Chief Jeffrey Jolley handing the lifesaving award to officers Shaun Van Eaton (right) and Garret Winfrey.
MONROE — Officers Shaun Van Eaton, Garret Winfrey, Luther Coleman, and retired Officer Max Michel were honored July 11 with the Lifesaving Award and Team Unit Award for their actions on May 9, 2022, when they helped the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office with a tense and chaotic situation involving a male victim losing blood due to multiple gunshot wounds.
“If it was not for Officer Van Eaton and Officer Winfrey’s actions in maintaining the blood control, it is likely that the victim’s injuries would have led to his death,” Police Chief Jeffrey Jolley said.
Jolley presented the awards to the officers at the July 11 City Council meeting. Officers Van Eaton and Winfrey were present to accept the award. Officers Coleman and Michel were unable to attend the meeting time.
“I will present the life saving award for the rendering to the trauma care victim. All these officers are to be commended for their unselfish fearless act,” Jolley said.
At 8:41 p.m. on May 9, officers Van Eaton, Winfrey, Coleman and Michel responded to a Snohomish sheriff’s office call about a shots fired incident from road rage that had gone wrong. The victim was followed to his home in an unincorporated area of Snohomish County just north of the City of Monroe. Multiple bystanders were on the scene including the shooter who had to be ordered to the ground to insure safety to the first responders.
Once the scene was assessed the officers noticed a truck that was hit by multiple gunshots. Officer Van Eaton found the male victim with multiple gunshot wounds and applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg. The male victim was in extreme pain and unable to communicate due to the injuries. The victim suffered from a gunshot wound located below his right shoulder; Officer Winfrey recognized the importance of the injury and applied gauze to the wound to maintain blood control. The two officers continued medical assistance until the medical team could arrive.
The team’s collaboration showed that they were able to communicate, cooperate, and find a position to contribute to the ultimate goal of safety and life preservation. The officers had tactical trauma care response training before the event called Tactical Combat Casualty Care, Monroe Police Cmdr. Paul Ryan said.
City Council meetings are held Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the Monroe School District Administration Building. This temporary location is being used while City Hall is being remodeled.
