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DOC photographer C.O. Nishaun McCall Sr., far left, possesses, by conventional consent, a kind of invisibility that permits him to assume otherwise intrusive positions, such as perching sideways on the stage edge, to snap the best camera shots. The Chief and the Commissioner reached

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out to the elderly man whose plight last June 4 prompted off-duty C.O. Michael Turnbull to initiate bold action, thwarting the attack. With their encouragement, the senior citizen was moved into the Medal of Honor display photo scene.

The following citation accompanying presentation of the award to C.O. Michael Turnbull is taken from the Medal Day 2011 booklet.

CORRECTION OFFICER MICHAEL TURNBULL, A.M.K.C.

A leisurely lunch turned into a scene that could have been lifted straight from an action movie when an off-duty Correction Officer drew his firearm to protect an innocent bystander in East Flatbush, Brooklyn on June 4.

The NY Post described the scene as “chaotic, with some of the 15 to 20 customers inside screaming.”

Witnesses were quoted as saying a neighborhood man, said to have mental health problems, started harassing a 67-year- old customer waiting on line for food at a McDonald’s.

When the victim attempted to pull out his cell phone to dial 911, the attacker grabbed the phone out of the victim's hand and began to hit him with it. It was then that Officer Turnbull intervened.

The Post stated: “The man then went outside, grabbed a metal pole by a window sill, and charged Turnbull.” Officer Turnbull wasted no time. He swiftly drew his weapon and shot the man in the leg. Even then, the perpetrator would not give up and continued to swing the pipe in Officer Turnbull’s direction.

Officer Turnbull had no other choice but to shoot the man in the leg a second time. The second shot brought the attacker down and he was later hospitalized in serious condition. There were no other injuries during this incident because of Officer Turnbull's swift thinking and diligent action.

Officer Turnbull joined the Department in 2008 and is currently assigned to the Anna M. Kross Center.

WEBMASTER NOTE: At Medal Day 2011 ceremonies in the George Motchan Detention Center (GMDC) on Rikers Island Nov. 15th, the NYC Department of Correction honored staff for heroic acts on and off the job, as well as for distinguished and exceptional on-the-job performance and community service. This New York Correction History Society (NYCHS) presentation features images derived from photos taken by NYCHS at the event as well as texts and images scanned by NYCHS from NYC DOC's Medal Day 2011 booklet distributed at the ceremonies.

Preliminaries, 0 -- 8; DOC medals, 9 -- 15; Mayor's awards, 16 -- 18; Unit Citations, 19 -- 21; union awards, 22 -- 28; benediction, 29; booklet lists, 30 & 31.
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