PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A Paulding County deputy who was shot in April responding to a 911 call was recognized this month for his "bravery, leadership and commitment to protecting others."
Deputy Mattick was the first through the door during a call about a 22-year-old in the middle of a mental health crisis. The man was armed and unstable. When the gun was raised to his face, Deputy Mattick grabbed it and pulled it away, protecting his fellow deputies, but not before he was shot.
According to the Paulding County Sheriff's Office, on July 3 he was awarded both the Medal of Merit and the Purple Heart.
The Medal of Merit was also awarded to three other deputies on scene that day — Alex Davis, Christopher Resko and Joshua Langston.
"This medal is given only to those who, fully aware of the risks, distinguish themselves with valor and courage while saving or protecting human life," a social media post by the sheriff's office Monday said. "Their actions were nothing short of heroic."
Almost exactly a month later, 24-year-old Mattick returned to the job.
"If there's someone gonna get hurt, I want it to be me, because I want to make sure they get home to their family, their kids, their significant others and they can actually see them and love them," Mattick said in an interview in May. "...I'm the type of person, I wanna take t he bullet, I wanna take the punch, I wanna take the injury, because I just wanna know that they're okay."
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