Press Release

Deputies of the Month – February 2020
Deputy Angela Jones, Deputy Matthew Koonce, Deputy Keyion Laws, Deputy Robert Molinaro, and Deputy William Swales

During the early morning hours of October 31, 2019, Deputy Angela Jones was headed to work along US 41 when she was flagged down by a pedestrian in the roadway. A tractor trailer and sedan had collided. A male driver was being pulled from the sedan’s front windshield by two men. Dep. Jones used her radio to request assistance from deputies at the jail, since they would be the closest to respond. She realized those on scene were in danger due to morning traffic, poor pre-dawn light conditions, and the crash being on the curve of the road. She began directing traffic to prevent further accidents and keep the people at the crash site safe. Deputy Robert Molinaro saw the accident scene and stopped to help. He started checking on the three victims. Deputies William Swales, Matthew Koonce and Keyion Laws arrived from the jail. Deputy Koonce and Molinaro realized the sedan was leaking gasoline and were able to reach into the car and turn off the ignition. Deputy Swales, Koonce and Molinaro moved the victims away from the crash site and rendered first aide. Two victims had deep lacerations and the third victim was in and out of consciousness. The deputies used towels, shirts and even their uniforms to help stop the bleeding, later applying Quick Clot, press and field dressings while trying to keep the victims calm. Deputy Laws organized the scene, relayed pertinent information to dispatch, set up flares in the roadway and addressed arriving family members.

Each deputy played a vital role in not only helping the injured parties, but from preventing further accidents. For their combined efforts that secured the crash site and helped those with injuries, Deputies Angela Jones, Matthew Koonce, Keyion Laws, Robert Molinaro and William Swales are awarded Deputies of the Month for February 2020.