GILLETTE, Wyo. — This week, the Gillette City Council recognized seven local police officers who each saved the life of a city resident — or, in one officer’s case, two.
During the council meeting on May 16, Gillette Police Officers Elizabeth Thrailkill, Keyarius Storey, Vavi Domingo, Seth Marbry, Kyle Sprague, Jeremy Dowdy and Eric Vos were all recognized for saving the life of a 23-year-old man who sustained a gunshot wound and crashed his car near Warlow Drive and North Gurley Avenue earlier this year.
According to Gillette Police Chief Chuck Deaton, Thrailkill was the first officer on the scene and put the vehicle in park. With the assistance of the other officers, the man was pulled out of the driver’s seat and given emergency aid until medical and fire personnel arrived on the scene.
Deaton said officers were performing life-saving measures for four minutes, though he said it probably felt like a lifetime for them. The 23-year-old man was transported to Campbell County Health and later flown to Rapid City, South Dakota, for treatment.
“Medical staff credited the actions of the first responders on scene as a primary reason for the male’s survival,” Deaton said, specifically the use of a tourniquet.
The man is now recovering from his injuries thanks to the excellent communication and teamwork from the involved officers, Deaton said.
Thrailkill was recognized a second time for a November 2022 incident where she responded to an emergency medical call where a resident was having a heart attack.
According to Deaton, she entered the resident’s apartment and took over CPR from a family member until emergency medical services arrived to relieve her.
“[Thrailkill] assisted EMS with their assessment,” Deaton said. “When the adult female began showing signs of life, she was transported to Campbell County Health where she spent three days and made a full recovery thanks in part to the efforts of [Thrailkill].”
