Deputy Recalls How Fallen Tampa Police Officer Saved His Life

TAMPA, FL — Tributes continue to pour in for a Tampa police officer who died Tuesday sacrificing his own life to save others.

Hundreds of people came together in an emotional candlelight vigil Thursday night to honor Master Patrol Officer Jesse Madsen, 45, who died when he intentionally veered his patrol car into the path of an intoxicated wrong-way driver on Interstate 275 to prevent a head-on collision with vehicles heading in the correct direction on the highway.

The vigil took place in front of the Tampa Police Department's Monument for Fallen Officers at the Tampa Police Department headquarters in downtown Tampa where, hours before, Madsen's name had been etched on the monument's memorial plaque.

On hand were Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan; Mayor Jane Castor; Madsen's wife, Danyelle, who is an officer with the University of South Florida Police Department; and Madsen's sons, ages 16 and 12, and his 10-year-old daughter. They were accompanied by a contingent of first responders who traveled from throughout Tampa Bay to pay tribute to the fallen officer.

“His name is now written in stone,” Dugan said. “He will remain in our hearts forever.”

"When a name is etched upon the police memorial, we always pray that that will be the last, knowing that, unfortunately, that isn't the nature of law enforcement," Castor said.

She said she can't imagine making the split-second decision Madsen made to sacrifice his own life to save others.

"He instinctively acted to save other lives," she said. "What more can you say about an individual's character than that?"

Castor, who walked in Dugan's shoes as the former Tampa police chief, said she knows all too well the anguish Dugan experienced when he had to break the news to Madsen's family.

"All I could think about was what I was going to say, how was I going to tell them, how was I going to explain this when I don't have the answers myself?" Dugan said.

Nearby sat an empty Tampa police cruiser bearing Madsen's name and end-of-watch date, a somber reminder that there's one less officer protecting the residents of Tampa.

During his 16 1/2 years with the Tampa Police Department, Madsen received seven lifesaving awards from his department. Following his death, Dugan presented posthumously presented Madsen with an eighth lifesaving award.

Among those who owe their life to Madsen is Hillsborough County Sheriff's Master Deputy William Scobie.

Days after the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police, a May 31 rally to protest police brutality turned violent in front of the University Square mall in Tampa. Businesses were looted and set on fire. A contingent of about 300 protesters began lobbing rocks and bottles and shooting fireworks at law enforcement officers.

Scobie joined fellow officers and deputies on the front line attempting to control the unruly mob when he was struck in the face with a beer bottle, followed by a chunk of concrete to the back of his neck.

The blow left Scobie temporarily paralyzed.

"I collapsed and lost consciousness," Scobie said. He didn't find out until later when he was recuperating in the hospital that Madsen and another Tampa police officer came to his aid, carrying him to a patrol car and placing him in the back seat where Scobie regained consciouness.

Madsen remained in the back seat with Scobie, trying to keep him passing out again as Scobie was rushed to the emergency room.

"He kept talking, introducing himself to me," Scobie said. "He said, 'Hi, I'm Jesse. What's your name?' And he kept me talking, asked me if I had any kids, stuff like that."

Minutes later, the police officers handed over Scobie to the care of emergency room doctors and nurses. However, Scobie said that brief encounter with Madsen remained with him.

"That 12 minutes had such a long-lasting impact on me, I can only imagine what impact he's had on the community that he serves and the officers who served with him on a daily basis," Scobie said.

"MPO Madsen’s actions that night, like so many times before, prove that he is a hero,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister. “He was no stranger to taking lifesaving measures, and he most certainly saved the life of Master Deputy Scobie that night. We continue to mourn the tragic loss of MPO Madsen. We will never forget his selfless service to our community.”

"He's an American hero," said Dugan. "You wonder, did he have a cape under his uniform? Did he get dressed in a phone booth. He was Superman. This guy ran to danger, not from it."

Also attending the candlelight vigil was Linda Unfried, who co-founded the Hillsborough County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in 1984 after her sister, Josie DiStefano Palomino, was killed by a 17-year-old who had a blood-alcohol level that was twice the legal limit.

Unfried never imagined that, 37 years later, she would still be mourning those killed in drunken driving crashes.

"Why can't we do more to keep people safe?" she said. "It's not getting better; it's getting worse."

Unfried said someone is killed in a drunken driving crash every 50 minutes.

"And Hillsborough County still maintains the highest number of DUI fatalities and injuries in the state of Florida," she said.

The funeral for Madsen will take place Tuesday at Idlewild Baptist Church, 18333 Exciting Idlewild Blvd. in Lutz, with visitation at 10 a.m. and the service at 11 a.m. The committal service will be held at 2:30 p.m. at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell.

The public is invited to leave condolence messages, find additional information on memorial events and funeral arrangements, and make donations to the Madsen family by visiting the Tampa Police Department website and clicking on the Officer Jesse Madsen tribute banner.

See related stories:

• Wrong-Way Driver Accused In Cop Death Was Drunk, Speeding: Chief
• Tampa Police Officer Died Protecting Others: Chief
• Tampa Goes Blue To Honor Fallen Law Enforcement Officer