Hotel Employees Honored at Council Meeting w/Citizen Service Citations

(EFFINGHAM CITY POLICE CHIEF JASON McFARLAND WITH TREVOR MATTKA AND FRANKLIN KIRKPATRICK)

Two local hotel employees were honored at Tuesday night's Effingham City Council meeting for the steps they took to help a man keep his child from harm.

Franklin Kirkpatrick and Trevor Mattka were working the morning of January 18 about 7am when the incident occurred. Effingham Police Chief Jason McFarland shared with Council members that as a hotel guest was getting his child into his car seat, an individual approached and demanded the child. The father quickly grabbed the child and tried to go back into the hotel, but the stranger attacked the father. Despite being repeatedly attacked, the father managed to shield his child and got into the hotel to find help. 

That's where Kirkpatrick and Mattka went into action. Kirkpatrick confronted the attacker and a violent altercation ensued, while Mattka took the child to safety inside the hotel. The chief's statement said the situation continued to escalate until officers from several departments arrived and arrested the suspect.

McFarland shared, "Sadly, it's common for people to record incidents on their phones instead of intervening, but Franklin and Trevor answered the call to help a stranger." The Chief stated, "It's my honor to acknowledge Franklin Kirkpatrick and Trevor Mattka with a Citizen Service Citation. Your courage and selflessness are an inspiration to our community."