He Survived a Shotgun Ambush Then the System Failed Him - Part 1

In August 1987, Riverside, Illinois Police Officer Tom Weitzel stepped out of his squad car to check a suspicious vehicle parked on the wrong side of the street—no plates, dark tinted windows, door cracked open.

Seconds later, a gang member rolled out of the back seat, racked a pump shotgun, and shot Tom at point-blank range.

Tom’s portable radio was cut in half by the blast. He crawled back to his squad, called for help on the in-car radio, and survived—largely because of a bullet-resistant vest his wife had purchased.

But what happened after the shooting would shape the rest of his career: the investigation, the shocking legal loopholes of the time, and the early signs of a system that often fails the very people it asks to run toward danger.

This is Part 1 of Tom Weitzel’s story. Part 2 picks up with the fight for justice—and the advocacy Tom took all the way to state lawmakers.

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Turn on notifications so you don’t miss Part 2: “Fighting for Justice.”

##Timestamps:

0:00 — Radio traffic + suspicious vehicle discovered (no plates, door open)
0:40 — The ambush: shotgun blast, lifted off the ground
1:03 — “My radio was cut in half”: crawling to the squad car to call for help
2:20 — Dennis sets the stage: “every hero has that moment” + Riverside, IL context
4:20 — Tom explains the intended target: retaliation hit tied to parole decision
8:30 — The vest that saved his life (wife bought it; not mandatory in 1987)
12:20 — Case breakthrough years later… and the shocking statute of limitations
15:30 — Tom pushes legislative change: attempted murder SOL removed + window tint limits

To listen to this podcast and many more, you can also visit: heroesbehindthebadge.com

Keywords:

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