Medal Of Valor Awarded

Lieutenant Carlos J. Thompson of the Mobile County Sheriff's Office was awarded the nation's Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Wednesday during a White House ceremony in the Oval Office. Lt. Thompson was shot by an automatic rifle in an exchange of gun fire following a high speed chase. On Friday, Jan. 26, 2007, Lt. Thompson attempted to pull over a vehicle matching the description of a suspect vehicle involved in an armed robbery. The attempted stop lead to the chase and gunfire in Theodore. Though he was seriously injured, using his weak hand, Lt. Thompson was able to return fire and fatally wound the suspect. Back in May, Lt. Thompson was also named "Top Cop" by the National Association of Police Organizations.

Read the entire press release on the award below.

ATTORNEY GENERAL HONORS MEDAL OF VALOR RECIPIENTS

WASHINGTON – Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey today honored the nation's Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor recipients during a special ceremony at the Department of Justice. Earlier today, President George W. Bush presented the Medals of Valor during a White House ceremony in the Oval Office.

The Medal of Valor is the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer. It recognizes heroic action performed above and beyond the call of duty. The Attorney General honored five recipients from the nation's federal and local law enforcement agencies.

“These men faced life-threatening situations with composure and extraordinary courage, and in one case a Department employee gave his life,” said Attorney General Mukasey. “They all put their lives on the line to protect their communities, and for that we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.”

The recipients of the 2006-2007 Medal of Valor are Cmdr. Miguel G. Galvez, Opa-Locka Police Department, Fla.; Officer David C. Goitia, Glendale Police Department, Ariz.; Detective Raymond Robertson, Miami-Dade Police Department; Special Agent William Sentner, III (Deceased), U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Investigations Division, Miami Field Office, Fla.; and Lieutenant Carlos J. Thompson, Mobile County Sheriff's Office, Ala. Also in attendance was firefighter Brian D. Rothell from the Chesterfield Fire and Emergency Medical Services in Chesterfield, Va. Rothell is a recipient of the 2005-2006 Medal of Valor, but was not able to attend the ceremony last year.

The Medal of Valor, authorized by the Public Safety Medal of Valor Act of 2001, is awarded by the President of the United States to public safety officers cited by the Attorney General. Public safety officers are nominated by the chiefs or directors of their employing agencies and recommended by the Medal of Valor Review Board.

Lieutenant Carlos J. Thompson: On Friday, Jan. 26, 2007, Lt. Carlos Thompson of the Mobile County, Ala. Sheriff's Office attempted to perform a traffic stop on a vehicle matching the description of a suspect vehicle involved in an armed robbery. The driver subsequently fled the scene at a high rate of speed. At an intersection, the driver ran through the stop sign, made a 180-degree turn and stopped his vehicle, facing Thompson. The suspect began firing an assault rifle, striking Thompson and seriously wounding him in his lower leg and hip, rendering him unable to exit his patrol car. While returning fire, Thompson was struck in the right elbow by gunfire, which forced him to reload his weapon with his weak hand to continue to return fire. As the suspect approached on foot, Thompson, using his weak hand, was able to fatally wound the suspect. Though seriously injured, Thompson was able to direct his fellow deputies arriving on the scene, ensuring that the area was secure and any evidence was protected.