Author:
Publication: The Times of India
Date: November 8, 2009
The police officer who brought down US army
psychiatrist Major Nidal Malik Hassan after he went on a shooting rampage
at Fort Hood army base on Friday was on her way to get her car repaired when
she responded to a police radio report of the gunfire.
As she pulled up to the centre, Kimberly Denise
Munley spotted Major Hassan brandishing a pistol and chasing down a wounded
soldier outside the building. Munley, a petite woman with a love of hunting,
surfing and other outdoor sports, bolted from her car, yanked her pistol out
and shot at Hassan.He turned on her and began to fire. Munley ran towards
him, continuing to fire, and both she and Hassan went down with several bullet
wounds.
Whether Munley was solely responsible for
taking down Hassan or if he was also hit by gunfire from another responder
is unclear, but she was the first to fire at him, the authorities said. Munley,
nicknamed Mighty Mouse for an earlier act of bravery, said she had been trained
in a tactic called active shooter protocol, intended for this kind of situation.
"She's absolutely a hero. She knew what to do. And she had the courage
to do it,'' an officer said. Hailing Munley, a former investigation partner
said, "She's a ball of fire. A real good cop.''
