2026 TOP COPS Awards Cases

★ Illinois

Officer Down — Partner Saves the Day

Police Officer Andrew Paulauskas & Police Officer Oscar Asilis | Chicago Police Department, Chicago, IL

Chicago Police Department’s elite 2563 Tactical Team is proactive when it comes to stopping crime, whether its targeting suspected gang members making drug deals, seizing weapons, or working with the Department of Corrections or U.S. Marshals on high-risk arrests. On May 29, 2025, team members Officers Andrew Paulauskas and Oscar Asilis were on Chicago’s west side when they came across Nathaniel Fejerang conducting the tell-tale signs of a drug deal.  As the officers identified themselves and approached Fejerang, he took off on foot, with both officers in pursuit. The officers quickly gained ground on Fejerang and took him down to the ground. As Officers Paulauskas and Asilis struggled to subdue him, Fejerang was able to pull a gun from his waistband, firing at point blank range and striking Officer Paulauskas in his upper left thigh.Seeing his partner roll off Fejerang and recognizing he had just been shot, Officer Asilis immediately went into action. In defense of his safety and other officers who were also on the scene, Officer Asilis discharged his service weapon, striking Fejerang multiple times in the head and neck and ending the threat. Officer Asilis immediately turned his attention to his partner, who was now surrounded by fellow officers. They quickly put a tourniquet on Officer Paulauskas’s thigh and carried him to the closest squad vehicle, where they loaded their brother in blue and rushed him to the hospital. While Fejerang succumbed to his injuries, thankfully the tenacious Officer Paulauskas recovered, helped in large part by the medical assistance he received from his fellow officers and the speed at which they got him to the hospital.When Officer Paulauskas was discharged from the hospital the next day, Chicago Police Officers were lined up outside the ER, applauding as he walked out on his own rather than using a wheelchair. Given their bravery and courage while working together to take down a perp who exhibited a strong desire to take down one of Chicago’s finest, and presumably any other officer who stood in his way, Officers Andrew Paulauskas and Oscar Asilis represent what being a “TOP COP” is all about.

Officers Stop Home Invader Before Mass Shooting

Police Officer Timothy L. Bell & Police Officer Juan Alba-Chavez | Chicago Police Department, Chicago, IL

Officer Timothy Bell has been with the Chicago Police Department for seven years and spent the last eighteen months as a Field Training Officer (FTO). He is good at what he does and has three basic rules for new Officers to adhere to: Never Lie, Never Make Anything Up, Never Be Afraid to Ask Any Question. On December 7, 2025, FTO Bell was working with PPO Juan Alba-Chavez, who had been under FTO Bell’s tutelage for just six shifts since graduating from the academy when they responded to a domestic dispute call. Darren Brewster, a felon, broke into the house of a woman he had a previous relationship with, and for back-up this “father of the year” brought with him his fifteen-year-old son. Brewster made his presence known by shooting his gun. Luckily, no one was injured with that shot, including four children, aged eight months to twelve years old, who were also inside the apartment.  Moments later a fight broke out in the kitchen between Brewster and an eighteen-year-old male. Officers Bell and Alba-Chavez arrived on the scene as the fight intensified and immediately ran towards the kitchen area to break up the violent altercation. Brewster again fired his handgun, striking the eighteen-year-old male as well as PPO Alba-Chavez in his ballistic vest. The impact knocked PPO Alba-Chavez backwards. FTO Bell immediately returned fire, striking Brewster. It was the first time this seven-year veteran of the force had ever used his service weapon. As a stunned PPO Alba-Chavez dealt with the very painful impact of the bullet, he knew he had two choices: take care of himself and retreat or focus on the important task at hand; making sure his partner was okay and the chaotic and violent situation was under control. To FTO Bell’s expectation, PPO Alba-Cavez displayed the latter, his months long training at the academy and his week with FTO Bell paying off in a real-world situation. PPO Alba-Chavez helped Officer Bell separate the wounded Brewster from the wounded eighteen-year-old and render medical aid to each while making sure Brewster’s son did not get involved. Neither Brewster’s injuries nor the young man’s were life threatening. However, Darren Brewster would be far from unscathed as he was charged with attempted murder, home invasion, and multiple other felonies.As for Officer Alba-Chavez, his ballistic vest did its job, and he was not seriously injured.  Displaying determination and quick thinking, each of these “TOP COPS,” a veteran and a rookie, worked in conjunction to deal with a volatile and violent situation that could have turned into a mass shooting resulting in multiple casualties.

★ Massachusetts

Off-Duty Officer Stops Knife Attack at Crowded Restaurant

Police Officer Jose Valenzuela | Boston Police Department, Boston, MA

Officer Jose Valenzuela grew up in the Roxbury section of Boston, where he met his wife, Christine. He also patrols this area and while off duty, has bumped into some of the family members of people he helped put behind bars. On March 1, 2025, an off-duty Officer Valenzuela and Christine were off to see her mother in a nearby rehab center and decided to pick up some food along the way at a nearby Chick-fil-A. The restaurant was packed and parking on Boston’s Boylston Street was difficult as usual, so Officer Valenzuela double parked and ran inside while Christine remained in the car.Officer Valenzuela was waiting in a long line when two young teens frantically ran inside. It was obvious they were terrified and one was covered in blood. They were looking for refuge, and a moment later, Officer Valenzuela understood why when thirty-two-year-old Lemark Jaramillo ran in, clutching a knife. Jaramillo saw the teens and headed in their direction. Officer Valenzuela took immediate action. Although he was “off duty” his mindset was “on the job.” He quickly moved in between Jaramillo and the teens and unholstered his off-duty weapon. He identified himself as a police officer and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Drop the knife! Drop the knife!” He wanted to de-escalate the situation as quickly as possible. The Chick-fil-A was packed and there was a very real risk innocent bystanders could get hurt.  Jaramillo refused to comply with any of Officer Valenzuela’s orders. He raised the knife in the air, and as he closed the gap between himself and Officer Valenzuela, Officer Valenzuela had no other choice but to discharge his weapon. His aim was true and Jaramillo was struck. Officer Valenzuela called for an ambulance and began lifesaving measures.Fortunately, the teen Lemark Jaramillo stabbed would recover and nobody else was hurt that day. Officer Jose Valenzuela’s courageous and split-second actions prove that while this “TOP COP” wasn’t wearing his uniform that day, it was there in his heart, as it always is, 24-7/365.

