FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Nina Kunkel or Jill Sizelove

May 8, 2007 (202) 842-4420

MARYLAND POLICE OFFICER

HONORABLE MENTION AWARD WINNER

OF THE PRESTIGIOUS TOP COPS AWARD^®

HONORING AMERICA'S FINEST

Washington, D.C. – Officer First Class Douglas Stephenson from the Frederick City Police has been selected as an Honorable Mention Award winner by the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), sponsor of the Fourteenth Annual TOP COPS Awards^®.

Douglas Stephenson was nominated by Chief Kim Dine for his quick action under extreme stress and his excellent marksmanship, which brought an end to a volatile incident. At the scene of a domestic dispute, on a May afternoon in 2006, Officer Stephenson became engaged in gunfire with a man who shot his girlfriend in the head at close range. A bullet from Officer Stephenson’s return fire hit the suspect, causing him to stagger away. Stephenson was able to contain the subject and broadcast important information in an amazingly composed manner which allowed other police officers and emergency medical personnel to safely approach the scene and treat the victim, who continues to recover.

Officer Stephenson will be honored at a ceremony in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, May 12, 2007, at 7:00 p.m., at the Warner Theatre.

The Master of Ceremony for the 2007 TOP COPS Awards^® is John Walsh, host of FOX’s America’s Most Wanted. Barring any schedule changes we expect the following celebrity award presenters: Richard Belzer from NBC’s Law & Order: SVU and Milena Govich from Law & Order; Football’s Hall-of-Famer Jim Brown; Correspondent Beth Karas from Court TV; Liza Lapira from CBS’s NCIS; Jack McGee of FX’s Rescue Me; Jeremy Ratchford of CBS’s Cold Case; Rex Linn from CBS’s CSI: Miami; and actor Chris Bauer.

The TOP COPS Awards^® pay tribute to law enforcement officers from across the country for outstanding service to their communities during the preceding year. The TOP COPS^® were nominated by fellow officers and selected from hundreds of nominations by an independent Awards Committee. The Awards Committee chooses one winning case from each state, U.S. territory and the District of Columbia. From among those cases the top ten become TOP COPS^® and the remaining become Honorable Mention award winners. This year, there are 59 Honorable Mentions representing 24 states and federal agencies.

NAPO, a national law enforcement group, represents 238,000 sworn law enforcement officers from 2,000 police associations and units across the country. Based in Washington, DC, NAPO fights for the rights of law enforcement officers through federal legislation, legal advocacy, and education.

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NOTE TO MEDIA: TOP COPS® Award winners will be available for print and broadcast interviews on Saturday, May 12, at the Warner Theatre prior to the ceremony. To schedule an interview, please contact Nina Kunkel or Jill Sizelove at (202) 842-4420.