Author: Jerry Higgins, Communications Officer
RALEIGH -- District 28 (Asheville) Probation and Parole Officer Kalla Hughley has been recognized for her life-saving efforts at last June’s Juneteenth Festival in Asheville by One Voice United with the Bronze Medal of Honor.
PPO Hughley was nominated by NCDAC staff and named as an award winner. She will be recognized at the national awards banquet April 26 in Chicago.
Last June 17, PPO Hughley attended the festival with her family when she noticed a group of teenagers arguing. She approached the group, and as she did, one of the young men shot another in close proximity to her. PPO Hughley observed the shooter running away but provided first aid to the victim. She applied a temporary tourniquet to the victim’s leg, applied pressure to the wound, and kept the victim calm until emergency medical responders arrived. PPO Hughley then provided the information to Asheville Police about what she witnessed.
“This is a perfect example of how our probation/parole officers never hesitate to assist in emergency situations,” said Tracy K. Lee, deputy secretary of Community Supervision. Officer Hughley is commended for her life-saving efforts and is most deserving of this award. I’m very proud of her.”
Asheville Police Captain Joe Silberman, who leads the department’s investigative division, told WLOS-TV the victim was lucky to have someone like PPO Hughley there who was trained how to stop the bleeding.
“There happened to be an off-duty probation and patrol officer (Hughley),” Capt. Silberman told WLOS. “That person had training able to create a makeshift tourniquet to stop the victim’s bleeding. They likely saved that child’s life.”
While he was not honored, PPO Timothy Pittman was on duty and neared the end of his shift when he heard a call of an active shooter on his radio. He responded, met with the police and assisted with crowd control and secured the area with crime scene tape.
After that, PPO Pittman heard a call for help from the police regarding crowd control at the local hospital where the shooting victims were taken. Once at the hospital, PPO Pittman assisted local law enforcement and hospital security with crowd control until the situation was under control.
One Voice United is a group dedicated to giving correctional officers and staff a voice in national conversations about corrections and criminal justice.