A Montgomery County police officer has earned the department’s highest award for his actions during a hostage standoff at the Discovery Communications building in Silver Spring. Officer Edward Paden received the medal of valor at the department’s annual awards ceremony. Police said Paden was off-duty last September when he learned of a gunman at the Discovery building, but went to the business and went inside. He put himself in a position to provide details to the other officers who were responding to the scene, the department said.
The Montgomery SWAT team also received the medal of valor for its response to the Discovery incident. Team members entered the lobby with the suspect, who was carrying explosive devices. The suspect, James J. Lee, was shot by police as he tried to detonate the explosives.
Other Montgomery officers honored at the awards ceremony include:
» Cpl. Harley Schwarz and Officer Joseph Norton, who used a blanket from a police cruiser to apply pressure to a stabbing victim’s wounds and bandaged the injuries last May, saving the man’s life.
» Sgt. Raymond Moran, Range Sgt. Charles Swinford and Officer John Greene, who resuscitated a bank robbery suspect who was shot by police during a vehicle pursuit in Damascus in July. Police said officers fired at the man when he intentionally drove his car at a police officer. The officers performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation and applied pressure to his wounds.
» Officers Jason Cokinos, Brian Merryman and Elizabeth Young-Dunn, who helped a woman standing on a bridge who said she wanted to kill herself in September. The woman said health problems were making her hair fall out, and Cokinos asked the woman to show him her hair. That allowed the three officers to grab her arms and pull her to safety.
» Officer Brendon Johnston, who was the first responder to the scene of a 16-month-old child in a stroller who had been struck by a car in October. The child had no pulse when Johnston arrived. He performed CPR until fire and rescue crews arrived. The child was released from the hospital a few days later and was expected to fully recover.
