Chattanooga police recognize 35 individuals in department's annual award ceremony

Thirty-five individuals - sworn officers, civilian employees and community members - were recognized Thursday night during the Chattanooga Police Department's annual awards ceremony.

The awards go to those whose actions in 2020 showed a "dedication to making Chattanooga a better, safer place to live."

Among the 16 life-saving award recipients were three officers: Sgt. Casey Cleveland and officers Michael Woodling and Britton Virden.

The award goes to officers who took action by performing CPR on non-responsive people, applying tourniquets on severe trauma patients or applying life-saving pressure to victims with gunshot wounds.

In this case, the officers rescued one of their own - Officer Joe Kerns - who'd been trapped in a basement after becoming disoriented from inhaling smoke in August while trying to arrest a burglary suspect who had set fires inside the home where he'd been barricaded.

This year's Leader of the Year award went to Lt. Danny Jones, who "was highly instrumental in leading the Chattanooga Police Department through some of its most critical times of trial and testing - the tornado from last spring, the social justice marches from last summer and his work on [the department's] response to the COVID-19 pandemic," said News Channel 9 anchor and reporter Greg Funderburg, who emceed the event.

Jones worked with the Hamilton County Health Department to develop traffic patterns for COVID-19 testing and vaccinations and helped get personal protective equipment for officers.

He is also involved in the department's peer support program, "where he has made it his personal mission [to] keep all officers mentally healthy."

From a lieutenant to a rookie, Officer Joe Fincher - who won his academy's physical fitness award in January 2020 - received the Rookie of the Year award for putting "his own life between a suspect who opened fire at him and the community that he serves."

"Every day, officers go to work never knowing what they may encounter," Funderburg said. "Fortunately for the vast majority, it may never be one of those life or death situations that we only read about or see on television. However, for this officer, his life was forever changed by a set of events that took place in October of 2020."

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Chattanooga police award ceremony

In October, Fincher returned fire after a suspect first shot at him, according to body camera footage released by the department.

The suspect, 27-year-old Brandin Keith Davis, had crashed a vehicle in the 4000 block of Shallowford Road on Oct. 30 and then ran on foot when officers arrived.

Fincher's body camera footage showed the officer run after Davis, through backyards and over chain link fences until they came up on the Circle K gas station at the intersection of Shallowford Road and North Moore Road.

"Stop! Show me your hands!" Fincher yelled as he ran toward Davis.

Three shots were fired, and Fincher ducks behind a truck.

"Shots fired, shots fired, shots fired!" he yelled over his radio before firing four times in return.

Gas station security footage showed Davis raise his firearm and shoot at Fincher, police said at the time.

Police later learned Davis had active warrants for attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, vandalism and domestic assault from Anderson County, Tennessee.

One officer, Trent Kilpatrick, was nominated for and received two awards: Field Training Officer of the Year and Patrol Officer of the Year.

Kilpatrick was recognized for taking on the role of a mentor by staying in touch with the officers he trained, even after they've finished training, and for "his compassion for total strangers."

For example, Funderburg said, Kilpatrick found a family with an infant who'd been living in their car after the father had been laid off. He had the family "follow him to a local motel, where he paid for them to stay for a week."

Two other officers recognized for their community outreach with the Spirit of Community Policing award were Sydney Hamon and Lee Mayweather.

Hamon has only been with the department for about two years, but in the past year, she "took it upon herself to spread some kindness to people who are homeless" by encouraging fellow officers to donate blankets and help distribute them to those in need.

"That effort caught the attention of a local news crew who spread the word and a few blankets turned into a few hundred," Funderburg said.

As for Mayweather, he is a "constant volunteer" with the department's program to check on elderly or disabled residents who don't have strong support systems, and he takes time to mentor children at recreation centers or churches.

During the November election, Mayweather was recognized on social media for helping older community members get to the head of the lines and then assisted some to their vehicles, "always with a smile."

This year, the top award - Officer of the Year - went to officer Kevin Orsburn.

Orsburn "goes above and beyond with everything that he does within the department" - volunteering for extra tasks while serving as a field training officer and a member of the department's Special Organized Response Team.

"If there is leftover food that is brought to the department, this officer will find a community member in need to give it to," Funderburg said, adding Orsburn buys Matchbox cars to hand out to kids any time he gets a chance.

Contact Rosana Hughes at 423-757-6327, rhughes@timesfreepress.com or follow her on Twitter @HughesRosana.