Sheriff Troy Berry and the Charles County Sheriff’s Office are proud to announce Sgt. Mike Clark has been recognized as “Deputy of the Year for Valor” by the Maryland Sheriff’s Association. Sgt. Clark was recently honored at the MSA’s annual conference for his exceptional courage far above and beyond the call of duty while on a dangerous call nearly one year ago.

On September 27, 2014, officers were dispatched for an armed suicidal subject who was intoxicated and holding a shotgun to his head while sitting alone in a vehicle. Sgt. Clark, who was assigned to the Traffic Operations Division at the time, was the first on the scene and took the lead in communicating with the subject as additional officers arrived. Sgt. Clark assured the man that officers were there to help him. Although the subject could hear Sgt. Clark, he refused to remove the gun from his face and continued speaking incoherently and crying while his finger was on the trigger. Suddenly, the man’s wife approached and attempted to put the gun on safe mode. In that moment, Sgt. Clark made a quick, selfless decision to break from cover and reach out and grab the gun from the man’s hands. The subject was subdued without incident and later transported to a hospital where he received treatment.

It was then discovered the gun was actually a rifle and was, in fact, loaded with a round in the chamber. The man was a former military member who was distraught over a domestic-related issue.

“Sgt. Clark was everything we could all hope to be in a life-or-death situation. He displayed patience, courage and true heroism,” said Sheriff Berry. “The situation would have likely ended with the loss of life had Sgt. Clark not made the split-second decision that he did, putting others’ lives before his own. We are very proud of him and the actions he took that day.”

Charles County Crime Solvers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for information that leads to the arrest or indictment of a person responsible for a crime in Charles County. Anyone with information about an unsolved crime or the location of a fugitive may contact Charles County Crime Solvers by calling 1-866-411-TIPS, texting CHARLES + the tip to CRIMES (274637) or submitting tips online at tipsubmit.com. All individuals who provide tips through Crime Solvers will remain anonymous. Learn more at the CCSO’s website.

The Charles County Sheriff’s Office is a full-service law enforcement agency comprised of more than 600 police, corrections and civilian personnel responsible for protecting more than 150,000 residents. The CCSO was accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2001 and has been designated as a CALEA Gold Standard of Excellence agency since 2011. Established in 1658, the CCSO is one of the oldest law enforcement agencies in the United States. For more information, visit www.ccso.us.      

Media Contact
Janelle Love
301-609-6538
lovej@ccso.us