June 19, 2024 • 43 mins
Kimber Gist is a former Corporal at Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, SC. Kimber is currently working in DC. Listeners can learn more about at website, socials
Resources:
In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, sits down with former Corporal Kimber Gist to recount the night of February 26, 2016, when her routine patrol turned into a life-or-death situation. While conducting a business check, Kimber was ambushed and shot multiple times. Despite severe injuries, she managed to defend herself and call for help, showcasing incredible bravery and presence of mind. Kimber discusses the events leading up to the ambush, the immediate aftermath, and the overwhelming support from her law enforcement community.
Show Notes:
- (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum
- (1:00) Sheryl introduces guest, former Corporal Berkeley County South Carolina Deputy, Kimber Gist to the listeners
- (3:30) Kimber leads into the life-changing story of February 26, 2016
- (6:40) The moment Kimber notices the suspicious vehicle
- (9:50) Details of confronting the occupants of the vehicle
- (16:45) The ambush begins
- (21:00) Kimber fights back despite severe injuries
- (27:50) “County 144 has been shot. Can y'all send people to the food line?”
- (30:30) Arrival of backup and Kimber's transport to the hospital
- (33:30) The overwhelming support from the law enforcement community
- (36:30) Sheryl praises Kimber's resilience and composure
- (43:28) “I knew she was going to be something great. From the day she was born.” -D.G
- Thanks for listening to another episode! If you’re loving the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to Itunes and leave a rating and review!
---
Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.
Social Links:
- Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com
- Twitter: @ColdCaseTips
- Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Table fifteen at the National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of
Fame has become a metaphor for me, y'all, is just
like this symbolic of something that I love most about
law enforcement and policing for me. And that table was
full of heroes that shared stories of the bravery of
(00:33):
their friends, the selflessness, just the honor of doing this job,
all without fear or favor. And the most important thing
to me about this job was in full force on
that table, And that is the humor, y'all. We laughed
from the minute we got to that table to well
(00:54):
after hours. But one thing that came from that table
was a story of hair that you are likely not
to hear too many of. It was February twenty six,
twenty sixteen, and shots rang out as Corporal kimber Gifts
was conducting a business check at a grocery store. The
next two minutes would change her life. Y'all. It's got
(01:18):
to be one thing to save a life of another
person when you can perhaps think how should I proceed,
how can I maybe take cover and think about the
best way to execute this life save and measure and
maybe there's even others around to help you. But when
you are ambushed all alone and the life you have
to save is your own. That's a whole different level. Tonight,
(01:44):
we have the great honor of having former Corporal Berkeley County,
South Carolina Deputy Kimber. It is absolutely our pleasure and
honor to have you with us, and thank you for
sharing your story.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Thank you, Cheryl, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
You know, we're sitting there with Tom Smith and Dan Murphy,
and I got to just tell you, I'm at the
Hall of Fame to pass off my award, you know,
to Tom and share our challenge coin and all that.
And I had told my sister about you. My sister
and brother in law were with my husband and I
(02:25):
and I don't know what my sister Charlene had in
her mind, but when you walked in in that stunning
dress and you are so beautiful and you've got that smile, honey,
that smile lit up the whole Hall of Fame, and
my sister turned and saw you and Kimber, I thought
(02:47):
she's going to just start crying because she's like, that's her,
like so beautiful, so young. I'm like, yes, that's her,
But watch how she's going to navigate this room. It
was just amazing to watch you. But it was so
fun to have you at that table. You and I
laughed because you sat right to my right. Yes, honey,
(03:09):
it was a good time. It's a good time, y'all.
I can't repeat the jokes, but just know they were
fabulous and on point. But you know, I'm gonna let
you start where you want to start. But I imagine that
you remember getting ready that day and putting your vest on.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Oh absolutely, Cheryl, absolutely, So just you know, us being
the southern women that we are at the first I'll
just say it was a blessing to meet you and
Tom and everyone else that was at table fifteen. We
really had a fun, comical night, which is what I
actually needed. You know, it's always a blessing to get
(03:51):
around other fellow law enforcement deputies officers, and it reminds
you that you are not alone in this fight. And
that was the beautiful thing about me all that night
is I was reminded of I was not alone in
that particular situation, had my mother with me, had all friends,
family members. But yeah, so February twenty six, I definitely
(04:15):
still remember getting dressed that afternoon. So I'm just a young,
little twenty five year old deputy, not even one year
on patrol yet. So it's just me and my dog, Paisley,
who I still have to this day, bless her heart.
She's a sweet baby. And I'm getting dressed in my apartment.
And one thing I always told people is that I
(04:35):
could still to this day, I can hear the belt
row on my best as I was putting it on
for a shift that night. So you know, it's just
a typical night. I come to work, just you know,
patrolling around at INGOs Creek and just for a general
area Goose Creakings in Berkeley County, South Carolina, which is
right by Charlson, so it borders each other. We're probably
(04:57):
like two red lights away from Charlson where you're in
Goose Creek area. So that was the area that I
controlled nightly. And it wasn't the best of areas, right,
but there are still good people, right, There's still good
people in every walk of life. But it was, you know,
unfortunately that particular area where you think about like robbing's murders,
(05:18):
it was unfortunately one of those that was kind of
known for that type of aspect of crime. So it
was dangerous, of course, as with every aspect of law enforcement,
but it still had that heightened sense of danger just
because of the typical crimes that we would get there.
So this night, it's about twelve, a little bit after twelve.
We we would say maybe about twelve o two, twelve o
(05:40):
three somewhere in there. And I'd already talked to my
sergeant because my nephew's birthday was coming up that weekend.
So this is a Thursday night. We were off that Friday,
Saturday Sunday, as most police know that schedule, and I
had to drive two hours, about two and a half
hours to get home, which is originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina.
(06:00):
So I asked my supervisor, I said, hey, do you
mind if I just like cut out early tonight, not
staying until four thirty. And he's like, yeah, fine, Like
we know you can get up drive early first thing
in the morning and I would still be there by
the time he got out of school, which was the
gate plan. So me, being like the rookie dephie that
I was, I said, well, okay, I'll just drive my area.
You know, one last time we liked that last extra
(06:21):
patrol on my way home. It wasn't out of the way.
I could still go straight to the house after this,
so that's what I did. So there was a food
line shopping center, so just think about like a normal
plaza where there's like a grocery store, maybe some other
little small stores, a couple of restaurants. It was in
this kind of plaza, and as I'm driving past it,
(06:42):
I noticed that there is a vehicle, like an suv
part behind the store. So, just like a normal plaza,
if you were behind the store, try to like cut
through traffic, so there's like garbage cans. That's where the
trucks will pull up. So truthfully, nobody should be back
there after midnight. The grocery store, I think at that time,
may be closed at a eleven at the latest, and
then all the other smaller stores closed way earlier than that,
(07:04):
maybe like around nine or two. So it was obvious
that there was a car back there. So I passed by,
and I was like, well, they'll see me pass by.
I was in a fully marked control of Tahoe at
the time, so I was like, they saw me drive by,
like they're pull off. So I kind of like drive
up the road a little bit and then Paul's and
look into the river view just to make sure they
got to pull off. Well, a couple of seconds go
by and they didn't, so I was like, so I
(07:25):
just started around the middle of the road, you know,
no traffic, and I come back past the car again,
still on the main road, and then I turned into
the actual parking lot. Now, the way that the parking
lot is actually situated, it's kind of like a perpendicular corner,
so the corner cond protrudes out and you can't see
(07:46):
around it. So when I pulled up, I kind of
stopped before they would actually see that a car was there,
just thinking, okay, now they just saw me drive by again,
they'll definitely pull out this time, absolutely yeah. And then
they didn't, Cheryl, So I was like, what girl, Maybe
they're back there sleeping. I was like, I didn't know
what was going on.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Maybe they're getting romantic, right.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I had all these I had all these thoughts going
through my brain, but the main one was like, I
got a fully marked how did y'all not see me
drive by? Like, drive off people, I'm just trying to
go home early. But they didn't, So, you know, the
investigative side of me was like, hey, I can't leave
this car back here. You know, it is what it is,
So you know, I radio out to dispatch to let
(08:27):
them know him getting out with a suspicious vehicle behind
food Line grocery store. And so I couldn't pull all
the way behind the car because of how it was
part and how the store protrudes out, so I was
kind of like perpendicular. So of course they saw me
drive by, and I kind of got as far behind
as I could, but I was still pretty much perpendiculate
with the vehicle. So I get out and I'm giving
(08:50):
them the description, tell them exactly where I am, what
the car looks like. And I remember walking behind the
car to go up to the driver side, and I
was about to give out the tag number. So I
was like, I remember my mouth being opened in the
middle of the transmission, going, of course you got a
paper tag, like of course, Like now I can't really
take the car clocks exactly. So I was like, oh
(09:11):
my god, like, let's just make this a little bit
harder as we go along people, right, So I just
tell him, I said, hey, Central, it's just a paper tag,
I said, stam By, I'll get you the names in
a second, normal transmission, like this is what we do
every single night. So I had a zone partner at
the time who was actually training a new deputy that
(09:32):
we had that came from another law enforcement agency. So
I still had a zone partner, but you know, he
was up the road, maybe not even a mile the
lady on the traffic stop. So he was like, are
you good? And I was like, yeah, I'm just gonna
figure out why they're back here. Just put them much
shoot them on their way because I was trying to
go home. I really didn't want to do anything past that.
So I walk up to the driver side and I
(09:54):
noticed that there's a female with long won't breaks sitting
in the driver's seat. She's got on a white shirt
and blue jeans. And then I see that there is
a mail passenger, now the mail passenger. This ends up
being a Ford expedition, So the mail passenger is sitting
in the back seat but on the passenger side, and
(10:14):
there's nobody else in the car butt them too. So
I immediately call out the seating position. I was like,
why are y'all even sitting like that? Like this makes
no sense, Like most people are going to be driver
pat front seat passenger, like nobody's in the back. So
they were just like, oh, well, we're just back here
talking and I said okay. I said, well, why do
you need to be back here talking And she was like,
(10:37):
oh well, I was giving him a rite home work.
