An 18-year-old Erie man has died after rescue crews pulled him from Presque Isle Bay on Wednesday night. The man, whose name was not released as of Thursday afternoon, was pronounced dead at UPMC Hamot on Wednesday at 9:55 p.m., about 30 minutes after Erie Bureau of Fire divers pulled
Erie County coroner IDs Erie man who drowned in Presque Isle Bay goerie.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from goerie.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Those efforts appear to be paying off.
About 100 people applied to take the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Police Test Consortium s upcoming test on Aug. 7, Bill Hale, director of the Mercyhurst University Municipal Police Training Academy, said Friday.
Sgt. Tom Lenox, the Erie Bureau of Police s recruitment coordinator, said about 35% of those who applied to take the test are women and minorities. Which is pretty great, Lenox said. The good news is we have some quality people, some officers from other departments, he added.
The consortium administers written and physical agility testing for more than two dozen law enforcement agencies, including the Erie Bureau of Police, in the Erie region. Erie Police Chief Dan Spizarny said 118 people applied for the test and 85 took it in 2020.
Willie Blakely, Erie s first Black firefighter, died from a cerebral hemorrhage on Oct. 24, 1982. The injury was believed to be the result of an accident suffered while responding to an emergency call.
His fellow firefighters believed his death should have been recognized as a line-of-duty death so that Blakely could be afforded the honors given to those in public safety who sacrificed their lives in the performance of their duties.
Wednesday evening, Blakely was given those honors during a Workers Memorial event at Perry Square. About 150 people attended the event, including Juan Scooter Blakely, the son of Wille Blakely.
Juan Blakely, a photographer with the Erie Bureau of Fire, said he was moved by the efforts made by Erie firefighters, past and present, to bring his father the recognition he deserved.
Erie fires: Residents jump at chance to get free smoke/CO detectors goerie.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from goerie.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.