Chief's Honorary Distinction Award: Conservation Officer Mitch Turcott

The Chief’s Honorary Distinction Award is reserved to celebrate the commitment, dedication, and service in recognition of members who are distinguished by their significant contributions and dedication to protecting the community above the call of duty, and whose excellence and distinction reflect positively on policing and public safety. 

Around 2:30 p.m. on May 18, 2020, a Greater Sudbury Police Service member suffered a life-threatening traumatic leg injury while off-duty.

As her husband, father-in-law and 15-year old son were rushing her to the nearest medical facility, they came across Conservation Officer Mitch Turcott on West Branch, North of Webbwood. CO Turcott jumped into the box of the family’s pick-up truck that was being used to transport our off-duty member due to the severity of her injury. CO Turcott assisted our member’s son who was comforting his mother while administrating first aid. CO Turcott applied a tourniquet and pressure bandage to the injured leg which assisted in preventing the injury from worsening.

Aside from assisting with providing emergency first aid to our member, CO Turcott worked with her son, who had been by his mother’s side since the accident occurred. CO Turcott encouraged her son to continue with the treatment he’d been providing from the onset of the incident and praised him for his calmness and the support he had been providing to his mother. 

Our member and her family made it to the hospital where she underwent emergency surgery in order to save her leg. She continues her road to recovery with the support of her family, friends and colleagues.

Although Conservation Officers from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry often work joint enforcement initiatives with members of GSPS, in this instance, CO Turcott’s actions were that of an Officer assisting a family in need as he was unaware of her employment with GSPS. CO Turcott showed compassion and provided much needed medical assistance during a very traumatic and life-altering experience.

Congratulations Conservation Officer Mitch Turcott – recipient of this year’s Chief’s Honorary Distinction Award.