Heroic Actions
Michael Hightower
Police
Three pit bulls dislodged a board in the wooden fence around Billy Mahan’s backyard and were running loose in his yard. Because Mahan is disabled, his son, William, took Officer Michael Hightower into the backyard to round up the dogs.
But the dogs charged at William. Hightower stepped in front of the boy, putting himself between the dogs and the boy, and he told William to slowly step back into the house.
Mahan and his frightened son waited in the house until Hightower came in and told them he would take care of the dogs. He did.
“I believe that had it not been for the bravery of Officer Hightower, my son would have been attacked and would have suffered severe injuries or death,” Mahan wrote.
“Thank god Officer Hightower was there to protect my son.”David Bateson
Police
When an elderly woman with a heart problem collapsed on the sidewalk outside AMC Gulf Pointe 30 Theatres, Officer David Bateson and a bystander immediately started CPR, wrote Markul Loftin. They continued until an emergency medical squad arrived.
Paramedics administered drugs and stabilized the woman before taking her to the hospital. Later, the paramedics thanked Bateson and other officers who called for help and controlled the crowd, Loftin wrote. They also said the woman was alive.
“Officer Bateson’s quick and effective actions, which were administered without any regard for his own personal safety, resulted in the saving of a human life,” Loftin wrote. “His actions merit special recognition.”