Mondovi alum commended by La Crosse PD for assisting officers

by Beth Kraft

Snap decisions can often change lives, but for Ethan Palmer a split-second decision to get involved in a police pursuit earlier this year may have saved lives.

A 2014 Mondovi High School graduate and current UW-La Crosse student, Palmer recently received the 2015 Citizen Award of Excellence from the City of La Crosse Police Department. Palmer accepted the award at the 16th annual La Crosse Police Reception Ceremony in May as a part of National Police Week.

Authorities chose Palmer for this year’s award for assisting two La Crosse PD officers with an incident that occurred Jan. 17 during which an individual fled a traffic stop on foot.

The Mondovi grad says he was walking down the sidewalk with a friend, taking note of three squad cars that had pulled over a vehicle. The officers were removing an individual from the car as he walked by.

“Then I heard someone yell, ‘Stop that guy!’ and he ran past me,” Palmer explained. “Before it all registered he was half a block ahead of me.”

A track and field athlete at UW-L and a past football player at Mondovi, Palmer instantly put his skills from both sports to work.

He sprinted after the suspect, catching up to him after about a block, then he tackled him to the ground and held him there until the police officers caught up.

“I was just trying to help them out,” Palmer said simply, noting he never thought twice about pursuing the fleeing man as he was confident he’d be able to catch him.

Not much more was said that winter night, though Palmer gave a statement, answered a few questions and provided his contact information to officers. Then a few months later Palmer received a phone call from a detective with the La Crosse Police Department to inform him that the department wanted to present him with an award.

“I was surprised,” said Palmer of learning he would be recognized. “At the time I thought it was no big deal.”

But it wasn’t until he got a chance to read the plaque he was presented that he learned the whole story behind the events that occurred that January night.

Palmer’s award states that once officers placed the suspect under arrest, they located a loaded pistol magazine in the suspect’s possession and found an automatic pistol stashed just 10 feet from the spot where Palmer had pushed him to the ground.

“When I heard that at the ceremony, my gut just dropped,” said Palmer. “I had no idea that was even a possibility.”

“Ethan R. Palmer’s actions that day aided officers in apprehending a dangerous criminal and prevented what could have led to a variety of dangerous outcomes,” Palmer’s award reads.

Palmer said officers explained that his assistance may have prevented a hostage situation or stopped the suspect from escaping down a nearby alley—a dangerous place for a police foot pursuit.

Despite the knowledge that he put himself in danger, Palmer is still glad he helped officers out that night, noting he’s proud to have assisted the community. He’s now considering joining the Air Force down the road to help people on a greater scale.

“I kind of want to do something to give back,” Palmer said.

In the meantime, Palmer, a computer science major, is focusing on his studies at UW-L. He also recently completed his first season with the Eagles’ track and field team.

Palmer, who medaled in the discus at the 2014 WIAA State Track & Field Meet, was exited to test his throwing skills against tough competition in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

He says the 2014-15 indoor and outdoor seasons went “pretty good” in spite of being hampered by a back injury that limited how many reps he could do in practice.

Palmer competed for the Eagles in the shot put and 35-pound weight throw during the indoor season, recording season-best marks of 42 feet, 9 3/4 inches in the shot put and 47 feet, 10 1/2 inches in the weight throw, both good for top 15 finishes at two meets during the season. He also finished 22nd overall in the weight throw at the WIAC Indoor Championships with a throw of 47 feet, 8 inches.

Competing in the discus and hammer throw during the 2015 outdoor season, Palmer recorded a season-best throw of 136 feet, 3 inches in the discus and 152 feet, 1 inch in hammer throw. At the WIAC Outdoor Championships, Palmer placed 23rd in the hammer throw with a toss of 140 feet, 8 inches.

Palmer says the hammer throw is his “new favorite” event, and he will look to continue to improve his skills there in addition to trying out the javelin throw.

Palmer plans to redshirt next season in order to work on his technique and get stronger to return to the throwing ring a much tougher competitor in 2016-17.