoot the back window, then climbed in to help the Cooks out. Shortly after their escape, the car became engulfed in flames.
Finklea told reporters that he and his wife usually take a different road home after church, and he doesn’t believe it was an accident that he was there to help the Cooks.
“Just being used by God to help someone in their most desperate time — that’s a gift for me.”
Our appreciation and a heartfelt thank you goes out to Deputy Finklea for going above and beyond the call of duty. It’s heartwarming to see this, especially in this time of negativity where our law officials are concerned.
If you’d like to nominate someone from your department for this recognition in this Brief, submit your nomination at LECF-Inc.org.