Recipients of the state's Law Enforcement Medal of Honor
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The state's Law Enforcement Medal of Honor is given to police officers killed in the line of duty or who have distinguished themselves by exceptional meritorious conduct.
In a ceremony Friday, the medal was given to the family of Chehalis Police officer Rick Silva, who died while undergoing surgery to correct a duty-related injury sustained in February 2015 while attempting to arrest a knife-wielding shoplifting suspect.
His family joined in the ceremony Friday -- sad but honored.
The medal was also awarded to retired Puyallup police detective Scott Bramhall and current Puyallup officer Micah Wilson, who doggedly pursued a man who had shot and killed another man and who kept firing at them while leading them on a chase.
The state of Washington has lost 307 law enforcement officers in the line of duty since 1854.