Mom grateful son survived attack

Jace Radke and Keith Paul

Friday, June 16, 2000 | 11:47 a.m.

Metro Police Officer Pete Rossi's mother almost lost her son 25 years ago, and when she saw a group of police officers at the door of her New Jersey home early Thursday morning she knew something had gone wrong again.

The Seaside Heights, N.J., officers were friends and former co-workers of Rossi's who had come to tell Amber O'Leary that her son had been shot in the face in the aftermath of a restaurant robbery near Charleston Boulevard and Arville Street.

"I almost lost him once when he was a baby," O'Leary said in a videotaped statement Thursday. "We had a very bad fire in Astoria Queens, and we couldn't find him. He was rolled up in a ball in his crib, and when the firefighter found him he was dead, but they were able to revive him.

"I almost lost him once, and then they came to the door, and I said, 'I can't handle this, he's my only child.' "

O'Leary arrived in Las Vegas on a flight from New Jersey Thursday afternoon and has been at the hospital with her 26-year-old son since then.

"It was a difficult flight to make because I couldn't wait to get here and see him for myself," O'Leary said. "It's lucky I didn't see a news report in New York because I would have thought his whole head was blown off."

O'Leary said her son is in a lot of pain. But she's grateful he's still alive.

"I'm not happy that he's losing an eye, but I'm grateful that's all that happened," O'Leary said, "It could have been a lot worse."

Sheriff Jerry Keller gets those fateful calls when a Metro officer has been wounded or hurt.

"My heart just breaks each time," Keller said. "It just, just tears my heart. Officer Rossi was out there trying to protect the community and make it safe for everyone."

Rossi was a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey, and then joined the Seaside Heights Police Department, before joining Metro three years ago.

O'Leary said that her son has told her that he hopes fellow officers will apprehend the robbery suspects, and that he wants to thank everyone for their support.

Cards and well-wishes have been arriving at the hospital for Rossi, including a big homemade card from Las Vegas area schoolchildren.

One of the messages read, "Get well pleas," and another crayon squiggle reads, "Hope policeman gets well soon."

The DARE class at Mountain View Elementary School made the card for Rossi. Keller delivered the card to Rossi's hospital room Thursday afternoon.

"These are 54 reasons right here the men and women of Metro put on that badge and gun and go to work each day," Keller said. Each of the 54 students wrote a message to Rossi inside one of the hearts pasted to the large card.

Keller said when Rossi heals he will come back to work as an officer.

"He was out there, like all officers, trying to make the community safe and protect people he's never met. He could have easily been the next star on the rock," Keller said referring to the memorial at City Hall that commemorates each slain officer with a star. "We're committed to never cast (a wounded officer) aside. We've got a spot for him."

O'Leary said she hopes that Rossi will be able to return to police work and that the public realizes what peace officers sacrifice for them.

"I just hope people stand behind their police departments," O'Leary said. "I'm sure all the family members of police officers across the country dread getting that phone call.

"There are very good police officers out there, and they are just doing their job."