First responders to San Bernardino terrorist attack share emotional accounts of what happened

Thirty first reponders to last weeks terrorist attack in San Bernardino lined the wall of a conference room at the San Bernardino Central Police Station.

Some of them talked about their experience trying to save people after the massacre and being in the shootout with the suspected terrorist.

“I just tried to keep radio contact with him as best I could, that’s all I can say I’m just glad everyone’s ok,” said Michelle Rodriguez while holding back tears. Rodriguez is a Dispatcher for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and she was hearing the sounds of officers being shot at during the shootout with the suspected terrorists Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik.

Officers who were first into the Inland Regional Center after the shooting describe a chaotic scene.

“The alarms were going off, the sprinklers were going, it was smoky, the smell of gun powder was heavily prevalent in the air, but in the end I think the training just took over,” said Detective Brian Lewis with the San Bernardino Police Department. He was one of the first four officers to go into the IRC building.

Other officers describing the emotion of having to leave potentially mortally wounded people in hallways to continue searching for the shooters at that time still believed to be in the building.

“It was one of the worst things that I have ever had to do in my entire career, it was terrible, and I was hoping to go my whole career without seeing it,” said Corporal Mike Ernes of the Fontana Police Department.

Deputy Jorge Lozano with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department seen in a video which went viral after the attacks, saying to people he was rescuing that he would take a bullet for them.

“There was a female with a small child that was just terrified and shaken up, and I said what I said and I meant what I said. I said it to them to get them to calm down and relax so I could get them out of the building safely,” said Lozano.

Officer Nicholas Koahou with the San Bernardino Police Department was shot in the leg during the shoot out with the suspects. He was trying to provide cover to other officers. He walked with crutches during tonight’s press conference.

“Initially when I went down, it felt like someone punched me in the thigh, I was in the Marine Corps so I was taught then, and in the police training that I received that you have to keep fighting and I looked at my leg I saw that there was a bullet hole and I quickly assessed myself,” said Koahou.

Many of tonight’s first responders were humble saying they are not heroes, and people should focus more on the victims and their families that lost so much.