It was about 10 a.m. on an early January day when Sergeant Justin Butler and Officer Marcus Wicks were called to respond to an incident involving a gunshot. When they arrived on scene, they found a man with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the upper thigh. “As soon as the call came out, the first thing I thought was ‘tourniquet,’” Sergeant Butler said. “Once we established it was an accidental wound, we jumped right into action. It was a split-second decision.” It was later determined that the tourniquet application is what saved the man’s life. Sergeant Butler and Officer Wicks were fortunate to have the tourniquets at their disposal, as they were just purchased for the department in December. Police Chief Greg Dagnan said the tourniquets were paid for with an annual donation to the department and are typically thought of as tools for officers to use on themselves or other officers in combat situations. “We thought the tourniquets would be a smart addition to our department, and they were,” Chief Dagnan said. “Had it not been for this new tool and the quick actions of Sergeant Butler and Officer Wicks, that person likely would have bled out.” Officer Wicks and Sergeant Butler are the first two officers to receive the Life Saving Award, a new commendation for which Chief Dagnan said the department is still developing an official policy. The officers were presented the awards at a city council. “There are some specific criteria for the award we need to work through, but we didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to recognize these officers,” Chief Dagnan said. Sergeant Butler is a Carthage native who he decided to pursue a career in law enforcement after volunteering with Katrina recovery efforts in 2005. “That experience ignited a fire in me to want to go out and help the community,” Sergeant Butler said. “After I came back, I knew exactly what the next step was for me. I actually wanted to be a firefighter, but I was recruited by the police captain at the time to join the department.” Officer Wicks grew up in Kansas City and attended Missouri Southern State University, where he earned his criminal justice degree. “I like being in the community and being that person that people can go to for help,” Officer Wicks said. “It’s a fulfilling job, and I love working here.” Officer Wicks and Sergeant Butler now don a red, white and blue pin above their right breast pocket to signify the recognition. “It means a lot to me to earn this,” Officer Wicks said. “It’s gratifying to know that I was able to use my training and save someone’s life.” “It’s not something necessarily that someone might want to try and achieve, but it’s an honor to receive it,” Sergeant Butler added. “I’m glad to work for an agency that can provide us tools to do our job more effectively.”