June 10, 2016
2015 James Henderson Award Winners Named
Commissioner : Homer Bryson
Director of Public Affairs : Joan Heath
Sergeants Anthony Dominy and Austin Adams and Officers Thomas Melton, Darius Wilson, and Mike Eaddy Honored
FORSYTH, Ga. – The Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) presented Tactical Squad members Sergeant Anthony Dominy, Sergeant Austin Adams, Officer Thomas Melton, Officer Darius Wilson, and Officer Mike Eaddy with the James Henderson Memorial Award at the 12th Annual GDC Awards ceremony on June 9 at GDC Headquarters in Forsyth, Ga.
“We are honored to recognize the commitment of Sgt. Dominy, Sgt. Adams, Officer Melton, Officer Wilson, and Officer Eaddy,” said Commissioner Homer Bryson. “Tactical Squads must be ready to mobilize upon command and move quickly to restore the law and protect the public, and these five men did just that.”
The James Henderson Award was created to honor the memory of Correctional Officer James Henderson of Georgia State Prison for placing service above self and extraordinary bravery beyond the call of duty. Officer Henderson died on June 3, 2002 of injuries sustained in the line of duty. He was a valued officer at Georgia State Prison from 1994 –2002.
While returning from a Commissioner’s Challenge, the five TACT members were the first on the scene of a three-car accident involving a U-Haul, two vehicles and five people. They displayed courage and selfless service in aiding the injured until emergency personnel could respond.
Several key officials were on hand for the ceremony, which was attended by more than 200 guests. Making the award presentation with Chief of Staff Greg Dozier were Assistant Commissioner of Administration & Finance Scott Poitevint, Assistant Commissioner of Facilities Timothy C. Ward, Assistant Commissioner of Inmate Services Dr. L.C. ‘Buster’ Evans and keynote speaker Randall Godfrey.
The GDC has one of the largest prison systems in the U.S. and is responsible for supervising nearly 52,000 state prisoners. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 10,500 employees.
For more information on the GDC call 478-992-5247 or visit https://gdc.georgia.gov.