By quickly taking action and applying a tourniquet to a man seriously injured by a wild animal, Officer Dustin Medeiros was able to save the life of a Captain Cook man. For his swift actions in responding to this incident, the Kona Crime Prevention Committee (KCPC) honored Officer Medeiros as their Officer of the Month for September 2021 on Friday, Sept. 24, 2021, during a ceremony at the Kona Police Station.

On June 24, Officer Medeiros responded to a report of a man who had been seriously injured when a feral pig attacked him without warning while he was walking on his coffee farm in Captain Cook. The man sustained large lacerations to his thigh and calf and was experiencing significant blood loss. Immediately recognizing the severity of the situation, Officer Medeiros applied his department-issued tourniquet to the man’s leg to stem the bleeding. The victim was then transported to Kona Community Hospital.

KCPC lauded Officer Medeiros for his professionalism and high level of composure in acting quickly during a life-threatening situation.

Every month the Kona Crime Prevention Committee honors a police officer in west Hawaii as their Officer of the Month. Officers are nominated by their supervisors from the various police districts and a winner is selected by the KCPC board of directors. KCPC holds a monthly luncheon to honor the officer, however, due to Covid safety guidelines, this month’s event was held at the Kona Police Station. All officers selected for Officer of the Month are eligible to be selected as the Kona Crime Prevention Committee’s Officer of the Year. 

Pictured: Officer Dustin Medeiros and KCPC Board President Barbara Kossow