The first officer to reach Mickel was his buddy, patrolman Dale Prentiss. Thanks to Mickel's description, Stewart was spotted and he died during a high speed chase when his stolen Cherokee crashed into a tree.

Fast forward to 2002: On the night of August 27, the same Dale Prentiss, now a sergeant, who saw his friend Jim Mickel almost die in 1994, responded to a 911 call of a rape attempt. The call was from a woman in the house of Henry Favreau. A lifelong resident of the small town in central Massachusetts, Favreau, 37, knew Prentiss.

As the officer approached the house, Favreau suddenly drew a .44 magnum, fired twice and struck Prentiss in the stomach. Witnesses said Prentiss took cover behind a neighbor's parked car and returned fire, squeezing off five rounds from his service pistol, two of which hit Favreau.

A 911 call made by a neighbor sent Prentiss to the UMass Medical Center in critical condition. The bullet was removed during a successful operation and the courageous officer, age 44, is now recovering. Ironically this was the same hospital where Mickel's life was saved in 1994.

Favreau, the alleged assailant, was sent to a Boston hospital and later transferred to a secure unit at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital.

Fifteen-year Shirley Selectman Kyle Keady, who is friends with both officers said that his town is a "tight-knit community where everyone becomes part of a family when trouble strikes. People in this community pulled together in 1994 when Jim was shot and are now pulling together behind Dale. Both Jim and Dale are men of which our town is very proud."

In the case of Mickel, who was forced to retire, the bullet shattered upon impact and he still has pieces within his body which cause him pain. He praised Jim Fahey and the Middlesex County Retirement Board for their assistance in expediting his case.

Mickel was awarded the Commonwealth's prestigious George Hanna award, named after a state police officer killed in the line of duty.

It would seem that Dale Prentiss could be in line for the same award. But, like Jim Mickel, he's not looking for an award. He considers himself to be just a cop doing his job. What a job!