Patrol officer D.G. Carton of the Prince William County Police Department has worked in law enforcement for a year and half after retiring from the Army, where he worked in criminal investigation and investigated felony crimes. The 45-year-old lives in Prince William County and is married with two children. He grew up in the Midwest and graduated from college in Illinois. On July 25, he and his partner A.H. Gardiner responded to a domestic disturbance call that turned into much more.
What happened when you arrived at the scene? I was the initial officer on the scene and I contacted the individual who had called the police, a 30-year-old male. He said that he and his 26-year-old girlfriend had been in an argument. Gardiner showed up and we talked to neighbors to get their side of what was going on. There was a lot of concern about the female. She was outside when I arrived but then was gone. Officer Gardiner and I went up to the residence and when we went inside, we saw a lady kneeling on a table, unconscious, hanging from the ceiling fan.
What did you do then? I called for a rescue unit and a supervisor and then I grabbed her around the waist and Officer Gardiner cut the cloth that was holding her onto the fan. She was still unconscious so we lowered her to the floor and Officer Gardiner began securing the scene. I cut the cloth from around her neck and when I did that she began to breath on her own. She was in and out of consciousness until the medics arrived and they transported her to the hospital [where she was treated].
What do you like best about your job? I like interacting with the public.
What do you find difficult? It’s difficult to get people to understand that we’re there to help them and we’re not there to put everybody in jail.
