This month’s Police Officers of the Month are Jonnatan Sanchez and Wanda Wright, who have truly earned this recognition and are seen as heroes by many. Last July, while working in the warehouse district, they heard gunfire near West 6th Street and immediately went to investigate. Unable to find the suspect, they turned their attention to rendering first aid to some of the nine people injured outside a bar on West 6th Street.
Among the injured was a woman who needed urgent help. Officer Sanchez used a belt borrowed from a bystander to apply a tourniquet to her leg, a quick-thinking action that likely saved her life. Reflecting on the night, Officer Sanchez shared, “It’s something that comes from within me already, I’ve been wanting to be a police officer since I was a little kid. My grandfather was a firefighter and he instilled in me the need to help others as much as you can.” Officer Wright also commented on their improvisation during the crisis, saying, “Sometimes we don’t have what we need, so we improvise and we do what we have to do.”
Their heroic actions and dedication to caring for others are why the Cleveland Police Foundation is honored to name Officer Jonnatan Sanchez and Officer Wanda Wright our Police Officers of the Month for February 2024.
– Bob Guttu, Cleveland Police Foundation
Nominated by CPD Captain Tim Maffo-Judd