Temple Terrace Police Officer Saves Stabbing Victim in Ohio

Temple Terrace Police Officer Adam Lebovitz was attending a wedding ceremony in Ohio on Oct. 5, 2011, when he suddenly heard a man shout that he had been stabbed.

The off-duty police officer saw two men fighting in the hot tub of the Stay Bridge Suites, according to a press release from the City of Temple Terrace. One had broken a beer bottle and was using the jagged glass to repeatedly stab the other in the torso.

Lebovitz sprang into action, grabbing the attacker, maintaining control over him, and keeping him from further injuring anyone. He simultaneously gave instructions to witnesses on how to provide first aid to the victim until local police arrived, the release states.

Later, police learned that the man who had been stabbed had a punctured lung and multiple lacerations to the chin, face and torso. Chief Erik Niehaus of the West Chester Police Department in Ohio said the department would have probably been dealing with a homicide if not for Lebovitz’s brave and decisive actions, according to the release.

For his heroism last fall, Lebovitz received the 2011 “Lee McGehee” Police Officer of the Year award last week from the Florida Police Chief’s Association (FPCA) at its Summer Conference in Fort Lauderdale, the release states.

The award recognizes exceptional achievement in any police endeavor, including extraordinary valor, crime prevention, investigative work, juvenile programs and more. It is named for Lee McGehee, a former chief of police for the City of Ocala and former director of the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute who died in 2000.

Lebovitz, 26, was chosen in the category of medium-sized agencies (31-75 sworn officers). He joined the in January 2011 and is assigned to the department’s Patrol Division, according to the release.