By Ava Thomas Benson, The Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK (AP) - Fayetteville Police Cpl. Gary Crews said he felt “not embarrassed - but a little funny” about appearing Tuesday before fellow enforcers of the law as the state’s newly named Officer of the Year for 2004, because he didn’t think he had done anything extraordinary.
As a sniper, Crews shot a suspect moments before he could open fire on officers he was aiming at. As a detective, Crews helped convict a serial rapist and has been involved with undercover drug investigations.
“I was just really doing my job, that’s all it is,” Crews shrugged. “A lot of other guys here did a lot of other good things, too. I don’t know that I did anything special.”
Crews got Officer of the Year billing from a panel of 11 fellow law enforcement officials. Attorney General Mike Beebe presented the award to Crews at a ceremony, along with awards honoring officers in each of the state’s four congressional districts.
The panel named Jackson County Deputy Toni Moss and Game and Fish Cpl. David Evans as outstanding officers from the 1st Congressional District.
Moss was shot in the thigh during a domestic disturbance call as she ran to get an unarmed trainee away from the scene. Moss tried to drive herself to the hospital because she said she worried the scene would be too dangerous for an ambulance. She eventually had to pull over.
Evans, an officer for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, helped a person trapped in a vehicle after a collision with an 18-wheeler. He was also honored for his work cleaning dumpsites along Arkansas waterways. Evans said the award is significant because recipients are chosen by their peers.
Capt. Sammie Johnson of the Yell County sheriff’s office, honored in the 2nd District, was cited for saving the lives of two people who had fallen from a bridge into the Arkansas River.
In the 3rd District, honors went to the SWAT team and field deputies of the Benton County sheriff’s office for their response to a 5-hour standoff.
Cpl. Charlie Edmonson was honored in the 4th District after suffering a gunshot wound and shrapnel injuries during a conflict with suspects.