2019 was a weird time. Sonic The Hedgehog needed a facelift. Toys ‘R’ Us had become further bankrupt. Some weird infection was causing a stir in China. But the saddest news had to be the 2019 mass shooting occurring in a municipal building around the Princess Anne neighborhood. On May 31st, 2019, DeWayne Craddock had become so upset with the local government, that he decided to go on a mass shooting spree. Twelve people came to death under fire (11 of them being actual employees of the city government.) Four more people had no choice but to be hospitalized. Yet, they all would recover in the hospital. As for the man taking the gun to go “Bang”, he was shot on sight by policemen after a very long crossfire.

All that said, the four policemen who outlasted the expired? Well they have just recently been given the honor of the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery.

Who were these policemen?

This was given out to Officer Christopher Watkins, Officer Bobby Meis, Sergeant Peter Koepp, Jr. and Sergeant Mark Laino. Laino was arguably the defacto leader ushering his team to the rescue.

On the day of the attack, they confronted the gunman on the second floor of the building. However, Koepp himself got struck in the gut by way of a bullet. And yet, the ballistic vest he wore was able to prevent any more serious injuries. This is all in the recognition that they could’ve easily been hurt. And yet they were not so.

Raj Parekh, an acting United States Attorney, presented these medals last week at the Sandler to the four officers for their bravery. Congress made these acts something to award as early as 2008 in order to honor brave acts by law enforcement officers on every level. Altogether, the four policemen had beyond 90 years of enforcement running with them altogether. On a somber note, Meis had this to say: “If we could take these medals away and bring all those victims back we would in a heartbeat.” When you think about it, these men could’ve ran. No one would stop them in that case. But they would choose to brave the storm. When you brave the storm, you have to know two things. How to know when you’re licked by the opposition, and how to know your plan to retailiate anyway.