In honor of officer Bammer

OUR LAGUNA

Larry Bammer measures 6 feet 3 inches, but in eyes of the Police

Department and the community, he stands much taller.

“Let all people know now and forever that Larry Bammer has earned

the highest honor the Exchange Club can bestow on a police officer,”

John Bush said at a March 12 luncheon in honor of Bammer.

Bush, who is president of the Laguna Beach Exchange Club,

presented Bammer with the national club’s Blue and Gold Award, given

to officers who are wounded in the line of duty.

Bammer, 24, was wounded Oct. 23 when he responded to a 911 call

that shots had been fired on South Coast Highway. He walked into a

hail of bullets fired by the suspect.

“We re fortunate that Larry was only wounded,” Police Chief James

Spreine said. “The suspect was killed.”

Being shot at catches your attention, Spreine said, adding an

aside to federal Judge David O. Carter, a guest speaker at the

luncheon. Both served in Vietnam.

“Your honor, you were wounded,” Spreine said. “I was wounded. And

surely [highly honored veteran] Jim Law, you were wounded. It is not

an insignificant thing.

“There is no doubt that Larry is one of Laguna’s finest.”

Spreine said Bammer is a “crime magnet,” a quality that only a few

police officers have.

“People jump in front of him and say, ‘Take me. I just committed a

crime,’” Spreine said. “Sgt. Robert Rahaeuser is another crime

magnet. You have to be careful what you do around them or you’ll end

up confessing to something.”

Bammer began serving his community while an explorer, a police

department program for young people interested in a law enforcement

career. He put himself through the Police Academy and was hired after

graduation by the Orange Police Department. He joined the Laguna

Beach department on Dec. 18, 2000.

“He had a calling to be a police officer,” Spreine said, and then

spoke directly to Bammer: “I pray to God that you continue because

you have a lot to offer the department and the community.”

John Falk, who was involved in the shootout, attended the

luncheon, along with his wife, Animal Control Officer Joy

Lingenfelder.

Police Capt. Paul Workman, Rahaeuser and officers Ben Teschner and

Ted Falencki also attended.

“I am here to support Larry,” Falencki said, representing the

Explorer program. “We have had a couple of officers like him that

started as Explorers: Lt. Mike Hall and Officer Matt August.”

Other Laguna Beach officers who started as explorers in town were

Bob August, now retired, and reserve officers Sean Prewitt and Lance

Larson.

The Laguna Beach post was chartered in the early 1970s, Hall said.

That was about the time that Judge Carter, a resident of Laguna

since 1970, was trying murder cases as a deputy district attorney.

“I was always amazed when I went to the small [law enforcement]

agencies at how good they were,” Carter said. “You really know your

community.”

But knowing your community doesn’t mean that officers can predict

what will happen when they stop a suspect, Carter said.

“Someone you stop can tell you that he or she supports you through

tax dollars -- if they say that, give them a penny -- or they could

be the most hardened member of the Mexican Mafia,” Carter said.

Bammer’s shooting in October hit close to home for Carter.

“I watched Larry grow up,” Carter said. “He is the same age as my

son.”

Carter learned of the shooting from a neighbor when he got home

that night.

“I jumped in the car and went to the Police Department and talked

to [Capt.] Danell Adams, who told me Larry had been shot but was

holding press conferences at the hospital,” Carter said.

“The amazing thing about your character,” Carter said to Bammer,”

is the first thing you were concerned about was the kids you were

[supposed] to be ministering to that night.”

Carter said the chief must be very proud of Bammer.

“Chief, you have instilled something in your officers that they

ended the incident without huge carnage,” Carter said.

The shootout took place in mid-afternoon on busy South Coast

Highway.

“We killed cars, one motor home and a motorcycle,” Spreine said.

But the only loss of life was the suspect’s, which was

regrettable, but not as bad as losing an officer, to Spreine’s way of

thinking.

“The worst thing I can think of is to tell a family that we have

lost one of our young men or women,” Spreine said. “You can’t imagine

how gratified I am that I didn’t have to tell that to the Bammer

family.”

This spring, Nancy and Jim Bammer lost their daughter, Jennifer,

in a traffic accident.

The Bammers have established a scholarship fund at Laguna Beach

High School in Jennifer’s name for a community college student, based

on need.

“My parents feel strongly that there are a lot of scholarships for

four-year colleges,” Larry Bammer said. “Both Jennifer and I went to

community colleges.”

As did their parents.

“This will make a difference to a child who wouldn’t have

otherwise been be able to go to college,” Larry’s mom, Nancy Bammer,

said. “This is such an affluent community. We forget about single

moms or less affluent families.”

The Bammers want to raise $8,000 to fund a $500-a-year

scholarship. Contributions may be made to the Laguna Beach High

School Scholarship Foundation with a memo that it is for the Jennifer

Bammer Fund.

Guests at the luncheon in Bammer’s honor included his parents, his

sister, Stefani, his godmother D’Anne LeBon and her sons, Philip,

Joey, Derek, Zack and Kenny.

Also: Duane Bickel, Joe Baker, Nancy Lindsay, John Rhodes and

Awards Luncheon committee Sandi and Hal Werthe, Katy Moss and Sande

St. John.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call 494-4321 or fax 494-8979.