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Oxford honors officer with Medal of Valor and cites dispatchers with Gold Line award
Summary
Oxford's mayor and Chief McCutcheon presented Officer Mac Higginbottom with a Medal of Valor for arresting a shooter Aug. 31; dispatchers who handled the incident received a Gold Line award for their role in crowd-control coordination.
Chief McCutcheon presented Officer Mac Higginbottom with a Medal of Valor for actions taken Aug. 31 during a crowd-control incident on North Lamar when shots were fired nearby. "Mac was where he was supposed to be, doing what he was supposed to be doing, not distracted, not complacent, but focused and vigilant," McCutcheon said, describing how Higginbottom pursued and took the shooter into custody while the shooter was still armed.
McCutcheon told the Board of Aldermen that Higginbottom’s actions "made our community safer," and noted the difficulty of measuring how many lives may have been spared. The mayor invited Higginbottom to speak but also emphasized the city's gratitude whether or not he made remarks.
The chief also recognized the city's dispatch team with a Gold Line award, saying the dispatchers were "the backbone to what we do" and crediting their handling of frantic radio traffic during the incident. Several dispatchers were named and thanked by the chief at the meeting. The board offered unanimous appreciation during the public recognition.
The presentations were ceremonial; no formal action beyond the public recognition was taken. The board proceeded to other agenda business, including routine approvals and project authorizations later in the meeting.
