Three police officers have been selected to receive the Idaho Medal of Honor for performing with exceptional courage and bravery while protecting the public.
The medals will be awarded Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. during a ceremony on the second floor of the Idaho Capitol.
The 2017 recipients of the state’s highest honor for law enforcement officers will be awarded to: Sgt. Greg Moore (pictured) of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, and Chief Deputy Mike Barclay and Sgt. Kyle Moore, both with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office.
“There is no higher honor bestowed upon law enforcement by the State of Idaho than the Medal of Honor,” said Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, chairman of the Medal of Honor Commission.
“Each of these three men performed courageously in the name of public safety,” Wasden added. “Their actions exemplify what it means to be an Idaho peace officer. I would like to commend Chief Deputy Barclay and Sgt. Kyle Moore for risking their personal safety while protecting the public in a very dangerous situation. Sgt. Greg Moore’s selection as a recipient also highlights his career of brave and dutiful public service -- and is something his family and friends can be very proud of.”
Early in the morning on May 5, 2015, Sgt. Moore was patrolling an area where several car break-ins had been reported. He stopped a suspicious man and radioed the suspect’s information to dispatch -- but made no further radio contact. A citizen heard gunshots and found Sgt. Moore wounded in the street. He died several hours later.
Chief Deputy Barclay and Sgt. Kyle Moore were responsible for ending a scenario that endangered motorists on Interstate 84 on August 2 of last year, according to a news release from Wasden’s office.
About 8 a.m. that day, police received a report of a residential burglary and stolen vehicle in the town of Hammett. Officers Barclay and Moore began a search for the suspect. The suspect was soon located -- and a high-speed chase quickly ensued. The suspect later abandoned his vehicle pointed a gun at passing motorists, in an attempt to carjack one of their vehicles. After attempting to enter another vehicle by trying to smash the window with his gun, the suspect turned his gun on the officers. In order to protect their own lives and ensure the safety of the public, the deputies shot and killed the suspect.
The Idaho Medal of Honor was created by the Legislature in 2004. The statute directs that the medal be awarded by the Governor to professionals whose actions have been distinguished by the exceptional meritorious conduct at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.
A ceremony to honor Idaho firefighters will be held September 8, 2017 in Boise.
