Dayton Police Department honors 3 of its own for their work in the field

UPDATE @ 3:30 p.m.

The Dayton Police Department honored three of its own Thursday afternoon, along with non-sworn personnel, and citizens.

• Sgt. William Gross, Officer of the Year. He approached a despondent man on the Keowee Street Bridge and stopped an apparent suicide attempt.  The sergeant successfully approached the man and got close enough to stop him when he did try to jump.
• Officer Willie Hooper, winner of the Steve Whalen Memorial Policing Award, another of the department's top awards, named for the officer killed in the line of duty in 1991. Hooper earned the honor for consistently providing extra help to crime victims and callers.
• Officer Jerome Dix, Medal of Valor Award winner. He spotted a woman in the Great Miami River as she was bring swept away. He took off his shoes, gun belt and ballistic vest before jumping in to rescue her.

FIRST REPORT

The Dayton Police Department will hold its annual awards ceremony on Thursday afternoon at the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center, 1000 N. Keowee St.

Recipients will include Dayton police officers, non-sworn personnel and citizens. The department will be recognizing those who have shown exceptional bravery, dedication to duty and commitment to the community.

The officer of the year and the Steve Whalen Memorial Policing Award are just two of the honors to be presented. The ceremony is open to everyone.

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