Chief Douglas Schroeder (Hesston Police Department, Kansas) is being honored for ending a deadly workplace assault by a gunman.
On February 25, 2016, Chief of Police Douglas Schroeder responded to a call of an active shooter at Excel Industries, which had more than 150 employees on duty. Arriving to find dead and injured victims, and following a trail of blood, Chief Schroeder went inside the facility without backup and made his way to the scene of the shooting. An employee directed him toward the shooter who was behind a door. As Chief Schroeder approached the door, he was narrowly missed by two bullets fired at fleeing employees. When the suspect opened the door, Chief Schroeder engaged him in an exchange of gunfire, mortally wounding him.
It was later determined that the assailant, while in the neighboring city of Newton earlier in the day, shot at drivers and passers-by before arriving at his workplace at Excel Industries, where he continued his assault. In total, the assailant killed three people and wounded 17 others. Without question, the actions of Chief Schroeder saved the lives of many people.