Five Nashville officers who responded to Covenant shooting received national valor awards
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A national organization honored five Nashville officers who responded to the tragedy at The Covenant School.
Five Metro Nashville Police officers received the National Award of Valor from the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) on Thursday.
The officers honored for their courage are listed below:
- Officer Rex Engelbert
- Detective Michael Collazo
- Sergeant Jeff Mathis
- Detective Zachary Please
- Detective Ryan Cagle
The award is presented to those who embody acts of courage and valor above and beyond what would normally be expected.
In this case, the five police officers ended the attack by confronting, firing at, and fatally wounding the shooter within 14 minutes of the first report of the incident, according to NASRO.
NASRO made a prior announcement stating that only two officers, Rex Engelbert and Michael Collazo, would receive the award. After more information became available about the school shooting, NASRO’s award committee decided to include the three other officers for the award.
The officers were presented with the awards at Metro Nashville Police Department headquarters on Thursday.
Officers Rex Englebert and Michael Collazo were also commemorated for their bravery by the Uvalde Foundation for Kids, and they are being considered for Congressional Gold Medals after a resolution was filed by Representative Andy Ogles.
On March 27, 2023, three 9-year-old students and three staff members were killed when a mass shooter made entry into their alma mater armed with an assault rifle and two other weapons. The shooter was ultimately stopped by responding Metro Police officers who opened fire and killed them.
NASRO is a nonprofit organization for school-based law enforcement officers, school administrators, and school security and safety professionals working to protect students, school faculty and staff, and the schools they serve. The nonprofit is headquartered in Hoover, Alabama, and established in 1991.
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