Buffalo, N.Y. Police Officer Third All-Star Finalist

We received a record number of votes during the third week of the 2007 AMW All-Star Awards.  Officer Carl Andolina of the Buffalo Police Department edged ahead of the pack and is the third of eight weekly finalists.  AMW, together with Sprint Nextel take pride in honoring All-Star first responders like Officer Andolina . 

Last year, Officer Andolina responded to a fight-in-progress call accompanied by his partner, Officer Patricia Parete.  When they arrived on the scene, a store clerk pointed out one of the suspects.  The two officers approached the man, unaware that he was a dangerous felon on parole.  As the officers drew nearer, this bad guy callously waited until they were inches away, and then opened fire.  Officer Parete took the first two rounds, critically wounding her.   Andolina grabbed for the suspect's gun and was shot in the neck. 

The bullet in this All-Star's neck did not stop him from tackling the shooter and preventing further injury to either his fellow officers or innocent bystanders. Officer Andolina lay on top of the perpetrator, who was still armed, neutralizing the threat with shear determination.  He held on to this felon until help arrived.

When the dust settled, it was apparent that his partner had sustained life threatening injuries.  A bullet shattered her jaw bone and lodged in her spine.  She was paralyzed from the neck down and remains on a respirator.  Her recovery is expected to be a slow and challenging process.

The suspect remains in jail, awaiting trial on two counts of attempted homicide.  Although Officer Andolina is still recovering from his injuries, he continues to provide support for his fallen partner and her family.  In addition to just being there for Officer Parete, he has organized fund raisers and assists her family members with whatever is needed.  Lt. Danny Williams comments: "both officers were two young, good cops. Carl's first response was 'how is my partner'?"

Officer Carl Andolina will be featured on the March 17th episode of AMW at 9/8 Central on FOX.

Each week for eight weeks, you can vote among the nominees for a weekly All-Star winner. The eight weekly winners will be finalists for the 2007 AMW All-Star vote in May. Our 2007 AMW All-Star will win $10,000 and an All-Star weekend at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ All-Star Challenge