Austin Police honor life‑saving actions, promotions and unit work; homicide unit cites 100% clearance for 2023

Robin Henderson, chief of staff for the Austin Police Department, opened the department’s quarterly awards ceremony and invited the assembled officers, staff and family members to recognize colleagues for promotions, life‑saving interventions and unit accomplishments.

"This is a packed house," Henderson said, outlining the program and inviting Senior Chaplain Crayola Burns to lead an invocation. Burns prayed for continued guidance and protection for APD personnel, urging "kindness" and thanking the awards committee for taking time to recognize staff.

Chief Davis praised supervisors and the employees who wrote commendations, calling the nominees’ work "impressive" and urging continued recognition of good work across the department. The ceremony included service milestones for 5‑, 10‑, 15‑ and 20‑year employees, multiple promotions in forensics and emergency communications, and presentations of life‑saving and meritorious service citations.

Presenters read awards for on‑scene medical interventions, including officers who applied tourniquets and performed extended CPR that nominators credited with preventing deaths. One citation described an officer who applied two tourniquets to control life‑threatening bleeding of a juvenile; another recounted multiple officers who provided emergency care that kept a shooting victim alive until transport.

The ceremony also highlighted complex investigations and large‑scale responses. A presenter recounted the March 13, 2025 crash on northbound IH‑35 that involved an 18‑wheeler and multiple vehicles, left five people dead (including two children) and drew a federal NTSB response; speakers praised officers’ scene control and investigative work.

Commander Early described the work of the homicide unit and said reaching families and closing cases was a high priority. "The Austin Police homicide unit has achieved a 100% clearance rate for all homicides committed in 2023," the presenter said, adding that the unit closed all 20 investigations from that year and noting the national 2023 clearance rate of 57.8% cited for context.

Awards for bravery and valor recognized officers who made emergency entries, interrupted active threats and rescued hostages. Several Purple Heart and Purple Heart with Valor awards were presented for officers seriously injured in the line of duty, including one officer who sustained multiple facial fractures and likely permanent central vision loss after being struck during an arrest.

The event closed with a roll call of retirements and a final thank you from Chief Davis. Emcee Henderson reminded supervisors to collect awards for personnel not present and invited family members to take photos with honorees.

The awards ceremony was largely ceremonial; no formal policy actions or votes were taken. The department emphasized recognition, shared operational examples of lifesaving and coordinated responses, and highlighted the homicide unit’s investigative milestone.

Sources: remarks and citations read at the APD quarterly awards ceremony (see timeline), including an invocation by Chaplain Crayola Burns and closing remarks by Chief Davis.