Corpus Christi Police Department

Corpus Christi - (News Release) July 14th, Chief of Police Mike Markle awarded 7 life saving awards and 2 Certificates of Merit.

The following officers were awarded the Life Saving Ribbon for the actions they took to save a human life:

Senior Officer Joel Torrez (unable to attend), Officer Vince Gutierrez and Officer Paige Hernandez responded to a call of an individual who was bleeding heavily from the neck. These officers administered life saving first aid until medics arrived and transported him to the hospital. Their quick actions saved this individuals life.

Senior Officer Aaron Stewart, Officer Gustavo Medina and Senior Officer Tanya Box responded to the beach in reference to a shooting. The beach was extremely crowded making it difficult to quickly navigate the scene. The officers located a male that had been shot several times. The officers immediately provided first aid until medics were able to transport him to a local hospital. Their quick actions saved this individuals life.

Senior Officer Thomas Zirkle responded to a medical emergency where a male subject was unconscious and not breathing. He arrived and quickly took over performing CPR until medics arrived and transported the male to the hospital. His quick actions saved this individuals life.

Christi Police Department’s Emergency Response Unit responded to 36 calls between 2020 and 2022. During those calls, SWAT and HNT worked to ensure that highly volatile and dangerous situations were resolved without the loss of life through de-escalation, negotiation techniques, and advanced tactical training. These successful outcomes promote the Department’s emphasis on the preservation of human life and adds legitimacy that our department is part of the community, and the community is part of us. For this the SWAT and HNT were awarded the Certificate of Merit.