Montgomery County Police Officer Officer Edward Paden Jr. was awarded the Congressional Badge of Bravery on Monday morning for rushing to the Discovery Communications headquarters while off duty after hearing that a gunman was at the building on Sept. 1, 2010. Paden entered the building and provided support to the hostages and information to other security personnel responding to the scene.
U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Maryland, U.S. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, and Maryland U.S. Attorney Rod Rosenstein presented the award to Paden at a ceremony at the Public Safety Taining Academy in Rockville. Paden is one of 20 local, state and federal law enforcement officers receiving the award.
Though Congress created the award in 2008, this is the first year it has been awarded.
