Profile: NRA's 2006 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year

The National Rifle Association selected Trooper John Richard "Rick" Smith as its 2006 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Trooper Smith was selected for this distinguished award based upon his acts of valor on August 20, 2006, in Midlothian, Texas.

On that day, Trooper Smith and other members of his shift monitored a police radio transmission of "Shots Fired -- Officers Down" from the Midlothian Police Department. Smith and four other Texas state troopers immediately responded to the call and quickly arrived on the scene. Smith was first to reach the incident, and found that three Midlothian police officers had been shot by a gunman when they attempted to investigate a complaint of a bullet breaking a nearby window. When the Texas troopers arrived, the gunman was barricaded in his apartment. Two of the wounded officers were pinned down and were unable to move to safety.

Smith and his fellow troopers provided cover, which allowed paramedics to remove one of the wounded officers from the scene. The other officer was trapped in an exposed position and was immobilized from five gunshot wounds. Trooper Smith left his place of cover and ran into the open area to assist the wounded officer. Exposing himself to the gunman's fire, Trooper Smith was soon joined by two other troopers and managed to pull the injured officer to safety.

Click here to read the rest of the story. You can download a nomination form for the 2008 NRA Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. The deadline is September 1st.