Gov. Mead Presents Purple Heart To Park Ranger

Governor Matt Mead presented Wyoming Park Ranger Phillip Martindale with the American Police Hall of Fame’s law enforcement Purple Heart as well as an outstanding commendation award Thursday. Martindale said  its hard to understand why he was getting all the attention for something when other law enforcement officers do this day in and day out without the attention. He said he wanted to “applaud them for doing the same job.”

Martindale was shot last September after he and a Platte County sheriff’s deputy responded to a drunken driving report on the east side of Glendo Reservoir. As officers stopped the vehicle, The suspect, identified as 57-year-old Jerry Jochim, fled the scene. The pursuit led to a home east of the reservoir where Martindale was shot. Officers returned fire, killing Jochim.