Police officers honored

(Photos by Larry Coonrod)

Two Newport police officers were recognized for their bravery and lifesaving efforts at Monday’s meeting of the Newport City Council. In the photo on the left, Newport Police Chief Mark Miranda presents Patrolman Keith Garrett with the Distinguished Service Award. On Jan. 18, Garrett extracted the driver of a small pickup truck after 100 mile-per-hour winds slammed a semi truck and trailer into it on the Yaquina Bay Bridge, pinning the smaller vehicle against the guardrail. “Officer Garrett conducted this rescue while winds continued to batter the semi truck and trailer against the pickup truck,” his citation read. It was Garrett’s second Distinguished Service Award. A video of the incident shot from the camera in Garrett’s patrol vehicle is on YouTube.com (www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMhbujWftuI).

In the photo on the right, Miranda awards Sgt. Tom Simpson with the Newport Police Department’s Lifesaving Award. On Jan. 15, Simpson and other officers found the victim of an assault bleeding profusely from a neck wound. Simpson staunched the bleeding by applying direct pressure to the wound. “According to medical personnel at the hospital, the nature of the would could have had tragic consequences including death if it had not been for the timely actions of Sgt. Simpson,” his award citation read. This was the second Life Saving Award Simpson has earned.

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