Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Police Chief Sterling Owen today awarded the department's Life Saving Award to Officer Preston Whillock. Officer Whillock has been with the department since June 2006.

Chief Owen said that on March 31, 2007 at approximately 3:10 a.m., Officer Whillock responded to the parking lot of a Millertown Pike business to investigate a stabbing. When Officer Whillock arrived he discovered a severely injured male who had been stabbed in the throat. The victim was lying in a pool of blood next to a blood soaked car, unresponsive, and bleeding profusely from the wound. The victim's girlfriend had wrapped a shirt around the victim's neck so tightly that it was cutting off his airway. Officer Whillock removed the shirt allowing the victim to breath then reapplied the shirt correctly to help slow the bleeding. Officer Whillock continued to give emergency first aid until the Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT's) arrived to transport the victim to the hospital.

Due to the critical condition of the victim, the EMT's advised that they did not believe the victim would survive his injury.

Chief Owen said, "Had it not been for the quick response and first aid given to the victim by Officer Whillock, the victim would not have survived."

Mayor Haslam said, "We thank Officer Whillock for his actions in saving the life of this victim."
Officer Whillock will receive a signed certificate from the mayor and chief along with a free dinner from the Bayou Bay Seafood House.