WALLA WALLA, Washington — Six Walla Walla-area law-enforcement officers were honored by the Walla Walla City Council for actions in two separate 2025 incidents, including a burning-vehicle rescue and an active-shooter response.
According to the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, the city council presented the awards at its Wednesday, Feb. 11 meeting.
Detective Kristen Daschofsky and Officers Sierra Roberts and Eric Eastman of the Walla Walla Police Department, along with Walla Walla County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Ashley Daschofsky, received Life Saving Awards after pulling a woman from a burning vehicle on U.S. 12 on Dec. 31, 2025, the Union-Bulletin reported.
The report said Kristen and Ashley Daschofsky were off duty in their vehicle when a crash happened nearby on U.S. 12 near Rees Avenue. They responded and found a 32-year-old woman unconscious inside the burning vehicle.
Roberts and Eastman arrived shortly after and used a fire extinguisher to break a vehicle window, according to the report. The officers worked together to push back the fire, remove the woman and check the back seat to make sure nobody else was inside.
“The decisive, courageous, and selfless actions of Detective Kristen Daschofsky, Deputy Ashley Daschofsky, Officer Eric Eastman and Officer Sierra Roberts directly resulted in saving a life,” Mayor Gustavo Reyna said at the meeting, according to the Union-Bulletin.
Valor awards after active-shooter response
The council also presented the Award of Valor to Walla Walla Police Department Detective Kevin Toon and College Place Police Department Sgt. Salvador Diaz for their response to an Aug. 31, 2025 active-shooter call in Milton-Freewater, the report said.
According to the Union-Bulletin, police were called after a report of a man firing into an occupied home. Seven people were inside the residence and were not injured. Toon and Diaz advanced into the home and secured the people inside while the suspect later surrendered after a standoff with SWAT, the report said.
“Their decisive and selfless actions directly contributed to the preservation of innocent lives and the safe resolution of an extremely dangerous incident,” Reyna said while presenting the award, according to the Union-Bulletin.
Walla Walla Police Chief Chris Buttice said the cases showed how local departments work together even when officers wear different uniforms, according to the report.
Sources reviewed
Editorial note: This article relies on the Union-Bulletin’s public city-council coverage and source photo. It avoids naming the injured woman beyond the age reported publicly and keeps active-shooter details limited to the award-recognition context.