The Tooele County Sheriff’s Office received several awards and recognition for its contributions during the annual Utah Sheriff’s Association Banquet on Sept. 19 in St. George.
Deputy Jody Edwards was recognized as Corrections Officer of the Year for her involvement in preventing a major altercation in the Tooele County Detention Center last December.
Edwards had observed two inmates threatening to fight and intervened, stopping the fight before it began, according to Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer. After the initial altercation, Edwards continued to monitor the two inmates and overheard a plan to sharpen domino pieces into shanks using the jail’s intercom system.
A resulting search found sharpened dominos created by the inmates with the intention of using in a fight. Wimmer said Edwards vigilance and instincts helped prevent a serious attack at the jail.
Deputy Derek Brummel received the Gold Medal of Valor for his response in the armed encounter at the Clean Harbors facility. Brummel and Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Chad McCoy responded to reports of a man with a gun who made threats to blow up the hazardous waste incineration facility at Aragonite on Feb. 26.
Brummel and McCoy encountered Barry Michael Zumwalt, who was armed with what would later be determined were BB guns, and he did not respond to commands from officers. McCoy and Brummel fired on Zumwalt after he pointed the weapons at them, striking and killing him.
In May, the Tooele County Attorney’s Office ruled that Brummel and McCoy’s actions were justified.
Chief Deputy Brian White and Deputy Thomas Humphrey also received their jail commander certifications, which require 120 hours of instruction and testing of Utah Jail Standards.