On a rainy, windy evening more than 200 people gathered in Port Orchard to hear Kitsap County Sheriff Steve Boyer and Sheriff-elect Gary Simpson present the annual departmental awards and recognitions.

Among those who were honored Dec. 11 were Deputies Ben Herrin and Kurtis Lont, who were given the Medal of Valor for their efforts during a New Year’s Eve Day incident on Dec. 31, 2013.

Simpson said the medal of valor is the highest award presented by the sheriff and recognizes an outstanding act of valor where an employee performed a hazardous act at extraordinary risk to their life, while in the performance of their normal duties.

The employee must have acted rationally and logically in determining the course of action, acted above and beyond the level of duty normally expected, acted in accordance with the highest ideals of professional police service and did not use poor judgment or procedures that created the necessity of the their act.

Simpson described the incident:

Just after 1 p.m., Dec. 31, 2013, following a request for assistance to check on the safety and welfare of a 42 year-old female, Deputies Herrin and Lont responded to residential property in the 8400 block of Bethel Burley Road SE, in South Kitsap.

The originator of the 9-1-1 call, the woman’s sister, was concerned for her safety as there was a protection order in place involving a 44 year-old male. The man was believed to have a firearm and the victim was being held against her will at the house. The woman could not communicate freely.

While en route, radio dispatched that there were multiple persons in the house and the male suspect was armed with a gun.

“Deputies Herrin and Lont placed themselves at extraordinary risk by advancing in a tree line and up an elevated driveway to a position of tactical advantage to properly assess any possible threat from the residence,” Simpson said.

As both deputies moved up the driveway, radio updated the call to advise that there were multiple persons inside the house but that no gun was involved. This added to the on-scene confusion that was pervasive.

Once in position at the top of the driveway, the deputies observed a vehicle parked in front of the house. By this time, those inside the house were now outside. They also observed that the male suspect was attempting to force the female victim into the car.

The woman was able to free herself and ran away from her antagonizer.

From the driver’s side of the parked car, the male suspect began shooting at responding law enforcement officers.

Deputies Herrin and Lont were forced to fire their weapons in an effort to stop the lethal force being used against them and to protect others who were on scene – some also who were attempting to flee.

The actions of both deputies brought the threat under control and ensured the safety of themselves and other law enforcement officers and persons in the immediate vicinity, he said.

The male suspect sustained gunshot injuries. No others were injured.

“Deputies Herrin and Lont immediately restrained the suspect while simultaneously coordinating medical response from South Kitsap Fire & Rescue,” Simpson said. “Both deputies expedited this response by starting immediate life saving efforts with a patrol deputy’s individual first aid kit, as they loaded the suspect onto a stretcher and wheeled him to a waiting medic unit.”

The suspect recovered from his injuries and was arrested upon discharge from the hospital, Simpson said. He presently resides in the Kitsap County Jail, awaiting trial, on charges of assault, first degree  with a deadly weapon and unlawful imprisonment.

At the same ceremony the Sheriff’s Life Saving Award was presented to Deputy Dan Twomey for saving a 17-year-old girl from attempting suicide on an overpass on Mitchell Avenue that crosses over Mile Hill Drive.

The Sheriff’s Life Saving Award was presented to Deputy Scott Jensen for performing CPR on a 40-year-old man at a residence on West Kingston Road North Kitsap.

The Sheriff’s Award for Professional Excellence was given to Officer Ernest Wohleb for his professional endeavors to draft and develop the mechanism for jail inmate disciplinary procedures, more commonly known as a “due process.”

Special recognition was given to several employees who are retiring. Among them were Detective Doug Dillard, Sgt. Steve Sipple, Undersheriff Dennis Bonneville and Sheriff Boyer, himself.

Bonneville spent 29 years with the Washington State Patrol, retiring in March 1998, only to start his second law enforcement career with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s office on Feb. 2, 1999. He served more than 15 years with the county.

Although Boyer will remain on the job until Simpson is sworn in on Dec. 31, he was presented with a shadow box containing special memorabilia from his years of service.

Simpson said since taking office, Boyer’s three principles to help guide decisions have been hire and retain the highest quality people, provide them the best training, and equip them with the best appropriate tools to assure all employee efforts are successful.

“His accomplishments  are many during the 16 years as sheriff. Yet he is the first to give credit to others for getting the job done,”  Simpson said.

During the ceremony, Boyer also handed out special awards to a number of organizations including the media for their help during the Jenise Wright homicide investigation.

Included were Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue and the Central Kitsap School District for use of their facilities; Washington State Patrol and its crime lab, Kitsap County Department of Informational Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Seattle Office, the Kitsap County Prosecutor’s Office;  and the Tacoma Police Department.

Media included Central Kitsap Reporter, Kitsap Sun, the Seattle Times, and KIRO, KING, KOMO, and KCPQ television.

Also honored were Denna Castro, Support Specialist of the Year; Shawn Buzzell, Corrections Officer of the Year; and Ben Herrin, Deputy Sheriff of the Year. Cadets of the Year were Jacynda Hoyson and Arianna Christen.