TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Sebastian Police Department Cpl. Ritchie Revis was named Attorney General Ashley Moody's law enforcement of the year Tuesday.
Moody announced the honor during a ceremony at the Florida Capitol.
"I'm honored to present the 2022 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year award to Cpl. Ritchie Revis for his valiant efforts to rescue kidnapping victims being held at gunpoint," she said. "Due to his courage and composure under pressure, Cpl. Revis played an integral role in leading law enforcement in a dangerous pursuit of a criminal and saved the lives of two women. It is officers like Cpl. Revis and everyone in Florida's law enforcement ranks, that help us build a stronger, safer Florida."
Last June, the Sebastian Police Department received an alert from Osceola County about a kidnapping.
Deputies with the Indian River County Sheriff's Office and Brevard County Sheriff's Office and officers from the Sebastian Police Department pursued a suspect.
He had taken two women at gunpoint and shot one of the hostages, resulting in injuries.
Revis pursued the suspect's car in a dangerous, high-speed chase, during which the suspect shot at Revis multiple times. When the suspect drove through a dead-end road and got stuck in soft sand, the suspect pushed the injured victim out of the car and dragged the other victim at gunpoint through a wooded area to escape.
Revis led the law enforcement officers through the dark, "putting himself in harm’s way and braving gunfire from the kidnapper, until the suspect fell, and the victims saved," according to a news release.
Moody also recognized seven other law enforcement officers at the award, including Detective Daniel Melgar of the Boca Raton Police Services Department.