OFFICERs MICHAEL ENZ AND SPENCER MARSHALL

Shortly before 1 p.m. on Sept. 21, 2022, Officer Michael Enz went to a 7-Eleven in downtown Richmond to grab some lunch. He picked out several items and was standing in the checkout line when a store employee ran inside and told him someone had overdosed outside on the front steps. Enz checked and found the man had a very weak pulse, and he was unresponsive to the officer's attempts to shake him awake. Enz administered one dose of NARCAN. Officer Spencer Marshall arrived on scene at that point. The man was still not very responsive, so Officer Marshall administered another dose of NARCAN. Richmond Ambulance crews arrived at that point and continued treating the man, who regained full consciousness.

For their actions, Officers Enz and Marshall were awarded the division's Lifesaving Award.

 OFFICERS DAVON FANT AND CHRISTOPHER GRUBBS

At 10 p.m. on July 4, 2022, Officers Davon Fant and Christopher Grubbs were on patrol in downtown Richmond when they were flagged down by three Virginia Commonwealth University students, who directed them to an unconscious man nearby on the ground. Officers Fant and Grubbs tried to wake the man with sternum rubs, but he remained unresponsive. Fant determined the man was suffering from an opioid overdose, so he administered three doses of NARCAN. The man regained consciousness and was transported by ambulance to the hospital for further examination and treatment. 

For their actions, Officers Fant and Grubbs were awarded the division's Lifesaving Award.

Officer Joe Pugh was on his way to pick up his car at a repair facility in Mechanicsville after work on Aug. 28, 2019, when he came upon a medical emergency. Traveling on U.S. 360, Pugh recalled seeing flashing blue emergency lights on a vehicle, followed by a Hanover County deputy sheriff administering CPR to a man on the ground. Pugh raced to the scene and found the deputy administering chest compressions alone to an unresponsive man. On the ground beside them was an automatic external defibrillator that had been deployed. Pugh checked the man for a pulse but found none. At that point, the AED's voice activation advised that the unit was about to administer another shock to the man. Afterward, the Hanover deputy asked Pugh to take over chest compressions. A short time later, Pugh asked a Hanover fire marshal who had arrived at the scene if they should try to force air into the victim. The fire marshal told him to go ahead and try, and a woman at the scene gave Pugh a mask that he used to try forcing breaths into the man. The AED activated once again and administered a third shock. Pugh then resumed chest compressions until Hanover Fire & EMS arrived and transported the man to a hospital. The man is known to have survived, and authorities said the efforts of Pugh, the Hanover deputy, the fire marshal and Hanover Fire & EMS were instrumental in saving his life.

OFFICER davon fant

Officer Davon Fant was working early on the morning of June 15, 2019, when the sound of gunshots quickly grew into a medical emergency that required a fast response by the officer. Working as the patrol/relief unit, Fant was conducting a check at the Executive Mansion Gate Post at 3:55 a.m. when he heard several gunshots west of the Capitol. Fant and the officer on duty at the Mansion Gate checked the post's security cameras, which helped them spot a gold BMW and a black Infiniti traveling at a high rate of speed on Franklin Street and then turning north onto Ninth Street. Fant got in his patrol vehicle and went to investigate, and he was at the intersection of Governor and Broad streets when the driver of the gold BMW pulled up to inform him he had been shot. The driver got out of his car, and it immediately became clear that he had lost a significant amount of blood from a leg wound. Fant had the man lay on the ground, and the officer applied a tourniquet to the injured leg. Fant had Dispatch notify EMS and request an ambulance. Fant kept the man awake and calm until EMS arrived. The man was transported to VCU Medical Center, where he was treated for serious injuries.

COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER AMANDA CARTER

On May 18, 2017, Communications Officer Amanda Carter was on her way home from dispatch training and was driving on state Route 288 at 5:45 p.m. when she observed a motorcycle collide with a vehicle at a high rate of speed. The motorcyclist was thrown through the air before landing on the roadway.