Now she's doing all the talking. But he, the mail passenger,
was like in the back seat, like fidgeting, like I
could see like his Karao arterie. I could see his
chest moving up. And now I was like, this guy
is nervous. So I was like, well, how about y'all
hand me your IDs? So she hates me her ID
and I stick it in the front of my uniform.
(10:58):
So what her pen is to just stick people's IDs
under the pin because the pin in the shirt will
hold it so I can have my heads free at
all times. He didn't have his ID, so I was like, okay, whatever.
So I said, well, where do you live, boss? I
mean he wanted across the street. So across the street
were on the set of townhouses, which were really really bad.
I mean I could tell you how many shootings and
(11:20):
homicides led to there. And I was like, oh, so
you live across the street. And he was like yeah.
So I said, well, why don't you just get out
and walk across the street. Y'all was just talking the
parking lot, like I'm not understanding why you're a parked
behind the closed grocery store, and she was like, well,
my battery went there. So I'm looking at the car
and she had the running lights on the bottom of
(11:41):
her SUV and I was like, well, if your batteries,
then then the running lights will be on because the
running lights are connected to the battery, so that makes
no sense to me. So then she tries to turn
the de ignition on the vehicle, but I noticed she
didn't turn it all the way. She just kind of
turned it to that idoling position that you get turned into.
And I was like, okay, girl, like now you're playing
with me. Like okay, I was like, okay, I'm done
(12:04):
talking to you. I'm gonna direct my attention to what
I call him like little Froggy in the back seat
because he was fidgeting, I mean, dripping sweat and this
is February and I'm just like, why are you sweating?
So he only has on a like a wife beater
tak top and some basketball shorts like real thin material
and some flip flops. So I said, Sartain, you mind
(12:25):
just stepping out of the car and talking to me
real quick, like I got to figure out what's going on.
So he was like, no, man, I don't mind. So
he gets out of the car, and mind you, his
the passenger side of his car is actually in front
of my tapho. So I walked back around and I'm
standing in front of my tahoe. And then when he
gets out of the truck, his back door is still open,
so I can see her while I'm patting him down.
(12:47):
And there was really nothing to pat down because like
I said, he had like no clothing on whatsoever, and
it was like real thin material. So it was like
me going in his pockets. I shook his pants real quick.
The only thing I was truthfully worried about was obviously
a gun. And he didn't have anything. I mean, he
didn't have an id, chapstick, nothing on him Cheryl, And
I was like, I said, okay, bro, I said, so
(13:08):
why are you even back here? So why I was
patting him down? I kept feel like he had like
some sort of an erection while I was patting him down.
I said, hey, bro, I said, if y'all are back here,
because like you couldn't take her to the house, Like
just say that, Like if you've got a whole lot
of people in the house and this was it, all
you got to do is say that and then I
can put y'all on. Y'all wait, because I really wasn't
too pressed, right, I'm trying to go home like they
(13:29):
knew each other. If it's consensual, ain't no money get exchanged? Cool?
All right? Just moved from behind the store and he
wouldn't say nothing. I mean, he got locked with Cheryl,
and I was like, okay, like are you scared to
go to jail for prostitution? And he just like froze.
So I said, well, I'm gonna go over here and
talk to her and make sure everything straight with her.
I gave the dispatcher his name, so I said, everything
(13:51):
straight with you, I said, I'll just sledt y'all go on,
y'all wait. He was like, okay, thank you. So I said, well,
I'm out here by myself. Do you mind just sitting
in the backseat of my car? And he was like, no, ma'am.
The problem with it, so opened up the backseat of
my car and he sits down in the cage. Cool,
he's out of place. So I walked back up to
(14:11):
the car. And when I walked back up to the car,
I could smell like some perfume. So I'm like, I
did not smell that the very first time, Like that's weird.
And then I could see her fidgeting around in the car.
So I said, hey, I needing can get out because
you're moving too much for me, and she was like okay,
but for what I said for number one, I said,
you're moving around. And then so why did you just
spray like some perfume? And she was like, oh, I
just like how it smells. I was like, that's weird,
(14:34):
Like nobody just sprays perfume while they're out with a
police officer, like not even on like a speeding ticket,
like a speeding traffic stop, Like nobody does that. That's
just not normal behavior. So when she got out of
the car, I noticed that in front of her pants
were on button and she kept trying to pull like
her shirt down. So when I looked at her shirt,
I realized that it said like something security on it,
(14:54):
and I was familiar with like one of the security
companies that worked at our mall and Trumps. So I said,
is that where you work? And she was like, yeah,
I just got off. That's how I know him. I said, okay,
so the mall I think pre COVID it closed at
like maybe like ten thirty. I think in Charlsa, and
from the mall to where we were would take you
(15:17):
at max ten minutes to get there at that type
of night, like there's no traffic, nothing you could breeze through.
Every red light was gonna be green. So I said, well,
if you were giving him a ride home work at
ten thirty, it's now twelve, what have y'all been doing
for like an hour and a half. So pretty much
their entire story just wasn't adding no. So I said,
your pants are on button, he's over there with half
(15:38):
in direction. I said, like, sis, be for real, Like
if y'all were just back here, you know, just doing whatever.
I said, just say that so that way I can
move on and go and by my day.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
I mean, you're basically telling both of them what to
say to you. Yeah, you can get out of there.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yes, yes, Cheryl, I was just like, y'all tell me
that's what you're doing, just nod your head and saying
yes so I can come firm and then I'm gonna
tell y'all to leave.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Yeah, they went.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
They were not catching to the drift, which makes sense
because of why she she didn't even care about prostitution.
She had some other stuff going on. So as I'm
talking to her, she's still pulling down on the front
of this shirt shayl and I'm just like all right.
At this point, I said, I'm gonna patch you down
because you're you're fidgeting too much. I said, you're tugging
on the front of this shirt. I don't like it.
(16:24):
So we're standing in the front of per truck, so
I said, place your hands on the front of your
trup and patch you down real quick. So by this time,
my dispatcher is calling and was like, hey, are you good,
And I was like, nah, I go ahead and send
my zone partner at the time, a name is Damn.
So I called for his number and I said, hey,
you might just go ahead meet me over here, and
he was like yeah, I'll be on the wave. That's
a second. He was clearing up pitch traffic stide, so
(16:46):
I was like cool, whatever, So I tell her, So
I go to like pat her down, and I always
when I patted people down, started in the very very front,
and I always went to the right first because I
was just right handed. So that's what I went to do.
So she standing in front of the car, I'm directly
behind her, got that normal stance where you just push
them off against the car, and you got one leg
(17:07):
back kind of like keeping your balance. And something happens
like normal pat down, and she pushes off of the
car and I'm like, yeah, no, don't do that. Like
now she's getting aggressive, like her arm locks out and everything.
So I get on the radio and Tensen for us
was a fight, so all you had to do was
like central tensin and everybody nam moment. Now. I was
the only female on my ship, so a lot of
(17:29):
times I didn't have to say my number because they
would hear me you know who exactly it was, right,
So that's exactly what I did. I just keep up
and I just said sexual sense in like just like that,
like I wasn't. I didn't have any like urgency in
my voice because they know I've been in multiple fights.
They know I can handle myself. But what I to
my surprise, was that it wasn't just gonna be a fight.
(17:51):
So what she did was the gun that she had
ended up being in the very very front of her
paints where she's trying to pull down, but on the
left side because come and find out, she was left handed.
So when I put my hand in the front, she
thought that I could feel the gun with the left side,
so she took her right elbow and just nudged me
back and pushed me. And then as she pushed me,
(18:14):
I'm like turning my head because I could see like
her hand coming up, so I thought she was just
going to try to like hook me, so like I
moved my head back just to like a slight tan
and then she's pushing me. At the same time. Well,
as all of this is going on, I hear something
like really really loud, like to the point where I
lost all of my hearing. So I lost all of
my hearing, and then I saw at the same time,
(18:36):
like a really bright flash. Now I can't hear anything,
and I could not see anything, like it was like
pitch black. It was kind of like I had went
blind for a second, couldn't hear anything, and now I
just feel like everything is in slow votion. So I
was like, what is going on? Because I've been punched before.
I was like, that's not a punch, Like, there's no
way she punched me that hard to like disorient me.
(18:58):
So my vision starts to come back a little bit,
and I could see like the trees were moving, so
I was like, okay, I can see what's going on,
Like okay, chimber like yourself together, like figure out what's
going on next. So since I couldn't hear anything, I said, well,
just take a deep breath in and see if you
can smell something. So that's exactly what I did. I
waited until I could see like the trees move again
(19:20):
with the breeze, took a deep breath in, and I
was like, oh crap, that's dumb powder. Like I knew
it immediately. I smelled dumpowder, and I was like, oh
my god, this curl was shooting at me. The first
shot I could literally I didn't realize that I was
shot in my ear first. I thought the very first
shot was the one that was in my jaw or
in my lip because it was burning like that bad.
(19:42):
So as I'm actually falling to the ground, she's still
actually shooting at me. Now I can actually see People
don't realize that when you're an officer involved shooting, like
tom really does slow down. So I could actually see
like some of the bullets as they were like whizzing.
So I'm like falling towards the ground, and I realized, like,
you're falling, like there's no regaining your balance at this point,
(20:04):
Like I was too far gone, so I knew I
was going to hit the ground. The problem with hitting
the ground was this hick was still shooting at me.
So it was like, Okay, now she really just wants me.
At this point, I was like, okay, I could see
you doing one shot and then taking off, but you
see me falling to the ground and you're still shooting.
So I was like, okay, she literally wants to be dead.
So you got to make a move at this point.
