Last night Sgt. Clarence Goins, Officer Seth Parker, and Officer Nicholas Smithers with the Danville Police Department were presented with the Award for Valor during the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police & Foundation Awards Banquet. This is the highest honor an officer can receive from the VACP.

The officers received the award for their actions on January 17, 2024.

The Danville Police Department responded to a report of a man with a gun. It was determined that the man had been fired from his job and he had lost everything. He intended to shoot and kill his former supervisor or kill himself.

Sgt. Goins was the first to encounter the suspect, across the street from his former place of employment and in front of a middle school. The suspect told Sgt. Goins that he had a gun.

Officer Smithers and Officer Parker responded as back up. Sgt. Goins continued talking to the suspect in an attempt to deescalate the situation.

He was in an open field and kept roaming about while talking with officers. There was no cover for the officers except for their patrol vehicles.

After several minutes of talking, the suspect pulled out a revolver and fired it at the playground. Then he turned towards the officers and pointed the gun at them. Sgt. Goins, Officer Parker, and Officer Smithers discharged their duty weapons at the suspect, who fell to the ground.

Officers ran to the suspect, secured his firearm, and administered first aid to the suspect until first responders arrived on the scene. The suspect was struck in his right leg and the suspect survived this incident.