MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS) - Mayor Shane McFarland officially recognized Murfreesboro Police Department (MPD) Officer Victor Morris and Officer Wade Lakin with STARS awards during Thursday's Council meeting.

The honors stem from an emergency call on Friday (August 7th) at a hotel on Old Fort Parkway. Upon arriving at the scene, the officers observed a massive amount of blood along with broken glass at the front door. They followed a blood trail down a hallway and discovered two victims suffering from gunshot wounds to their legs. Officer Morris applied a tourniquet to the leg of one victim, directly saving his life. Officer Lakin applied a tourniquet to the second victim.

MPD Sgt. Jeff Carroll nominated both officers for their life-saving efforts during the chaotic and dangerous situation, noting that both officers risked their safety to ensure the safety of the injured subjects.

"Both Officer Morris and Officer Lakin responded to a local hotel in reference to a shots fired call," Sgt. Carroll stated in his nomination. "Upon arrival, it was obvious to both officers that victims were present. Officer Morris and Officer Lakin located two victims with severe injuries. The officers acted quickly and without hesitation to save the lives of the two individuals. Without this treatment both subjects would not have survived."

MPD hired Officer Morris as a police officer trainee in December 2021, and he became a certified officer on August 20th, 2022. MPD hired Officer Lakin in July 2024, and he began service as a certified officer on June 9th, 2025. Officer Lakin has served as part of the Field Force Operations Unit since February and previously worked for the Murfreesboro Water Department as a Plant Operator from 2023 to 2024.

The STARS Service Excellence program recognizes outstanding employees who embody the city's standards of service excellence and exemplify its core service values. The purpose of the award is to recognize employees who go beyond their normal job duties to provide outstanding customer service. STARS stands for "Succeeding Through Attitudes Reflecting Service Excellence." A committee of city employees reviews nominations each month and votes on the recipients.