The Batten School’s PEGLLLLab held a Wounded in the Line of Duty event on Saturday, May 11, to recognize Charlottesville and Albemarle County first-responders and peacekeepers for their sacrificial service in the line of duty.

Held at First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville, the purpose of the event was to recognize the dedication and sacrifices of police officers, community peacekeepers, violence interrupters and disruptors, EMTs and firefighters and other first-responders – all of whom may suffer wounds, often hidden, in the line of duty or in community service. The PEGLLLLaB (Public Engagement in Governance Looking, Listening and Learning Laboratory) gave 24 men and women an engraved “Peacekeeper Award” for their outstanding service.

“We coexist in community and society, and there are things that led us to do the work we do,” said Batten Lecturer Sarad Davenport who gave the keynote address to a crowd of about 60. Davenport is a passionate advocate for social justice and equity, a native of Charlottesville and founding executive director of City of Promise.

“We have to act; we have to do something. We dare greatly, perhaps sacrificing our own well-being for that of others,” he said, referencing social researcher Brene Brown’s popular book, Daring Greatly. “The concept of empathy is different from sympathy. Empathy is understanding and feeling the pain of others. It makes us act, and it is a deep sense of listening, hearing and feeling what others are feeling in the moment.”

For those honored and for their families, who were also acknowledged for making incredible sacrifices, it was a very moving experience. Bryan Page, who serves as assistant executive director with the B.U.C.K. Squad in Charlottesville, said he was honored to be recognized along with other peacekeepers. B.U.C.K. stands for Brothers United to Cease the Killing and is focused on reducing gun violence in the city.

“It’s a hard job because we’re right in the midst of the gunfire, and we get in to try to stop it on the front end,” said Page, who stressed the importance of a community-wide effort.

Batten Associate Professor of Public Policy and PEGLLLLAB Founder Brian N. Williams was the lead organizer of the event, with help from Davenport and fellow faculty members Gerard Robinson and Kyle Dobson, as well as Lydia Niguse and Joshua Williams, research assistants in the PEGLLLLab. “We have to value the peacekeepers.  We have to let them know that what they do on behalf of us is worthy of us recognizing them. My well-being, my safety, my security, my peace is all because of the peacekeepers - those who put others above themselves.”

Lydia Niguse is a fourth-year UVA student majoring in political science with a minor in leadership and public policy from the Batten School.

“It’s a privilege to be able to recognize the brave men and women who serve the community,” said Niguse. “So often, the vital roles they play for the safety and well-being of others is overlooked or under-appreciated. We are all meant to use our talents and passions to serve others, and this event allowed the PEGLLLLab to highlight those who take on this responsibility.”

Full list of honorees

PEGLLLLab has been holding events through the lab and classes since the fall of 2018 with plans to continue in the future.

Media covering the event included NBC29 and CBS19. Sponsors for the event include the Charlottesville Police Foundation, the Albemarle County Police Foundation, First Presbyterian Church, Hightech Signs, the Master of Public Safety Program at UVA’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, Epsilon Psi Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Gordan Graham/Lexipol and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at UVA.

More on PEGLLLLab

More photos from event: