Washington, DC—The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund announced the selection of Deputy US Marshals (DUSMs) Matthew Barger, Michael Cifu, Andrew Kottke, and Frank Morales as the recipients of its Officer of the Month Awards for January 2015 at a certificate presentation at the US Court of Appeals Ceremonial Courthouse.
In attendance at today’s presentation, in addition to the DUSMs, was Chief Judge Eric T. Washington, United States Marshal for the Superior Court Michael Hughes, National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Chairman and Chief Executive Officers Craig W. Floyd and Ms. Valerie Tillet, who was saved by the four DUSMs in the incident.
Located in the nation’s capital, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to telling the story of American law enforcement and making it safer for those who serve. The Memorial Fund’s Officer of the Month Award Program began in 1996 and recognizes federal, state, and local officers who distinguish themselves through exemplary law enforcement service and devotion to duty.
Deputy US Marshals Barger, Cifu, Kottke, and Morales, along with the other Officer of the Month Award recipients for 2015 will be honored at a special awards ceremony in Washington, DC, in May 2016, during National Police Week. In addition, their stories of service and heroism will be featured in the Memorial Fund’s annual calendar.
Key Facts
- On Friday, June 6, 2014, Valerie Tillet, a District of Columbia Court employee, was returning from her lunch break when she was struck by a dump truck while traversing a crosswalk. Witnesses at the scene watched in horror as the dump truck then began to backup, pinning the woman and crushing her legs.
- DUSMs Matthew Barger and Michael Cifu were returning to the Moultrie Courthouse from their lunch break when they came upon the scene. The two immediately ran to help Ms. Tillet, who had suffered severe injuries to her lower extremities and was losing blood profusely.
- DUSMs Barger and Cifu assessed the situation and utilized their training and experience to render first aid, including the use of an improvised tourniquet to try and stop her massive blood loss.
- DUSMs Andrew Kottke and Frank Morales arrived on the scene soon after the incident. Surveying the chaos of the scene and the growing number of on-lookers, DUSMs Kottke and Morales took control of the scene and began relaying information to emergency medical and law enforcement personnel.
- Upon their arrival, District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services (DC Fire/EMS) personnel praised the lifesaving work of DUSMs Barger and Cifu. The responding medics stated that if the care rendered by DUSMs Barger and Cifu had not been provided, the Ms. Tillet would have had a drastically reduced chance of survival.
- The supporting roles of DUSMs Kottke and Morales were instrumental in maintaining the safety of all parties involved. Without the efforts of DUSMs Kottke and Morales, it would have been impossible for DUSMs Barger and Cifu to focus on providing first aid to Ms. Tillet.
Supporting Quotes
- “This day is an amazing day and I’m here to celebrate the ones that God used to save my life, my angels. When I think about that day, I never saw their faces but I could hear their voices. I want to say thank you not only to these fine gentlemen for the work they did … they answered the call. They could have kept going, but they didn’t. So I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. God bless you,” Ms. Tillet shared with friends, family and co-workers in attendance.
- “The U.S. Marshals Service commends deputy marshals Barger, Cifu, Kottke and Morales on their vigilance, demeanor, situational awareness and execution of critical care in this tragic incident,” said Supervisory Deputy United States Marshal Aaron Sawyer. “These deputy marshals’ outstanding performance exemplifies the standards and expectations of the U. S. Marshals Service.”
- “These officers’ quick actions and police training and instincts enabled them to save the life of this citizen,” said Memorial Fund Chairman & CEO Craig Floyd. “They are truly heroes to their community and they deserve to be recipients of our January 2015 Officer of the Month Award.”
For more information about the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s Officer of the Month Award, visit www.LawMemorial.org/OTM.