(20:25):
So when I hit the ground, I was like, you
got one or two options, roll left or roll right,
But you got a roll. Now. I'm right handed, so
my gun is on my right side. At that point,
I could feel when I hit the ground, I could
feel like more shots hit, so that would be the
one that actually went under my vest. Hit my hip
went into my stomach, so I could feel all these
shots as they're happening. So I felt that one. So
(20:47):
in my brain I was like, well, you just got
shot on your left side. Keep all your shots on
your left side because you don't want to lose your
right arm. Because I was like, I gotta get my
gune out at some point, my god. So that's what
I did. Yeah, I hit the ground, I said, all right,
roll so I rolled left. So when I rolled left,
I was like, don't roll up too far, but don't
roll up too back, too far on the back, because
(21:07):
if I roll up, she can easily get a headshot.
And then if I roll too far, I'm not gonna
be able to see anything to shoot. So as I
was rolling, I was like, man, just you know, at
the point in time it said, I don't let me
good playing, I said, man, just stick your foot out.
Maybe that'll help do something so that way it'll take
a shot so it doesn't hit your head, which it
did because I got one straight in my foot. And
(21:28):
when I tell you to this day, Cheryl, that was
the worst one. I could literally see like the bone
fragments show up pop up in my face. Like blood
going everywhere. I was just like, oh, And at this point,
I'm really really mad, and I am ticked off because
now not only are you trying to kill me, but
you waited until I hit the ground and you stood
(21:48):
over me like now you got to see me, so that,
you know, sparked the fire. And me was like, hey,
if you're gonna try to take me out, you're coming
with me. So I was able to get my gun
out at that point, so I separated my feet and
I just kind of leaned up just a little bit
and started shooting back at her. Now, at this point,
she is trying to use her car as cover, because
(22:11):
I'm kind of like, I'm in the middle of my
car in her car. So I literally, at this point,
I have nowhere to go. I can't just not shoot.
I gotta do something before I can even get to
any type of cover. So me and her just having
this good old fashioned battle, like me laying on the ground.
She's trying to dump behind the car, and at one
point I saw her fall, saw her fault, and I
was like, that's it, that's my shot. So I jump
(22:31):
up real quick. There's a big, big, big trash can
behind the grocery store, like a normal one that you
would see, and I book it as soon as I
put my foot down. Cheryl, when I tell that pain
was from hal When I put that foot down, I
was like, oh my god. So I'm running pretty much
running on a broken foot with a bullet in it.
So as I was running to the trash can, that's
(22:52):
when I was like, put your hand on your face
and figure out, like your mouth and tongue are still there,
because you got to get out shots fired at some point,
And that's what I did. I looked to it's just
a deeper after and I say, either my face is
there or it's not. And when I felt my face,
I said, oh, thank you God. Had a vain moment
in the middle of probably almost died, but I really
wanted my face.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Hey, I'm in an old fashioned gunfight, but I'm still
a woman.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Absolutely. I was like, oh my god, my face is
still better. You know, I want to have a cute fielderal,
not one of those you need.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
An open casket because I'm kids.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
You are too much sugar, y'all. See what I was
telling y'all ready for what she's bringing. That is fantastic.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Oh my god. So yeah, so I get behind the
trash can and I'm screaming like shots fire, shots fire.
And then I'm behind the trash can and I'm like
all right, doing the whole magg exchange. And then I'm
looking to see, Okay, well where she at? Is she
I'm still in the game. Did I kill her? Or
what's going on? So the next thing I know is
the truck that she's driving starts backing up, and I
(23:58):
go to myself like, this girl just told me her
battery was there, so how was the car moving? So
now I'm just like no. I was literally going thinking
to myself like no, ma'am, like you took the car
out of plate, like get out of the car and
fight me, Like why are you driving away? At this point,
so I really got mad because she was trying to leave.
I really wanted her to stay there and we could
just finish it like grown women.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
But she I also love the fact You're like, wait
a minute, she just shot me eight times. But I
know she didn't lie about that battery exactly.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
That was the only thing I was worried about. Everybody
was like you just got shot, and I was like, well,
she lied about the battery. So I'm not understaying why
she lied about the battery.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Come back here to finish this thing.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
You know, typical women, Like we get locked in on
one thing that you said that was a lie, and
like why would you lie like that? So she ends
up backing up the truck and she goes around the
opposite side of the store. So that I was like, nope,
(25:01):
she's not getting away, like I don't know if I'm
a die behind the store, like she's gotta go to
jail or something. So I take off running the opposite direction.
So the the way that I pulled in with my
truck is the way that I start running out again.
I completely forgot that my foot was broken, so I'm
like it's hurting, but I'm running on it. And then
she and I actually meet in the front of the store,
(25:25):
so she's driving around the opposite side. I'm running around
the opposite side. And Cheryl, to the day I die,
I will never forget one. Her face when she saw
me through the windshield, it was like she saw a
go She was like, I thought I killed you, Like
what is going on right now? Her mouth dropped. She
was like, oh my god. So again because of the
(25:46):
area that I was in, it's a lot of like
high foot traffic, people on bicycles, you know, open open
air drug market pretty much. So my initial thought was
just you know, shoot at the car while she's driving away,
Like at this point, I mean, there's gonna be a
led investigation. But I renigged on that because I was like,
if I throw a shot and it hits somebody that's
(26:07):
out here just randomly walking down the street, I would
never forgive myself. So at that point I was just like,
you know what it is, what it is, Just get
the direction to travel. You got everything else, and that'll
be the end of it. So when she pulled out
of the store, she actually went the exact direction that
I felt like they came from to begin with, which
never really made sense on how long they were back
(26:27):
there to me. So I was like, Okay, now I
know where she's going. Well, at this point, I'm standing
in the front of the parking lot, and now like
the time is coming back. I can hear, I can feel,
I can taste, and my whole entire body is like
shutting down in front of me because now my body's like,
all right, you know your shot a lot of times, right,
you got to figure something out. So there's a Circle
(26:48):
K gas station that was at the head of the room.
So I was trying to get back to my truck,
but I ended up like falling into the parking lot
and actually started throwing up blood or whatever because of
what happens when you're shot and you got bullets eitxwhere
So I like followed the ground. I was like, all right,
I got one or two choices. I can try to
make it to the gas station, or I can chance
(27:12):
running behind the store, getting back to my truck and
just using my car radio because at this point I'm
like literally keying up on the radio like still going
shots fired. This is where I am, And I'm like,
where is everybody? Like nobody's listening, nobody showing up. So
I took the chance. I say, screw it, run to
the gas station and maybe I can just fall in
the gas station parking lot and somebody will see me. Well,
(27:34):
I run to the road, and then there ends up
being this green car that's coming down the road and
her name ended up being Kristen, So Kristin I wait
for down. Of course, I still have my gun in
my hand, I didn't realize, of course, how bloody I
looked from you know, being all shot up to pieces.
But she ends up stopping the car and she rolls
down the window and I look at her and I say, hey,
(27:56):
my name's Kimber. I said, can you call nine one one?
And she's like, yes, ma'am. And I could see how
she at the time. I was like, man, this girl's
like really nice, but I could see how she was
sewing shock of what she was seeing. And she just
grabs her phone and her hands are shaking, and I
was like, hey, it's okay, it's okay. I said, just
down now on one, and she's like, yes, ma'am. And
(28:16):
I'm like, as soon as they answered the phone. She
was like, what do I say? I said, as soon
as they answer her phone, I say, say exactly this.
I said, say my call sign at the time was
one four four. I said, just say counting one four
four has been shot. Can y'all send people to the
food line? I said, they'll know exactly what you're talking about,
and she excellent job. She literally relays it word for word.
My best friend was a dispatcher on the main channel
(28:39):
that night, so the whole time, I didn't realize that
one of my radio had actually been shot. So literally
the last transmission they had from me was the ten
ten was me being in a fight.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Oh my gosh, that's the last time they've heard from you.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
That was the last time they heard from me. So
they didn't hear like the shots fire. So this whole time,
they're like freaking out because they're t to get me
back up radio after the fight. And then the next
thing that they know is just this girl calls and
now I want it, says you got a deputy out
here that shot. So like at this point, the radio
traffic is everybody is like, oh crap. So, I mean
they're like screaming to get to me now. Before that,
(29:17):
my sergeant was already on the way to get me
because I didn't answer the ten cents, so he was
already on the way there. So by the time Kristen
had called to when everybody started showing up, was like
a couple of seconds. But my sergeant ended up getting
there first. He gets there, I handed my gun, I
lay down, I said, hey, I said, I don't care
what y'all do at this point, I said, but y'all
got it. I said I'm done. I said, get ems here.
(29:39):
I said, my stomach curds, my leg curds, everything hurts.
And he was like okay. So they laid me down.
They start cutting all my stuff off, take my boots off.
They put the turn kit on. Like I got hundreds.
It feels like hundreds of people around me. And my
sergeant is like, while they're doing all this, I remember
I grabbed the ID. My sergeant was like, hey, what
do they look like? And I was like, it's female,
(30:02):
long braids, white teeth, blue jays. And he's like okay.
He was like, which way they go? Said, She's in
a green Florid Expeditions and she hung the right going
towards the road is called Henry E. Brown and it's
great for those who are wondering. I said, she hold
the right to Henry E. Brown. I said she's going
back to nor Charleston and he was like, what part
of now Charleston. I said, somewhere in Park Circle. Park
(30:22):
Circle's not it used to be not a really good area,
but they've it's coming along way now. He's like, how
do you know all this? And I was like, oh wait,
And I remember I snatched the id from the front
of my uniform as I snatching all my stuff off
and handed it to him. Cherryl you can hear a
pin drop. It was like em mess was quiet, fire
was quiet. My supervisor, all the deaphies I was working with,
(30:44):
was like, how did you even get the idea if
somebody had shot you? Like what is going on? So
I was like, well, that's it. That's the girl that
shot me. So they're doing all this and they're like,
where's your trunk and I said, my truck's behind the door,
and they were like okay. So they run back there
and they obviously see like the crime scene and I
was like, hey, there's somebody in my car. And it
(31:05):
was like dude, what And I was like, there's a
guy in my car. He saw the entire thing. So
they go back there. They had threw like all my
stuff all over the place, so they couldn't find my
keys in my truck, so they had to slim Jim in.
