AL HJR341

Recognizes Officer Zachary Blanton of the Decatur City Police Department as a nominee for the 2014 Alabama Legislative Medal of Honor for Law Enforcement, Alabama's highest law enforcement award.

Officer Blanton responded to a domestic violence call on June 28, 2013, where he found a residence engulfed in flames and heavy smoke with Sandra Coleman and one child outside.

Without waiting for other responders to arrive, Officer Blanton ran into the smoke-filled residence and guided Mrs. Coleman's eight-year-old son to safety, then returned to rescue the child's puppy.

Due to Officer Blanton's actions, Mrs. Coleman, her children, and their pet were unharmed; he also helped locate and arrest the ex-boyfriend for domestic violence.

Officer Blanton received the Medal of Merit, the Decatur City Police Department's second highest honor, and is directed to receive a copy of this resolution as a token of the legislature's admiration and esteem.