A Littleton police officer credited with fending off a gunman and helping save a fellow officer during a 2021 shooting on Wednesday received the Medal of Valor, the nation's highest honor for bravery by a public safety officer.
President Joe Biden honored Corporal Jeffrey Farmer and eight others with the medals in a White House ceremony Wednesday morning.
Farmer was honored "for his rapid action to save the life of a fellow officer who had been grievously wounded, persevering through his own injuries and under grave threat to his own life," according to the message read during Wednesday's ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
"Corporal Farmer displayed courage, poise and uncommon loyalty to his fellow police officer."
Farmer was the first to arrive at the scene of a shooting in September of 2021 in the area of W. Powers Avenue and S. Bannock Street in Littleton. A 911 caller had reported seeing someone reach an arm out of a car and fire three shots.
Farmer and Littleton officer David Snook chased the suspect to a nearby apartment, where the suspect began firing at them. Farmer returned fire from the apartment doorstep.
Snook was hit multiple times but would survive. Farmer sustained a knee injury during the exchange.
Among the other recipients Wednesday were two New York Police Department officers ambushed and killed responding to a 911 call, and the rookie cop who took down the gunman.
NYPD officer Wilbert Mora and his police partner Jason Rivera were shot Jan. 21, 2022, while responding to a call about a family dispute in a Harlem apartment. A rookie, Sumit Sulan, shot and killed the gunman, ending the deadly encounter moments after it began.
Biden also honored officers from Ohio and Texas and three members of the FDNY.
Last year, 15 officers received the honor for eight different incidents between 2019-2021.
