Fairfax County Police Department News

About 70 members of our department will be recognized by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce at the 40^th annual Valor Awards tomorrow morning. These officers are among first responders from across the region being honored for heroic actions they displayed both on and off-duty last year. Here are just a few of the awards being presented to our officers.

PFC Blumer and PFC Montwill from the Mount Vernon Police District were nominated for a Life Saving Award after responding to an assault with a weapon call last April. PFC Blumer and PFC Montwill were among the first officers on scene and found a man on the sidewalk bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound to the lower body. The two officers worked together to assess the victim. They applied a tourniquet and stabilized him until rescue arrived and transported him to the hospital. Medical professionals later said the officers’ actions likely saved the man’s life. Their supervisor also noted that while providing live saving aid to the victim, PFC Blumer and PFC Montwill also performed their investigative duties and were able to gather vital information regarding the location of the crime scene, and possible suspect information. Officers responded to that location and were able to identify and take the shooter into custody without incident.

Another award recipient is Detective Christian who was nominated for heroic actions he displayed while off-duty. He was coaching a basketball team at a school in a neighboring county when he noticed a player was unconscious. The detective immediately attended to the player and assessed his medical condition. The teen did not have a pulse. The detective called for medical personnel, asked someone to bring over an AED, and immediately began administering CPR. When the AED arrived, two electrical shocks were administered to the teen without success. Detective Christian continued to administer CPR to the player for over 12 minutes until relieved by medics. The patient was taken to the hospital and expected to make a full recovery. It was determined the player had a previously undiagnosed heart condition and medical personnel stated the teen would not have survived if it weren’t for the immediate response and actions taken by Detective Christian.

Auxiliary Police Officer Staten is also being honored tomorrow. Last spring, APO Staten was the first on scene of a call regarding an unconscious man behind the wheel of a car at the intersection of Bluemont Way and Reston Parkway. Moments after he arrived, the unconscious man’s foot slipped off the brakes and the SUV he was in began to roll into the busy intersection. APO Staten immediately activated his full emergency equipment to warn other drivers on the road and to prevent a disastrous collision in the intersection. Thinking quickly, and putting the safety of others before his own, the auxiliary police officer tactfully positioned his police car in front of the runaway SUV allowing it to strike the rear of his cruiser. This action successfully and safely brought the SUV to a stop. Had APO Staten not acted so quickly and tactfully, the SUV would have continued through the intersection onto a busy pedestrian pathway and into an adjacent apartment building. It was later determined the unconscious driver had passed out from alcohol consumption and had a blood alcohol content of more than twice the legal limit. APO Staten’s quick actions and thinking prevented serious injury or death, not only to members of the public, but to the unconscious man behind the wheel of the car.

We are so proud of our officers and congratulate all of them being honored tomorrow on their awards.

Members of the media who wish to cover the awards ceremony can contact Northern Virginia Chamber Director of Communications and Marketing, Elaine Gilligan at egilligan@NOVAChamber.org.

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