Okaloosa County EMS Division Chief Darrel Welborn received Okaloosa Countyโs award for heroism after defending civilians from a machete-wielding attacker earlier this year.ย
On June 3rd, the narrative for the citation reads, Welborn was helping EMS units in the area of the Okaloosa Boardwalk when โhe was flagged down by a frantic wife of a victim who had just been struck with a machete by an unidentified subject in a seemingly random, unprovoked act of violence.โ
The narrative adds that Welborn triaged the victim and then realized that the attacker hadnโt left the area. The chief called law enforcement put on tactical gear and engaged the suspect – distracting him long enough for law enforcement to arrive by โverbally engagingโ the suspect.ย
According to an Okaloosa County Sheriffโs Office New Release, the suspect was later shot and killed by sheriffโs deputies, ending the situation.ย
Welborn, a longtime veteran of Okaloosa EMS received the award from Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mel Ponder at a meeting of the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners July 5th.ย
โIโm honored to be able to serve this community – our visitors and our citizens. The first two words in our mission statement are โwe protect,โโ said Welborn โthatโs the essence of the award. We protect our citizens and we protect our visitors. And I was glad to be there that day to be able to assist.โ
โDarrelโs being humble,โ said Public Safety Director Patrick Maddox of Welborn, โItโs my honor to have you working for me.โ
Sheriff Eric Aden also attended the award ceremony on behalf of the Okaloosa County Sheriffโs Office. He glowed with praise for Welbornโs handling of the June 3rd incident and the Chiefโs handling of the EMS operation more generally as well. โDarrel has served this community for decades now and I came up as a young deputy when he was already with EMS. We are fortunate that it is a team effort, Sheriff Aden said. โDarrel puts himself in harms way, not because he has to, but because it is a calling.โ
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