Dozens of local heroes were honoured in Calgary Thursday night at the annual Police Chief’s Awards Gala. Some of them risked their own lives to save complete strangers, while others jumped into action when no one else would help.
During a drive by shooting on one of Calgary’s busiest roads Kallen Carothers was hit and dying. In middle of the gunfire, Paris Hazelwanter, who works as a nurse, was driving home from work.
“One car opened fire on the car next to it, and then they proceeded to speed off,” a man got out of the passenger side of the vehicle and he took off running. There was then several more gunshots that were fired.”
Hazelwanter saw Kallen Carothers and didn’t hesitate to jump into action to try and save the young woman.
“I got up and ran over to her. She was unconscious, but she still had a pulse and she was breathing,” recalls Carothers.
“I gave her CPR until fire and EMS arrived.”
Hazelwanter was recognized for her valour. She is one of a select group of Calgarians being honoured for bravery with a Chief’s Award.
Calgary Police Chief, Roger Chaffin said it was a heartwarming night for Calgarians who have gone above and beyond.
“Nobody gets their day started thinking this is going to happen to them, that they’re going to be involved in one of these things.”
WATCH: CPS Chief Constable Roger Chaffin, Chief’s Awards
Four young men, also honoured with a chief’s award were longboarding in the parkade of Chinook Centre when they jumped into action.
One of those men, Carsyn Wright said they acted on their instinct.
“The guy was dressed in very nice clothes like he would be here tonight, and the girl was all dirty, she was crying, her nose was bleeding,” Wright said.
They watched the man take the teenage girl into a stairwell. Minutes later they decided to check on her and stopped a sexual assault in progress.
“You can’t just leave a girl and like she was young, 15 years old. She needed help and we needed to be there for her.”
Each of these award recipients just wanted to do the right thing, and help someone else in need.
“Instinct took over I guess, I saw someone that needed help and I just did everything I could to help her.”
-With files from Nancy Hixt