Suffolk Police Officer Corey Hubbard recently was honored with a Valor Award by the Hampton Roads Chamber.

Hubbard was nominated for the award for an incident on Dec. 5, 2018, the details of which otherwise probably never would have been widely known. It wasn’t publicized because everything went as it should — Hubbard followed his training and safely responded to a reported shooting without further injury to himself or anyone else. He arrived quickly, took in the chaotic scene at a moment’s glance, subdued the suspect, took control of the weapon and applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg, helping prevent further injury or death.

Unfortunately, officers usually don’t get praised when everything goes as it should. Hundreds of Suffolk Police Department officers safely interact with thousands of citizens every day, often in dangerous and chaotic and confusing situations, without any incidents. They follow their good training, rely on their instincts and display their compassion and humanity throughout their shifts, keep us all safe and go home every night.

Officer Corey Hubbard happens to be getting the award and the publicity right now for his actions, and we’re truly grateful for his service. But the truth is that every officer on the force has shown true valor and heroism many times in their careers.

The Valor Award is given to recognize an action taken at extreme personal risk and clearly above and beyond the call of duty, according to the criteria for the award. It is awarded in situations where a first responder or unit faces a potentially life-threatening risk in their job performance.

“Believe it or not, I don’t ever get scared until afterward,” Hubbard said in a video played during last week’s ceremony, “because there’s not much time. You just kind of do what needs to be done. I don’t ever think about how dangerous something was until afterward.”

That shows the importance of good training, instincts and reactions, and we appreciate everything Officer Corey Hubbard and the rest of the department have done in this incident and others like them.