A U.S. Capitol Police officer is being honored by a national law-enforcement nonprofit for risking his life to protect his mother and others during a shootout in a day care center parking lot.
Officer Eddie R. Thornton received the December officer of the month award from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. He is the first Capitol Police officer to receive the award.
Thornton went to visit his mother at the day care center she owned on the 8500 block of Greenbelt Road on July 16, 2009. She was waiting for him in the parking lot.
After Thornton arrived at the lot, a man opened fire.
Thornton told his mother and others to take cover, and he engaged in a shootout with the man.
Thornton was struck in the lower back, and a 12-year-old girl inside an area apartment building was hit by a stray bullet.
The gunman, Badara Samb, was also hit in the upper body.
All three survived.
Thornton was released from the hospital shortly after the incident. He has since recovered and returned to full duty.
For his actions, Thornton has also received an officer of the year award from the Capitol Hill Executive Service Club and the medal of valor from the Capitol Police.
Police said Samb had argued with his roommate, a Fort Myer civilian police officer, earlier in the day. His roommate went out of the room, but left his gun behind.
Samb took the gun, followed his roommate outside, and started firing the weapon randomly, police said.
He was charged with attempted murder and pleaded guilty but not criminally responsible in Prince George’s County Circuit Court last December, according to court records. Samb was ordered to undergo mental-health treatment.
