A city employee who stepped in during a recent shooting was recognized for âactions above and beyond the normal call of dutyâ during the Hermiston City Councilâs Monday, March 8, meeting.
Brandon Artz, the cityâs recreation supervisor, was the previously unnamed city employee that Hermiston Police Department had praised for âquick thinkingâ on February 10 when police arrested Howard Califf, 46, of Hermiston on several charges, including attempted murder.
According to the initial news release from police, Califf arrived armed at a home in the 250 block of East Gladys Avenue that he had previously lived in and then been barred from by a court order. He allegedly fired several rounds inside the residence and at a male relative of the homeâs owner, at one point shooting the victimâs dog as it attempted to defend its owner. The dog is expected to make a full recovery, police said.