Members of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office were recognized at the 51st Annual Metropolitan Chiefs and Sheriffs Association Awards for Valor on Thursday, November 10.

Sergeant Porras, Corporal Zubeck and Deputy Barton earned the Silver Award for Valor for confronting and arresting an active shooter. On October 15, 2021, a man was shooting at vehicles on I-35 with a handgun. Deputies were able to safely take the man into custody during a torrential rain storm. Liberty, Missouri Police Department officers Hillary Harmon and Benjamin Siefker were the first to make contact with the shooter, and they also received the Silver Award for Valor.

Deputies Sands and Frizzell earned the Life-Saving Award for applying two tourniquets to a robbery victim who had been shot five times and putting pressure on his wounds during a separate incident last October.

The Metropolitan Chiefs and Sheriffs Association consists of police chiefs and sheriffs in the Kansas City metro area. Sheriff Akin is the current vice president and will serve as the Association's president next year.

All metro-area law enforcement agencies are invited to nominate their officers and deputies for acts of valor. The executive board of the MCSA, as well as a community member, then votes on who should get awards and what level of award they should receive. The award levels include Life-Saving, Bronze, Silver and Gold.

KPGZ News - Sarah Boyd with the Clay County Sheriff’s Office contributed to this story