Kansas City Police Awards Ceremony - October 16, 2007

The Kansas City Missouri Police Department honored officers, citizens Tuesday, October 16, 2007 in an award ceremony that featured numerous awards for bravery, selflessness and ingenuity.

Three officers received the department's highest honor, the medal of valor. Other officers, detectives and two citizens also were honored for various lifesaving and crime-fighting exploits.

Two medals of valor were awarded for actions April 29 when a gunman stormed Ward Parkway Center.

The gunman, David Logsdon, wounded Officer James Payton in a confrontation at a south Kansas City convenience store. Payton took two guns from him. Shot in the arm, he returned fire and wounded Logsdon as he sped away.

Logsdon then drove to the mall, where he killed two people in the parking lot before entering the mall.

Sgt. Michael Griggs, one of the first officers to arrive, spotted Logsdon inside and fired two shots, killing him.

The third medal of valor went to Sgt. Lee Malek, who was shot after stopping a suspected carjacker in east Kansas City on June 5. A man jumped from the car, firing a semiautomatic weapon, and hit Malek in the leg. Malek returned fire.

Two citizens received certificate's of appreciation for helping police.

Leading to the arrest of the suspect in Sgt. Lee Malek's shooting. Robert Buxton, a truck driver, heard shots and saw the suspect running with a weapon. Buxton chased him until the man pointed the gun at him. Buxton returned to the shooting scene and told officers what the man looked like and where he had gone. The suspect was caught.

The other certificate was awarded to Christian Vedder, who in July called 911 after spotting two men in the Waldo area, one with a concealed rifle. Vedder followed the men and stayed on the phone with police until officers captured the two men as they entered a restaurant, foiling an attempted armed robbery.

Others honored:

•Detectives David Conchola and Mark Rice, for a complicated internal affairs investigation involving the traffic unit.

•Sergeants Keith Ericsson, Keith Kirchhoff and Richard Ludwig, Detectives Joshua Heinen and James Green, and Officers Patrick Moss and Nevenko Mikic, for rescuing a kidnapping victim and arresting two murder suspects.

•Detective Alexis Bush-Bailey and Officers Kevin Growney and Jeffrey Peacock, for calming and subduing an armed and emotionally disturbed man.

•Officers Larry Liebsch and Marc Lombardo, for recovering five stolen vehicles and arresting the theft suspects during a three-day period.

•Officer Robert Erpelding, for rescuing an unattended toddler standing on the ledge of an open third-story window.

•Officer Jonathan Rivers, the first officer on the scene after Malek was shot. Unsure where the gunman was, Rivers covered Malek with his body until other officers arrived. He then performed first aid until paramedics arrived.

•Dio, the police dog killed in August during a fall from a third-story roof after tracking three burglary suspects. Dio's handler, Master Patrol Officer Ronald Jenkins, accepted the award.

Photos Courtesy of Suzzane McHale, Kansas City, MO Police Department.

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[realmofblood]

I have always wanted to be a cop and is this Nickel Back singing?

[cved]

The song, "Hero" is by Chad Kroeger (Nickelback) and Josey Scott (Saliva). Thanks for the comment!

[2scrappy4u]

GO KC!!!!!!!

[pyramidhead138]

Sgt Griggs, i know him personally

[pyramidhead138]

great video, awesome song to

[kcpdmo1081]

Great video. It makes me very proud to be a member of this Department. P.S. How about a residency change?????????

[cdv98420]

great video, well done

[ldmalek]

Thanks for video. From one of those portrayed.