2003-2004 Medal of Valor Awardees

Officer Rodney Lee Chambers, Amtrak Police Department, Washington, DC: On June 9, 2003, Officer Chambers was on patrol at Union Station when reports came in from dispatch regarding a man seen with a grenade. Officer Chambers located and stopped the subject. Once stopped, the subject pulled the pin on the grenade and attempted to drop it. Officer Chambers made a split second decision and grabbed the grenade in the subject's hand and squeezed it, not allowing it to detonate. Officer Chambers then wrestled the grenade from the suspect's control, and moved away from bystanders and other public safety personnel. Officer Chambers held the grenade for 15-20 minutes waiting for the bomb disposal team to arrive. Bomb disposal officers arrived and took the device from Officer Chambers. The device was later determined to be inoperable, yet this was unknown to Chambers at the time of the incident.

Deputy Jennifer Fulford-Salvano, Orange County Sheriff's Office, Ocoee, FL: On May 5, 2004, Deputy Fulford-Salvano responded to a burglary in progress call after an 8-year-old boy called to inform the police that "strange men" were in his home with weapons and that he and his sister were hiding inside a van in the garage. Deputy Fulford-Salvano, first on the scene, entered the garage to check on the child and his sister who were still hiding in the family van. As deputies took positions, two men emerged from the house and fired upon the deputies. Deputy Fulford-Salvano became trapped in the garage between two vehicles and the assailants who were firing on her position. Deputy Fulford-Salvano then returned fire. Although she was struck a total of ten times, including in her shooting hand, she was able to retrieve her weapon with her other hand and continue firing until both gunmen went to the ground. The assailants were apprehended and the children were kept safe and unharmed throughout the incident.

Agent Andrew J. Phillips, Marietta Police Department, Marietta, GA: On March 11, 2004, during a warrant search of a drug house, the entry team encountered four individuals. While securing the individuals the team began taking fire from an unknown suspect. One agent was shot in the lower part of the body, and another was hit in his helmet. Agent Phillips witnessed the two agents going down and advanced through a blind hallway seeking the suspect and returning fire. Upon reaching the room where the suspect was hiding and observing the suspect armed with a rifle, Agent Phillips fired, causing the suspect to drop his weapon and surrender. Agent Phillips apprehended the suspect and protected his fellow agents from further harm. The wounded agent later recovered from his injuries.

Officer Thomas D. Richards, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Division of Police, Lexington, KY: On February 13, 2004, police, fire, and emergency services were dispatched to assist a woman lying outside with gunshot wounds to the head. The suspect, concealed inside the house, began to shoot at the team of public safety officers assembled. Six of the fire and emergency services team were pinned down by the suspect and two were shot (one was fatal). Officer Richards, noticing that the firefighters were unable to move to safe positions, drove his police cruiser directly into the line of fire, in an attempt to shield the wounded firefighters from the assailant's shots. The suspect fired again, shattering the cruiser's window, narrowly missing Officer Richards. The suspect then ceased firing, but Officer Richards remained with the firefighters until they could be safely evacuated by a police extraction team.

Kansas City Missouri Fire Department, Kansas City, MO

Fire Captain Phillip Atwood
Fire Captain Patrick Martin
Firefighter David Bradley
Firefighter Marvin Donaldson
Firefighter Stephen Johnson
Fire Apparatus Operator Sean McKarnin

On February 23, 2004, dispatch notified personnel of an explosion and fire at a residence in South Kansas City. Arriving fire companies encountered a residential structure fully involved in fire and personnel then came under heavy and rapid gunfire shortly after arriving on the scene. A paramedic sustained injuries from this gunfire, but was pulled to safety by team members. The firefighters then remained "pinned down" under 20-30 minutes of automatic weapon fire before a second explosion destroyed the building and the gunfire ceased.