Cordele police officers honored for response to Dooly County mass shooting

Cordele Police Chief Danny Hicks has honored several officers with meritorious service awards following their response to a mass shooting in Vienna, Dooly County.

Officer Charittee Walker received a life-saving award for performing CPR on an 87-year-old experiencing a medical emergency. Following that incident, Walker, along with officers Ernest Stephens, La’Dreamia Paul, Gregory Crapp, and Corporal Kaleb Spradley, assisted victims of the mass shooting at Crisp Regional Hospital.

Chief Hicks described a chaotic scene at the hospital where victims arrived in private vehicles before medical personnel could reach them. Officers provided immediate aid, including applying tourniquets and transporting injured individuals when equipment ran out. Hicks noted that previous active shooter training helped the department manage the triage and prioritization required during the event.