Show of support for injured officer

Days after Long Beach police officer Chris Orza was seriously injured when he was struck by a motorist during a traffic stop on the Long Beach Bridge, family, friends and his fellow police officers rallied by his side as he was treated at Winthrop-University Hospital.

Orza, a 33-year-old married father of three, was released from Winthrop on Monday, where he was treated for non-life-threatening, though serious, injuries to his neck, back and hip.

The incident occurred on June 4 at 3:19 p.m., when Orza, while on motorcycle patrol and conducting a traffic stop at the base of the bridge, was struck and injured by a 1988 Honda headed north on Long Beach Road, driven by 33-year-old Freddy Flamberg of Long Beach.

“[Orza] stopped a motorist on the bridge and was standing outside the car when the other vehicle lost control and crashed into him and another vehicle,” City Manager Charles Theofan said.

Police said that Orza was “catapulted” into the air when he was hit, and struck the pavement. “The account of the incident that we have received thus far is that police officer Orza was off of the motorcycle and was engaged in speaking with the motorist when a black vehicle that was weaving in and out of traffic locked up his brakes, skid a substantial distance and struck Officer Orza,” Detective Lt. James Canner said in a statement. “Police officer Orza was transported to Winthrop-Hospital by the Long Beach Fire Department and admitted for his injuries.”

Flamberg, who police said was traveling at a high rate of speed, was arrested by Long Beach detectives and charged with third-degree assault and reckless driving, both misdemeanors. He was also charged with violating the new Ambrose-Searles Move Over Act, which requires motorists to yield and change lanes for emergency vehicles. Flamberg was arraigned in Long Beach City Court on Sunday before Judge Roy Tepper and released on $1,000 bail.

Detective Lt. Kevin Smith of the Nassau County Police Department said that a portion of the northbound side of the bridge was closed on Tuesday afternoon as investigators reconstructed the accident. Smith said that county police officers, many with the motorcycle patrol, immediately offered their support for Orza.

“The motorcycle platoons around the country are like a brotherhood,” he said. “They turn out in force when one of their own is hurt in the line of duty.”

More than 150 U.S. law enforcement officers have been killed since 1999 after being struck by vehicles along America’s highways, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The Ambrose-Searles law, which went into effect in January, is named for Onondaga County Sheriff’s Deputy Glenn Searles and State Trooper Robert Ambrose, who lost their lives responding to roadside emergencies. Ambrose was killed nine years ago when his police cruiser was rear-ended by an SUV on the shoulder of the Thruway in Yonkers.

Canner said that, fortunately, Orza was wearing his motorcycle helmet when he was hit. “By all accounts, the motorcycle helmet prevented serious injury and may have even saved his life,” said Canner.

Orza’s family said they are grateful for the show of support as he begins his recovery. “He’s in a lot of pain, but we’re all very hopeful for a full recovery,” said Chris’s older brother, Mike. “He’s a strong kid. First and foremost, we appreciate the overwhelming support of the community, our friends and family, and the Long Beach Police Department.”

Sgt. Stefan Chernaski, president of the Long Beach Patrolman’s Benevolent Association and a friend of Orza’s, also noted the outpouring of support for him. And a former Long Beach resident, Bill McNeely, a retired Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle patrolman, sent food to Orza’s family and offered his support on behalf of the Emerald Society, Chernaski said.

“[Chris] is very well loved by everybody and he’s a great guy,” Chernaski said. “We’re still very concerned for his health. He faces a road to recovery that’s still unclear, and we’re all pulling for him. It goes to show that at any moment, the work of a police officer is extremely dangerous. You never know what can happen.”

Orza grew up in Long Beach and has deep roots in the community, his brother said. He graduated from Long Beach High School in 1996, earned a bachelor’s degree from Nyack College and joined the LBPD in 2007, after three years with the NYPD. Orza, a PBA secretary, quickly became known as a dedicated officer who was always willing to volunteer.

“He had a lot of options, he had a lot of other career opportunities, but he chose to be a police officer,” Mike Orza said. “He loves helping people, he really does, and he’s in it because he’s a good kid. On a positive note, we hope this incident sheds light on the critical importance of the Move Over law.”

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