Local News

City employees honored for heroism

ELKINS -- The City of Elkins and Mayor Van Broughton presented three separate keys to the city to a trio of Sanitation Department employees Tuesday for their heroic efforts to intervene during an alleged assault on a child last week.

During a ceremony in City Hall's council chambers, Brandon Harris, Brian Jenkins and Zachary Ketterman were all presented their keys and honored as Broughton, Elkins Police Chief Travis Bennett and EPD Patrolman Kevin Shiflett all spoke about the good deeds the three employees had performed.

It all began with a 911 call Friday afternoon that reported a woman was attempting to drown a child in a mud puddle close to the city Sanitation Department building. At the time the three workers were inside the building and heard sounds of distress outside. Once they exited the facility to investigate, they reportedly saw a woman struggling with a small boy.

Before police arrived on the scene, the three workers had removed the child from the woman and brought him inside the Sanitation building, officials said. Once inside, the three locked the doors and performed basic first aid on the wet, shivering child, whose lips were turning blue because of the frigid temperatures outside, according to a City of Elkins press release. The three workers dried the child and wrapped him in their own articles of clothing in an attempt to keep him warm.

Once on the scene, Shiflett instructed the men to put the child inside his patrol car where the heat was running.

It was at this time Shiflett and Officer Patrolman First Class William Butcher, who was also on the scene, learned that the female, who allegedly assaulted the child, had returned to the scene outside the building, according to the press release.

When the two officers attempted to contact the suspect, who was later identified as Catherine Briggs, 20, of Elkins, they were charged at by the female, who was tased, restrained and placed under arrest, the press release states.

"Many people stand by and just let things happen and won't cooperate with us when we are trying to investigate," Shiflett said while speaking to the three workers during Tuesday's ceremony. "That's why I want to thank you three personally for reminding me about the good side of this community and the good people I'm in this job to protect. You saw a child in danger and you didn't hesitate to step in, not knowing if the perpetrator might turn on you and do you harm.

"It is people like you that inspire me to work even harder to do what little I can to keep Elkins safer for everyone. Thank you for your courage and compassion. You will always have my respect for what you have done."

Briggs was charged with child abuse creating serious injury or death and was taken to Tygarts Valley Regional Jail, where she is being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond. The child was taken to the Davis Medical Center Emergency Department and was later released, officials said.

"I'd like to thank you on behalf of the Elkins Police Department for your actions Friday afternoon," Bennett told the trio. "When people are faced with distressful, dangerous situations they respond in many different ways. Some people will turn a blind eye and act like it never happened, some will freeze and do nothing, and some people will act. You gentlemen chose to act and in doing so changed the outcome of a dangerous situation for a young child."

Shiflett also said that Donald Huffman, a property manager of a nearby apartment building next to the crime scene, assisted the investigation.

"Mr. Huffman contacted me to advise that their cameras had captured footage of the incident," says Shiflett. "Mr. Huffman provided me with a clear video that's really going to help make our case in court."

Huffman was also recognized by the mayor and the City Police during the ceremony on Tuesday.