Washington – The Secret Service agent credited with saving President Ronald Reagan’s life on the day he was shot outside a Washington hotel has died.
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The retired agent, Jerry Parr of Washington, District of Columbia, died Friday at the age of 85.
Parr was in charge of Reagan’s detail on March 30, 1981, when a young man with mental problems, John Hinckley Jr., shot the president outside the Washington Hilton. When the shots rang out, Parr pushed Reagan inside the presidential limousine and it sped away for the White House.
After Reagan complained of chest pains and showed blood on his lips, Parr redirected the limousine to George Washington Hospital. As it turned out, Reagan had been hit in the chest and was bleeding internally. Doctors later said that any delay would have cost the president his life.
In a statement Friday, former first lady Nancy Reagan called Parr “one of my true heroes.”
Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy said Parr’s actions “preserved the institution of the Office of the Presidency.”
“Every Secret Service agent was well aware of what he did for not only the Secret Service, but more importantly, his country,” Clancy wrote in a statement on Saturday.
Parr was born on Sept. 16, 1930, in Birmingham, Alabama. An Air Force veteran, he joined the Secret Service in 1962. He retired in 1985 and became an ordained minister.
He is survived by his wife, Carolyn, and three daughters.
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Although Jerry Parr saved Reagan’s life, the actions of the Secret Service on that day, in failing to prevent that psycho Hinckley, from getting so close to Reagan, came under intense scrutiny. An investigative report found that although the Secret Service was concerned about security in the hotel where Reagan was speaking, it somehow failed to arrange for adequate security outside the hotel. It let unscreened crowds (including Hinckley), come within 10 feet of Reagan. Also, some of the security personnel, including D.C. police officer, Delehanty, were watching Reagan, instead of watching the crowd. It was Agent Jerry Parr’s decision to take Reagan to a trauma center, which saved his life. However, it was touch and go for a while. Reagan was indeed lucky that he survived. However, he was never quite the same, after that incident. Nancy made sure that crowds never again had the opportunity to get so close to Reagan.