So they slimmed Jim the car snatch him out. He's
in the back seat. There's footprints where he was trying
to kick. He wouldn't go anywhere because the bars, but
(31:26):
he was like trying to kick out the window, trying
to kick everything out because he's watching this entire thing happen.
He was afraid that the girl that he was with
was going to come open up the door and kill
him too. So at this point they're throwing me in
the back of the ambulance. My sergeant is like, go,
but he's got a question real quick, and he has
two id's and he says, grab the ID of the
(31:47):
person that shot you. And I grabbed his wrist. I said,
that's the bitch that shot me. He was like okay,
So I go to the hospital. They obviously start taking
all the stuff off of me. The only thing that
took me off at the hospit what it was. I
know they had to do it, but they were counting
all of my injuries out loud, like all of my shots.
I was like, oh, could y'all not do that? Like,
(32:08):
I know I'm shot up right now, but you know,
thanks so.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
And were some through and through right.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Yeah somewhere I think that's where not lucky, but because
God knew what he was doing. But yeah, I got
lucky because I had any of those other than like
the one that was obviously lodged in my stomach not
have been throwing through. We're not having this conversation.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Today, absolutely right.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
So I get to the hospital. Of course the cavalry's there.
My sheriff is actually on his way back from vacation,
so he calls. He's on the phone. He's like, I'm
on the way back, and I'm like, you don't have
to do that, and he's like, no, I'm on the
way back, man. My chief is in there. My chief
ends up calling Spartanburg County and waking my mom up.
(32:50):
So they sent Spartanburg County to go make notifications to
my mom. Spartburg County drove her from Spartanburg to Columbia
and then how it troll picked her up from Columbia Charleston.
The whole what they wanted to do, they were just
gonna get her. Helicopter just flyed down there, but a
real bad storm ended up coming in and they had
to ground them. So shout out to them for doing
(33:11):
that whole piggyback and you know, law enforcement taking care
of law enforcement, and they got her there. By the
time I was out of surgery. I think I was
in surgery maybe. I think my mom said, maybe like
seven or eight hours and I come out and there's
like police everywhere. When I say everywhere, like they literally
had to like move waiting rooms for them to like
(33:33):
be in. So when I tell you that camaraderie, when
like something like that happens is true. Like stuff you
see on the movie's true. There were being hundreds thousands
lined up. They were all over the place, to the
point where the hospital was like she's got to lay
down and go to sleep y'are like, y'all got to chill.
But it was so heart warming to see all the
support that I had, especially like immediately after that, and
(33:54):
like even the guys weren't there and they was like,
you actually shot back and I was like yeah. He
was like I don't think he realized. It's like how
badass that is? Like most of us would you have
been able to do that?
Speaker 1 (34:04):
And I'm straight up badass. Yeah, you already had one
in custody badass. You got her complete id badass and
then you remembered it. I listened to the nine one
one call, and you know, the first thing that struck
me is, how was this young girl who's just driving
(34:25):
down a road that's normally vacant normally nobody's around does
such a flawless job at giving information. Well, now I
know that was you too. You're orchestrating this whole thing.
And Kimber, here's the thing that blows my mind. Well
(34:45):
about twenty seven things that blow my mind, but I'm
going to kind of go in order. One of the
first things that blows my mind is you were cognizant
of the fact that you've been shot twice and they
tried to be a head shot. She tried to take
you straight out. It hit your ear, and then the
next one hit your lip, and then you ain't mad yet.
(35:06):
So let me tell you something about whoever raised you.
That's a remarkable person. To let your heart be that okay,
because in high school you foul me. We're going to
the ground, okay, so much less you shoot me two
times and then you're so you're just so adorable. But
(35:26):
then you're like, okay, you're gonna stand over me, and
I want everybody to understand. Literally, you walked towards me.
Know when you hit me twice, there's blood everywhere, and
you're gonna shoot me again and again and again. And
that's when you say, okay, I got mad now all right,
so again remarkable. And then when you have all of
(35:50):
these severe life threatening injuries, you go up to a
car calmly so that you don't scare this child.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Have to Kristen, Yes, Kristy Touchberry that was her name.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
And you say to her, hey, I'm Kimber, like like,
y'all are in a sorority function.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Yeah, And I did, and I didn't realize. I got
some folk crime scene photos. Unfortunately we had to turn
her car into your crime scene. But when they were
talking to her, you can actually see like a thumbprint
of mine that's bloody where I was just leaning on
her car. And she tells them she was like she
was trying to hide her gun, so it didn't scare me.
But I was just like scared staring at her, and
(36:31):
I was like, oh, sweetheart, like I didn't want to
be rude to you, like you were civilian. Yeah, I
hid my gun. I like put it behind my back,
and I was like, hey, I'm Kimber. Can you call.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Most people in that situation you have responded to? How
many emergencies people are not polite, People are not calm
and giving concern for the person that's trying to help them.
They're usually screaming and yelling, help me do something, get
everybody here, And you are so thoughtful toward you know,
Kristen that you're like, I don't want the gun to
(37:03):
scare her. I don't want to scare her, but I
need her to call somebody. I just I think that
speaks to you almost more than anything I've heard today.
You are an unbelievable human being, Sugar, I mean unreal.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Definitely got that from my mom. But yeah, and then
it's the Southern ways. You know, you don't want to
be rude to people, especially somebody that's trying to help you.
Like you said, I know you've been on play of crime,
so where you see people that are just showing their
rear end while you're trying to get somebody CPR, and
we're like, ma'am sir, like I'm trying to concentrate on,
you know, putting breath back in. You know, your friend
or your family member. You got to give me, you know,
(37:39):
some grace here. So and I want to turn into
that person like I knew I needed help, but at
the same time as the person that I need to
help me can't stay calm we're both in the world
to hurt.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Well that's the absolute truth. But again, there's just not
another story like this, And I just knew it was
important for people to hear it, for people to learn
about you and know about you and hopefully wait for
the movie.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
Yeah one day. Well hopefully, let's see, maybe Netflix will
pick up a and do a mini series on all
the officers that have been involved in traumatic incidents and
put something together.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Hey, Netflix, Hey, it would be so important. And you know,
just that relationship with Tom Smith and Dan Murphy. You know,
they first told me about you and I was like,
I know her story, I've never met her. And they're like, oh,
just wait till you meet her. And when I got
to table fifteen and you were to my right and
(38:33):
Miss Delores was next to you, I was like, oh, yeah,
this is gonna be a good night. And it was
long till we started laughing and you know, telling different stories,
and baby, you had some good stories, and y'all I'm
talking about funny stories, like things that happened. But then
when you got up and gave your speech, I mean,
(38:55):
there was no doubt in my mind that room was
going to be erupt in the standing ovation, and I
want everybody to understand that room was filled with people,
I mean not just heroics, but unbelievable acts of terrorism
and life saving and you know, literally putting their life
(39:16):
on the line, and that room stood up for you, Honey.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
And I think again, Cheryl, especially with that one night,
just knowing that I'm around people that have also been
through the same thing, it's very humbling because as we
both heard with that, there are people that couldn't stand
up and receive their award. There are people that did
receive awards, but you know, their partners didn't come home
with them. So it's a very humbling experience and a
(39:41):
blessing as well, because Amen, and we both know while
we're still here today, you know, the Good Lord saved
not only myself but other law enforcement officers, but unfortunately
we have lost some along the way, even recently, so
we know it's not going to stop. But I feel
like with us being able to still have play forms
like such as yourself and then Tom and Dan to
(40:03):
still get the word out to let them know this
is still a great profession to be. It's still dangerous,
but it's also still a blessing to know that you
can still help others.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
There's no better And I'll tell you how you used
to tell my own children. If something were to happen
to be at work, just know I prefer that to
a car wreck or falling off a ladder or getting
some disease. I mean that would just make me mad.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Right because I've went through all of this save in
the world, and then this is what takes me out off,
you know, you.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Know, yeah for me, like if I spend forty four
years doing this and going to crime scenes that y'all
have already made safe for me, let me point that out.
I appreciate you. You know that. If I'm going to
trip and hit my head on a coffee table, just
just know I went angry, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
And sure I tell people that all the time, especially
after my incident. So I've been in a a few
car wrecks, I've had. My mom said a few of
the you know racing hearts with me. I wasn't the
easiest child raised. But I tell people, a think, going
through all this, if I trip and fall down some steps,
and that's what my oldbituary says, I'm going to be
(41:14):
so upset.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
Yeah, I'm be like Saint Peter, are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Yes, Like, sir, can we start off.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
I mean, I've told my sisters. I have four sisters,
and I've told them that that's the kind of thing
that takes me out. Y'all make something up.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Right right, Say that I was doing something really really
cool that I was.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
She was in a major fight. I mean, she didn't
hit her head on a coffee table vacuuming. I mean,
that would just be pitiful. But listen, I know it
is not easy telling this story, and I know today
it's gonna keep popping up and you might even have
one of those situations at five o'clock tonight where you
smell gunpowder for no reason. But I appreciate you, and
(41:55):
I think this story is so important that it needs
to be captured and heard by everybody. And so I
appreciate you putting yourself out there. I appreciate everything that
you have done for your community, for the United States,
because you're not done. You're working now in DC. And
(42:16):
I just appreciate everything about you and just wanted to
say that to you again that I admire you. You
are lovely inside and out. You are brave, you are strong,
and you're fun thank you. So I just appreciate you
being now a part of my Zone seven. So you
need anything, not just in Atlanta, you need anything, you
(42:37):
call me, honey, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
Thank you so much, Cheryl. I greatly appreciate number one
meeting you to the laughs and then you just invited
me to even have this conversation because it is therapeutic
for me. Talking about it is therapeutic. It reminds me
you got to laugh about some stuff that God pushing through.
It wasn't funny at the time, but now I can
find some humor in it. I was like, well, God,
(42:59):
what was I do it in life that you said, hey, Kimber,
you got to sit down for just a minute. Or
who did I reach along the way? So I always
always thank people for allowing me to share my story.
