Carroll County Sheriff’s K-9 Deputy Darron Giancola and Indiana State Police Trooper Tyler Stinson from the Lafayette Post were recently awarded honors by the Indiana Sheriffs’ Association (ISA) at the annual awards dinner and program in Indianapolis on July 18, 2015. Deputy Giancola received the ISA’s Life Saving Award and Trooper Stinson received the ISA’s Five Star Valor Award. The Five Star Valor Award is given to one officer a year who is not a Sheriff’s Deputy or Sheriff. The officers were nominated for the awards by Commander of the Lafayette Post, Lieutenant Tom McKee, and Carroll County Sheriff Tobe Leazenby.
On Wednesday night October 29th, 2014, at approximately 11:37 p.m, Carroll County E911 received a report of a thirty-nine year old rural Delphi man being severely injured from either a gunshot or explosion. Deputy Giancola was the initial officer on scene and found the victim, Brian Martin, with critical injuries to his face, leg, and left arm. Deputy Giancola observed serious arterial bleeding coming from Martin’s arm. Using the victim’s own belt, Deputy Giancola applied a tourniquet to the arm, slowing the bleeding. Within moments Trooper Stinson arrived at the scene and applied a tighter, combat type tourniquet to the same injury, in essence, stopping the bleeding. Carroll County EMS personnel arrived on scene and transported Martin to an area hospital. Unfortunately, doctors were unable to reattach Martin’s severed limb but Martin did survive the incident. Martin later reported to police he had been reloading ammunition in his garage when an unknown ignition source sparked the powder he was using, causing the explosion. Medical personnel later commented had Deputy Giancola and Trooper Stinson not taken the actions they did, Martin would have more than likely succumbed to critical blood loss.
“Because of the quick thinking and actions of these two officers, Mr. Martin’s young life was preserved” Sheriff Tobe Leazenby stated. “The communities these young officers serve should feel a sense of pride in knowing these two professionals went ‘above and beyond as they worked diligently together to save this man’s life that night!”
“This is the type of actions officers are trained to do everyday” states Lt. McKee. “Law enforcement officers are trained in First Aid to assist at crashes and other circumstances that arise in their day on the job.”
Both officers had also been awarded lifesaving awards from the Indiana State Police earlier this year.
Picture one is of Trooper Stinson and his award. Picture two is of left of Deputy Giancola and Sheriff Leazenby.
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