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Staff Reports

Crisp County Sheriff’s Office

Crisp County Sheriff’s Office is incredibly proud to announce that Corporal Jack Masters and Deputy Kendall
Evans received the Act of Heroism Award at the Governor’s Public Safety Awards Ceremony. Corporal Jack
Masters and Deputy Kendall were nominated for exhibiting exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety,
in an attempt to save or protect human life.
On October 22, 2022, at approximately 10:30 PM, Crisp County Dispatch put out a call of an Active Shooter at
16 East Bar and Grill in Cordele, Georgia. Cordele Police Department and Crisp County Sheriff’s Office
Deputies responded to the scene. Multiple patrons were injured with gunshot wounds. Officers from Cordele
Police Department began tending to the wounded. Without mental reservation of mind, Deputy Evans and
Corporal Masters went into the establishment, knowing there was still a shooter inside. Quickly, they made it
through the people trying to exit and gathered intel on the shooter, resulting in his apprehension within minutes
of the first round fired. They put their safety aside and ran to the threat to deal with it before any other person
could be harmed. This a testament to the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office motto of “Service Before Self.” Deputy
Evans and Corporal Masters displayed an act of extraordinary heroism at the imminent personal hazard of life
in the intelligent performance of Law Enforcement Duty.
The Governor’s Public Safety Awards Program (GPSA) was initiated in 1998 in order to provide an opportunity
for the men and women in the public safety family to be recognized for outstanding service to their
communities and contributions to their profession.
As per former Governor Zell Miller, who established these awards, “While we have appropriately honored those
who have fallen, I would like to establish an organization that would also honor those who by virtue of their
personal integrity and determination make public safety the respectable and necessary profession it is.”
Governor Brian Kemp has committed to the continuation of the GPSA program.