Wichita officers honored for helping save man injured in a motorcycle wreck

Wichita police Officers Benjamin J. Schaefer and Jared M. Thomas have been awarded the Kansas Association Chiefs of Police Life-saving Silver Awards for their response to an April 8 crash, the Wichita Police Department said Wednesday.

The officers found a man lying in the road after a motorcycle crash and jumped into action: one talked with him and cut away his pants to expose his wounded leg while the other grabbed a tourniquet.

They applied the tourniquet, gauze and a clotting agent while waiting for emergency medial services to arrive.

“Their actions were contributing factors to the victim being alive today,” the Police Department said in a Facebook post. “Both officers did not hesitate to step into action to prevent the victim from succumbing to their injuries. They also made sure to keep the victim calm and alert by speaking with them to gain the necessary information for EMS medics.”