Police officer hero in Pulse shooting is losing his job
An officer hailed as a hero for his actions during the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando is being let go just six months before he would have become vested in his pension.
Omar Delgado, 45, a corporal at the Eatonville Police Department, was one of the first officers at the club in the early hours of June 12, 2016, after a gunman killed 49 people and injured dozens in what then was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.
Delgado, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of witnessing the carnage, scoured through bodies and helped survivors get to safety. One of the clubgoers he helped was Angel Colon, who was shot six times. The pair’s story of survival and their friendship grabbed headlines.
The department is terminating Delgado from the force at the end of the month, Eatonville Town Council members confirmed at a meeting late Tuesday. His last day on his $38,500-a-year job is scheduled for Dec. 31.
An extra six months on the job would have allowed Delgado to receive 64% of his salary with benefits for life, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Since he will leave the force before making it to 10 years, he will receive 42% of his earnings, the paper noted.
Delgado, who has mainly worked on desk duty since the attack, said the department told him they needed to replace him because of his PTSD and because they need an additional officer on patrol, a job he can no longer perform. He said he’s ready to leave and focus on his mental health but asked his superiors to wait an additional six months so he can mark 10 years at the department and become vested in his pension.
“Just let me get vested and I’ll be more than happy to pack up my troubles,” he said. “This is the thing I’ve been working toward for 10 years. To be six months shy and be fired, it’s like ‘wow!’ ”
Eatonville Mayor Eddie Cole said he hopes to start a conversation about helping law enforcement officers after traumatic incidents. He said he couldn’t talk about Delgado’s situation. Officials at the police department also would not comment on the termination.
Delgado said he had hoped for a better outcome. “It’s a small town and we’re like a family,” he said. “You don’t just throw a family member to the street . ... Even if the world saw me as a hero, that was yesterday.”
Colon said he is shocked to hear about Delgado’s situation.
“He was my hero. He saved my life and for them to just do what they’re doing to him in front of my face is a slap to my face as well,” Colon told WFTV. “He did his job that night on June 12 so they should have his back 100% totally and just be there for whatever he needs.”
Delgado said he partially blames his termination on his decision to speak up about his mental state.
Delgado tried coming back to work about a month after the shooting, on the Fourth of July, but said the loud bursts from fireworks gave him flashbacks.
Delgado said he has a GoFundMe page to raise money and plans to apply for disability, but until he’s approved it’s going to be an uphill battle for him, his wife and their three kids.
“This Christmas is going to be a really sad one,” he said. “There’s simply not enough money to make it.”