Slain man, police officers praised for saving victims

Best friends Alyssa Madison and Amanda Smith stopped by Saloon 136 in Forward on Aug. 6 — and ended up having their lives saved by a former schoolmate.

When shots rang out shortly before 2 a.m., Johnathan Minnie pulled the two women to the ground. Both women were struck by bullets but survived.

Mr. Minnie, 27, of Belle Vernon, died of his injuries.

His name was the first one spoken Monday evening by Elizabeth Borough police Chief Timothy Butler during an awards ceremony in Elizabeth Township.

“He’s the real hero here,” Chief Butler told the two women at the ceremony. “He pushed you two out of the way.”

Four police officers — Garrett Kimmel and Anna Jandric of Elizabeth Borough, Jason Shallenberger of Elizabeth Township and Arthur Brunazzi of Forward — were honored at the ceremony for saving Ms. Madison’s life after the shooting. They applied a tourniquet to stop arterial bleeding after she was shot in the leg.

Paramedics attended to Ms. Smith, who was shot several times, one bullet shattering her hip bone and part of her femur. Another bullet grazed her forehead as Mr. Minnie pulled her out of the line of fire.

The police officers received certificates in honor of their actions from Elizabeth Township and the offices of state Sen. James Brewster, D-McKeesport, and state Rep. Rick Saccone, R-Elizabeth.

At the awards ceremony on Monday night, Ms. Madison and Ms. Smith used crutches and a walker. The women, both 27, have been best friends since they attended Monessen Elementary Center together. Ms. Madison said Ms. Smith is still waiting to see whether she will need a hip replacement.

Jason Kodat, an emergency room physician with Allegheny Health System, spoke briefly at the ceremony about the importance of stanching arterial bleeding. In the absence of a tourniquet, a belt or a piece of cloth should be applied to the wound with as much pressure as possible, he said.

Joshua Wardlaw, 21, of McKeesport was arrested last Friday in Louisiana and has been charged with homicide, aggravated assault and other crimes in the shooting, according to Allegheny County police Lt. Andrew Schurman.