A Deputy U.S. Marshal and former Navy SEAL who was shot while serving an arrest warrant in Cleveland's Glenville neighborhood last October has received the Purple Heart Award for his actions that day.
Deputy U.S. Marshal Ryan Jasinsky, a member of the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force, was shot in the arm as he and his team breached a door to serve a warrant on a man wanted for shooting two women.
"I would say it's definitely a memorable day, not one you technically would wake up expecting to happen," Jasinsky said.
Jasinsky said the operation began like so many others his team carries out.
"We were going after an individual. He was wanted for felonious assault times two. He had shot two females outside of his apartment complex," Jasinsky said.
"Our team goes after the worst of the worst every day, all day long in northern Ohio," he said.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force was formed more than 20 years ago by U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott after a fugitive shot and killed Cleveland police officer Wayne Leon. The team was built to track down the worst of the worst.
"Pretty much, almost very typical of what we do every day, all day long, multiple times a day, same type of people that we're going after," Jasinsky said.
But that day turned out to be anything but typical. As the team attempted to serve the arrest warrant, the situation changed in an instant.
"Breached the door, made entry into the structure, and then that's when he shot myself and we returned fire," Jasinsky said.
"It was very slow motion. I see it. I knew what had happened, I knew I got shot," he said.
"My next thought was my team is still searching a kitchen that's right there, and my thought, my fear was him coming out and essentially ambushing us if I didn't, you know, keep him there, return fire, stop that threat, and that's really kind of what, what went into effect," Jasinsky said.
The 49-year-old man retreated and barricaded himself for hours before surrendering to authorities.
Jasinsky spent a decade as a Navy SEAL before returning home to northern Ohio, becoming a police officer and then a deputy U.S. marshal. As a Navy SEAL, he was deployed around the globe but had never been shot until that day.
"I think like other things that happened to me while serving that were injuries that were close calls, but I never had, I guess, that type of a close call with getting shot, so it's a little surprising," Jasinsky said.
Jasinsky was shot in the arm, doctors had to rebuild it.
"I was extremely lucky. I think the trauma surgeons, I mean, how I got hit and how I was bladed, like if it was 2 millimeters to the left or right, like I'm, I'm not sitting here today," Jasinsky said.
After months of rehabilitation, Jasinsky returned to the task force and to the U.S. Marshals' elite Special Operations Group. He received the Purple Heart Award last month at the U.S. Marshals’
annual awards ceremony .
Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Brian Fitzgibbon said Jasinsky's actions made a difference.
"Ryan being where he was and doing what he did, he saved lives," Fitzgibbon said.
"The Purple Heart recognizes his heroic actions and the sacrifices that he took to stick his neck out on the line in order to save his team and and the community and the people around him that day," Fitzgibbon said.
Jasinsky carries the injury with him every day, but he told me his family, friends and fellow marshals never let him face it alone.
"Very thankful and grateful for each day and not just taking, hey, like it's a bad day, take it for granted or be upset or be in a bad mood like truly try to put on a happy face," Jasinsky said.
