Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen To Present Saratoga County District Attorney Public Service Award to Sgt. Angela McGovern and the Saratoga Springs Police Special Investigations Unit today

 

Saratoga County District Attorney Karen Heggen is proud to announce that Sergeant Angela McGovern of the Saratoga Springs Police Department is the recipient of the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office Public Service Award, which will be presented to Sergeant McGovern on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 12:30 pm at the Saratoga Springs Police Department, 5 Lake Avenue, Saratoga Springs, New York.  The media and the public are invited to attend.

“It is with sincere admiration and gratitude that I present Sergeant McGovern with this award given her heroic, life-saving efforts on the evening of August 10, 2021 in downtown Saratoga Springs,” praised Heggen.  “Sergeant McGovern is yet another example of how the officers and investigators of the Saratoga Springs Police Department keeps us all safe.”

Sergeant McGovern was the first member of law enforcement to respond to a brutal, downtown stabbing on the night of August 10, 2021.  Upon arrival, Sergeant McGovern immediately applied a tourniquet to the mortally-wounded victim’s arm— saving his life.  While applying the tourniquet, McGovern simultaneously martialed the responding Saratoga Springs officers to secure the crime scene, gather crucial statements from eyewitnesses, and preserve invaluable physical evidence.

The Defendant, Chalmers Davis (DOB 9/11/1977), had viciously sliced the arm of one man while nearly slashing open another man’s throat—all over an alleged verbal dispute.  Davis had then fled the scene and left his victim to nearly bleed to death on Caroline Street.

Once the Saratoga Springs Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services had rushed the victim to Albany Medical Center, Sergeant McGovern called upon the Saratoga Springs Police Department’s investigations unit to assist in the apprehension of the perpetrator, later identified as Davis.  The investigations unit developed information almost immediately which identified Davis as the offender, tracked him to his home, executed search warrants for both his vehicle and apartment, and ultimately took both Davis and several bloody items of evidence into police custody without issue.

“Without the coordinated, professional response from such an experienced team of officers and investigators, I strongly believe both valuable evidence and the victim’s life would have been lost that night,” said Heggen.  “While Sergeant McGovern and others were able to both secure a chaotic scene and stop the victim from bleeding to death, the Department’s robust roster of experienced investigators were able to quickly track down the Defendant, take him into custody, and gather key physical evidence from his home.”

Defendant Davis was tried and convicted after a two week trial by a Saratoga County Court Jury before the Hon. James A. Murphy, III of Assault in the First Degree, Attempted Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree.  He was sentenced by Judge Murphy on May 27, 2022 to an aggregate total of 40 years incarceration for the convictions.  Judge Murphy specifically noted the significant efforts of Sergeant McGovern and the SSPD during that sentencing hearing.

“Although this award very well could have been presented the morning after this bloody attack occurred, we wanted to wait until the Davis case had resolved before rightfully presenting Sergeant McGovern with this honor,” said Heggen.  “Now that Davis has been convicted of all violent felony charges and received a lengthy State Prison sentence, it’s finally time to start recognizing the outstanding work that went into this case.  All of us owe Sergeant McGovern and the experienced Special Investigations Unit our gratitude.  Because of them, the citizens of Saratoga Springs remain safe from people like Chalmers Davis.”