Deputies Honored For Saving Officer After Shots Fired In Cantonment

November 22, 2015

Two Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputes have been awarded Medals of Courage for their actions to save another deputy after he was shot at in Cantonment last September.

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office responded to the 1500 block of Crystal Drive to assist EMS after the 19-year-old’s family thought he was having a heart attack. Sheriff David Morgan said the family believed the man had ingested some type of narcotics.

EMS was standing by and the family had been locked out of the house. Deputy Ty Brewton attempted contact with the suspect by knocking at the front door and was immediately met with rifle gunfire through the door. Due to the rural nature of the location, Deputy Brewton was forced into a dangerous area where he had very little concealment, no cover and no easy means of escape due to the suspect shooting continuously through the windows of the house.

Senior Deputy John Holcombe and Deputy Sheriff Kaleb Svoboda arrived on scene to assist. They immediately, without hesitation, volunteered to effect an officer rescue. While shots were still being fired. Deputies Holcombe and Svoboda approached the house knowing that the suspect had a superior weapon firing at them from a concealed position within the house. Deputies Holcombe and Svoboda had worked their way into a position near Brewton when the suspect came out the front door and confronted them just as they were able to physically lift Brewton over a privacy fence and cover his egress to safety.

After leaving the incident, Holcombe noticed that he had been seriously injured on his left leg. Holcombe had a puncture-type wound and he responded to the emergency room where the doctor informed him that he had been hit by a shot fired from the suspect. The injury required 14 stitches to close.

Holcombe and were awarded the Medal of Courage for displaying exceptional courage and selflessness in the midst of great personal danger.

The suspect in the incident, Christopher Allen Payne, remains in the Escambia County Jail awaiting trial on charges including two counts of attempted first degree premeditated murder and three counts of assault on officer.

Pictured top: Deputies John Holcombe and Kaleb Svoboda were award the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Medal of Courage for saving a fellow deputy that was being fired on repeatedly during a September incident in Cantonment. Courtesy photo. Pictured inset and below: The incident scene last September. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

15 Responses to “Deputies Honored For Saving Officer After Shots Fired In Cantonment”

  1. BLANCHE on November 25th, 2015 10:29 am

    THANKS TO ALL THE MEN WHO PROTECT US GOD BLESS YOU ALL

  2. KEN on November 25th, 2015 10:28 am

    Great job Deputies, These men and women risk their lives everyday for us, most with very little thanks. They all need our prayers to keep them safe from harm. stay safe all First Responders !

  3. Tim on November 25th, 2015 8:44 am

    Great job, Brothers! Courage in the Line of Fire! God Bless and Be Safe!

  4. Kevin Vickrey on November 23rd, 2015 7:37 pm

    Proud of you John Holcombe!! Stay Safe

  5. john on November 23rd, 2015 7:27 pm

    Great job officers a lot of folks around here care and appreciate you guys, it is truly a small percentage that think otherwise, that the liberal media portray.

  6. billy on November 23rd, 2015 6:08 pm

    Hey thanks deputies………God bless you man

  7. Gary on November 23rd, 2015 5:02 pm

    I have known John for years and have ridden with him many, many times. Great deputy and person. I have seen him respond many times to so many different situations from helping people to arresting the really bad ones.

    Honor, courage, grace and very professional. Sorry to hear about the gunshot but it doesn’t surprise me he went in to help a fellow deputy with his own life on the line. Way To Go Pisano!

  8. Tom on November 23rd, 2015 12:19 pm

    As usual, great job guys !!

  9. Tom on November 23rd, 2015 12:18 pm

    Too bad Christopher Allen Payne isn’t studying the root structure of plants rather than being in jail !!

  10. dman on November 23rd, 2015 9:35 am

    Great job gentlemen. Thank you for your service, and thank God you all came through that one without many scrapes.

  11. Robert Wheeler on November 22nd, 2015 1:48 pm

    Great Job to all three officers. I grew up with Officer John Holcumb and I am proud of his service, his sacrifice and so glad they are all safe.

  12. F Brewton on November 22nd, 2015 12:44 pm

    Thank you to these two brave deputies for saving our son Ty’s life. God was looking out for all these brave men and women that day. They all need our prayers to keep them safe from harm
    so they can go home to their families.

  13. EMD on November 22nd, 2015 4:36 am

    Awesome! Glad they are all okay. Thank you LEOs,
    for what you do everyday. It is appreciated.

  14. Jane on November 22nd, 2015 3:51 am

    These men and women risk their lives everyday for us. They help us, keep us safe and they deserve our respect and our thanks for everything they do!

  15. Esc co Leo on November 22nd, 2015 3:21 am

    Deputy Holcombe has been serving the cantonment area for nearly ten years. Great job to both of the deputies.