Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Left For Dead’ of NBC’s ‘Dateline,’ the focus is on the brutal rape of a 20-year-old single mother named Amber Smith in 2013. Although she survived the attack, the police searched for the perpetrator but failed to get leads after a certain point, leading to the case turning cold. However, the case was cracked open when they found evidence against the victim’s friend, Stefan “Sam” Moon. The documentary also features in-depth interviews with Amber and officials directly linked to the case, including Dane Stratton, who found her fighting for life.
Dane Stratton Followed Amber’s Screams in a Park and Found Her in Critical Condition
In August 2013, when it had only been a couple of months of being a police officer for Dane Stratton, he got linked to a case that would leave a lasting imprint in his life as well as career. That night, he responded to numerous 911 calls from the residents living near Cottonwood Glen Park, claiming that they had been hearing screams of help from a woman. Not knowing what to expect, the rookie cop drove down to the park and heard the screams of Amber Smith, whose hands and legs were found bound by red duct tape. Dane opened up about the disturbing scene, saying, “It’s a horror story on the best day. It was beyond anything I would imagine. She had been strangled and left here for dead.”
As it turned out, Amber had been sexually and physically assaulted before being strangled with a rope until she lost consciousness. For the next four years, the case caught dust as the detectives could not get to the bottom of it despite their best efforts. In 2017, an unexpected clue led them straight to one of the survivor’s friends — Stefan “Sam” Moon — who was arrested and charged with attempted murder, sexual assault, and other crimes. More than six years after Officer Dane Stratton found Amber fighting for her life in Cottonwood Glen Park, Sam stood trial. During the trial, Dane took the stand and testified that her screams were still embedded deep inside his head, and he still heard them every once in a while. He was relieved when the rapist was sentenced to 128 years in prison.
Dane Stratton is a School Resource Officer in Fort Collins Today
Born on January 20, 1986, in Boulder, Colorado, to David and Judy Stratton, Dane Edward Stratton grew up with two supportive brothers — Ben and Alex Stratton. Having a knack for sports, especially football, he was an important player for Cheyenne East High School, where he also threw shot put and discus on the track team. His impressive athletic performances earned him a US Academic Achievement All-America Scholar Award. He showcased his football skills further while he was pursuing Liberal Arts and Sciences at Colorado State University from 2004 to 2008.
In July 2012, Dane donned the police uniform for the first time and has been serving the city of Fort Collins ever since. In December 2018, he came across a lost wedding ring on duty and investigated further to identify its owner, Nati. It turned out Nati had lost the ring the previous year and thought that he would never find it until Dane found it in a parking lot. Furthermore, the officer got the wedding band cleaned and polished by a local jeweler before returning the ring to the young man and making his holidays.
His passion for community policing and community engagement led him to become a School Resource Officer (SRO) in 2020. Since he is fluent in Spanish, Dane is one of the few bilingual officers who believes in removing barriers and building bridges with international students and families. Given his ability to interact with kids and show them the support they require, “School Resource Officer Dane Stratton recently received the Rotary Club of Fort Collins Service Above Self Award, which recognizes individuals who exemplify ‘the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service.'” As per reports, he has also been looking to make the most of his vocal expression by working in the fields of voice-over, narration, or even radio.
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