|
'Pregnant lady is a hero twice
By Robert L. Jamieson Jr., P-I ColumnistIn news accounts she's been called "the pregnant lady." People close to her say she would be a bit miffed by such a clipped, if apropos, moniker. Let's call Dayna Klein something else: Seattle hero. Klein, who survived being shot by a gunman who forced his way into the downtown offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle on Friday, is actually a hero twice over. When the gunman, identified as Naveed Afzal Haq, fired a semi-automatic her way, Klein moved her arm toward her womb in an act of maternal defense.The bullet struck her arm, authorities say, likely preventing possible harm from coming to her unborn child. That was the first heroic act. Her second came when Klein defied Haq. As Haq scanned the office space he warned terrified people not to call 911. But "that's what she did," Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said, referring to Klein. Klein, 37, crawled back to an office in the building. She got on a phone. She dialed emergency dispatchers. Haq caught up with her -- and saw her on the phone. Klein didn't panic. With amazing presence of mind she handed Haq the phone so that he could speak with two 911 dispatchers. The dispatchers took the handoff smoothly and handled a tense situation with aplomb. "I listened to the tape," Kerlikowske said Saturday afternoon. "I was absolutely stunned by their level of calmness and coolness." The actions of the dispatchers are being credited with influencing Haq, who had expressed anger about Israel's involvement in the Middle East and about American military support of the country. The volley of bullets he loosed inside the Jewish Federation killed one person -- Pam Waechter -- and injured five others, including Klein. His terrible act could have exacted a worse toll. Eighteen people were inside the building when Haq burst in. The names of the emergency dispatchers should be made public when the timing is right. Their soothing professionalism eased Haq's rage. Haq told the dispatchers he would surrender. He put down his weapon and walked out of the building. The dispatchers are heroes, too, as Kerlikowske acknowledged. But they would not have gotten the chance to do their jobs had it not been for the bravery of Klein, who heads up major gifts and development for the federation. She saved lives. That's one miracle to emerge from this mayhem. Another is around the corner, when Klein brings a new life into the world. Posted by: Steve White 2006-07-30 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=161290 |