Retired PSPD officer commended for split-second decision that prevented tragedy
By Kendall Balchan
When Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills presented a commendation Monday morning to an alert coffee shop customer who sprang into action last December, it wasn’t just any customer: Pete Rode retired from the very force Mills now oversees in 2007 after 28 years of service.
Standing outside the Starbucks Reserve downtown, Mills honored Rode for bravery and valor for his actions on Dec. 13, explaining that he was simply enjoying coffee inside the store with friends when he noticed a man outside waving what appeared to be a handgun at customers. Rode and Starbucks employee Sheila Jove didn’t hesitate to take action. While Rode ran outside and knocked the gun out of the man’s hands, Jove locked the store down and kept customers calm. Rode then kept an eye on the man until Palm Springs officers arrived. He stood nearby as they eventually wrestled him to the ground.
Police later identified the man as a parolee who was suffering from a mental health crisis at the time of the incident. The gun turned out to be a BB gun, but at the time, Rode and others couldn’t tell if it wasn’t a more lethal weapon.
The 31-year-old suspect is currently in custody on an unrelated assault with a deadly weapon charge, having been re-arrested in Palm Desert in March.
“His split-second decision, taken at great personal risk, prevented fear and panic and possibly violence,” Mills said Monday of Rode. “He used minimal force and was able to avoid what could have been a tragic end.”
Rode has been off the beat for 15 years but said his instincts never left, adding that he didn’t even think before acting last December — years of training and decades on the force kicked in. “He wasn’t responding to any of the verbal commands I was giving him,” recalled Rode. “I didn’t even think. The training was just bred into me.”
Rode said that while he wasn’t surprised at his actions, it was a different story for his friends. After he took down the suspect, he said those he was having coffee with started looking at him differently.
“None of them were police officers,” said Rode. “They were quite surprised.”
For Mills, seeing the dedication that even retired officers have to the city speaks volumes about the department he now leads.
“There’s a lot of people here who’ve left an amazing legacy of service,” Mills said. “This is just a prime example of somebody who really loves this community and served this community well for so many years and is still here getting coffee almost every day and ready to spring into action.”
During the commendation, Mills emphasized the need for more mental health care for parolees. According to a 2017 Department of Justice report, 44% of jail inmates have been diagnosed with a mental illness.
“This incident highlights the importance of ensuring those released from prison have adequate care,” said the chief. “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of parolees coming out of prison without that support.
“When the mental health institutes were de-institutionalized, so many people wound up on the streets. You can see the population of inmates with mental health issues increase in prisons and jails after that.”
Rode said he was happy to do what he could to serve the community, even as a private citizen.
“I’ve been here 50 years,” he said. “I love the department; I love the city.”
? Briefly
MIZELL KITCHEN PROJECT: The Mizell Center is raising $1.3 million to increase the size of its kitchen space from 642 square feet to 1,776 square feet. In the 70-year-old kitchen, cooks prepare more than 625 meals each weekday for seniors both in the center as well as seniors who utilize the Meals on Wheels program. Center leaders hope the kitchen expansion capital campaign will allow them to scale up the number of meals they can make. Executive Director Wes Winter knows how much it will mean to valley seniors, saying “More than a quarter of the Coachella Valley’s population are senior adults. Many of these residents go without daily nutrition essentials and needed social interaction.” The Mizell Center was a vital lifeline to seniors during the pandemic, at one point during the pandemic the kitchen produced more than 850 meals each weekday. The structure that is now Mizell Center was originally built in 1951 and was the site of Palm Springs Fire Station No. 2. It served in that capacity until it was decommissioned and repurposed to be a community center. It became the Mizell Center in 1991 when the original building was significantly expanded.
? Today’s events
- The ONE-PS monthly membership begins in person this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. in the Mizell Center Dining Room.
- Learn the Art of Storytelling from Larry Dean Harris at the Desert Art Center at 4:30 p.m.
- Jazz on the 2nd Floor runs from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Palm Springs Cultural Center.
- The VillageFest Board Meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. tonight on Zoom.
- Toastmasters starts at 6 p.m. Check here for information, including a special offer for subscribers to The Post.
? What to watch for
- The 23rd Waring International Piano Competition continues through April 18 in Palm Desert.
- A Family Fun Fest is planned for Wednesday on the field of the Palm Springs Stadium, located at 1901 E. Baristo Rd., starting at 9 a.m.
- The next Martinis and Moxie event, titled “Dino and Dinah,” is Wednesday evening at The Palm Springs Cultural Center, starting at 6 p.m.
- A free Easter egg hunt and pancake breakfast is planned for April 16 at Ruth Hardy Park, starting at 9 a.m. Later that day, the annual Desert Highland Gateway Estates Easter egg hunt takes place at Desert Highland Park, starting at 2 p.m.
- Alohana, a celebration of Tiki culture, takes place at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on April 17, starting at 10 a.m.
- The Palm Canyon Theatre’s next production, Monty Python’s Sir Spamalot, runs April 22 through May 1.
- The Books vs. Badges charity basketball game between Palm Springs High teachers and staff and Palm Springs Police Department officers is scheduled for April 26 at the high school gym.
