Holly Springs Officer Percy Evans Named Officer of Month After Saving 11-Year-Old

Senior Officer Percy Evans of the Holly Springs Police Department was named the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Officer of the Month for January 2026 after jumping into an iced-over pond at Womble Park to rescue an 11-year-old, the department announced.

The rescue took place Feb. 25 at about 1:50 p.m. at the pond near the Womble Park playground, when the boy fell through a thin layer of ice while attempting to walk on it, according to accounts from witnesses and department statements. Air temperatures that afternoon hovered around 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and witnesses stated the boy had been submerged in the cold water for more than three minutes prior to Officer Evans’ intervention.

Evans, who was patrolling the park in anticipation of deteriorating weather, was flagged down by a bystander and entered the icy pond to recover the child. “Without hesitation, Officer Evans entered the icy pond and rescued the child,” the Holly Springs Police Department said in its news release summarizing the incident.

After removing the child from the water, Officer Evans placed him inside his patrol vehicle to help him warm up until fire and EMS personnel arrived on scene. Fire and Emergency Management Services personnel evaluated both the child and Officer Evans; both were medically cleared and neither required hospitalization. The boy was reunited with his parents after the on-scene evaluation.

Deputy Chief Jay Bruner of the Holly Springs Police Department praised the quick actions that prevented a worse outcome and stressed winter safety. “This could have ended very tragically,” Bruner said, and he added, “Walking on iced-over ponds or lakes should never be considered part of winter fun; ice can be unpredictable and deadly.” In a department news release quoted by local media, Bruner and the department also said, “We are thankful to the bystander who acted quickly to alert Officer Evans, to our Fire and EMS partners for their rapid response, and most of all to Officer Evans for his bravery and unwavering commitment to protecting life, even at great personal risk.”

The department’s announcement and a Holly Springs Facebook post noted that Evans has received national honors for the rescue; the NLEOMF designation names him Officer of the Month for January 2026. The department reminded residents to exercise extreme caution during winter weather events and to avoid walking or playing on frozen bodies of water.

Local reporting placed the Holly Springs rescue in broader context: WRAL noted the incident came less than a week after three brothers aged 6, 8, and 9 died after falling into a frozen pond in Texas, underscoring the dangers Deputy Chief Bruner warned about. Holly Springs officials said the department will continue to emphasize public safety messaging as winter conditions persist.