MBPD Police Officer Chad Swanson remembered as a hero, husband, father beloved coworker
Manhattan Beach Police Officer Chad Swanson was not only a husband, father, beloved community member and "a joy to work with," he has also been hailed a hero.
The 35-year-old motorcycle officer lost his life early Wednesday morning on the 405 Freeway, driving his department motorcycle to work.
The 5:15 a.m. accident shut down all northbound 405 Freeway lanes through the morning and afternoon as CHP took their time investigating the tragic accident involving three other vehicles.
The 13-year MBPD officer made heroic headlines twice, once in 2016 for receiving a Life Saving Award at the South Bay Medal of Valor Ceremony and again in 2017 for rushing to the aid of victims at the Route 91 music festival massacre in Las Vegas.
The festival was an outing Swanson was at with a group of department coworkers. Manhattan Beach Police Department records technician, Rachel Parker, 33 was one of the 58 attendees who were shot and killed at the Oct. 2017 festival. Swanson was shot in the arm.
It was reported in a 2107 Daily Breeze article that when Swanson heard gunfire at the concert, he ran toward the crowd, looking for victims who needed help.
"I just wanted to try to help as many people as I could," Swanson told the Daily Breeze. "At a certain point, we realized that there were no more people in the concert venue that were alive that we could help. We canvassed the whole area to make sure we didn't miss anybody."
During a 2017 MBPD press conference, Swanson talked about his coworker and the tragedy of that day.
"There was just so much blood. One of the ladies I helped was shot in the leg, so, um, I just tried to grab whatever I could that was nearby, wrap it around it, tied it as tight as I could, and then tried to carry people to safety," said Swanson in the 2017 KCAL News file footage.
In 2016, Swanson was part of a group of four MBPD officers awarded the Life Saving Award at the Medal of Valor Ceremony for saving the life of a burglary suspect who was bleeding out from his self-inflicted wound. Doctors at Harbor General Hospital credited the officers' actions with saving the man's life.
In an emotional Wednesday afternoon press conference, MBPD Lt. Kelly Benjamin grieved the loss while sharing the Swanson's identity, naming him as the officer killed in the tragic freeway accident.
"He loved riding his motor. Most importantly he loved his wife and three boys. He had an infectious smile and was always positive. He was simply a joy to work with," said Lt. Benjamin.
"Chad was an important member of our department, he was an important member of our community. We're hurting, we are grieving. This is just awful."
