Today Marks the One Year Anniversary Since Officer Mike McClaughry was Shot

Mount Vernon, WA – Today marks the one-year anniversary of the shooting of Mount Vernon Police Officer Mike “Mick” McClaughry.

On December 15th, 2016, Mount Vernon Police Officer Mike McClaughry,  was investigating a 9-1-1 call when he was shot in the head by a suspect connected to a different shooting earlier in the day.

Fellow Officers pulled Officer McClaughry to safety through  a hail of gunfire and he was transported by medics  to the hospital where he underwent surgery for a  gunshot wound to the back of his head.  Additional Officers from around the community conducted an hours-long stand-off with the suspects who were ultimately arrested and booked into the Skagit County Jail.

Officer McClaughry survived the shooting, and surprised doctors as he recovered quicker than expected from the gunshot wound. Unfortunately the shooting left him blind and with many medical problems, including  short-term memory loss.  He has also undergone additional surgeries to remove painful shrapnel from his head.

Video Courtesy of Q13 Fox (2/26/17)

At the time of the shooting, Officer McClaughry was looking forward to retirement and spending time with his family after serving the local community for over 30 years in various roles including being the first local Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E. ) Officer. He was also a squad leader and a Field Training Officer for fellow Officers for 22 years.  Chief Jerry Dodd said “As a training officer, Mick was responsible for mentoring new officers as they transitioned from the Academy setting to that of a street officer. Mick is a recognized role model, literally training just about every officer in the Department.”

Since the shooting, the community has rallied around the McClaughry family and an online  gofundme account raised over $74,000.  Several local fundraisers were also set up to help. Local Businesses rallied volunteers to help build fences and wheelchair  ramps and remodel certain areas of the McClaughry home to accommodate needs of the injured Officer. Donation after donation poured into the Mount Vernon Police Department to support the family. Hundreds if not thousands of well-wishes were received through the Officer Mike McClaughry Facebook page.

In early 2017, Governor Inslee honored Officer McClaughry and six other Officers from Skagit County  with  the Washington State Medal of Honor, the State’s highest honor for Law-Enforcement Officers. The medal is awarded to those lost in the line of service and those who have gone  above and beyond in their duties to serve and protect their communities.

Medal of Honor

In April of 2017, Officer McClaughry completed a Fun with the Fuzz 5K race in Bellingham, Washington.  McClaughry crossed the finish line of the race with Mount Vernon Police Lieutenant Chris Cammock. Bellingham Police Tweeted the following photo of them.

In August of 2017, Officer McClaughry was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks to raise the 12th Man flag before a Seahawks preseason game against the Vikings in Seattle. Click link to watch video:
12 Flag Raiser – Mike McClaughry

On October 6th, 2017, Officer McClaughry was honored at the Mount Vernon High School Football game against Cascade high School.

VIDEO: Courtesy of Mount Vernon High School

In November of 2017 Officer McClaughry became the first recipient of the Mount Vernon Police Department’s Purple Heart Medal, the highest operational awarded bestowed by the Department.

Officer McClaughry Officially retired from the Mount Vernon Police Department after 32 years on November 30th, 2017.

 

Officer McClaughry has had his share of up’s and down’s over the last year as he continues to recover from the gunshot wound that nearly took his life.

One thing remains the same,  Officer Mike “Mick” McClaughry remains a positive role model, mentor, teacher  and source of hope and inspiration to his family, friends, residents of Skagit County and fellow Law Enforcement Officers in Communities around the nation as he continues to recover from the gunshot injuries he suffered in the line of duty on December 15th, 2016.

Officer Mick, Thank You for your service to our community. We remain #McClaughryStrong.

Follow Retired Officer Mike McClaughry’s Continued Progress on his Facebook Page by clicking  here.