Lavonia Police Officers Schulman and Martin Awarded Purple Heart for Bravery

Two Lavonia Police officers, wounded in December in the line of duty are returning to work.

Lavonia Police Officer Jeffrey Martin is back on duty and Lavonia Police Captain Michael Schulman returns to light duty work today at the Lavonia Police Department.

On Saturday, the sanctuary of Lavonia First Baptist Church was packed with well wishers, local and state officials and law enforcement officers from Franklin and Hart Counties to honor and celebrate Schulman and Martin.

Both officers were presented with the Purple Heart for bravery, along with other awards and citations.

Schulman and Martin were wounded the night of December 12 at the Zaxby’s in Lavonia while attempting to question the driver of vehicle that had been stolen out of South Carolina.

Among the speakers Saturday night was Frank Rotondo, Executive Director of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.

In is comments, Rotondo commended Officer Martin for the way he handled the situation just after the shooting.

“I reviewed the videotape from the shooting incident and I tell you, Officer, you did what has been preached for years and that is you sought cover with your weapon out to face the obstacles. If you didn’t, and you weren’t smart enough to do that you wouldn’t be here,” he said.

Saturday’s ceremony took on the atmosphere of a church service as speaker after speaker spoke of God’s divine intervention the night of the shooting.

Lavonia Police Chief Bruce Carlisle said intense prayer that was going up that night after the shooting.

“We called out to Jesus,” Carlisle told the congregation. “My good friend and mentor Mike Jones, Chief of Suwanee called me on the phone and we prayed on the phone and we cried out to Jesus that night. People were calling me left and right. I have no idea how many people called me. ‘What can we do?’ ‘Start praying.’”

Carlisle said God answered those prayers and saved the lives of his two officers.

“The bullet that went into Michael didn’t do what it was designed to do,” Carlisle explained. “It was designed to open up and fragment in a rotating shift and tear up everything in its path. It didn’t do that. I don’t why it didn’t do that. And we couldn’t understand why the bullet that hit Jeffrey didn’t take his hand off. He got shot with a .40 caliber bullet. And then we realized when he went for his gun, the bullet hit his (bad) ass baton and slowed it down enough not to take his hand off. There were miracles that night.”

In his comments, U.S. Congressman Doug Collins said the recent attacks on law enforcement officers nationwide proves our country has lost its moral foundation.

“When have we become a society where it is OK to pull a gun and shoot at an officer? When is it OK to shoot at anyone? When is it OK to live outside the law? We have lost our moral bearing. And if we have lost our moral bearing right and wrong does not matter,” Collins said.

After being presented with the Purple Heart by Commander Farris T. Johnson of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Schulman and Martin were also presented with citations and awards from Chief Carlisle.

In reflecting on the events of that evening Martin said he is grateful for those who rushed to help after the shooting and for the friends and loved ones in his life that have helped him recover.

“That’s when I realized how thankful and blessed I am,” he said. “All of that has been in my head over and over; everything that happened that night. I just want to thank everybody for their support.”

Captain Schulman also thanked his hospital nurse for giving him the courage to do the work necessary to get back home in time for Christmas.

Schulman said he has forgiven the alleged shooter, 22-year old Khari Anthony Dashaun Gordon of Greenville and is moving forward with his life because that’s what he believes God would have him do.

“I was laying in the hospital and I was thinking about how I could get better and how I could forgive,” Schulman recalled. “And that guy that shot me; I’m going to forgive him because I have to. All that anger built up in me is going to affect my lifestyle and I want to get back to work. I want to get back to my family and what I like to do; what I enjoy doing; what I’ve been doing for 16 years here in Lavonia.”

After an intense manhunt by dozens of area law enforcement officers, Gordon was captured just hours after the shooting.

He faces multiple charges including two counts of felony attempt to commit murder.

Gordon was indicted by a Franklin County Grand Jury in January and is being held without bond.