Officer Recognized For Heroic Efforts In Navy Yard Shooting
BALTIMORE (WJZ)--For an hour in late 2013 a gunman worked his way through a building at the Naval Yard in D.C., killing a dozen people.
As Mike Schuh reports, a Westminster native and Ellicott City resident is honored for stopping the shooter.
It's one of D.C.'s worst days. A dozen are killed by a deranged contractor who, for an hour roams through building 197, seemingly unstoppable. That is until Officer Dorian DeSantis, who took a bullet to his vest, shot him dead.
Congressman Cummings brought a badge with him from the Capitol.
"Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery for your extraordinary bravery above and beyond all duty," Congressman Cummings said.
Standing next to him his wife Diane.
"I'm so proud of him, for our girls and me he's been our hero since this happened and I'm just glad. He doesn't want to talk to anybody about it but he should because he should be really proud about what he does," Diane said.
"I try to avoid you guys, I really don't like giving interviews," said Officer DeSantis.
I sense it's harder for this hero to stare down reporters than a gunman. Even the congressman had to give him a nudge.
"I asked Officer DeSantis if he wanted to have a few words, he said, 'not really,' and i said well you got to," the congressman said.
He did what hero's do and pointed elsewhere, gave others credit.
"So, and I thank you for this award. I'll be the keeper of this for everybody else who responded that day to 197," DeSantis said.
Schuh: "Is that who he is?
"That's who he is, it's truly who he is, it makes me crazy because I want him out there getting everything he deserves because I'm proud, but I respect that's who he is. That's ok," his wife said.
United States Park Police officers Carl Hiott and Andrew Wong also received the same award for the same incident.