Officer honored with award for valor
Published 10:49 pm Friday, August 30, 2019
A Suffolk Police Department officer was among 20 Virginia law enforcement officers from eight agencies recognized with the Award for Valor at the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police & Foundation awards banquet and annual conference on Tuesday in Norfolk.
The Award for Valor recognizes a law enforcement officer who, in the line of duty, performs an act of extraordinary heroism while engaged with an adversary at imminent personal risk, according to a press release from the organization.
Officer Corey Hubbard was honored for an incident that happened on Dec. 5, 2018. Officers were dispatched in reference to a shooting. Officers received information that the suspect was still on scene on top of the victim that had been shot.
Officer Hubbard had a civilian new hire riding with him. Due to not wanting to expose the rider to the dangers at the scene, Hubbard parked a block away and ran to the residence. He was the first to arrive on scene, where he encountered several hysterical people inside the residence.
Hubbard noticed the suspect kneeling over top of the victim, and both the suspect and victim were struggling for the handgun. Hubbard pointed his service weapon at the suspect and gave several verbal commands to drop the weapon. When the suspect failed to comply, Hubbard approached the suspect, holstered his weapon, subdued the suspect, grabbed the gun and made the weapon safe.
After a significant physical struggle, Hubbard placed the suspect into custody. Officer Hubbard then turned his attention to the victim, who was bleeding profusely from the leg. Hubbard placed his tourniquet on the victim’s upper thigh, significantly reducing the victim’s bleeding. All this was accomplished with three or four hysterical witnesses inside of the residence, creating a very chaotic scene.
Hubbard was able to make the arrest, render aid and preserve a crime scene before any other officer could arrive on scene.
The Hampton Roads Chamber also honored Hubbard with a Valor Award in June for the same incident.
Other officers from across the state honored were:
- Charlottesville Police Department — Cpl. Christopher Huber
- Fredericksburg Police Department — Officer David Cabrera
- Lynchburg Police Department — Officers Nick Kirby, Roy Young, Miles Davis, Nathan Godsie and Thomas Sawyer with K9 Arko
- Prince William County Police Department — Officers John Yenchak, Rachel Mynier, Evan Jurgensen and Nicholas Kelly
- Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations — Trooper Austin L. Albright, Special Agent Matthew T.D. Hand, Trooper Chase S. Autry and K-9 Vader (posthumous)
- Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations Richmond — Special Agent Martin Kriz; Louisa County Sheriff’s Office — Lt. Robert Hix and Deputy Daniel Clore.
- Virginia State Police Wytheville Division — Trooper Cory W. Martin; Wythe County Sheriff’s Office — Deputy Jacob Goins