Behind The Line

14: Fire Captain Tim O'Brien Reflects on Fatal Shooting of Martin Ganz, Pt 3 of 3

Tim O’Brien is a firefighter/paramedic and currently serves as a captain with the Manhattan Beach Fire Department in Southern California. On December 27, 1993, just after 11:00 p.m., Captain O'Brien responded to a rescue at the Manhattan Village Mall. When he and fellow firefighters arrived, they quickly realized the victim was Officer Martin Ganz of the Manhattan Beach Police Department and that he had been shot multiple times. In this episode, Captain O'Brien opens up and talks about what he and fellow firefighters witnessed when they first arrived on scene and their efforts to save the life of Officer Ganz. This is the final episode of a three part series. Like parts one and two, this episode is heartbreaking and emotional.

13. Jessica Jones, 911 Dispatcher, Reflects on The Fatal Shooting of Officer Martin Ganz, Pt 2 of 3

My guest today is Jessica Jones, a former 911 dispatcher with the South Bay Regional Public Communications Authority,. On December 27, 1993, just after 11:00 pm,while working and dispatching for the Manhattan Beach Police Department, Jessica heard someone screaming for help over the police radio; however, she didn’t know who it was or where they were at. She then heard someone else say over the police radio that a police officer had been shot in the parking lot of the Manhattan Village Mall and needed help. When officers arrived at the location, Jessica was informed that an officer had in fact been shot. The initial screams she heard over the police radio was the 12 year old nephew of the police officer who had been shot and who was on a ride-a-long with his uncle. Officer Martin Ganz of the Manhattan Beach Police Department was shot multiple times by Roger Hoan Brady after making a traffic stop, killing him. Officer Ganz’s nephew witnessed the entire incident and his voice was the one heard by our guest today, Jessica Jones. In this episode, Jessica shares with us what she experienced that night and the years since then.

12. Sgt Tim Zins Reflects on The Fatal Shooting of Officer Martin Ganz, Part 1 of 3

On December 27, 1993, just past 11:00 p.m., Officer Martin Ganz of the Manhattan Beach Police Department was shot multiple times by the driver of a vehicle he had just pulled over. At about the same time and while on patrol, Officer Tim Zins heard someone screaming over the police radio. Officer Zins responded to the Manhattan Village Mall parking lot and found Officer Ganz on the ground behind his police unit fighting for his life. Officer Zins noticed a young boy near Officer Ganz who was frantic and crying. This young boy was Officer Ganz’s 12 year old nephew and who was on a ride-along with his uncle. Officer Ganz was transported to a local hospital, but tragically died. His killer, Roger Hoan Brady was later apprehended and ultimately convicted for first degree and sentenced to Death. During this episode, Zins talks about what he experienced the night of December 27, 1993 and how it affected his life for the next 30 years. Zins retired as a sergeant from the Manhattan Beach Police Department in January 2022 and currently serves as a Code Enforcement Officer with the Ada County Sheriff's Department in Idaho.

11. Aaron Denning, Marine Combat Vet, Bronze Star Recipient,Awarded Purple Heart, Police Detective

Aaron Denning joined the United States Marine Corps in 2005, and was honorably discharged in 2012.  During his time as a Marine, he was deployed four times. While deployed to Afghanistan, his team was involved in many combat operations.  Because of his leadership and decisive actions in combat, Aaron was awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, and is a recipient of a Purple Heart.   Aaron currently serves in the Marine Corp Reserve as a Gunnery Sergeant. In 2015, Aaron joined the Burbank Police Department, where he’s currently a detective and operator with the Department’s S.W.A.T. Team. In 2021, Aaron co-founded Allied Extract, a non-profit which is dedicated to aiding persons stranded in conflict zones. Allied Extract has assisted in the evacuation of approximately 500 Afghans who were formerly interpreters for US forces.  Allied Extract has also assisted in the evacuation of numerous severely wounded non-combatants in Ukraine. You can learn more about Allied Extract by visiting: ⁠https://alliedextract.org/⁠  or ⁠ https://www.instagram.com/alliedextract/⁠

10: Javier Bustos: "24 Hours I'll Never Forget"

Javier Bustos became a police officer in 1999 with the Austin Police Department and after a distinguished career, he retired in 2022. Prior to becoming a police officer, Javier served for 11 ½ years in the United States Air Force. On September 25, 2010, Javier responded to a “threatening man with a gun” call and as a result, was involved in an officer-involved shooting.  Because of his actions that evening, Javier was awarded the Austin Police Department’s Medal of Valor. In this episode, Javier goes into great detail surrounding his officer-involved shooting and how this incident forever changed his life. Javier and his wife Cathy, who was also a law enforcement officer, are certified in Law Enforcement Peer Support and together they started, “That Peer Support Couple.” You can learn more about the work they do at: cathyandjavi.com. In 2019, Javier wrote an article called, “On Being Involved: When I Got Home,” which you can read at http://www.officerinvolvedproject.com/essays/whenigothome. #homicides #homicidedetective #detective #podcast #backtheblue #police #truecrime #truecrimecommunity ----- ----- ----- ----- ----- -----  You can listen to the episode on Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/622VIBqS9sZHhlOSej1Gi3?si=a7f2e303c55d44bd], YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6qd7vp9c0AhSrfGahjARRQ], Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-line/id1650333399], and Anchor [https://anchor.fm/behind-the-line-podcast]. Please consider supporting the show [https://patreon.com/BehindTheLine?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan] by becoming a Patron [https://patreon.com/BehindTheLine?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan]. Every bit helps us continue to share stories from our first responders and military veterans and bring awareness to all the good work they do.