Walla Walla honors law enforcement for 2025 burning car rescue, active shooter response
By Dan Thesman on Thursday, February 12th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – In a ceremony marked by somber reflection and standing ovations, the Walla Walla City Council paused Wednesday night to honor six members of law enforcement whose split-second decisions in 2025 made the difference between life and death.
Mayor Gustavo Reyna presented the Life Saving Award and the Award of Valor during the Feb. 11 meeting, highlighting two separate incidents where local law enforcement ignored personal peril to rescue trapped citizens and confront an active shooter.
The first honors of the night focused on a harrowing New Year’s Eve rescue. On Dec. 31, 2025, a single-vehicle collision at Highway 12 and Rees Road left a woman unconscious and trapped inside a burning car.
The rescue began not with a 911 dispatch, but with the instincts of two off-duty relatives. Walla Walla Police Detective Kristen Daschofsky, and her husband, Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Deputy Ashley Daschofsky were traveling home when they came upon the inferno.
According to department reports, the pair attempted to reach the unconscious driver as the fire intensified. They were soon joined by WWPD Officers Sierra Roberts and Eric Eastman. While Roberts and Deputy Daschofsky used a fire extinguisher to beat back the flames crawling toward the passenger cabin, Eastman shattered the driver’s side window and cut the woman’s seatbelt.
Eastman dragged the victim to safety just as the fire threatened to consume the vehicle. For their “decisive, courageous, and selfless actions,” all four were granted the Life Saving Award.
Above photo via WWPD from L to R: Walla Walla Mayor Gustavo Reyna, WWPD Detective Kevin Toon, CPPD Sgt. Salvador Diaz, WWPD Chief Chris Buttice
The council then shifted focus to the Award of Valor, the highest honor for bravery, presented to WWPD Detective Kevin Toon of Walla Walla and College Place Police Department Sergeant Salvador “Sal” Diaz.
The awards stemmed from an August 31, 2025, active shooter incident in Milton-Freewater, Oregon. A family, including an infant, was trapped inside a home in the 5000 block of Lawson Street while a suspect fired multiple rounds.
Responding to a mutual aid request, Toon and Diaz bypassed “staging” areas to move directly toward the gunfire. The duo breached a locked gate and entered the residence to secure the terrified family members.
The ensuing standoff lasted until nearly 4:30 a.m. Throughout the night, the suspect continued to fire at officers. Officials credited Toon and Diaz’s tactical composure and inter-agency coordination with the suspect’s eventual surrender and the preservation of the family’s lives.
“Their conduct reflects the highest traditions of law enforcement service,” Mayor Reyna said during the presentation.
Top photo via WWPD from L to R: Walla Walla Mayor Gustavo Reyna, WWCSO Deputy Ashley Daschofsky, WWPD Detective Kristen Daschofsky, WWPD Officers Eric Eastman and Sierra Roberts, WPPD Chief Chris Buttice
