AURORA, Colo. -
An Aurora Police officer who some credit with thwarting an assassination plot targeting then-presidential candidate Barack Obama during last summer's Democratic National Convention is sharing his story.
That work earned him an officer of the year award last week from the American Society for Industrial Security.
Last august 24th, Sgt. Tim Holt had stopped what he thought was a drunk driver near Hampden and Parker Rd.
But he apparently stopped much more.
Inside the truck, driven by Tharin Gartrell, Holt found two stolen rifles with scopes, a bulletproof vest, ammunition, two-way radios and methamphetamine.
Federal agents, including the Secret Service later arrested two of his accomplices, Shawn Adolf and Nathan Johnson. Adolf jumped out of a 6-story window at a Glendale hotel just before his arrest.
"We were pounding on the door when we heard glass break and I couldn't believe it. The Secret Service and I kicked in the door, ran to the window and he was on the ground, starting to limp away" recalls Holt.
But the next day, Colorado's U.S. Attorney said he would not file charges against the men because he did not think they could actually pull off the assassination.
Sgt. Holt disagrees.
"These people, in my mind, from all my training of 17-years on the department, even if they didn't shoot him. They might have hit one of my friends, one of my co-workers or some little lady from Kansas. In my mind, I prevented something. And that's what I'm out there to do," says Holt.
The men had apparently talked about using a high-powered rifle from a high-vantage point to shoot Obama during his acceptance speech at Invesco field. They talked about shooting him with a gun hidden inside a camera.
The men were later hit with federal drug charges
That work earned him an officer of the year award last week from the American Society for Industrial Security.
Last august 24th, Sgt. Tim Holt had stopped what he thought was a drunk driver near Hampden and Parker Rd.
But he apparently stopped much more.
Inside the truck, driven by Tharin Gartrell, Holt found two stolen rifles with scopes, a bulletproof vest, ammunition, two-way radios and methamphetamine.
Federal agents, including the Secret Service later arrested two of his accomplices, Shawn Adolf and Nathan Johnson. Adolf jumped out of a 6-story window at a Glendale hotel just before his arrest.
"We were pounding on the door when we heard glass break and I couldn't believe it. The Secret Service and I kicked in the door, ran to the window and he was on the ground, starting to limp away" recalls Holt.
But the next day, Colorado's U.S. Attorney said he would not file charges against the men because he did not think they could actually pull off the assassination.
Sgt. Holt disagrees.
"These people, in my mind, from all my training of 17-years on the department, even if they didn't shoot him. They might have hit one of my friends, one of my co-workers or some little lady from Kansas. In my mind, I prevented something. And that's what I'm out there to do," says Holt.
The men had apparently talked about using a high-powered rifle from a high-vantage point to shoot Obama during his acceptance speech at Invesco field. They talked about shooting him with a gun hidden inside a camera.
The men were later hit with federal drug charges
