Dorman, officers restore trust in public servants

On Monday Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane was convicted of all nine charges filed against her, two counts of perjury and seven other counts of abusing the power of her office.

In doing so she becomes the latest in a long line of rogue public officials who have disgraced the halls of power in the Keystone State.

It’s enough to make you wonder if all public servants in Pennsylvania are on the take, or otherwise corrupt.

Then you see what happened two nights later in Folcroft Borough. It’s enough to restore your faith in public service.

Not all public servants are looking out for No. 1. Some even put themselves in harm’s way. They put the public – looking out for the citizens who pay their salary – back in public service.

By now the story of Officer Chris Dorman is well known. The Folcroft officer was responding to a routine call – something every cop will tell you is a misnomer – of drug activity being a borough apartment building.

Dorman was the first to arrive, and was greeted by the kind of evil that officers stare down every day. A suspect confronted Dorman and shot him seven times during a struggle. Miraculously, Dorman survived.

Less well known are the actions of many of his fellow officers in leading the frantic effort to save Dorman’s life.

Folcroft Patrolman David DePietro arrived on the violent scene and was immediately fired upon by the suspect. DePietro returned fire, in the process drawing the attention away from Dorman, who had been hit several times.

It gave Dorman a sliver of an opportunity to escape, even though he was struck several more times while trying to get to safety.

That’s when Sgt. William Bair arrived. He encountered his badly wounded fellow officer. He never wavered, also putting himself in mortal danger as he helped Dorman into his vehicle and then rushed him to nearby Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital.

Dorman took seven bullets to his face, shoulder, back and groin – and survived. That was evident last night as he joined Bair and DePietro, along with a host of other county law enforcement officials, in accepting a small token of gratitude for their actions.

Dorman and DePietro were awarded Commendations of Valor. Bair was honored with a Commendation for Heroism. Several officers from surrounding towns were honored for their efforts in the moments after Dorman was shot.

It’s easy to look at the sorry saga of Kathleen Kane, the state’s top law enforcement officer, and come to an easy – and untrue – conclusion about those a little farther down the food chain.

Neither Dorman, DePietro nor Bair can claim Kane’s once lofty status. And certainly not the salary that comes with the office of attorney general.

Dorman was a part-time officer. He put his life on the line for an hourly salary that would no doubt would fall far below Kathleen Kane’s pay grade.

But he was rich in other ways. And he and his fellow officers enriched all of us with their actions on that fateful day.

It’s easy to take shots at police officers these days – both figuratively and, as Dorman knows all too well, literally.

We understand there are issues in many areas with relations between police and the community. But it’s far too easy to jump to the grossly inaccurate assumption that all cops are bad cops. Most are simply doing a very difficult job under what often is less than ideal conditions.

In a way, Kathleen Kane was their boss. She is the state’s top law enforcement officer. Too bad she chose to sully her office. She now awaits sentencing as a convicted felon.

For Dorman and his fellow officers, their badge has never shown brighter.

They say Chris Dorman is a “miracle,” that he not only survived but just three days after taking seven bullets he managed to walk out of the hospital. He’s more than that. He, and the officers who rallied to his side, are proof that there are good, decent public servants out there.

Now that’s a miracle.