Media swarms on Outagamie sergeant
By Steve Wideman
Post-Crescent staff writer
Here is the video: http://www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/galleries/
click on Officer saves Baby dropped from moving car
APPLETON — In one week, Outagamie County sheriff’s Sgt. Dan Pamenter got a crash course in fame.
After scooping up an infant who had been pushed from a car being chased by police, the 30-year department veteran has been featured on TV news programs across the United States, Australia and Europe.
“The exposure it got was just incredible,” Pamenter said. “A friend called from Eugene, Oregon to say it was in his newspaper. This whole thing made such a quick flash around the world. I never would have believed it.
“Another friend said it was the top story of the day in the news in Atlanta, Georgia,” he said. “Her brother-in-law is in Iraq and he saw it there.” He also heard the video appeared in news accounts in Germany.
The media rush began after The Post-Crescent published an interview with Pamenter Sept. 13.
“You never know what story will pique the interest of the media, but this certainly did,” said Outagamie Capt. Michael Jobe. “It was unusual; you don’t see somebody stop and put a baby out of a car during a pursuit.”
“The important thing is that Dan performed the way we expect our officers to perform,” he said. “I believe all of our officers would have done the same in his place.
Pamenter, 52, was part of a police pursuit Sept. 9 on U.S. 41 that involved officers from several departments. A 23-year-old Omro man had taken the baby girl from an Oshkosh home during a domestic dispute. At one point in the chase, the man slowed his car and pushed the infant, strapped in a car seat, onto the highway in De Pere. The chase ended north of Green Bay when the man crashed his car into an unoccupied squad car. He died of his injuries Sept. 12. The infant was not hurt.
Police video of Pamenter running from his squad to retrieve the baby was captured by four police video cameras.
His actions has been featured on CNN, ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CBS’s “The Early Show,” “Inside Edition” and Appleton native Greta Van Susteren’s “On the Record” on Fox News, among others.
Pamenter, who plans to retire in three months, said the sudden fame is starting to wear off.
“It was a busy couple of days, but no one knows me from Adam once I am out of uniform,” he said.
“We are proud of him. His fellow officers feel the pride,” Jobe said. “It is always good to see your people recognized.”