After Reagan was assassinated, the only agent who rushed to help him take the bullet, why did he say it was not voluntary?

At 2:27 pm on March 30, 1981, after lunch at the Hilton Hotel, U.S. President Ronald Reagan was shot by the assassin John Hinckley who was hiding in the crowd as he walked to the hotel entrance. .

Reagan's assassination scene

John Hinckley used a Ram RG-14 revolver to shoot. He fired 6 shots at Reagan in 1.7 seconds. As Reagan was surrounded by bodyguards and police Surrounded by people, the first five shots did not hit Reagan. The sixth bullet hit the bulletproof armor of Reagan's car. The bullet rebounded from Reagan's armpit and hit his lung, only 2.5 centimeters from his heart. Reagan was rushed to the hospital and was out of danger after rescue.

In the Reagan assassination case, in addition to the president himself who was hit by the bullet ricochet, three other people were shot, namely Reagan's press secretary James Brady and Washington Police Chief Thomas Drahan Mention Reagan's personal bodyguard Timothy McCarthy.

Brady and Delahanty were hit and fell to the ground

James Brady was shot in the head. Although he was saved, he was left with a lifelong disability. Thomas Delahanty was shot in the neck, and the bullet ricocheted into his left arm, causing permanent nerve damage to his left arm. Timothy McCarthy was shot in the abdomen, but was rescued in time and was not seriously injured.

Among the three, McCarthy is most praised by Americans and hailed as a great hero. In 1982, he was awarded the "NCAA Courage Award". This is because among the three, James Brady and Thomas Delahanty were passively injured, while McCarthy was actively dedicated. When the assassin fired the fourth shot, McCarthy was the first to rush forward and block the bullet for Reagan, and was also the only agent to step forward to block the bullet.

McCarthy fell to the ground after being shot

McCarthy was born in Chicago in 1949. He studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was a good athlete at the school and joined the school when he was a freshman. He was on the football team and received a football scholarship as a sophomore. After graduation, he was selected to join the Secret Service due to his physical condition and became a professional agent.

During McCarthy's career as an agent, he served as bodyguards for five U.S. presidents, including Reagan, Nixon, and Clinton.

Reagan's assassination scene

On the day of Reagan's assassination on March 30, 1981, McCarthy was Reagan's personal bodyguard and accompanied him in and out of the hotel. When they walked out of the hotel, Reagan greeted the waiting people. The reporter waved, and McCarthy stood directly in front of him. The assassin John Hinckley was agile. He drew his gun and shot Reagan six times in 1.7 seconds. McCarthy, as a bodyguard, was not immune either. From the first gunshot to the second gunshot, about 0.5 seconds. He reacted and rushed toward Reagan, acting as a human shield for him. When the fourth bullet was fired, McCarthy blocked Reagan with his body, causing the bullet to hit his abdomen, and McCarthy fell to the ground.

The picture shows bodyguard McCarthy

Without McCarthy's block, the fourth bullet is likely to hit Reagan, and Reagan would probably be in trouble. McCarthy subsequently underwent surgery at the same hospital as Reagan, and he recovered and was released before Reagan. After Reagan learned that McCarthy had taken a bullet for him, he regarded McCarthy as his lifesaver. When he returned to the White House from the hospital, McCarthy and his family were the first people he met.

McCarthy's reaction at the scene of Reagan's assassination

Since 1994, McCarthy has served as the chief of the Orland Park Police Department. McCarthy became famous for his role in the Reagan assassination, and his feat became a symbol of bravery and bravery in the minds of many. However, when McCarthy was interviewed in his later years, he did not consider himself a hero. He said that he rushed to block the bullet at the first time without thinking too much at all. In other words, it was not out of his own free will, but because of his long-term training as a bodyguard and the physical symptoms. "Gut reaction".

McCarthy

As we all know, the most important subject of personal bodyguard training at this level is not to teach you how to fight with assassins head-on, but to take bullets for the protected person in the first place. , quickly move people to safe areas. If things go on like this, the bodyguard's body and mind will develop inertia. Whenever he hears gunshots or is in danger, his natural reaction is to use his body as a human shield.

Bodyguard training

McCarthy said: If you look at the scene at that time, you will find that everyone does what they should do out of instinct, such as someone stepping forward to catch the assassin. , someone is responsible for guarding, and my task is to block bullets as soon as possible, that's all.

The bodyguards escorting Reagan

Although McCarthy believed that he was just reacting instinctively, he had to say that he was a real man, because training was training, but actual combat was another matter. The thing is, in the history of the United States, it is too common for presidential dignitaries to be assassinated, but there are only four bodyguards who can actually block the bullet in the first place, and McCarthy is one of them.