To Serve With Honor

I want to do something in this blog that I don’t often do. I am reprinting an article that appeared in the May, 2009 issue of Wichita Family magazine. The article was written by Kristi Smith.
I know the officer who is featured in the article. He grew up in my hometown. I served on City Council and as an EMS volunteer during a time when he served on the local police force, learning and growing in his profession. He is an honorable man and truly lives by the words, “To Serve With Honor.”
When we worked with the girls’ home a few years ago, some of our girls attended Marshall Middle School. Carlos was the resource officer there. It was obvious as he walked the halls that he had a great rapport with the kids and knew why he was there. In many ways, I think he saw some aspects of his own life in the lives of some of the kids for whom he provided a safe place to study and learn. I commend the article to you.
“TO SERVE WITH HONOR” that’s the motto he lives by but the dream that started as a child never told him he would carry a bullet for the rest of his life. Wichita Police Officer Carlos Atondo is a remarkable officer that serves with honor everyday. As a child living in Mexico, Carlos dreamed of someday living in the United States and being a police officer. After moving to Harper, Kansas at the age of six, that dream grew for many years until Carlos became a US citizen at the age of 25. Carlos’ dad was a reserve officer and Carlos had many role models and friends that were police officers and kept his dream alive. As soon as he could, he entered the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and began living his dream. For the last twelve years, Officer Atondo has been with the Wichita Police Department. He has worked many details such us beat patrol, SCAT officer and school resource officer.
In the very early hours of the morning in July 2007, Officer Atondo was parking his cruiser at the patrol north substation and ready to call it a night when a call came across his radio of a shooting in the area. He and his supervisor quickly made it to the scene, which was an apartment building and as Officer Atondo made it to the top of the stairwell, the shooter opened fire on the officers. Officer Atondo was hit just below his body armor in the lower abdominal area. He fell down the stairs and then backed out of the building. Officer Atondo believed at the time that this would be his last night at work and the things that came to mind were his wife and daughters. He remembers looking at the stars in the sky and praying for the Lord to take care of his family. He also remembers the fright and an intense burning pain. He did not know at the time how badly he had been hurt or what damage had been done. Ultimately, Officer Atondo would spend five days in the hospital and make a full recovery but nothing comes without a price.
Officer Atondo has spent most of his life helping others and giving of his self back to his community. He is assigned to a middle school in a Hispanic area of the city because he is bi-lingual and can relate to the students very well. He has volunteered with Big Brothers-Big Sisters, the Down’s syndrome Society, the Wichita Children’s Home, and Heart Spring, all of which came to a quick stop when he was shot. He now had not only physical healing but also psychological healing. He had to overcome the flashbacks, the memories of the pain, the affects on his family and the thought of another call similar to this if he went back to police work. Officer Atondo gives credit to many friends and family for his recovery. Two people most often thought of as a great inspiration to him are Officers James and Derick Espinoza. James stayed with Officer Atondo from the crime scene to the operating room, never leaving his side. Derick spent many hours at the hospital with Officer Atondo and even slept in the room with him when the pain and memories became too much. He also credits Jose’ Salcido for giving him strength and pulling him through.
After 6 months of recuperation, Officer Atondo returned to work. This summer he will be working with the same supervisor and doing the same job for the first time since July of 07. This time Officer Atondo will carry one more bullet than the ones in his gun belt. He will for the rest of his life carry a 9 mm bullet in his abdomen to remind him of the cost of the honor he stands for everyday.
This Officer is one of the most humble and caring officers that any police department could employ. He exemplifies all the standards and professionalism that the Wichita Police Department wants in an officer and the department is very lucky to have him on their team. Every citizen in Wichita should take a moment to get to know a local police officer and they may find another one like Officer Atondo.