So that way, I'm reaching somebody right now. I don't
know who it is, but if I'm reaching you, you
got to keep going.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
You're reaching and He's putting you in a position where
you're going to be able to help more and more
and more people. I believe it.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
I know it absolutely, y'all.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
I'm going to end Zone seven the way that I
always do with a quote I knew she was going
to be something great from the day she was born.
Dolores giessed Kimber's mama. I'm Cheryl McCollum and this is
Zone seven.
Table fifteen at the National Law Enforcement Officer Hall of
Fame has become a metaphor for me, y'all, is just
like this symbolic of something that I love most about
law enforcement and policing for me. And that table was
full of heroes that shared stories of the bravery of
(00:33):
their friends, the selflessness, just the honor of doing this job,
all without fear or favor. And the most important thing
to me about this job was in full force on
that table, And that is the humor, y'all. We laughed
from the minute we got to that table to well
(00:54):
after hours. But one thing that came from that table
was a story of hair that you are likely not
to hear too many of. It was February twenty six,
twenty sixteen, and shots rang out as Corporal kimber Gifts
was conducting a business check at a grocery store. The
next two minutes would change her life. Y'all. It's got
(01:18):
to be one thing to save a life of another
person when you can perhaps think how should I proceed,
how can I maybe take cover and think about the
best way to execute this life save and measure and
maybe there's even others around to help you. But when
you are ambushed all alone and the life you have
to save is your own. That's a whole different level. Tonight,
(01:44):
we have the great honor of having former Corporal Berkeley County,
South Carolina Deputy Kimber. It is absolutely our pleasure and
honor to have you with us, and thank you for
sharing your story.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Thank you, Cheryl, Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
You know, we're sitting there with Tom Smith and Dan Murphy,
and I got to just tell you, I'm at the
Hall of Fame to pass off my award, you know,
to Tom and share our challenge coin and all that.
And I had told my sister about you. My sister
and brother in law were with my husband and I
(02:25):
and I don't know what my sister Charlene had in
her mind, but when you walked in in that stunning
dress and you are so beautiful and you've got that smile, honey,
that smile lit up the whole Hall of Fame, and
my sister turned and saw you and Kimber, I thought
(02:47):
she's going to just start crying because she's like, that's her,
like so beautiful, so young. I'm like, yes, that's her,
But watch how she's going to navigate this room. It
was just amazing to watch you. But it was so
fun to have you at that table. You and I
laughed because you sat right to my right. Yes, honey,
(03:09):
it was a good time. It's a good time, y'all.
I can't repeat the jokes, but just know they were
fabulous and on point. But you know, I'm gonna let
you start where you want to start. But I imagine that
you remember getting ready that day and putting your vest on.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Oh absolutely, Cheryl, absolutely, So just you know, us being
the southern women that we are at the first I'll
just say it was a blessing to meet you and
Tom and everyone else that was at table fifteen. We
really had a fun, comical night, which is what I
actually needed. You know, it's always a blessing to get
(03:51):
around other fellow law enforcement deputies officers, and it reminds
you that you are not alone in this fight. And
that was the beautiful thing about me all that night
is I was reminded of I was not alone in
that particular situation, had my mother with me, had all friends,
family members. But yeah, so February twenty six, I definitely
(04:15):
still remember getting dressed that afternoon. So I'm just a young,
little twenty five year old deputy, not even one year
on patrol yet. So it's just me and my dog, Paisley,
who I still have to this day, bless her heart.
She's a sweet baby. And I'm getting dressed in my apartment.
And one thing I always told people is that I
(04:35):
could still to this day, I can hear the belt
row on my best as I was putting it on
for a shift that night. So you know, it's just
a typical night. I come to work, just you know,
patrolling around at INGOs Creek and just for a general
area Goose Creakings in Berkeley County, South Carolina, which is
right by Charlson, so it borders each other. We're probably
(04:57):
like two red lights away from Charlson where you're in
Goose Creek area. So that was the area that I
controlled nightly. And it wasn't the best of areas, right,
but there are still good people, right, There's still good
people in every walk of life. But it was, you know,
unfortunately that particular area where you think about like robbing's murders,
(05:18):
it was unfortunately one of those that was kind of
known for that type of aspect of crime. So it
was dangerous, of course, as with every aspect of law enforcement,
but it still had that heightened sense of danger just
because of the typical crimes that we would get there.
So this night, it's about twelve, a little bit after twelve.
We we would say maybe about twelve o two, twelve o
(05:40):
three somewhere in there. And I'd already talked to my
sergeant because my nephew's birthday was coming up that weekend.
So this is a Thursday night. We were off that Friday,
Saturday Sunday, as most police know that schedule, and I
had to drive two hours, about two and a half
hours to get home, which is originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina.
(06:00):
So I asked my supervisor, I said, hey, do you
mind if I just like cut out early tonight, not
staying until four thirty. And he's like, yeah, fine, Like
we know you can get up drive early first thing
in the morning and I would still be there by
the time he got out of school, which was the
gate plan. So me, being like the rookie dephie that
I was, I said, well, okay, I'll just drive my area.
You know, one last time we liked that last extra
(06:21):
patrol on my way home. It wasn't out of the way.
I could still go straight to the house after this,
so that's what I did. So there was a food
line shopping center, so just think about like a normal
plaza where there's like a grocery store, maybe some other
little small stores, a couple of restaurants. It was in
this kind of plaza, and as I'm driving past it,
(06:42):
I noticed that there is a vehicle, like an suv
part behind the store. So, just like a normal plaza,
if you were behind the store, try to like cut
through traffic, so there's like garbage cans. That's where the
trucks will pull up. So truthfully, nobody should be back
there after midnight. The grocery store, I think at that time,
may be closed at a eleven at the latest, and
then all the other smaller stores closed way earlier than that,
(07:04):
maybe like around nine or two. So it was obvious
that there was a car back there. So I passed by,
and I was like, well, they'll see me pass by.
I was in a fully marked control of Tahoe at
the time, so I was like, they saw me drive by,
like they're pull off. So I kind of like drive
up the road a little bit and then Paul's and
look into the river view just to make sure they
got to pull off. Well, a couple of seconds go
by and they didn't, so I was like, so I
(07:25):
just started around the middle of the road, you know,
no traffic, and I come back past the car again,
still on the main road, and then I turned into
the actual parking lot. Now, the way that the parking
lot is actually situated, it's kind of like a perpendicular corner,
so the corner cond protrudes out and you can't see
(07:46):
around it. So when I pulled up, I kind of
stopped before they would actually see that a car was there,
just thinking, okay, now they just saw me drive by again,
they'll definitely pull out this time, absolutely yeah. And then
they didn't, Cheryl, So I was like, what girl, Maybe
they're back there sleeping. I was like, I didn't know
what was going on.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
Maybe they're getting romantic, right.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
I had all these I had all these thoughts going
through my brain, but the main one was like, I
got a fully marked how did y'all not see me
drive by? Like, drive off people, I'm just trying to
go home early. But they didn't, So, you know, the
investigative side of me was like, hey, I can't leave
this car back here. You know, it is what it is,
So you know, I radio out to dispatch to let
(08:27):
them know him getting out with a suspicious vehicle behind
food Line grocery store. And so I couldn't pull all
the way behind the car because of how it was
part and how the store protrudes out, so I was
kind of like perpendicular. So of course they saw me
drive by, and I kind of got as far behind
as I could, but I was still pretty much perpendiculate
with the vehicle. So I get out and I'm giving
(08:50):
them the description, tell them exactly where I am, what
the car looks like. And I remember walking behind the
car to go up to the driver side, and I
was about to give out the tag number. So I
was like, I remember my mouth being opened in the
middle of the transmission, going, of course you got a
paper tag, like of course, Like now I can't really
take the car clocks exactly. So I was like, oh
(09:11):
my god, like, let's just make this a little bit
harder as we go along people, right, So I just
tell him, I said, hey, Central, it's just a paper tag,
I said, stam By, I'll get you the names in
a second, normal transmission, like this is what we do
every single night. So I had a zone partner at
the time who was actually training a new deputy that
(09:32):
we had that came from another law enforcement agency. So
I still had a zone partner, but you know, he
was up the road, maybe not even a mile the
lady on the traffic stop. So he was like, are
you good? And I was like, yeah, I'm just gonna
figure out why they're back here. Just put them much
shoot them on their way because I was trying to
go home. I really didn't want to do anything past that.
So I walk up to the driver side and I
(09:54):
noticed that there's a female with long won't breaks sitting
in the driver's seat. She's got on a white shirt
and blue jeans. And then I see that there is
a mail passenger, now the mail passenger. This ends up
being a Ford expedition, So the mail passenger is sitting
in the back seat but on the passenger side, and
(10:14):
there's nobody else in the car butt them too. So
I immediately call out the seating position. I was like,
why are y'all even sitting like that? Like this makes
no sense, Like most people are going to be driver
pat front seat passenger, like nobody's in the back. So
they were just like, oh, well, we're just back here
talking and I said okay. I said, well, why do
you need to be back here talking And she was like,
(10:37):
oh well, I was giving him a rite home work.
Now she's doing all the talking. But he, the mail passenger,
was like in the back seat, like fidgeting, like I
could see like his Karao arterie. I could see his
chest moving up. And now I was like, this guy
is nervous. So I was like, well, how about y'all
hand me your IDs? So she hates me her ID
and I stick it in the front of my uniform.
(10:58):
So what her pen is to just stick people's IDs
under the pin because the pin in the shirt will
hold it so I can have my heads free at
all times. He didn't have his ID, so I was like, okay, whatever.
So I said, well, where do you live, boss? I
mean he wanted across the street. So across the street
were on the set of townhouses, which were really really bad.
I mean I could tell you how many shootings and
(11:20):
homicides led to there. And I was like, oh, so
you live across the street. And he was like yeah.
