A Springfield Police Officer has received one of the highest honors a law enforcement person can get.
Officer David Laws was injured in February when he attempted to contact the driver of a suspicious vehicle near Glenstone and Division. His leg became caught in the wheel well, and he was dragged while firing shots at the driver to get him to stop.
"The injuries to my leg were more significant than I realized at the time, and I'm working on physical therapy and working with an orthapedist to try to get me back to 100 percent," he said.
Laws still isn’t fully back to active duty. He was awarded the Purple Heart by Captain Greg Higdon during a ceremony Wednesday.
"He placed his safety and protection of the community and his fellow officers as his top priority. His actions on that day demonstrated his commitment to the community and the Springfield Police Department," said Higdon.
Laws said he has no regrets about the actions he took that day.
"I was doing my job, and that's what we do," said Laws.
Officer Jim Cooney received a Command Commendation for his work to arrest the suspect who injured Laws.
He said he’s glad he could help give Laws closure.
"He had some serious injuries that he's still recovering from, so it was nice to be able to have a person that we're able to, you know, bring a charge against that they got a confession from," he said.
During a ceremony Wednesday, one other officer received a Command Commendation. Cpl. Chris Barb was instrumental in the arrest of a suspect in the murders of Gary and Jan Tyrrell. Barb served as the lead investigator in the case.
Others received Life Saving Awards: Cpl. Brian Crum and Officers Jennifer Sandage and Betsy Shipley helped save the life of a man who was attempting to commit suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. Officer Dorian Bernet saved the life of a woman who was choking at Wayo Restaurant by performing the Heimlich maneuver.
