Announcing the 2012 Aconcagua Memorial Expedition Honoree
Cops on Top is proud to announce that the honoree of the 2012 Aconcagua Memorial Expedition will be
Officer Jonathan Schmidt of the Trumann Arkansas Police Department.
On the night of April 12, 2011, Officer Jonathan Schmidt lost his life while protecting another officer. Officer Schmidt had conducted a traffic stop and soon learned three of the four occupants inside the vehicle had active warrants for their arrest. While attempting to effectuate an arrest, shots were fired from inside the suspect's vehicle. Instinctively, Officer Schmidt pushed his back-up officer out of direct fire. Officer Schmidt was shot and killed during the gun battle. He leaves behind a wife and 3 children.
The expedition team is deeply honored to climb Aconcagua on behalf of Officer Jonathan Schmidt and would like to thank the Schmidt family and his collective family at the Trumann Police Department for their support.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET!
2012 Officer Jonathan Schmidt Aconcagua Memorial Expedition News
The 8 member Cops on Top expedition team will take the lesser traveled route known as the Vacas Valley Route. The route will follow the Rio de las Vacas which will require several river crossings and take three days before they reach base camp located at Plaza Arge
ntina. From base camp the expedition team will make a slow and steady ascent towards higher camps. On summit day, the team will ascend the mountain via the False Polish Route which will meet up with the Normal Route as it nears the summit. Several contingency dates have been built into the
climbing itinerary in case of bad weather or an extra day is needed to further acclimitization. Along the way, the team will carry with them a memorial plaque honoring Officer Schmidt. They will post audio blogs to the Cops on Top website and
Facebook page, sharing current mountain conditions, team progress, and leaving messages honoring Officer Schmidt.
Please check back soon for more updates and trip information. To meet the 2012 Aconcagua expedition team click (
here).
Need expedition information? Please contact
Troy Bacon.
The 2012 Aconcagua Expedition SPONSORS:
To see a complete list of sponsors and contributors, click (here).
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The ten most-recent updates are shown below. Click on each headline to access the audio reports.
What Cops on Top is All About
C
ops on Top has a strong commitment to provide tangible aid for the grieving and healing process of those who have lost a beloved officer, to support organizations dedicated to this cause, and to project a positive image of law enforcement officers. We honor, and raise awareness, for police officers who have been killed while protecting and serving their communities.
Cops on Top plans annual climbing expeditions to the world's most respected mountains. The purpose is to bring to the public's attention the dangers, stress and life-altering effects on the average police officer. A fallen officer's memory serves as our banner and a memorial is placed on each summit attempted.
The Cops on Top team is comprised of volunteer climbers, largely self-funded law enforcement officers. Volunteers are welcome to contact
Cops on Top. The fallen officers on whose behalf the climbs are undertaken are nominated by family, friends, and law enforcement organizations.
The Origin of Cops on Top
Cops on Top was founded by Captain Keith McPheeters of the Farmington New Mexico Police Department. In 1998, Captain McPheeters was a member of that agencies Special Response Team searching for the killers of Cortez Colorado Police Officer Dale Claxton. The manhunt was the largest of its kind in American history and conducted in the remote Southwestern United States Four-Corners region of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. During those months, McPheeters reflected on of the nature of his occupation, the public's perception of a police officer's work, and the effect such a loss has on an officer's survivors. From these thoughts, the concept of Cops on Top took form.
Your Support is Appreciated
Cops on Top maintains the highest integrity with respects to all fiscal and financial matters of the team. All sponsorships, donations, receipts, and disbursements are recorded and reported. All donations under the Cops on Top name should be made directly to the organization. If you have
any questions about making donations or if you question the purpose of any person who has solicited your donation and wish to confirm its validity,
please contact us.
Cops on Top graciously accepts sponsorships and donations for equipment and provisions for the climbing team, as well as for the aid of officers fallen in the line of duty. If you would like to support this noble cause, contact the team directly and indicate if you wish to aid the team or the team'scause. Also, Cops on Top highly recommends supporting
Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. (COPS).
What's New
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Cops on Top is proud to announce that we have just received word that Troy Bacon and Chuck Porter have reached the summit of Aconcagua on behalf of Officer Schmidt. They reached the summit at approximately 1:00 their time and have successfully returned to Camp II where they are resting and re-hydrating.
Two other members of the team are descending...