Dayton police officer receives two national awards
The Dayton Police Department announced that Officer Thadeu Holloway recently received two national awards. Holloway was presented with the TOP COPS award from the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) on May 12 in Washington, D.C.
Recipients are nominated by fellow officers, with nominations from all 50 states and U.S. territories. The top 10 cases are then selected to be recognized as TOP COPS. Holloway was nominated for an incident that occurred in September of 2021.
In following up on a fraud complaint at a local store, Holloway went to a suspect’s address, found the suspect and tried to speak with him. The suspect hit Holloway, who then Tased the suspect, who in turn pulled a gun from a pocket and shot at Holloway, hitting him in the side of the head.
Holloway returned fire, stopping the threat. As he was radioing for help, Officer Holloway also ensured that bystanders stayed back or went into their homes, since the suspect still had access to a gun. Despite being seriously injured and bleeding profusely from his wound, Holloway refused to leave the scene with the initial responding officers, instead waiting until enough officers were there to secure the scene and provide medical aid to the suspect.
Holloway was also chosen for the Citizens Choice Award, meaning he was the top winner of the 10 chosen cases.
“I am honored that I was picked as one of the top 10 cases in law enforcement from across the country, but to also be selected as the Citizens Choice Award recipient from those cases,” Holloway said. “It was humbling hearing all the different cases and calls those officers went through, and their acts of heroism and bravery during the most stressful situations is amazing.”
The awards mark the second time in the past two years that Dayton police personnel have received the honors. The six Dayton Police Officers who stopped the mass shooter in the Oregon District in August of 2019 were named TOP COPS in 2020.