MARTINSBURG, W.Va. —February 14th is a day known to most of us as romantic, a day to love and be loved. For 5 Martinsburg City Police officers it was a day of heroism. At Thursday’s Martinsburg City Council meeting the officers were presented with a Lifesaver Award.
Police Chief Erin Gibbons explained that on the 14th a man had been gravely injured:
According to the citation issued at the City Council meeting, “Officers jumped into action demonstrating exceptional bravery, skill and dedication to duty under the most stressful of circumstances. They rushed to provide aide and found the victim with numerous large-caliber gunshot wounds to the upper torso, arm and legs. The victim, Mr. Frazier, had been shot numerous times. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, the officers immediately took action to provide critical triage.”
Their swift application of chest seals to keep the victim from losing too much blood helped stabilize the victim. Chief Gibbons added,
The hospital staff recognized the lifesaving actions of the officers, had it not been for their prompt and skilled intervention, the outcome could have been tragically different.
Following their initial lifesaving efforts, these officers then proceeded to work the crime scene.
Chief Gibbons stated, “I am honored to have Corporal Condo, Corporal Staub, Patrolman Gayle, Patrolman Engle, and Patrolman De Jarnett as part of our team at the Martinsburg Police Department. Their dedication to duty, care for our community, and willingness to put themselves in harm’s way to save a life exemplify the highest ideals of law enforcement.”
Story by the Panhandle News Network’s Clint Gaige