So I said, well, why don't you just get out
and walk across the street. Y'all was just talking the
parking lot, like I'm not understanding why you're a parked
behind the closed grocery store, and she was like, well,
my battery went there. So I'm looking at the car
and she had the running lights on the bottom of
(11:41):
her SUV and I was like, well, if your batteries,
then then the running lights will be on because the
running lights are connected to the battery, so that makes
no sense to me. So then she tries to turn
the de ignition on the vehicle, but I noticed she
didn't turn it all the way. She just kind of
turned it to that idoling position that you get turned into.
And I was like, okay, girl, like now you're playing
with me. Like okay, I was like, okay, I'm done
(12:04):
talking to you. I'm gonna direct my attention to what
I call him like little Froggy in the back seat
because he was fidgeting, I mean, dripping sweat and this
is February and I'm just like, why are you sweating?
So he only has on a like a wife beater
tak top and some basketball shorts like real thin material
and some flip flops. So I said, Sartain, you mind
(12:25):
just stepping out of the car and talking to me
real quick, like I got to figure out what's going on.
So he was like, no, man, I don't mind. So
he gets out of the car, and mind you, his
the passenger side of his car is actually in front
of my tapho. So I walked back around and I'm
standing in front of my tahoe. And then when he
gets out of the truck, his back door is still open,
so I can see her while I'm patting him down.
(12:47):
And there was really nothing to pat down because like
I said, he had like no clothing on whatsoever, and
it was like real thin material. So it was like
me going in his pockets. I shook his pants real quick.
The only thing I was truthfully worried about was obviously
a gun. And he didn't have anything. I mean, he
didn't have an id, chapstick, nothing on him Cheryl, And
I was like, I said, okay, bro, I said, so
(13:08):
why are you even back here? So why I was
patting him down? I kept feel like he had like
some sort of an erection while I was patting him down.
I said, hey, bro, I said, if y'all are back here,
because like you couldn't take her to the house, Like
just say that, Like if you've got a whole lot
of people in the house and this was it, all
you got to do is say that and then I
can put y'all on. Y'all wait, because I really wasn't
too pressed, right, I'm trying to go home like they
(13:29):
knew each other. If it's consensual, ain't no money get exchanged? Cool?
All right? Just moved from behind the store and he
wouldn't say nothing. I mean, he got locked with Cheryl,
and I was like, okay, like are you scared to
go to jail for prostitution? And he just like froze.
So I said, well, I'm gonna go over here and
talk to her and make sure everything straight with her.
I gave the dispatcher his name, so I said, everything
(13:51):
straight with you, I said, I'll just sledt y'all go on,
y'all wait. He was like, okay, thank you. So I said, well,
I'm out here by myself. Do you mind just sitting
in the backseat of my car? And he was like, no, ma'am.
The problem with it, so opened up the backseat of
my car and he sits down in the cage. Cool,
he's out of place. So I walked back up to
(14:11):
the car. And when I walked back up to the car,
I could smell like some perfume. So I'm like, I
did not smell that the very first time, Like that's weird.
And then I could see her fidgeting around in the car.
So I said, hey, I needing can get out because
you're moving too much for me, and she was like okay,
but for what I said for number one, I said,
you're moving around. And then so why did you just
spray like some perfume? And she was like, oh, I
just like how it smells. I was like, that's weird,
(14:34):
Like nobody just sprays perfume while they're out with a
police officer, like not even on like a speeding ticket,
like a speeding traffic stop, Like nobody does that. That's
just not normal behavior. So when she got out of
the car, I noticed that in front of her pants
were on button and she kept trying to pull like
her shirt down. So when I looked at her shirt,
I realized that it said like something security on it,
(14:54):
and I was familiar with like one of the security
companies that worked at our mall and Trumps. So I said,
is that where you work? And she was like, yeah,
I just got off. That's how I know him. I said, okay,
so the mall I think pre COVID it closed at
like maybe like ten thirty. I think in Charlsa, and
from the mall to where we were would take you
(15:17):
at max ten minutes to get there at that type
of night, like there's no traffic, nothing you could breeze through.
Every red light was gonna be green. So I said, well,
if you were giving him a ride home work at
ten thirty, it's now twelve, what have y'all been doing
for like an hour and a half. So pretty much
their entire story just wasn't adding no. So I said,
your pants are on button, he's over there with half
(15:38):
in direction. I said, like, sis, be for real, Like
if y'all were just back here, you know, just doing whatever.
I said, just say that so that way I can
move on and go and by my day.
Speaker 1 (15:48):
I mean, you're basically telling both of them what to
say to you. Yeah, you can get out of there.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
Yes, yes, Cheryl, I was just like, y'all tell me
that's what you're doing, just nod your head and saying
yes so I can come firm and then I'm gonna
tell y'all to leave.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
Yeah, they went.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
They were not catching to the drift, which makes sense
because of why she she didn't even care about prostitution.
She had some other stuff going on. So as I'm
talking to her, she's still pulling down on the front
of this shirt shayl and I'm just like all right.
At this point, I said, I'm gonna patch you down
because you're you're fidgeting too much. I said, you're tugging
on the front of this shirt. I don't like it.
(16:24):
So we're standing in the front of per truck, so
I said, place your hands on the front of your
trup and patch you down real quick. So by this time,
my dispatcher is calling and was like, hey, are you good,
And I was like, nah, I go ahead and send
my zone partner at the time, a name is Damn.
So I called for his number and I said, hey,
you might just go ahead meet me over here, and
he was like yeah, I'll be on the wave. That's
a second. He was clearing up pitch traffic stide, so
(16:46):
I was like cool, whatever, So I tell her, So
I go to like pat her down, and I always
when I patted people down, started in the very very front,
and I always went to the right first because I
was just right handed. So that's what I went to do.
So she standing in front of the car, I'm directly
behind her, got that normal stance where you just push
them off against the car, and you got one leg
(17:07):
back kind of like keeping your balance. And something happens
like normal pat down, and she pushes off of the
car and I'm like, yeah, no, don't do that. Like
now she's getting aggressive, like her arm locks out and everything.
So I get on the radio and Tensen for us
was a fight, so all you had to do was
like central tensin and everybody nam moment. Now. I was
the only female on my ship, so a lot of
(17:29):
times I didn't have to say my number because they
would hear me you know who exactly it was, right,
So that's exactly what I did. I just keep up
and I just said sexual sense in like just like that,
like I wasn't. I didn't have any like urgency in
my voice because they know I've been in multiple fights.
They know I can handle myself. But what I to
my surprise, was that it wasn't just gonna be a fight.
(17:51):
So what she did was the gun that she had
ended up being in the very very front of her
paints where she's trying to pull down, but on the
left side because come and find out, she was left handed.
So when I put my hand in the front, she
thought that I could feel the gun with the left side,
so she took her right elbow and just nudged me
back and pushed me. And then as she pushed me,
(18:14):
I'm like turning my head because I could see like
her hand coming up, so I thought she was just
going to try to like hook me, so like I
moved my head back just to like a slight tan
and then she's pushing me. At the same time. Well,
as all of this is going on, I hear something
like really really loud, like to the point where I
lost all of my hearing. So I lost all of
my hearing, and then I saw at the same time,
(18:36):
like a really bright flash. Now I can't hear anything,
and I could not see anything, like it was like
pitch black. It was kind of like I had went
blind for a second, couldn't hear anything, and now I
just feel like everything is in slow votion. So I
was like, what is going on? Because I've been punched before.
I was like, that's not a punch, Like, there's no
way she punched me that hard to like disorient me.
(18:58):
So my vision starts to come back a little bit,
and I could see like the trees were moving, so
I was like, okay, I can see what's going on,
Like okay, chimber like yourself together, like figure out what's
going on next. So since I couldn't hear anything, I said, well,
just take a deep breath in and see if you
can smell something. So that's exactly what I did. I
waited until I could see like the trees move again
(19:20):
with the breeze, took a deep breath in, and I
was like, oh crap, that's dumb powder. Like I knew
it immediately. I smelled dumpowder, and I was like, oh
my god, this curl was shooting at me. The first
shot I could literally I didn't realize that I was
shot in my ear first. I thought the very first
shot was the one that was in my jaw or
in my lip because it was burning like that bad.
(19:42):
So as I'm actually falling to the ground, she's still
actually shooting at me. Now I can actually see People
don't realize that when you're an officer involved shooting, like
tom really does slow down. So I could actually see
like some of the bullets as they were like whizzing.
So I'm like falling towards the ground, and I realized, like,
you're falling, like there's no regaining your balance at this point,
(20:04):
Like I was too far gone, so I knew I
was going to hit the ground. The problem with hitting
the ground was this hick was still shooting at me.
So it was like, Okay, now she really just wants me.
At this point, I was like, okay, I could see
you doing one shot and then taking off, but you
see me falling to the ground and you're still shooting.
So I was like, okay, she literally wants to be dead.
So you got to make a move at this point.
(20:25):
So when I hit the ground, I was like, you
got one or two options, roll left or roll right,
But you got a roll. Now. I'm right handed, so
my gun is on my right side. At that point,
I could feel when I hit the ground, I could
feel like more shots hit, so that would be the
one that actually went under my vest. Hit my hip
went into my stomach, so I could feel all these
shots as they're happening. So I felt that one. So
(20:47):
in my brain I was like, well, you just got
shot on your left side. Keep all your shots on
your left side because you don't want to lose your
right arm. Because I was like, I gotta get my
gune out at some point, my god. So that's what
I did. Yeah, I hit the ground, I said, all right,
roll so I rolled left. So when I rolled left,
I was like, don't roll up too far, but don't
roll up too back, too far on the back, because
(21:07):
if I roll up, she can easily get a headshot.
And then if I roll too far, I'm not gonna
be able to see anything to shoot. So as I
was rolling, I was like, man, just you know, at
the point in time it said, I don't let me
good playing, I said, man, just stick your foot out.
