Police Officer Employee of the Month – Civilian Life Saving Award presented
At Tuesday’s City Council Meeting, two individuals were recognized for their outstanding actions.
Police Officer Lena Aguayo was awarded the city’s Employee of the Month Award and William Pursley was given the Civilian Life Saving Award.
In July, Officer Aguayo responded to a call where a 15 year-old girl had locked herself in a bathroom with a large knife. The teen’s mother told Officer Aguayo that earlier in the day the teen cut all her hair and she feared the teen would harm herself. The mother also said the teen had recently been diagnosed with cancer.
Officer Aguayo along with other officers at the scene confronted the teen and managed to disarm her.
The youth was transported to a Dallas hospital and officer Aguayo remained with the teen in the emergency room for five hours counseling her and talking about her own struggles as a teen.
Several days later, after the teen was released from the hospital, Officer Aguayo stopped by the home to check on the teen’s welfare.
One of the officers on the scene wrote in his recommendation, “Officer Aguayo’s personal initiative and unswerving devotion to duty reflected great credit unto her and were in keeping with the ideals of Commitment, Pride and Respect of the Grand Prairie Police Department.”
In October, William Pursley was inside the Korger at 514 S. Carrier when he heard a women screaming and saw her holding her lifeless child. The child had been suffocated when her sister accidently rolled up a car window on her neck.
When Pursley reached the child, she was not breathing and had no pulse. He performed CPR and was able to restore breathing and a heartbeat.
The child was transported to Children’s Medical Center for treatment and was released a few days later with no lasting effects from the accident.
Detective Alan Frizzell said in his recommendation for the Life Saving Award, “Had Mr. Pursley not reacted in such a swift manor, the child might not have survived or if she had, would have possibly suffered from long term effect from be deprived of oxygen as a result of the incident.”
