This life is all about perceptions — the cops are all bad, nothing the papers say about them will ever be good and female police officers give the best interviews.
That last thing, well, I come by it from years of experience. It is flat true. It is why I will tell the story of June 9 through Denver police Officer Danielle Miner’s eyes.
It was horrific what she and five other District 3 officers rolled up on that night at Oliver’s Meat and Seafood Market, 1718 E. Sixth Ave.
It was about 7 p.m., nearly closing time, when the owner, Berry Oliver, and his niece, Amanda Cope, were helping one last customer.
“Amanda was on the meat grinder,” explained Rich Oliver, Berry’s son. “Maybe she was just tired, but she pushed the meat through. Always, always use the plunger.”
The 28-year-old woman fed nearly her entire arm into the machinery. As she lay there, the customer leapt the counter, tied on a tourniquet and dialed 911.
“You never know what to expect when you get a call, but this one was terrible,” Miner, 27, only 3½ years on the job, recalled. “The grinder is in the front of the store, one of those huge commercial grinders, and the big front window was covered in blood and flesh.
“She had used her fist, and in a couple of seconds, it was gone.”
The woman was pale-white and unconscious.
Berry Oliver, in his 70s, seemed to be in complete shock. Officers led him out to a patrol car for a ride to the hospital.
As the ambulance raced off, six officers stood in the store: Sgt. Jones Greg, Detective Ranjan Ford, Cpl. Christopher Foegen and Officers Gerald Juarez, Michael Stoney and Miner.
“Here was this little old man, and he’s devastated,” she said. “We kept thinking about him coming back to his shop.
“There are things that just trip your heart, things that take their toll because you want to help people, and there are few chances to actively and truly help people.”
None of the officers said anything. Some went for buckets, others for disinfectant and towels. She was on the crew that began dismantling the grinder.
She doesn’t remember how long it took to make the store spotless.
“We just couldn’t leave that mess like that,” Miner said.
On Tuesday, all six were awarded medals by the Citizens Appreciate Police board, a 31-year-old organization that recognizes achievements by Denver police officers.
Only Miner spoke during the ceremony.
“I’m a touchy-feely kind of officer, and these other guys are just too humble,” she later explained.
It is difficult to be recognized for what you do on duty, she said, calling the award “interesting.
“C’mon, people hate us,” she said. “We’re the cops. People just don’t see the other side. So, yes, it’s kind of weird.
“It’s our job, and that is what we’re here for, to help people,” she said.
I had to ask.
“Oh, I’ve seen worse,” Miner said. “It never gets easy. You’ll have nightmares if I say what I’m thinking out loud. But somebody has to be strong for those who can’t be.”
Amanda Cope is doing “just great,” Rich Oliver said Tuesday from behind the counter of his family’s market. She has been fitted with a prosthetic arm and has returned to work part-time.
I told him of Danielle Miner.
“Please tell her thank you,” he said. “She and the others saved Amanda’s life. We are all extremely grateful.”
Bill Johnson writes Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Reach him at 303-954-2763 or wjohnson@denverpost.com.
