Four Katy Police Department officers were honored at the Aug. 26 City Council meeting for saving the lives of two citizens.

Officer Robert McQurter was credited with thwarting a suicide attempt, and officers Matt Newport, Jeff Querbach and Bradley Bucklew were recognized for their action in stymying blood loss from a self-inflicted gunshot wound victim.

McQurter was working an approved security detail at Methodist West Hospital when he was informed that there was a person on the sixth floor of the parking garage “acting strange”.

“(The hospital) advised that a gentleman was up on the sixth floor, walking back and forth on the ledge,” McQurter recalled.

When McQurter arrived at the scene, he saw a man sitting on the ledge with his legs hanging over the side. “His hands were in the position to basically jump off,” said McQurter. “I was able to basically sneak up behind him and pull him back down to level-ground.”

According to Katy Police Chief Noe Diaz, the potential jumper was under duress from the death of a loved one. “The guy had recently lost a relative, so he was under a lot of emotional stress,” Diaz said.

McQurter said that his training kicked in as he approached the man. “At the time, I was just trying to run scenarios through my head of what could happen and the best plan to get him down where both of us were safe,” he said.

“Robert took it upon himself and did a fantastic job, and we want to recognize his valor for doing the right thing and for saving a life,” Diaz said.

At the same council meeting, Newport, Querbach and Bucklew were commended for saving the life of an individual who shot himself, according to police.

On July 31, the three officers responded to a call from EMS that a man was experiencing severe bleeding from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The officers were the first on scene, and they found the victim in his garage. Diaz credited the officers’ immediate actions for saving the victim’s life.

The officers identified the entry and exit points from the bullet and packed the wounds using special kits and their severe-bleed training. “They put the gauze on… and they essentially used their own fingers to stuff the wound and therefore saving the guy's life,” said Diaz.

According to Diaz, the ER doctor that treated the victim called the police station and stated that the bullet had pierced the victim’s subclavian artery. “He said that had (the officers) not done it, the person would have bled to death, probably in the chopper,” said Diaz. “It was a really serious injury, and they did a fine job.”

Diaz also noted that the responding officers not only treated the victim, they also comforted the victim’s family, who were at home at the time of the incident. “They had a 6-year-old child there, and probably the biggest dog I've ever seen in my life barking,” Diaz stated. “But they were able to come in and calm the wife and get the little 6-year-old boy to where he needed to be.”

Diaz expressed pride in his officers, not only for their actions, but for their character. “They’re great police officers, but more importantly, they’re great dads, husbands and peers for our younger police men and women,” he said.