Falls through skylights injure 2 officers

Police saw a ladder, suspected a break-in

May 8, 2008

By Marcie Young
Charlotte Observer Staff Writer

Two police officers in Catawba County were injured early Wednesday morning, one seriously, when they fell through a roof.

The Longview officers were looking into what they thought was a break-in just after 4 a.m. at E.L. Hilts & Co., a roofing equipment and tools company. They had noticed an unlocked gate and a ladder leading to the roof, said Longview Police Chief Cecil Rogers.

One officer scaled the ladder first and fell through the roof while the other officer looked around the outside of the building, Rogers said. When the second officer couldn't get in touch with his colleague, he climbed onto the roof to look for him, Rogers said.

Two fiberglass-like skylights had been painted over with a sealant that matched the color of the roof, Rogers said, and when the officers stepped on the patches, the skylights gave way.

The first officer, Sgt. Michael Ford, fell about 20 feet to the ground. He received serious head injuries and was airlifted to Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem where he was listed in critical condition Wednesday night.

The second officer, Abelardo Maldonado, landed on a stairwell banister and was not seriously hurt.

Maldonado, who has been with Longview for more than two years, was treated and released at a Hickory hospital.

Police learned later that an employee who had been working on the roof had left the gate unlocked and a ladder leaning against the building.

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