Capt. Kevin J. Bishop was presented the Soldier’s Medal by Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday for his heroic act of rescuing the William C. Holman Correctional Facility warden from imminent danger during a disturbance last March.

Bishop, who works as a staff sergeant in the Alabama National Guard, received the award for his actions on March 11, 2016, when inmates gained control of a dorm at the prison facility just outside Atmore. Additionally, Bishop’s actions helped prevent violence from spreading to other parts of the facility, according to Alabama Department of Corrections Public Information Officer Bob Horton.

“It is always a dangerous situation when violence erupts,” Bishop said. “I did not hesitate to respond to the aid of another in this situation. This is not something someone plans on doing when they wake up each day. I would hope my fellow officers would take the same actions in my time of need.”

The Soldier’s Medal is the highest non-combat award for heroism for a member of the United States Army, or reserve Component who performs a heroic act while not serving in a military duty status.

On receiving the report of the stabbing, the warden, Bishop and a corrections captain entered the dorm. While assessing the situation, a lone inmate attacked and stabbed the warden multiple times in the back and head. Bishop responded to the attack by deflecting the inmate’s follow-on attempts to stab the warden; shielding him and applying pressure to the warden’s wounds. Bishop was able to hold off the inmate and successfully lead the warden and the other officers out of the dorm to safety, according to the ADOC.

See the complete story in the Wed., July 19, edition of The Atmore Advance.