THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.—Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus made a call to his wife before rushing into Borderline Bar & Grill and giving his life to save others in the line of duty.
“He said, ‘hon, I got to go, I love you. I gotta go on a call,’” Sheriff Geoff Dean said.
The shooting at the Thousand Oaks nightclub killed 12 people, including Sgt. Helus.
Helus was one of the first law enforcement officers to respond to multiple “shots fired” calls at the nightclub. Sheriff Dean said when Helus and a California Highway Patrol trooper got to the scene they heard gunshots and went inside.
Sgt. Helus was hit multiple times, Dean said.
The trooper who arrived on scene with Helus pulled him out of the line of fire when additional units got there, Sheriff Dean said.
Sheriff Dean was overcome with emotion when he delivered the news that Sgt. Helus, a friend and a colleague of his, had died at the hospital.
Helus, 54, was a 29-year veteran of the department. He was planning to retire in the next year or so, according to Dean. He's survived by his wife and son.
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