Milton PD's first Purple Heart — and a regional brotherhood moment

Milton Police held its annual awards ceremony last week. Headline: Sgt. David Little received the department's first-ever Purple Heart and Medal of Valor, both tied to a North Fulton SWAT response in Roswell. It's a first for the department, and not the kind of first anyone hopes for — but the way the city framed it (an officer hurt protecting his neighbors, recovering, honored) hit the right note.

Ten Milton officers also received the Officer Jeremy Labonte Award from Roswell Police for their support in the aftermath of Officer Labonte's line-of-duty death last year. Quiet acknowledgement that Milton and Roswell PDs back each other up on the days nobody plans for.

The annual awards: Officer of the Year — Officer Shi-Peng Ma; Supervisor of the Year — Sgt. Luke Hayduk. Four new officers — Karina Contreras, Carl Cooper, Stefan Moncrief, and Noah Stowers — were sworn in at the event. Mayor Peyton Jamison and Councilmembers Brian Dolan and Juliette Johnson attended. Home Depot off Windward Parkway took the Citizen Service Medal for ongoing department support.

Source: Ma, Hayduk, Little among winners at Milton Police's annual awards event