Arkansas’ Morris wins 2nd Trooper of the Year award

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Arkansas State Trooper Spencer Morris has been awarded a second nationally-sanctioned title of Nationwide Trooper of the Yr.

In keeping with a press launch, the American Affiliation of State Troopers (AAST) introduced on April 27 that Morris was chosen from a subject of 27 state troopers from throughout the U.S. to obtain “the esteemed trooper of the yr honor for his exhibited service with bravery and excessive selflessness whereas defending the general public.”

Trooper Morris, 34, of Crittenden County, a four-year veteran of the Arkansas State Police, is assigned to the Freeway Patrol Division, Troop D, headquartered at Forrest Metropolis. Final month Morris was named Nationwide Trooper of the Yr by the Worldwide Affiliation of Chiefs of Police, State and Provincial Division.

AAST, which introduced as we speak’s award, is a fraternal group comprised of greater than 3,000 state troopers nationwide. The shows of each nationwide trooper of the yr awards had been based mostly on the courageous actions of Trooper Morris that occurred on December 16, 2021 whereas he was on patrol alongside Interstate 55 in Crittenden County.

Morris answered a radio name from america Marshals Service requesting help within the apprehension of a South Carolina fugitive believed to be armed and thought of harmful.  The fugitive was identified to be touring alongside I-55 within the West Memphis space.  Trooper Morris was the closest regulation enforcement officer within the space who would have been capable of intercept the automobile carrying the person needed by the marshals.

Trooper Morris noticed the suspect’s automobile and started to place his patrol automotive for the site visitors cease.  As he closed in on the automotive which had entered the Memphis metropolis limits, a number of gun pictures from the suspect’s automobile had been directed at Trooper Morris, with one spherical placing him within the higher chest. Trooper Morris’ physique armor slowed the spherical, inflicting a minor wound.

Regardless of the damage and the approaching menace to himself and different motorists touring by way of Memphis, Trooper Morris returned gunfire on the fleeing suspect. Native cops quickly joined Trooper Morris, and with the help of paramedics, extracted Morris from the scene, shifting him to a close-by hospital the place medical doctors later decided the wound was non-life-threatening.

“Since Trooper Morris’ restoration, I’ve advised many individuals round Arkansas and in different states, Spencer is only one of greater than 500 Arkansas State Troopers who make the Arkansas State Police top-of-the-line regulation enforcement companies wherever, actually one of the best in Arkansas,” mentioned Colonel Invoice Bryant, Director of the Arkansas State Police.

“Our troopers are all the time able to reply the decision, whatever the menace.  Trooper Morris is only one instance of the troopers who serve the residents of Arkansas and his heroic actions final December have made the badge of the state police shine somewhat brighter.”