Make wishtv.com your home page

Detective awarded Badge of Bravery for saving wounded officer’s life

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — Senators from two states came together Thursday to honor a detective who put his life on the line to help a wounded colleague.

Baltimore County Detective Roy Gibbs was awarded the Congressional Badge of Bravery for moving into the line of fire to save the life of a fellow officer during a shootout.

“Something was going down and my help was needed, that’s pretty much what I was thinking,” Gibbs recalled.

Gibbs said he didn’t think twice about putting his life at risk.

“Didn’t really have any time to be emotional about it,” he added. “You’re just kind of thinking what needed to be done.”

The Badge of Bravery is reserved for law enforcement officers like Gibbs who engage in exceptional acts of bravery in the line of duty.

While Gibbs is a detective in Baltimore he’s a resident of Hanover, Pennsylvania. He said he has trouble talking about that moment of courage but the senators who honored him had plenty to say about it.

“Detective Gibbs was tested and met the ultimate test with willingness to put his life on the line,” Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen said.

“When a man or a woman risks his or her life in the service of their community – to save a fellow officer in this case – that deserves recognition,” Pennsylvania Sen. Patrick Toomey said.

Gibbs is one of just 18 recipients of the award. He was chosen through an extensive nomination process by the U.S. attorney general.

The commemoration is a testament to the remarkable courage displayed by Gibbs, according to Casey.

“Pay tribute in a very formal way to a detective who put his own life at risk to help a fellow officer,” Casey said.

Congress passed the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2008 to honor the men and women of law enforcement who risk their lives on a daily basis.