PORTSMOUTH, Va. — It's a good bet that if you come across Officer Randy Pierce, you'll see his K9 partner Odin right beside him. Odin is about the only constant in the Portsmouth officer's job.
"For a typical day, our job is to assist the uniformed patrol officers in any of their day-to-day operations," Officer Pierce explains. "Every day is a new adventure."
On the weekend of Feb. 3, 2023, the adventure started when gunshots pierced the calm of a typical Friday evening. One of the first on the scene of a shooting on Virginia Avenue, Officer Pierce did not hesitate.
"There was a large amount of blood that had been lost at that point in time," he describes. "We found the victim to the side of the kitchen. He had a through-and-through gunshot wound to the lower arm. He was already in the point of getting dizzy."
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Medical kit in hand, Officer Pierce made a tourniquet, applying pressure on the wound. His quick work stopped the bleeding as he led the victim downstairs to safety.
That was the first of three life-saving responses that weekend, including coming to the aid of a woman who was shot twice.
"I applied a pressure bandage to her shoulder," he recalls. "And then I realized that she was also shot in the neck ... so I applied direct pressure to that. They were able to get her to Norfolk General and she was saved."
Instinct from his time as an EMT in Virginia Beach helped guide him that weekend.
Officer Pierce tells News 3 anchor Blaine Stewart that job, and his years of service in the U.S. Army, are what brought him to be a Portsmouth police officer seven years ago.
"To be honest with you. my whole life, I've always thought about law enforcement," Officer Pierce explains. "I love serving my community. I love serving and helping others."
One sergeant in the department, who recommended Officer Pierce for a life-saving award from the Hampton Roads Chamber notes:
"He consistently pushes when most would not have the reserve in their tank to push."
Officer Pierce received that award in June. News 3 surprised him with an Everyday Hero award, which includes a $300 Visa gift card from our community partner, Southern Bank.
"Nothing that I did that day could have been done without all the other officers that that either arrived with me or showed up after me," Officer Pierce adds.
