Hollister police officer to receive award for life-saving actions

Hollister Police Officer Carlos Rodriguez will receive the Inter-Service Recognition Award from the California Emergency Medical Services Authority next month in recognition of his life-saving actions in response to a July shooting in Hollister. 

The awards program honors special accomplishments, meritorious and heroic acts, innovations or fresh ideas to improve Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in the state, or other unique and/or significant contributions by EMS personnel, physicians, nurses, EMTs, other medical providers, members of the law enforcement community, citizens, and first responders. 

On July 6, Officer Rodriguez was one of the first officers to arrive at a local gas station after there was a report of shots fired in the area. He entered the still-chaotic scene and quickly located two men who were suffering from serious gunshot wounds. Both men were shot in the chest and one of them was also shot in an arm and was bleeding profusely. Despite not knowing if there were any shooters still in the area and while other Hollister officers provided cover, Rodriguez immediately began life-saving treatments to both men. He applied bandages and used a tourniquet to stop the victims from bleeding out. Both shooting victims their injuries. 

The recognition will be awarded to Rodriguez during a special ceremony in San Francisco in December. In a press release, the department said it is “very proud of Officer Carlos Rodriguez and we join in congratulating him for this recognition.”