"I'm Going to Kill That Cop": A Police Officer's Final Traffic Stop


Author: Citizens Behind the Badge April 8, 2025 Duration: 32:28
Podcast episode
"I'm Going to Kill That Cop": A Police Officer's Final Traffic Stop

Heroes Behind the Badge: The Harold Vitale Story (Part 1)

In this powerful first installment, the Heroes Behind the Badge team speaks with Les Vitale about his brother Harold, a decorated police officer whose life was tragically cut short during a routine traffic stop in 1985.

Les shares the meaning behind "Vitale Pride" - the family code of honor that Harold lived by - and recounts in vivid detail the events of that fateful night when a 19-year-old suspect with an outstanding warrant made the deadly decision to flee with Officer Vitale's arm trapped in the car window.

This episode provides a rare and intimate glimpse into what happens to a law enforcement family in the aftermath of tragedy, including their frustrating journey through a justice system that ultimately failed them when Harold's killer received only a manslaughter conviction despite clear evidence of premeditation.

Join hosts Dennis Collins, Craig Floyd, and Bill Erfurth for this heart-wrenching but essential reminder of the risks officers face every day and the true cost of the oath they take to protect and serve. Part 1 focuses on Harold's life, service, and the tragic circumstances of his death, setting the stage for the inspiring story of legacy and healing that follows in Part 2.


More episodes

Duration: 1:01:41
What happens when officers are ordered not to act, even as lives hang in the balance?In this gripping episode of Heroes Behind the Badge, former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steve Sund returns to discuss the growing tension…

Duration: 13:57
Why do politicians and media outlets say crime is down while Americans feel less safe than ever? In Part 1 of this two-part series, we expose the hidden truth behind America’s crime statistics, the shocking 44% rise in v…

Duration: 23:13
Episode Description:The shootout was over, but the nightmare had just begun. With one bomber dead and the other wounded but dangerous, former Watertown Police Chief Ed DeVeau faced one of the largest manhunts in American…

Duration: 44:37
Episode Description:April 19, 2013. Three small-town police officers found themselves face-to-face with the Boston Marathon bombers in what became the most intense firefight in modern American law enforcement history. Fo…

Duration: 24:52
"When you're fighting for your life, anything and everything is an option." - Ed MirelesIn the conclusion of the most harrowing survival story in law enforcement history, FBI Special Agent Ed Mireles accomplished the imp…

Logo
Select station
VOL