One of ten awarded the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, Keith Borders was the only police officer to receive the honor.

This new award, recently presented for the first time by Attorney General John Ashcroft and Vice President Dick Cheney, recognizes the outstanding heroic deeds of public safety officers above and beyond the call of duty. It is the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer.

Officer Borders, a member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, received the medal for shielding a woman from gunfire during a domestic disturbance call.

He successfully removed an endangered woman from the house and placed her safely behind his police cruiser. The suspect, armed with a .38 caliber revolver, a 9 mm semiautomatic handgun, and a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, emerged from the house and opened fire on Borders and the victim. Borders suffered a head wound and significant blood loss. Maintaining his composure, Borders shielded the woman from harm and returned fire, killing the suspect.

The remaining nine recipients of the Medal of Valor for 2002 were firefighters.

The Medal, authorized by the Public Safety Officers Medal of Valor Acto of 2001, is awarded to public safety officers cited by the Attorney General. Public safety officers are nominated by teh chiefs or directors of their employing agencies and recommended by the bipartisan Medal of Valor Review Board. For more information, visit www.ojp.usdog.gov.