LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Lawrence Police department recognized a man for the way he reacted to an incredibly dangerous situation in May.

The department presented Spencer Lewis with its Distinguished Service Award during Tuesday’s City Commission meeting.

Lewis works at 23rd Street Brewery in Lawrence, but plans on becoming a paramedic.

He experienced what that career will be like after a road rage shooting that ended in the Hy-Vee Parking lot last month. Police said 53-year-old Monty Ray Amick and 22-year-old Zachary Michael Sutton shot each other and eventually died of their injuries.

Police responded to the shooting around 9:40 p.m. on May 17. They said Lewis was already trying to help Amick and Sutton.

The brewery is across the parking lot from the grocery store.

“As soon as he heard the shots he ran across the parking lot. About halfway to when he got to the first victim he started taking his shirt off, got there, started applying pressure with his own shirt and after he got some help working on that person he went over and tried to stabilize the other person,” Chief Rick Lockhart, Lawrence Police, said.

Lockhart said Lewis didn’t think about his own safety and simply wanted to do anything he could to help the two injured men.

“I just thought that I should help. If that situation was presented in front of me again, I would do the same thing. I thought that’s just want needed to be done to help,” Lewis said.

His boss at 23rd Brewery also addressed commissioners.

“On behalf of the brewery, I cannot tell you how proud we are of Spencer and what he did that night. It just kinda gives me goosebumps and chills to realize and see the actual film of what happened. It’s an incredible feat of bravery and we are so proud to have him working with us,” Matt Llewellyn, 23rd Brewery owner, said.

The mayor presented Lewis with a certificate and he recieved gear from the police department. His boss said he was also getting a bonus for his selfless actions.