Valdosta Mayor John Gayle and Valdosta Chief of Police Brian Childress honored VPD Patrol Officers Donald Richmond and Eric Wagner as the February 2015 Employees of the Month at the Feb. 5 City Council meeting.  Each of the officers received a framed certificate and a check for $200, and their names appear on a plaque that is displayed inside of City Hall.

Officers Richmond and Wagner began their employment as Patrol Officers with the VPD in January 2013 and September 2011, respectively.  Their duties include complying with all policies as outlined in the Standard Operating Procedures manual, maintaining a working knowledge of the most common enforcement laws, presenting oral testimony in court, and completing all necessary paperwork.

Recently, Officers Richmond and Wagner were dispatched to a residence involving an attempted suicide with a firearm. Officers Richmond and Wagner found the citizen inside the house with a gunshot wound to the upper chest. Officer Wagner, having recently received training for care of chest wounds, quickly identified the injury as a “sucking chest wound.”  Officer Richmond, a military veteran, assisted Officer Wagner in applying a quick clot gauze and chest seal to the citizen, until additional emergency personnel arrived.

The hospital reports showed that the citizen lost four pints of blood—over half of his body’s volume—in the moments after the injury. The emergency evaluation and teamwork of Officers Richmond and Wagner saved the citizen’s life.

“A law enforcement officer’s job is to serve and protect, which often involves running toward danger,” said VPD Chief Childress.  “What these two officers did is an excellent example of running toward danger and taking immediate action to save a citizen’s life.”

The City of Valdosta applauds Officers Donald Richmond and Eric Wagner for their quick response in this lifesaving event and for being named February 2015 Employees of the Month.