Soddy-Daisy Police Department Sgt. Billy Petty shakes the hand of Officer Marty Petty as he is presented with the Life Saving Award.While working a recent night shift, Sgt. Billy Petty of the Soddy-Daisy Police Department said he received a call that Officer Marty Penny had been injured while working an accident that occurred that night on the steep portion of Hyatte Road.
The accident involved a young woman who had been driving with her two children in the car, which began to slide after Penny arrived on the scene. Fearing it would roll down the hill, he held the car so the woman and her children could exit safely.
Just after they got out of the car, it did begin to roll, hitting Penny on its way down the hill. Though he sustained no serious injuries, he put his life at risk to save the lives of the mother and children in the car, who were unharmed, said Petty.
For his selfless act of service that night, Petty and SDPD acting Chief Jeff Gann presented Penny with a Life Saving Award at the Soddy-Daisy City Commission meeting held Aug. 18.
Commissioner Jim Adams commented that with everything being reported in the media currently relating to police officers, it is nice to have Penny's story serve as an example of the positive work officers do in the city.
"I know what you guys do, and I appreciate it," he said.
Petty added that Penny is a huge asset on his shift.
"There's no telling how many pounds of drugs he's kept out of our high school," Petty said of Penny, who serves as the K-9 handler for SDPD.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.