On April 22, 2020, while La Plata Police Department and Charles County Sheriff’s Office units were investigating an unrelated call for service at a La Plata convenience store, Corporal Gregory Champagne, of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, observed an individual dousing himself with gasoline around his head and shoulders at a fuel pump.
Immediately, Corporal Champagne and Officer David Roys, of the La Plata Police Department, engaged the individual who was now in possession of a lighter and was attempting to ignite himself on fire. The officers, engaged in a brief struggle, were able to pull the subject away from the fuel pump and remove the lighter from his grasp.
The actions taken by the Corporal Champagne and Officer Roys that day undoubtedly saved the life of the individual, all the while risking their own personal safety. For their heroic actions, Corporal Champagne and Officer David Roys were awarded the Bronze Medal of Valor.
