The Agent Who Took a Bullet for Reagan

Thirty years ago today I was working as a teller at a branch of Beverly Hills Savings in Tustin, CA when I heard the news that President Ronald Reagan had been wounded in an assassination attempt.  I remember going out to my car to listen to the radio during my lunch, praying Reagan would survive.  I remember how angry I was about the attempt and what a shame it would be if Reagan never got a chance to prove his ideas in office (he'd only been president for barely two months).

Reagan survived, and one of the reasons he did is due to the work of The Secret Service.  The famous film footage shows one of the agents, Tim McCarthy, spinning to face the shooter and taking a bullet meant for Reagan.  McCarthy is now the police chief of Orland Park, IL, and he talks about that day in this L.A. Times article.

One question that wasn't addressed in the article is why Agent McCarthy wasn't wearing body armor that day.  I would assume that's standard practice for agents today, but all he had to protect himself was a brand new suit.

One unfortunately byproduct of that day was the James Brady anti-gun campaign which has spent 30 years trying to take guns away from just about everyone.  Brady, of course, was Reagan's press secretary who was very seriously wounded in during the shooting.  I'm glad he survived, but it's a shame his focus in the years since has been so misguided.