DENVER (KDVR) – A Colorado police officer was awarded with the Medal of Valor by President Joe Biden Wednesday at the White House for his acts of bravery in the line of duty.

Cpl. Jeffrey Farmer of the Littleton Police Department was honored for his action to save the life of another officer while being shot at and fighting his own serious injury.

On Sept. 20, 2021, Farmer and Officer David Snook responded to a call of shots fired. Snook was running behind the suspect, Rigoberto Valles Dominguez, into a nearby apartment building. Snook was shot multiple times in the doorway, according to the Littleton Police Department.

Farmer was also chasing the suspect and severely injured his knee in doing so, LPD said. Despite his injuries, he began dragging Snook out of the doorway and was again met with gunfire from Dominguez, who was on the second-floor stairwell. 

While under fire, Farmer stayed with Snook and fired back with enough accuracy to push the suspect back so he could pull Snook out of the doorway to safety, LPD said. 

Dominguez was able to escape and the officers focused on their own safety. The hospital staff said Snook likely would have died had Farmer not made the decision to pull him to safety.

To stand in the White House as the President of the United States recognized one of Littleton’s own was a humbling honor. It is a testament of the commitment, self-sacrifice, and bravery made by each of our officers daily.

LPD Chief Doug Stephens

In 2001, then-Senator Biden co-sponsored the law that created the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor. It is awarded annually to public safety officers who showed extraordinary acts of heroism and courage, regardless of their own safety, in an effort to protect another life.