Maybe that'll help do something so that way it'll take
a shot so it doesn't hit your head, which it
did because I got one straight in my foot. And
(21:28):
when I tell you to this day, Cheryl, that was
the worst one. I could literally see like the bone
fragments show up pop up in my face. Like blood
going everywhere. I was just like, oh, And at this point,
I'm really really mad, and I am ticked off because
now not only are you trying to kill me, but
you waited until I hit the ground and you stood
(21:48):
over me like now you got to see me, so that,
you know, sparked the fire. And me was like, hey,
if you're gonna try to take me out, you're coming
with me. So I was able to get my gun
out at that point, so I separated my feet and
I just kind of leaned up just a little bit
and started shooting back at her. Now, at this point,
she is trying to use her car as cover, because
(22:11):
I'm kind of like, I'm in the middle of my
car in her car. So I literally, at this point,
I have nowhere to go. I can't just not shoot.
I gotta do something before I can even get to
any type of cover. So me and her just having
this good old fashioned battle, like me laying on the ground.
She's trying to dump behind the car, and at one
point I saw her fall, saw her fault, and I
was like, that's it, that's my shot. So I jump
(22:31):
up real quick. There's a big, big, big trash can
behind the grocery store, like a normal one that you
would see, and I book it as soon as I
put my foot down. Cheryl, when I tell that pain
was from hal When I put that foot down, I
was like, oh my god. So I'm running pretty much
running on a broken foot with a bullet in it.
So as I was running to the trash can, that's
(22:52):
when I was like, put your hand on your face
and figure out, like your mouth and tongue are still there,
because you got to get out shots fired at some point,
And that's what I did. I looked to it's just
a deeper after and I say, either my face is
there or it's not. And when I felt my face,
I said, oh, thank you God. Had a vain moment
in the middle of probably almost died, but I really
wanted my face.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
Hey, I'm in an old fashioned gunfight, but I'm still
a woman.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Absolutely. I was like, oh my god, my face is
still better. You know, I want to have a cute fielderal,
not one of those you need.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
An open casket because I'm kids.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
You are too much sugar, y'all. See what I was
telling y'all ready for what she's bringing. That is fantastic.
Speaker 2 (23:37):
Oh my god. So yeah, so I get behind the
trash can and I'm screaming like shots fire, shots fire.
And then I'm behind the trash can and I'm like
all right, doing the whole magg exchange. And then I'm
looking to see, Okay, well where she at? Is she
I'm still in the game. Did I kill her? Or
what's going on? So the next thing I know is
the truck that she's driving starts backing up, and I
(23:58):
go to myself like, this girl just told me her
battery was there, so how was the car moving? So
now I'm just like no. I was literally going thinking
to myself like no, ma'am, like you took the car
out of plate, like get out of the car and
fight me, Like why are you driving away? At this point,
so I really got mad because she was trying to leave.
I really wanted her to stay there and we could
just finish it like grown women.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
But she I also love the fact You're like, wait
a minute, she just shot me eight times. But I
know she didn't lie about that battery exactly.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
That was the only thing I was worried about. Everybody
was like you just got shot, and I was like, well,
she lied about the battery. So I'm not understaying why
she lied about the battery.
Speaker 1 (24:39):
Come back here to finish this thing.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
You know, typical women, Like we get locked in on
one thing that you said that was a lie, and
like why would you lie like that? So she ends
up backing up the truck and she goes around the
opposite side of the store. So that I was like, nope,
(25:01):
she's not getting away, like I don't know if I'm
a die behind the store, like she's gotta go to
jail or something. So I take off running the opposite direction.
So the the way that I pulled in with my
truck is the way that I start running out again.
I completely forgot that my foot was broken, so I'm
like it's hurting, but I'm running on it. And then
she and I actually meet in the front of the store,
(25:25):
so she's driving around the opposite side. I'm running around
the opposite side. And Cheryl, to the day I die,
I will never forget one. Her face when she saw
me through the windshield, it was like she saw a
go She was like, I thought I killed you, Like
what is going on right now? Her mouth dropped. She
was like, oh my god. So again because of the
(25:46):
area that I was in, it's a lot of like
high foot traffic, people on bicycles, you know, open open
air drug market pretty much. So my initial thought was
just you know, shoot at the car while she's driving away,
Like at this point, I mean, there's gonna be a
led investigation. But I renigged on that because I was like,
if I throw a shot and it hits somebody that's
(26:07):
out here just randomly walking down the street, I would
never forgive myself. So at that point I was just like,
you know what it is, what it is, Just get
the direction to travel. You got everything else, and that'll
be the end of it. So when she pulled out
of the store, she actually went the exact direction that
I felt like they came from to begin with, which
never really made sense on how long they were back
(26:27):
there to me. So I was like, Okay, now I
know where she's going. Well, at this point, I'm standing
in the front of the parking lot, and now like
the time is coming back. I can hear, I can feel,
I can taste, and my whole entire body is like
shutting down in front of me because now my body's like,
all right, you know your shot a lot of times, right,
you got to figure something out. So there's a Circle
(26:48):
K gas station that was at the head of the room.
So I was trying to get back to my truck,
but I ended up like falling into the parking lot
and actually started throwing up blood or whatever because of
what happens when you're shot and you got bullets eitxwhere
So I like followed the ground. I was like, all right,
I got one or two choices. I can try to
make it to the gas station, or I can chance
(27:12):
running behind the store, getting back to my truck and
just using my car radio because at this point I'm
like literally keying up on the radio like still going
shots fired. This is where I am, And I'm like,
where is everybody? Like nobody's listening, nobody showing up. So
I took the chance. I say, screw it, run to
the gas station and maybe I can just fall in
the gas station parking lot and somebody will see me. Well,
(27:34):
I run to the road, and then there ends up
being this green car that's coming down the road and
her name ended up being Kristen, So Kristin I wait
for down. Of course, I still have my gun in
my hand, I didn't realize, of course, how bloody I
looked from you know, being all shot up to pieces.
But she ends up stopping the car and she rolls
down the window and I look at her and I say, hey,
(27:56):
my name's Kimber. I said, can you call nine one one?
And she's like, yes, ma'am. And I could see how
she at the time. I was like, man, this girl's
like really nice, but I could see how she was
sewing shock of what she was seeing. And she just
grabs her phone and her hands are shaking, and I
was like, hey, it's okay, it's okay. I said, just
down now on one, and she's like, yes, ma'am. And
(28:16):
I'm like, as soon as they answered the phone. She
was like, what do I say? I said, as soon
as they answer her phone, I say, say exactly this.
I said, say my call sign at the time was
one four four. I said, just say counting one four
four has been shot. Can y'all send people to the
food line? I said, they'll know exactly what you're talking about,
and she excellent job. She literally relays it word for word.
My best friend was a dispatcher on the main channel
(28:39):
that night, so the whole time, I didn't realize that
one of my radio had actually been shot. So literally
the last transmission they had from me was the ten
ten was me being in a fight.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
Oh my gosh, that's the last time they've heard from you.
Speaker 2 (28:54):
That was the last time they heard from me. So
they didn't hear like the shots fire. So this whole time,
they're like freaking out because they're t to get me
back up radio after the fight. And then the next
thing that they know is just this girl calls and
now I want it, says you got a deputy out
here that shot. So like at this point, the radio
traffic is everybody is like, oh crap. So, I mean
they're like screaming to get to me now. Before that,
(29:17):
my sergeant was already on the way to get me
because I didn't answer the ten cents, so he was
already on the way there. So by the time Kristen
had called to when everybody started showing up, was like
a couple of seconds. But my sergeant ended up getting
there first. He gets there, I handed my gun, I
lay down, I said, hey, I said, I don't care
what y'all do at this point, I said, but y'all
got it. I said I'm done. I said, get ems here.
(29:39):
I said, my stomach curds, my leg curds, everything hurts.
And he was like okay. So they laid me down.
They start cutting all my stuff off, take my boots off.
They put the turn kit on. Like I got hundreds.
It feels like hundreds of people around me. And my
sergeant is like, while they're doing all this, I remember
I grabbed the ID. My sergeant was like, hey, what
do they look like? And I was like, it's female,
(30:02):
long braids, white teeth, blue jays. And he's like okay.
He was like, which way they go? Said, She's in
a green Florid Expeditions and she hung the right going
towards the road is called Henry E. Brown and it's
great for those who are wondering. I said, she hold
the right to Henry E. Brown. I said she's going
back to nor Charleston and he was like, what part
of now Charleston. I said, somewhere in Park Circle. Park
(30:22):
Circle's not it used to be not a really good area,
but they've it's coming along way now. He's like, how
do you know all this? And I was like, oh wait,
And I remember I snatched the id from the front
of my uniform as I snatching all my stuff off
and handed it to him. Cherryl you can hear a
pin drop. It was like em mess was quiet, fire
was quiet. My supervisor, all the deaphies I was working with,
(30:44):
was like, how did you even get the idea if
somebody had shot you? Like what is going on? So
I was like, well, that's it. That's the girl that
shot me. So they're doing all this and they're like,
where's your trunk and I said, my truck's behind the door,
and they were like okay. So they run back there
and they obviously see like the crime scene and I
was like, hey, there's somebody in my car. And it
(31:05):
was like dude, what And I was like, there's a
guy in my car. He saw the entire thing. So
they go back there. They had threw like all my
stuff all over the place, so they couldn't find my
keys in my truck, so they had to slim Jim in.
So they slimmed Jim the car snatch him out. He's
in the back seat. There's footprints where he was trying
to kick. He wouldn't go anywhere because the bars, but
(31:26):
he was like trying to kick out the window, trying
to kick everything out because he's watching this entire thing happen.
He was afraid that the girl that he was with
was going to come open up the door and kill
him too. So at this point they're throwing me in
the back of the ambulance. My sergeant is like, go,
but he's got a question real quick, and he has
two id's and he says, grab the ID of the
(31:47):
person that shot you. And I grabbed his wrist. I said,
that's the bitch that shot me. He was like okay,
So I go to the hospital. They obviously start taking
all the stuff off of me. The only thing that
took me off at the hospit what it was. I
know they had to do it, but they were counting
all of my injuries out loud, like all of my shots.
I was like, oh, could y'all not do that? Like,
(32:08):
I know I'm shot up right now, but you know,
thanks so.
