Heroic Act Award
Citation
Recipients: Deputy Ricky Pennington and Deputy Matthew Whitney
Date of Incident: March 22, 2026
Location: Washington, Hempstead County,
The Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office hereby recognizes Deputy Ricky Pennington and Deputy Matthew Whitney for their exceptional courage, decisive action, and life-saving efforts during an emergency response to a severe animal attack on March 22, 2026.
At approximately 11:17 a.m., Deputies Pennington and Whitney responded to a reported dog attack involving a young child who had sustained critical injuries and significant blood loss. Upon arrival, the deputies immediately assessed the severity of the situation and rendered urgent medical aid under high-stress and rapidly evolving conditions.
Deputy Pennington swiftly applied a tourniquet to the child’s injured leg, effectively controlling life-threatening hemorrhaging. Concurrently, Deputy Whitney administered bandaging to the child’s head wounds to further stabilize the victim. Their prompt and coordinated actions were instrumental in preserving the child’s life until advanced medical personnel arrived on scene.
As the situation continued to develop, the deputies also responded to a second attack by the same animal, during which an additional individual was injured. Faced with an immediate and ongoing threat to human life, Deputy Pennington took decisive action to neutralize the animal, thereby preventing further harm.
The professionalism, training, and composure demonstrated by Deputies Pennington and Whitney directly contributed to the survival and stabilization of the injured child and the protection of others present. Their actions reflect the highest standards of law enforcement service and exemplify the commitment of the Hempstead County Sheriff’s Office to the preservation of life.
For their outstanding performance and life-saving intervention, Deputy Pennington and Deputy Whitney are hereby awarded the Heroic Act Award.
Presented this 26 day of March, 2026