Leesburg Police Officers Honored at Loudoun Valor Awards

Congratulations to Officers Braven, DaRin, Dudley, Kidd, Meyer, Wagner, Winkler, and Wolfe for receiving awards at the 38th annual Loudoun Chamber Valor Awards banquet at the end of April. The Valor Awards recognize Loudoun’s public safety professionals and civilians for their heroic efforts to save lives, despite their own personal safety risk.

Lifesaving Award / Unit Citation:

On May 11, 2022, Officers Michael DaRin, Justin Dudley, Matthew Wolfe, and Patrick Kidd responded to the Leesburg Giant grocery store for a report of suicide threats.

The officers located a 22-year-old male sitting on a bench with a knife depressed to his neck. Prior to the officer’s arrival, the subject had been texting his mother saying goodbye.

While the other officers established a perimeter for safety, Officer DaRin began conversing with the subject. His calm and professional demeanor convinced the subject to relinquish the knife, without the need for the deployment of force, and be taken into custody for a mental health evaluation.

A memorandum submitted for this incident stated, “based on the circumstances, the officers conducted themselves in a manner that reflects highly on the agency and on themselves. While it is not often that officers interact with a subject holding a deadly weapon against themselves, their ability to identify and connect with a person experiencing mental crisis and successfully deescalating the situation is certainly deserving of recognition.”

Unit Citation:

On Aug. 17, 2022, Officers Stephen Meyer, Phillip Braven, and Kyle Wagner responded to a home in Leesburg in reference to an individual destroying items in their own residence and being aggressive towards their family members.

The individual, a 53-year-old male, refused to come to the door and repeatedly showed officers that he was wielding a power drill. While officers were conversing with his family about his mental state, they could hear the individual destroying property inside the house.

Officer Braven saw that the subject had lit paper towels off the gas stove and began to spread a fire. Officer Braven recognized this as a danger to the townhouse community and he started to breach the front door, which was barricaded.

As Officer Braven began to make entry, the individual opened the door and utilized the drill on Officer Braven in his chest, knocking him backwards. Luckily, the drill only created damage to his body-worn camera.

The three officers proceeded inside and utilized a taser to secure the individual, while the fire was still burning in the kitchen. The officers secured the individual and put out the small fire. The individual was taken into custody and charged with several felonies, to include assaults on law enforcement stemming from the altercation.

Lifesaving Award:

On July 11, 2022, Officers Stephen Meyer and Matthew Wolfe responded to a residence in Leesburg to call about an aggravated assault with a weapon. On scene they located a 23-year-old male victim of a machete attack. The victim had severe lacerations on his back, arm, and leg.

Officer Meyer immediately utilized his Tactical Emergency Casualty Care kit and applied tourniquets to the victims’ arm and leg. Officer Wolfe utilized bandages and QuikClot to treat the wounded areas. Officers Meyer and Wolfe communicated with the subject and tried to keep him calm, while also assessing the scene and keeping themselves and the victim safe.

The actions of both Officer Meyer and Officer Wolfe unequivocally increased the victim’s odds of survival by preventing any further loss of blood and preventing the victim from falling into a state of shock that would have further complicated the efforts to save their life.

Bronze Medal of Valor:

On February 2, 2022, Master Police Officer Stephan Winkler responded to a vehicle crash involving a pedestrian in front of Leesburg Police Department headquarters, that was radioed in by another officer. It was relayed that one of the pedestrians, a 59-year-old woman, was entrapped beneath the vehicle.

MPO Winkler responded and immediately began rendering aid to the victims of the crash. MPO Winkler checked for a pulse from the entrapped victim and could not locate one. MPO Winkler immediately summoned assistance from bystanders to assist him with lifting the vehicle off the victim. Once she was removed, she began to breathe in a labored fashion and her care was assumed by Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.

Due to MPO Winkler’s quick thinking and problem-solving skills, a citizen’s life was saved.