Speaker 1 (32:13):
And were some through and through right.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Yeah somewhere I think that's where not lucky, but because
God knew what he was doing. But yeah, I got
lucky because I had any of those other than like
the one that was obviously lodged in my stomach not
have been throwing through. We're not having this conversation.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Today, absolutely right.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
So I get to the hospital. Of course the cavalry's there.
My sheriff is actually on his way back from vacation,
so he calls. He's on the phone. He's like, I'm
on the way back, and I'm like, you don't have
to do that, and he's like, no, I'm on the
way back, man. My chief is in there. My chief
ends up calling Spartanburg County and waking my mom up.
(32:50):
So they sent Spartanburg County to go make notifications to
my mom. Spartburg County drove her from Spartanburg to Columbia
and then how it troll picked her up from Columbia Charleston.
The whole what they wanted to do, they were just
gonna get her. Helicopter just flyed down there, but a
real bad storm ended up coming in and they had
to ground them. So shout out to them for doing
(33:11):
that whole piggyback and you know, law enforcement taking care
of law enforcement, and they got her there. By the
time I was out of surgery. I think I was
in surgery maybe. I think my mom said, maybe like
seven or eight hours and I come out and there's
like police everywhere. When I say everywhere, like they literally
had to like move waiting rooms for them to like
(33:33):
be in. So when I tell you that camaraderie, when
like something like that happens is true. Like stuff you
see on the movie's true. There were being hundreds thousands
lined up. They were all over the place, to the
point where the hospital was like she's got to lay
down and go to sleep y'are like, y'all got to chill.
But it was so heart warming to see all the
support that I had, especially like immediately after that, and
(33:54):
like even the guys weren't there and they was like,
you actually shot back and I was like yeah. He
was like I don't think he realized. It's like how
badass that is? Like most of us would you have
been able to do that?
Speaker 1 (34:04):
And I'm straight up badass. Yeah, you already had one
in custody badass. You got her complete id badass and
then you remembered it. I listened to the nine one
one call, and you know, the first thing that struck
me is, how was this young girl who's just driving
(34:25):
down a road that's normally vacant normally nobody's around does
such a flawless job at giving information. Well, now I
know that was you too. You're orchestrating this whole thing.
And Kimber, here's the thing that blows my mind. Well
(34:45):
about twenty seven things that blow my mind, but I'm
going to kind of go in order. One of the
first things that blows my mind is you were cognizant
of the fact that you've been shot twice and they
tried to be a head shot. She tried to take
you straight out. It hit your ear, and then the
next one hit your lip, and then you ain't mad yet.
(35:06):
So let me tell you something about whoever raised you.
That's a remarkable person. To let your heart be that okay,
because in high school you foul me. We're going to
the ground, okay, so much less you shoot me two
times and then you're so you're just so adorable. But
(35:26):
then you're like, okay, you're gonna stand over me, and
I want everybody to understand. Literally, you walked towards me.
Know when you hit me twice, there's blood everywhere, and
you're gonna shoot me again and again and again. And
that's when you say, okay, I got mad now all right,
so again remarkable. And then when you have all of
(35:50):
these severe life threatening injuries, you go up to a
car calmly so that you don't scare this child.
Speaker 2 (35:59):
Have to Kristen, Yes, Kristy Touchberry that was her name.
Speaker 1 (36:03):
And you say to her, hey, I'm Kimber, like like,
y'all are in a sorority function.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
Yeah, And I did, and I didn't realize. I got
some folk crime scene photos. Unfortunately we had to turn
her car into your crime scene. But when they were
talking to her, you can actually see like a thumbprint
of mine that's bloody where I was just leaning on
her car. And she tells them she was like she
was trying to hide her gun, so it didn't scare me.
But I was just like scared staring at her, and
(36:31):
I was like, oh, sweetheart, like I didn't want to
be rude to you, like you were civilian. Yeah, I
hid my gun. I like put it behind my back,
and I was like, hey, I'm Kimber. Can you call.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Most people in that situation you have responded to? How
many emergencies people are not polite, People are not calm
and giving concern for the person that's trying to help them.
They're usually screaming and yelling, help me do something, get
everybody here, And you are so thoughtful toward you know,
Kristen that you're like, I don't want the gun to
(37:03):
scare her. I don't want to scare her, but I
need her to call somebody. I just I think that
speaks to you almost more than anything I've heard today.
You are an unbelievable human being, Sugar, I mean unreal.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Definitely got that from my mom. But yeah, and then
it's the Southern ways. You know, you don't want to
be rude to people, especially somebody that's trying to help you.
Like you said, I know you've been on play of crime,
so where you see people that are just showing their
rear end while you're trying to get somebody CPR, and
we're like, ma'am sir, like I'm trying to concentrate on,
you know, putting breath back in. You know, your friend
or your family member. You got to give me, you know,
(37:39):
some grace here. So and I want to turn into
that person like I knew I needed help, but at
the same time as the person that I need to
help me can't stay calm we're both in the world
to hurt.
Speaker 1 (37:49):
Well that's the absolute truth. But again, there's just not
another story like this, And I just knew it was
important for people to hear it, for people to learn
about you and know about you and hopefully wait for
the movie.
Speaker 2 (38:02):
Yeah one day. Well hopefully, let's see, maybe Netflix will
pick up a and do a mini series on all
the officers that have been involved in traumatic incidents and
put something together.
Speaker 1 (38:13):
Hey, Netflix, Hey, it would be so important. And you know,
just that relationship with Tom Smith and Dan Murphy. You know,
they first told me about you and I was like,
I know her story, I've never met her. And they're like, oh,
just wait till you meet her. And when I got
to table fifteen and you were to my right and
(38:33):
Miss Delores was next to you, I was like, oh, yeah,
this is gonna be a good night. And it was
long till we started laughing and you know, telling different stories,
and baby, you had some good stories, and y'all I'm
talking about funny stories, like things that happened. But then
when you got up and gave your speech, I mean,
(38:55):
there was no doubt in my mind that room was
going to be erupt in the standing ovation, and I
want everybody to understand that room was filled with people,
I mean not just heroics, but unbelievable acts of terrorism
and life saving and you know, literally putting their life
(39:16):
on the line, and that room stood up for you, Honey.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
And I think again, Cheryl, especially with that one night,
just knowing that I'm around people that have also been
through the same thing, it's very humbling because as we
both heard with that, there are people that couldn't stand
up and receive their award. There are people that did
receive awards, but you know, their partners didn't come home
with them. So it's a very humbling experience and a
(39:41):
blessing as well, because Amen, and we both know while
we're still here today, you know, the Good Lord saved
not only myself but other law enforcement officers, but unfortunately
we have lost some along the way, even recently, so
we know it's not going to stop. But I feel
like with us being able to still have play forms
like such as yourself and then Tom and Dan to
(40:03):
still get the word out to let them know this
is still a great profession to be. It's still dangerous,
but it's also still a blessing to know that you
can still help others.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
There's no better And I'll tell you how you used
to tell my own children. If something were to happen
to be at work, just know I prefer that to
a car wreck or falling off a ladder or getting
some disease. I mean that would just make me mad.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
Right because I've went through all of this save in
the world, and then this is what takes me out off,
you know, you.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
Know, yeah for me, like if I spend forty four
years doing this and going to crime scenes that y'all
have already made safe for me, let me point that out.
I appreciate you. You know that. If I'm going to
trip and hit my head on a coffee table, just
just know I went angry, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
And sure I tell people that all the time, especially
after my incident. So I've been in a a few
car wrecks, I've had. My mom said a few of
the you know racing hearts with me. I wasn't the
easiest child raised. But I tell people, a think, going
through all this, if I trip and fall down some steps,
and that's what my oldbituary says, I'm going to be
(41:14):
so upset.
Speaker 1 (41:15):
Yeah, I'm be like Saint Peter, are you kidding me?
Speaker 2 (41:18):
Yes, Like, sir, can we start off.
Speaker 1 (41:20):
I mean, I've told my sisters. I have four sisters,
and I've told them that that's the kind of thing
that takes me out. Y'all make something up.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
Right right, Say that I was doing something really really
cool that I was.
Speaker 1 (41:31):
She was in a major fight. I mean, she didn't
hit her head on a coffee table vacuuming. I mean,
that would just be pitiful. But listen, I know it
is not easy telling this story, and I know today
it's gonna keep popping up and you might even have
one of those situations at five o'clock tonight where you
smell gunpowder for no reason. But I appreciate you, and
(41:55):
I think this story is so important that it needs
to be captured and heard by everybody. And so I
appreciate you putting yourself out there. I appreciate everything that
you have done for your community, for the United States,
because you're not done. You're working now in DC. And
(42:16):
I just appreciate everything about you and just wanted to
say that to you again that I admire you. You
are lovely inside and out. You are brave, you are strong,
and you're fun thank you. So I just appreciate you
being now a part of my Zone seven. So you
need anything, not just in Atlanta, you need anything, you
(42:37):
call me, honey, Yes, ma'am.
Speaker 2 (42:39):
Thank you so much, Cheryl. I greatly appreciate number one
meeting you to the laughs and then you just invited
me to even have this conversation because it is therapeutic
for me. Talking about it is therapeutic. It reminds me
you got to laugh about some stuff that God pushing through.
It wasn't funny at the time, but now I can
find some humor in it. I was like, well, God,
(42:59):
what was I do it in life that you said, hey, Kimber,
you got to sit down for just a minute. Or
who did I reach along the way? So I always
always thank people for allowing me to share my story.
So that way, I'm reaching somebody right now. I don't
know who it is, but if I'm reaching you, you
got to keep going.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
You're reaching and He's putting you in a position where
you're going to be able to help more and more
and more people. I believe it.
Speaker 2 (43:21):
I know it absolutely, y'all.
Speaker 1 (43:24):
I'm going to end Zone seven the way that I
always do with a quote I knew she was going
to be something great from the day she was born.
Dolores giessed Kimber's mama. I'm Cheryl McCollum and this is
Zone seven.
Host
Sheryl McCollum
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