Putnam County sheriff presents medal of valor to deputy who rescued wounded woman

The Putnam County Sheriff on July 29 honored Deputy Matthew Wood with a medal of valor for his actions during a July 17 domestic-dispute call in Buffalo, where deputies exchanged gunfire with a suspect and Wood removed and administered a tourniquet to a wounded woman. The sheriff described the call, saying that “upon arrival, deputy Wood approached the residence and when entering the front door was met with gunfire,” and that Wood “was able to safely remove the victim who was losing a large amount of blood.” The sheriff told the commission, “The actions of deputy Matthew Wood undoubtedly saved the life of the female.” According to the sheriff’s account, Wood covered an exit while unsure of the suspect’s location, applied a tourniquet to control bleeding, and carried the victim to an ambulance after medics arrived. Other officers later encountered the suspect, who refused to surrender and subsequently died by suicide at the scene. The sheriff presented a medal of valor to Deputy Wood during the meeting and recognized his “selfless act of courage.” Commissioners thanked sheriff’s office personnel for their service; there was no vote or formal board action required to recognize the deputy. Why it matters: the sheriff’s description portrays a potentially life-saving intervention under hazardous conditions; the award publicly honors an officer and informs the community about the incident. The commission did not take any legislative or disciplinary action related to the event during the meeting.