The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office awarded their 2024 Deputy of the Year honor to Deputy Samuel Savilla III (center) at a County Commission meeting on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. From left are: Commissioner Natalie Tennant, Sheriff Joe Crawford, Savilla, Commissioner Ben Salango, Chief Deputy Sean Snuffer and Commissioner Lance Wheeler. Savilla also was awarded the Purple Heart Award after being shot in the hand in the line of duty in February 2024.
The Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office awarded their 2024 Deputy of the Year honor to Deputy Samuel Savilla III (center) at a County Commission meeting on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. From left are: Commissioner Natalie Tennant, Sheriff Joe Crawford, Savilla, Commissioner Ben Salango, Chief Deputy Sean Snuffer and Commissioner Lance Wheeler. Savilla also was awarded the Purple Heart Award after being shot in the hand in the line of duty in February 2024.
Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Samuel B. Savilla III received both the KCSO Deputy of the Year award and the department’s first ever Purple Heart award Thursday night.
Savilla was shot in the hand last February after a car pursuit while responding to a 911 call.
Nathan Allan Oxley, 44, fled from Savilla to the end of Applehill Lane, south of Sissonville. Oxley fired multiple shots at Savilla as Savilla exited his patrol car.
Oxley was struck in the hand but was still able to return fire and call for backup. Oxley pleaded guilty to five felonies related to the event. In October, he was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
Sheriff Joe Crawford said this was the first time a deputy had received a Purple Heart Award. The deputy of the year is chosen from seven nominees.
“During the whole incident, he remained cool, calm,†he said. “His training kicked in. He was able to apply a tourniquet to himself to help preserve his life.â€
Savilla said it was the ability to help people through his job that has kept him coming back to work even after getting shot.
“I find it just to be a very rewarding career being able to see the people that I help every day and them be appreciative of my help and being able to do what I can for them when they’re in their time of need,†he said. “It’s just very rewarding to see that.â€
Commission meeting
Also on Thursday, county commissioners began to consider budget requests from some county elected officials.
The commissioners were hoping for flat budgets as costs such as health insurance and the jail bill will definitely be going up.
A few departments introduced flat or lower budgets. The Kanawha County Prosecutor’s Office asked for an increase of $588,000, mostly due to new employees they need to hire. The workload for the office has increased since the legislature assigned the county three new magistrates and one new circuit judge.
The commission also awarded a $2 million contract for renovations of the fifth floor of the Judicial Annex to Grae-Con Construction from Marietta, Ohio. The cost was $350,000 under the projected cost, according to Commission President Ben Salango.
The renovations are needed to create a courtroom and office for new circuit judge Richard Lindsay.
Commissioners also officially passed Metro 911 rate increases on landline phone bills. Commissioner Lance Wheeler said a previous decision on this issue was not properly noticed.
This is the first fee increase since 2015. The rate will increase as follows:
From $5.60 to $7.95 a month for residential customers
From $8.96 to $12.75 a month for commercial customers, with an extra fee of $2.25 per line above eight lines
