A good Samaritan can barely sleep, after he rushed to help a San Jose police officer who was knocked off his motorcycle by a minivan on Tuesday and pronounced dead shortly afterward.
In an exclusive interview Wednesday night, Dan Sullivan described to NBC Bay Area how he and another man helped give CPR to Officer Michael Katherman, 34, an 11-year veteran of the force, after the deadly accident at 10th and Horning Streets. He said he used Katherman's radio to call dispatchers for help. "Man hurt, ambulance right away!" his voice is heard shouting.
Sullivan, who drives a big rig hauling construction materials, is the brother of San Jose Police Lt. Mike Sullivan.
But his efforts did not bring the officer back to life.
And the images of the scene are haunting for him.
"It's hard to sleep when you see something this tragic - a fallen officer," Sullivan said, while laying flowers in honor of the officer at the San Jose Police Department. "And all they do for us, it's really tough to take."
The San Jose Police Officers Association set up a donation site for the Katherman family. Checks can be made payable to SJPOACF and mailed to 1151 N. Fourth St., San Jose, CA 95112, or by clicking here.
