Amanda Forrester / news@whmi.com

The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office has received national recognition for their response to the 2024 Rochester Hills splash pad shooting.

The Sheriff’s Office was awarded the Captain Frank Butler Casualty Care Award for “outstanding medical efforts” during the shooting at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad on June 15, 2024. The award, which was shared with the Rochester Hills Fire Department, was given during the 8th annual North American Assailant Conference in Troy.

“I am incredibly proud of our team members and partners with the Rochester Hills Fire Department,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. “Their actions, in my opinion, saved lives on that fateful day. We hope and pray to never experience such tragic events, but in our line of work, that is not a viable strategy; preparation is our strategy. In this instance, it proved its worth.”

The award is named after Captain Frank Butler, who served as a medical doctor and a U.S. Navy Seal. He is considered the father of tactical combat casualty care.

Five tourniquets were applied during the response to the shooting, with four applied by Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Joe Ashley.

Nine people, including three children, were shot in a “random” shooting by 42-year-old Michael Willam Nash, of Shelby Township. Nash took his own life shortly after the shooting.

The conference is the largest event “dedicated to improving emergency response to active violence” in the world.