The brave cop who was shot nine times and told fellow officers to help other Wisconsin shooting victims first, is getting the hero’s recognition he deserves.
Lt. Brian Murphy, 51, raced to the Sikh temple that was attacked Sunday and was met with nine bullets as he stood face-to-face with the shooter, Wade Michael Page. As he lay bleeding on the ground, the 21-year force veteran instructed responders to tend to other worshippers first, a selfless act which has earned him a $10,000 reward from Sikhs for Justice, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
The human rights advocacy group hopes to foster more tolerance for the religious group it represents.
"This tragic incident is just one more example of the need for all ethnic groups to support each other and raise their voices against violence in our country and abroad," G.S. Pannun, attorney and spokesman for Sikhs For Justice told the news outlet.
The Oak Creek officer and former Marine is one of two victims that are still in critical condition after the Army veteran and reported member of the neo-Nazi band “End Empathy” opened fire at the Wisconsin Sikh Temple. Seven people, including the shooter, were killed in total.
As Murphy begins his recovery, family members and supporters are celebrating his acts of courage that emerged amid the senseless rampage.
“He took nine bullets, and he was still telling [fellow cops] what to do,” Murphy’s father, James, told the New York Post. “He is a hero.”
Photos from the shooting:
