Sad story about one of my great friends, Mickey Hutchens. Thanks to Tim Wooten for your account. On the morning of Wednesday, October 7th, 2009, Winston-Salem Police officers responded to a call at a local restaurant on Peter’s Creek Parkway, in reference to a domestic incident. Sergeant Mickey Hutchens fell in on the call as he often did, to back up Officer Daniel Clark and Clark’s trainee. Upon encountering the suspect at the scene a brief foot chase ensued where the suspect ran around the businesses in the area with the officers hot on his heels. As it turned out, the suspect had outstanding warrants on him and he had shown up at the restaurant to confront his ex-wife who worked there. With the officers running along behind him, the suspect zig zagged between the businesses and then across the parking lot of the restaurant toward a patch of woods beside the restaurant. The suspect disappeared into the woods and down a pathway along the creek bank with the officers only a few seconds behind him. As the officers entered the woods running down the path where the suspect was last seen, he opened fire on the officers in ambush fashion, striking Sergeant Hutchens in the head and Officer Clark in the head and chest. Both officers went down, but Clark was able to see the suspect and returned fire, hitting and killing the suspect before he could flee and harm anyone else. Within minutes, the area was swarming with law enforcement officers from the police department, sheriff’s department and state highway patrol. Both officers were hospitalized for their injuries. Miraculously one of the bullets that struck Officer Clark was stopped by his bulletproof vest. The other, lodged in his head, but only left him dazed and still able to return fire against the suspect. When help arrived, they found him conscious and alert, and more worried about his supervisor and friend, Sergeant Mickey Hutchens, than himself. Unfortunately, Sergeant Hutchens wasn’t as lucky and five days later, in the evening of October 12, 2009 Sergeant Hutchens succumbed to his injury and passed away. Sergeant Mickey Gray Hutchens was only 50 years of age and was looking forward to retiring in a few more months. He spent 27 years with the Winston-Salem Police Department and worked his way up the ranks from patrolman, to senior officer, detective, corporal and finally to sergeant. He worked in almost every sector of the city at some time or the other and at the time of his passing, supervised a squad of officers on the city’s south side. Mickey was an excellent officer and dedicated public servant. He gave his all each and every day he came to work and was very respected by the citizens he served, those he worked with and supervised. He was a “cop’s cop” and true professional. And while we lost him far too early, his inspiration, guidance and presence still lingers on in the hearts and minds of those of us that had the pleasure to work with him and call him friend. I would ask all of you to please keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers this week. And most of all, may his memory and sacrifice never ever be forgotten as one of our true local heroes. Another of our local heroes that I want you all to keep in your thoughts and prayers is Officer Daniel Clark. Officer Clark was able to recover from his injuries and is back on the job, serving the citizens of Winston-Salem. He too is a local hero and true professional public servant.
Posted on: Mon, 07 Oct 2013 11:37:17 +0000
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