Residents honored for heroism

Eric Fields shakes the hands of all the officers involved in the brawl at Wal-Mart on March 21. The city of Cottonwood honored the three civilians who aided Cottonwood police in the fight with members of the Gaver family, one of whom was killed. Police Chief Jody Fanning awarded Fields the Medal of Valor for risking his life to aid Sgt. Jeremy Daniels, who was shot in the leg.
Zack Garcia/Larson Newspapers

Three people who assisted Cottonwood police officers in a fatal March 21 fight in the Wal-Mart parking lot were honored last week for assisting the officers.

Eric Fields, Cole Taylor and Cory Brady were joined by family, friends and a room filled with police and other first responders at the Cottonwood Recreation Center April 8, for a short ceremony to award them with the highest awards the police department gives to civilians, Fields earning the Medal of Valor and Taylor and Brady receiving the Police Star.

Fields works for Wal-Mart in loss prevention. The other two were in the parking lot and also helped to get an injured officer to safety.

The shooting and brawl between members of the Gaver family and several police officers is still under investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Cottonwood police Sgt. Jeremy Daniels was shot in the leg during the struggle.

Enoch Gaver, 21, was shot and killed by a police weapon during the fight.

David Gaver, 18, was shot in the abdomen and treated at Flagstaff Medical Center.

Peter and Ruth Gaver are facing charges along with children David, Jeremiah, 29 and Nathaniel, 27.

Two other children, ages 15 and 11, were also detained.

To read the full story, see the Wednesday, April 15, edition of the Cottonwood Journal Extra.

Mark Lineberger

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