• Dulcinea Cuellar

Salvation Army responds to deadly police officer shooting in St. Petersburg

St. Petersburg, Fla. (February 22, 2011) – The Salvation Army of St. Petersburg is assisting emergency personnel in the massive manhunt near downtown.

The Salvation Army providing feeding and hydration to police officers, county deputies and federal agents as they try to capture a man who allegedly killed a St. Petersburg policeman late Monday evening.

Since 11 a.m. Tuesday (Feb. 22), The Salvation Army has served more than 400 meals at the incident command center, Tropicana Field. With the help of its partners, Wendy's, Hungry Howies, Savannah's Cafe, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin' Donuts, Jimmy Johns, Tropicana Field, Cafe 10-0-1, Panera, Hooters, Smokey Joes and Publix, The Salvation Army continues to serve the community.

"We had a table set up with food and officers are just coming in as their shift ends," said Michael Rojas, public relations director for the St. Petersburg Salvation Army. "We are just constantly feeding. When it seems like we are running out of food and someone shows up with sandwiches."

The Salvation Army continues to work with restaurants and vendors that have been willing to support the feeding operation.

Rojas said The Salvation Army initially planned to feed 200 people but the number has easily swelled to 500.

Along with serving meals, Rojas said Salvation Army staff and volunteers are able to sit and talk with officers who have been affected by the shooting.

 "This is the third officer who has been shot in the line of duty in St. Petersburg in a month," Rojas said, "I'm asking how they are feeling and they are upset and angry. We are just trying to talk to them a little and give them some comfort.”

 About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.