Ballin & Associates
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Philosophy
    • Practice Areas >
      • Motor Vehicle Accidents
      • Wrongful Death
      • Brain Injuries
      • Workplace Injuries
      • On-Duty Police Injuries
      • On-Duty Firefighter Injuries
      • Defective Premises
      • Slips, Trips & Falls
      • Injuries to Children
      • Defective Products
      • Assaults
      • Negligent Security
      • Inadequate Warnings
      • Inadequately Trained Employees
    • Attorneys >
      • Steve Ballin
      • Richard Miller
      • Paul Johnson
      • Zachary Ballin
      • Jared Ballin
    • Results
    • Compensation
    • Referrals
    • Charitable Giving
    • VIDEO VAULT
  • PERSONAL INJURY
  • POLICE
    • Areas of Practice >
      • Cruiser & Motorcycle Accidents
      • Stolen MV Pursuits
      • Directing Traffic
      • Road Jobs & Other Details
      • Resisting Arrest & Protective Custody
      • Defective Premises
      • Dog Bites & Knockdowns
      • Domestic Disputes
      • Foot Pursuits
      • Injuries During Rescues
      • Ice & Snow
      • Shootings
      • Toxic Substance & Disease Exposure
    • FAQ's
    • Departments Served >
      • Testimonials
    • Workshops
    • Results
  • FAQ's
    • I Was in Crash. Now What?
    • Choosing a Lawyer
    • Compensation
    • Filing a Claim
    • Types of Accidents & Injuries
    • Do I Have to go to Court?
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT

MASS HEROES – HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY JOHN KOTFILA, JR.

5/19/2016

 
Picture
Our lives are changing and becoming ever more interconnected through the now ever-present camera.  Yet the basic fundamentals and needs of our everyday lives are unchanged.  While safety and protection will never cease to top the list of our necessities, there are those who wish to sensationalize any individual incident involving an officer into an indictment of all those who surround us in every minute of our lives ready to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to save someone else.  Blue lives do matter if you value your own.

​At Ballin & Associates it is our privilege to work day in and day out to represent the rights of those who protect and serve.  We wish now to highlight the heroic acts common to their profession, but all too often glossed over or ignored by the press.

On March 12, 2016, after a long night of drinking heavily, Erik McBeth gets into his car and onto the LeeRoy Selmon Expressway in Tampa, Florida.  Erik McBeth is driving on the wrong side of the road.  While most of Tampa’s residents are sound asleep at home, Hillsboro County Deputy John Kotfila patrols the Selmon Expressway.  Deputy Kotfila sees an SUV barreling towards a car directly in front of his cruiser.  There are no guidelines for this situation.  There is no training.  There is only the character of the person behind the badge.

Sarah Geren is driving the car in front of Deputy Kotfila.  Her boyfriend is in the front passenger seat.  She desperately flashes her lights at the SUV.  Then, at the last moment a cruiser speeds in front of her.  The cruiser swerves into the deadly path of the SUV, crashes into it, knocks it aside, and saves Sarah Geren’s life.  Deputy Kotfila, a third generation police officer and a Falmouth, Massachusetts native, will forever be remembered for this incredible, selfless act.

What causes a person, born like any of the rest of us, to grow up and one day act at a moment’s notice to take the place of a stranger knowing it means certain death?  Please take a moment to reflect on what it means to wear a badge.  We are grateful for all those who do.

*This article is the first installment in our Mass Heroes series.  Nominations for Mass Heroes can be submitted via email byclicking here.

– Zachary M. Ballin, Esq.

Comments are closed.

    ARCHIVES

    October 2018
    July 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    October 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    September 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    CATEGORIES

    All
    Featured Articles
    Insurance
    Jared Ballin
    Mass Heroes
    Paul Johnson
    Police
    Results
    Richard Miller
    Steven Ballin
    Zachary Ballin

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.