JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The sounds of gunfire still ring in former Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Officer Pete Soulis' ears.
Soulis was shot five times during a routine traffic stop in 1997 -- so nearly 20 years have passed since Soulis had to call for backup.
"Walking to the back of the business, that was a little unnerving, because it was the first time I've been there in 14, 15, 20 years," Soulis said.
His scars tell a tale of survival. On Oct. 21, 1997, he had a choice to make.
"You got to shoot and move ... or you're going to die," Soulis said.
The man pointing a gun at him during a routine traffic stop was Joseph Mcgrotha, an ex-convict who was later named a suspect in a Georgia homicide. Bullets started flying moments after the traffic stop was initiated by Soulis.
Kevin Scurano was there in 1997 when the shots were fired.
"We heard shots as soon as we got out of the car," Scurano said.
Soulis' story is not unique.
According to the Officer Down memorial page, auto-related law enforcement fatalities are up 12 percent from last year. Line of duty deaths are up 1 percent, and 95 members of law enforcement have been killed in the line of duty this year.
Soulis said law enforcement officials are patrolling a very different world these days.
"Over the last 24 months, society has taken a different shift on how they address and how they feel about law enforcement, and it's very concerning," Soulis said. "I can tell you right now, I have adult children, and I wouldn't want either one of them to be a law-enforcement officer in the society today."
Soulis now uses his experience to teach young officers how to handle high-stress situations.
WJAX