★ Nevada

Three Officers End Active Shooter at Las Vegas Gym

Police Officer Skeeter Black, Police Officer Aaron Javier & Police Officer Kaid Urban | Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Las Vegas, NV

On May 16, 2025, the Las Vegas Athletic Club on North Rainbow Boulevard was packed with people working out. Thirty-four-year-old Daniel Ortega arrived just after 1:30 p.m., armed with a high-powered .223 caliber rifle. Ortega had worked out at the gym butwas not there that day to pump iron. He was there to commit murder. His target most likely was Edgar Quinonez, who had worked at the gym for fifteen years. As Ortega moved through the large gym, his rifle by his side, several gym patrons and employees ran for their lives through the large lobby area and out the gym’s main entrance. Ortega allegedly spotted Edgar, who headed deeper into the gym. Ortega pursued him and opened fire on Edgar, striking him and several other gym members. By 1:34 p.m. multiple 911 calls came flooding into dispatch, stating there was an active shooter inside the gym. Minutes later, three Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officers converged on the gym. These officers knew one another and often worked as a team. Officer Skeeter Black had ten years on the force. Officer Aaron Javier was a nine-year veteran and Officer Kaid Urban had been with LVMPD for five years. These officers immediately grabbed their patrol rifles and moved towards the gym’s entrance. As they were about to enter the facility they saw Ortega on the other side of the gym’s large, tinted glass doors. Officer Javier laid eyes on Ortega first. Watching Ortega clutch his rifle and knowing that Ortega had fired multiple rounds inside the gym, Officer Javier saw an opportunity to end the deadly threat and fired a shot through the glass door but was unable to take Ortega down. Ortega ran out of the gym and past the officers. Officer Urban fired four rounds and Officer Black fired a single round at Ortega, striking him. All three officers immediately took Ortega into custody and began providing life-saving measures. Paramedics arrived on the scene and Ortega was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased. Tragically, Edgar Quinonez would also be pronounced dead that afternoon. And while several other people were wounded, fortunately none suffered any major injuries. By exhibiting precise and decisive teamwork immediately upon arrival, and ready to head into the gym to confront a dangerous gunman, Officers Black, Javier and Urban displayed the courage and conviction of what being a “TOP COP” is truly all about.

Officers Breach Active Crime Scene, Save Domestic Violence Victim and Two Children

Police Officer Marcos Fitzpatrick, Police Officer Travis Noone & Police Officer Jimmy Sarkissian-Sarnani | Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Las Vegas, NV

The 911 call that came into Las Vegas dispatchers in the early morning hours of May 18, 2025, was a frightening one. A man was very concerned that his grown son, who had issues with drug addiction, had not slept in days and was paranoid that someone was out to kill him. He was armed and unstable and was inside his apartment with his wife and two small children. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officers Marcos Fitzpatrick, Travis Noone, and Jimmy Sarkissian-Sarnani responded to the apartment located on the second floor of this garden style apartment building. Noone and Fitzpatrick immediately identified themselves and demanded that someone open the door but got no response. About twenty seconds later they heard a female yelling from inside, followed by two gunshots.The Officers, knowing time was of the essence, tried to kick the locked door open to gain entry but the door was barricaded from the inside. Officer Sarkissian-Sarnani quickly retrieved the battering ram from his tactical vehicle and after a few strikes, gained entry to the apartment. Immediately, Officer Sarkissian-Sarnani saw a man with a gun in his hand. Before he could react, the man moved into the master bedroom where he shot himself in the neck.Despite the dire threat to their safety, Officers Fitzpatrick and Noone courageously made their way into the apartment. In the master bedroom, Officer Fitzpatrick saw the man was dead on the floor in a large pool of blood. Beside him was a young woman who had been shot twice in the chest and was clinging to life while her infant son was on the bed, thankfully unharmed but crying. In the second bedroom, Officer Noone made eye contact with a six-year-old boy who appeared uninjured but was obviously scared beyond belief.  As Officer Sarkissian-Sarnani took both children out of the apartment to provide comfort as well as safety, Officers Noone and Fitzpatrick turned their attention to the children’s mother. They identified where her entry and exit wounds were and immediately began applying chest seals, doing all they could to stabilize her before EMTs arrived on the scene. When the woman’s bereaved and clearly shook family arrived at the apartment building to take care of the children, they were unable to get much needed food, diapers, and toys from the apartment as it was now an active crime scene. Officer Fitzpatrick, a father of two little girls, took it upon himself to go to Walgreens to purchase what this family needed. That night, this innocent mom of two small children would have surely succumbed to her life-threatening injuries had it not been for the timely intervention of these brave “TOP COPS”, who not only saved her life, but their attention and sympathy towards her children, gave them needed comfort and safety in those tragic moments.