Communications Officer Carter pulled over, called 911 and ran to the motorcyclist, who was trying to stand up despite having open fractures on both legs. Communications Officer Carter held the victim's head still to prevent him from causing further injury to himself. Communications Officer Carter stayed with the victim, keeping him immobilized and calm, until he was transported to the hospital by ambulance.

For her actions, Communications Officer Carter was recognized with the division's Award of Excellence.

OFFICERS DAVON FANT AND CLARENCE NOWLIN

Officers Davon Fant and Clarence Nowlin were en route to the Virginia War Memorial to conduct a routine check on April 18, 2015, at 1:20 a.m. when they saw a vehicle on the Robert E. Lee Bridge with its hazard lights flashing. They went to the vehicle and saw several people near the bridge railing as well as a young man who had positioned himself over the railing and was standing on the narrow ledge, high above the James River.

Officer Fant began talking to the young man, who appeared to be agitated, and he slowly approached him while making sure to maintain a safe distance and not alarm him. Officer Fant continued talking calmly with the young man, who acknowledged he was considering killing himself. Officer Fant was eventually able to convince the young man to climb back over the railing. Officer Nowlin, credited with helping create and maintain a calm environment, and Officer Fant were able to get the young man medical care.

For their actions, Officers Fant and Nowlin were recognized with the American Red Cross Life Saving Award.

Special Agent James L. Cosby Jr.

On June 21, 2012, Corporal James L. Cosby Jr. of the Virginia Division of Capitol Police was near a law firm in Chesterfield County when he observed a man in business attire running around a pond located behind that building. Corporal Cosby noticed several people exiting a corner door on the side of the building. As he passed the entrance to the building’s parking lot, Corporal Cosby observed a vehicle with several women inside, all of whom appeared to be upset. Corporal Cosby turned his vehicle around on Courthouse Road and proceeded back toward the law firm. Corporal Cosby observed an individual run across Courthouse Road into the woods. Based on his police training, Corporal Cosby believed an active shooter event was occurring. As he pulled up to the intersection, Corporal Cosby advised the women in the parked car that he was an off-duty police officer and asked what had happened. They informed him that an armed man came into their office, shot a lawyer and fled.

As he approached the building, Corporal Cosby encountered a man exiting with a rifle in his right hand. Corporal Cosby was wearing his issued police badge and drew his service weapon and stated, “Police, drop your weapon.” The subject told Corporal Cosby, “Buddy, kill me right now, shoot me right here…” The subject took his left index finger and put it to the center of his forehead. Corporal Cosby continued to give commands for him to drop his weapon. The subject repeatedly asked Corporal Cosby to shoot him, continually advising that he was in his “threat zone.” Corporal Cosby engaged the subject in conversation as he closed the distance between them. Corporal Cosby quickly holstered his weapon and grabbed the suspect. A Chesterfield police officer arriving at the scene helped him disarm and subdue the subject.

Mark M. Lowe, 42, was later convicted on five charges, including attempted murder, abduction, unlawfully shooting into an occupied dwelling and two counts of felonious use of a firearm.

As a result of his selfless act of bravery, Corporal Cosby was able to end the rampage of an active shooter while also avoiding a potential “suicide by cop” scenario. The VACP is honored to present Capitol Police Corporal James L. Cosby Jr. with the Award for Valor.

Press:

Corporal James L. Cosby Jr. Receives July 2015 Officer of the Month Award

OFFICER SEAN CHAULKLIN

On Sept. 6, 2007, Officer Sean Chaulklin was on patrol when he was sent to a state parking garage at 14th and East Main streets for a report of a possibly suicidal male on the roof. When Officer Chaulkin arrived, he was met by a security guard who told him a man was sitting on a top ledge of the seven-story structure and would not respond to him. Officer Chaulklin arrived at the roof and introduced himself to the man. The man told him he was having a bad day and then spun around and swung his legs over the ledge in apparent preparation to jump. Officer Chaulklin rushed to the man, grabbed him around the waist, pulled him back and yanked him to the floor of the deck, holding him until the security guard arrived to help secure the man. A loaded 20-gauge shotgun was later found in the man's vehicle. For his actions, Officer Chaulklin was presented a 2008 Lifesaving Award from the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police and the Virginia Police Chiefs Foundation.