GAINESVILLE -- Two Gainesville Police officers were presented awards at Tuesday's Gainesville City Council meeting to recognize their efforts that officials said saved a man's life after a shooting in July.
Sergeant Josh Adams and Officer Jason Pierce were both given Meritorious Service Awards for their actions in the July 23 incident on Athens Street. Deputy Police Chief Jay Parrish presented the award to the officers, and he said it was their quick thinking that saved the man's life.
"They received a call of a young man shot on Athens Street and when they got there they found him lying on the ground and some citizens trying to help him," Parrish said. "He had a bullet wound below his waist in an artery and he was losing blood very fast."
Parrish said Adams noticed the wound and the officers realized they needed to find a way to stop the blood loss before it was too late.
"(Adams) cut the young man's clothing back, found the bullet hole...and he judged from his training that they needed to apply a tourniquet to stop the blood loss because the patient had lost consciousness," Parrish said. "The tourniquet didn't fit, so he and Officer Pierce improvised with a clotting agent, a bandage and duck tape to get the bleeding to stop until paramedics could arrive."
Parrish said medical officials later said that had Adams and Pierce not acted as quickly as they did, the man likely would have died from blood loss. The award presentation was met with applause from both the council members and the audience. Parrish said it is encouraging to tell the public of heroic acts by local law enforcement.
"In a time when, I think, the national media is trying to focus on law enforcement taking lives, this is our sixth or seventh time this year standing before you to talk about saving a life," Parrish said.
Pierce was unable to attend the meeting, but was recognized to the council and audience.
