The Observer Newspapers | Former Herndon Officer Honored For Saving Life ... 32 Years Later

Nov. 6, 2009

Former Herndon Officer Honored For Saving Life ... 32 Years Later

By Leslie Perales

Observer Staff Writer

"I remember it just like yesterday," Duane Atkisson said. More than 32 years ago the former Herndon police officer got a radio call of a teenage girl threatening to commit suicide at a water tower at Park Avenue and Monroe Street.

The metal ladder was slippery and the soles of Atkisson's leather shoes had no grip, so while climbing up to speak to the teenage girl he kicked them off, he said. She had been adamant that he leave his gun down below. He said he agreed and placed it in the trunk of his cruiser. "It took me a long time to get her to let me come up to her," he said.

"Something like that, when it occurs, as a policeman you put it behind you," Atkisson said. The incident happened on May 1, 1977 and after three decades he was honored by the Herndon Police Department at its 9th annual Valor Awards last week with a silver medal.

"I was just shocked," Atkisson said. He said because the incident happened early in his career it did not seem very significant. "As you get older you find out how fragile life is," he said. He said the remarkable part of the story was that many years later the girl wrote him a letter. She had gone onto college, got married and had children, he said. "She was very appreciative," he said.

At the time of the incident Atkisson was just hoping neither of them would fall off the 105-foot tall water tower. "It all happened so fast," he said. He said often police officers are thrown into situations where they have to think on their feet and come up with a plan on the spot. "Back then there weren't that many resources that officers have available to them today," he said. "Nobody knew what a first responder was back then."

"You were on the beat and did what you had to do," he said. "Now if that happened they'd secure the scene, rope it off, call in the fire department, helicopters, SWAT teams, and call in the cavalry."

Atkisson said while attending the Valor Awards last week he noticed the amount of equipment the town's officers carried. "They've got so many antennas they can talk to God," he said. He said back in the late 1970s they had an oak nightstick, a gun, mace and their brains.

Working with a great group of people in a caring community is also something Atkisson said he remembers about his time in Herndon. He worked with many well-known community members such as Daryl Smith, Larry Presgrave, Brad Anzengruber and others. "It's the people that you work with," he said. "When I was in there we hired Larry Whitmer. I remember the day he was hired and look at him now."

Atkisson said the most significant part about receiving the silver medal is that civilians who are not law enforcement professionals chose to honor him. "It means more to me," he said. The award honors a police officer for bravery and heroism in acts involving unusual personal risk and sacrifice beyond the call of duty.

"Policemen are special but they're no different from the public," Atkisson said. "The police do the work the public wants them to do." He said Herndon is a good community that is supportive of its police department and the residents make up the backbone of the community. "I have nothing but fond memories of that organization and the years that I was there," he said. "To receive that silver medal was the highlight of my career."

After his years with the Herndon police department, Atkisson eventually became the chief of police in Purcellville. He trained with the FBI and now trains security officers, law enforcement and military personnel. He is also writing a book on the trials and tribulations that law enforcement and the private security industry have faced since 9/11.

An additional 17 officers were honored during the Valor Awards. Edward Stapleton received a traffic safety award; Tracy Chop, George Lake, Edward Stapleton, Philip Farley and Larry Whitmer received meritorious service awards; James Rider, Claudio Saa, Andrew Perry, Michael Croson, Justin Dyer, Robert Galpin, Jeffrey Lange and Mark Butler received meritorious action awards; Robert Galpin and Atkisson received silver medal awards; Mark Fraser received a bronze medal award and Matthew Payne received the officer of the year award. A ceremony honoring the officers was held Thursday, Oct. 29, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Herndon.