Colorado AG recognizes civilians and first responders who responded to Planned Parenthood shooting
Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman and Mayor John Suthers honored individuals and agencies that responded to November’s Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado Springs.
The ceremony happened at 11 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall. Mayor Suthers presented the “Spirit of the Springs Award” to six civilians who acted selflessly to protect lives and treat victims.
“On November 27th of last year, our city experienced a great tragedy,” said Mayor John Suthers.
In the face of that tragedy heroism unfolded.
“It is that on the blackest of Fridays in Colorado Springs, Colorado, we understood and knew that heroes are at work among us,” said Coffman.
Michael Hagiwara just happened to be on scene with his 3 year-old daughter.
“We took shelter, but we had a view of the lobby and I could see a woman come in covered with blood and collapse,” said Hagiwara.
His natural instincts took over.
“I am by profession an emergency nurse and clearly I was not going to fix this, but felt I could do something,” said Hagiwara.
He was just one of six civilians honored for their bravery. Brdiget Holisky helped a woman who was shot.
“I have a military background so to me this is what I’m trained to do. You don’t think about yourself in a situation like that, you just take care of the people who need it,” said Holisky.
Another civilian honored was the assistant manager of the King Soopers next to Planned parenthood. The woman helped put hundreds of customers at ease the day of the shooting.
“People don’t come to the grocery store and expect to stay for six hours, so we knew we had to do something. We fed people, opened the deli up, gave them Starbucks and food,” said Kathy Stark.
“Police recognize the actions of the King Soopers team as vital in protecting a large number of citizens,” said Mayor Suthers.
It was just as vital were those who went above and beyond the call of duty.
The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Police Department, the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado Springs Fire Department were among the agencies recognized.
“These are the heroes who walk among us, they wear a badge and a gun and always there for us,” said Coffman.
Suthers also took time to pay tribute to the three people who were killed. Forty-Four-year-old UCCS Officer Garrett Swasey, 35-year-old mother Jennifer Markovsky and 29-year-old war veteran Ke’arre Stewart.
