Mike Cecchini, left, and Brandon Murphy display Murphy's MACP Medal of Honor awarded last month.

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MURPHY HONORED: Bay City Public Safety Officer Gets Top Award

Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police Lauds Local Man

July 8, 2016
By: Dave Rogers

Bay City Public Safety Director Mike Cecchini and Public Safety Officer Brandon Murphy attended the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police (MACP) Summer Professional Development Conference recently where PSO Murphy was awarded the MACP Police Medal of Honor.

This is the highest award the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police may bestow upon a law enforcement officer, officers of the organization said. The Medal of Honor is awarded to a law enforcement officer who voluntarily distinguishes him/herself by extraordinary heroism.

The officer must be fully aware of the imminent threat to his/her personal safety by another human being, who is actively trying to kill or do great bodily harm to the officer, and must have acted above and beyond the call of duty at the risk of his/her own life.

On Feb. 2 Murphy tracked a home invasion suspect's footprints through freshly fallen snow, encountering him in the 1600 block of Fourth Street at 1:36 a.m. The suspect responded to Murphy's orders by pulling a gun and opening fire on him, striking him once in the left thigh, police said.

Murphy returned fire, police said. Cecchini said the suspect was struck by three of Murphy's bullets, the rounds hitting him in the abdomen, neck, and one shoulder. The 17-year-old later died at a hospital in Flint.

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