Washington, DC—The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has announced the selection of Police Officers Christopher Munro and Eric Reynolds of the Boynton Beach (FL) Police Department to receive its Officer of the Month Award for February 2013. These officers are being honored for their heroic, life-saving actions taken last June to apprehend an armed robber.
Located in the nation’s capital, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a nonprofit organization dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of America’s law enforcement officers. The Memorial Fund’s Officer of the Month Award Program began in 1996 and recognizes federal, state, and local officers who distinguish themselves through exemplary law enforcement service and devotion to duty.
Officers Christopher Munro and Eric Reynolds, along with the other Officers of the Month for 2013, will be honored at a special awards luncheon in Washington, DC, in May 2014, during National Police Week. In addition, their stories of heroism and service will be featured in the Memorial Fund’s annual calendar.
Key Facts
- On June 12, 2012, the Delray Beach (FL) Police Department issued a “Be on the Lookout” (BOLO) alert for a red Ford Crown Victoria with a white roof. The driver of the vehicle was suspected of committing armed robbery at a local bank branch.
- Based on the information he was given, when Boynton Beach (FL) Police Officer Eric Reynolds saw a similar vehicle—a red Lincoln Town Car—crossing from the Intercoastal Highway into Boynton Beach, he notified dispatch that he might have the suspect in his sights and began to follow the Lincoln.
- Fellow Boynton Beach Officer Christopher Munro followed behind Officer Reynolds’s cruiser in pursuit. The suspect’s Lincoln continued at a high rate of speed, crashing into two civilian vehicles at two different intersections. The chase finally came to an end when the suspect’s car crashed into a third civilian vehicle.
- The suspect inside the now inoperable Lincoln extended his arm out of the car window and opened fire. In response to the critical threat to the civilians and themselves, the officers returned fire, striking the suspect several times.
- Officers Reynolds and Munro took up defensive positions and held the suspect at gunpoint until additional units arrived. It was then that Officer Reynolds realized that he had been shot in the foot. The suspect succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
- Had these officers relied solely on the BOLO tip, they would have focused on locating a Ford Crown Victoria, and the 52-year-old career criminal—driving a Lincoln Town Car—might have escaped once again.
- For their insight and heroic actions, both officers will receive the Boynton Police Department’s Combat Cross Medal. Officer Reynolds will receive the department’s Meritorious Service Wound Medal.
Supporting Quote
- ”The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is honored to present Boynton Beach (FL) Police Officers Christopher Munro and Eric Reynolds with our Officer of the Month Award for February 2013. Officer Munro’s and Officer Reynolds’s actions on June 12 undoubtedly saved many lives,” said Craig W. Floyd, National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund Chairman & CEO. “The strength and courage demonstrated during this incident are exemplary.”
For more information about the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s Officer of the Month Award, visit www.LawMemorial.org/OTM.
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About the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
Founded in 1984, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund is a private non-profit [501(c)(3)] organization dedicated to honoring the service and sacrifice of America’s law enforcement officers and to promoting officer safety. The Memorial Fund maintains the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC, which contains the names of 19,660 officers who have died in the line of duty throughout U.S. history. The Memorial Fund is now working to create the first-ever National Law Enforcement Museum, which will tell the story of American law enforcement through high-tech, interactive exhibits, comprehensive collection of historical and contemporary artifacts, extensive resources for research, and diverse educational programming. For more information, visit www.LawMemorial.org.