'She had the courage' to take down the shooter

The police sergeant was shot three times as she rushed to confront Maj. Nidal Hasan as he fired at unarmed troops.

By NEWS SERVICES

Last update: November 6, 2009 - 10:03 PM

FORT HOOD, TEXAS - The first frantic 911 calls had come just four minutes earlier. Sgt. Kimberly Munley, a civilian police officer for the Army, rounded the corner of a squat, one-story building at 1:27 p.m. Thursday and came face to face with Army Maj. Nidal Hasan.

Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, had already killed or wounded dozens of soldiers, according to Army officials. He was still firing at unarmed troops who were dragging away their bleeding colleagues when he locked his eyes on Munley, raised his pistols and charged her.

The petite officer dropped to the ground for protection and fired back. Bullets struck Munley, 35, in both thighs and one wrist. At least one of Munley's rounds hit Hasan in the chest, knocking him to the ground, witnesses said.

Whether Munley was solely responsible for taking down Hasan or whether he was also hit by gunfire from another responder is unclear, but she was the first to fire at him, authorities said.

Munley, 34, is an expert in firearms and a member of the SWAT team for the civilian police department on the base.

Chuck Medley, the director of emergency services at Fort Hood, said Munley had received training in a tactic called active shooter protocol, which was intended for this kind of situation. "She's absolutely a hero," he said. "She had the training; she knew what to do. And she had the courage to do it -- by doing it she saved countless people's lives."

Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, the post commander, praised Munley for reacting so swiftly and without hesitation. "It was an amazing and an aggressive performance by this police officer," Cone said.

Officer known for daring

Munley began her career as a police officer in the beachside town of Wrightsville, N.C., after graduating from high school in nearby Wilmington. She quickly earned a reputation for fearlessness, despite her small stature. (She stands 5-foot-4.)

Her former partner in Wrightsville, investigator Shaun Appler, recalled how Munley saved him one night when she wrestled a large man off him after the man had pinned him down and was trying to take his gun. She earned the nickname Mighty Mouse for that, he said. "She's a ball of fire," he said. "She's a real good cop."

Friends and family members who spoke to her Friday said she was recovering and in good spirits.

Munley, who has two children, joined the police force on the base in January 2008 after several years in the Army, most of them at Fort Hood.

It was there that she met her husband, Matthew Munley, a member of the special forces. They were in the process of selling their house and moving back to North Carolina, where her husband had been assigned to Fort Bragg, family members said.

Her neighbors in Killeen described her as quiet and friendly.

One neighbor, Sgt. William Barbrow, said that about a year ago Munley chased down a burglar who had been prowling around the neighborhood. "When she is in uniform, she looks sharp and crisp, her body language says she is professional and there to handle business," he said.

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