By EMS1 Staff
BOISE, Idaho — A police officer who was saved by paramedics in a 2016 shooting presented them each with a prestigious award two years later.
Idaho Press reported that Boise Police Department Cpl. Kevin Holtry, who is now in a wheelchair after being ambushed and shot by the suspect he was searching for, presented the department’s exceptional service award to the four Ada County Paramedics’ Tactical Medical Team paramedics who saved him that day.
Cody Porter, Peder Humlen-Ahearn, and Annelise and Casey Lane, who are married, all received the award. Their role calls for them to deploy with officers in order to provide medical assistance if needed.
At the time of the shooting, Holtry and his colleagues were searching for Marco Romero, who was suspected of another shooting earlier in the month, as well as a carjacking.
Police were ambushed in a driveway during the search, and Holtry was shot, as well as Cpl. Chris Davis and K-9 Jardo. Jardo later died as a result of his injuries.
Porter said the team jumped into action and remembered their training to perform first aid on the officers and alert a nearby hospital before transporting the officers in a squad car.
“The training paid off,” Porter said. “It was nice to see it worked like it should.”
Holtry said “it was a real honor” to recognize the paramedics.
“I can remember lying in the driveway, I remember everything going down and seeing their cool, collected heads,” Holtry said of the paramedics. “They saved my life – it doesn’t get any [simpler] than that.
Holtry and Davis received the Idaho Law Enforcement, Firefighting and EMS Medal of Honor for their actions in the shooting. Hotlry also received the Purple Heart Award and the Police Silver Star Award.