James Kilcer, the veteran US marine who had stopped an attempted armed robbery at an Arizona store last week, has been presented with the 'Citizen's Valour Award' for showing "extraordinary heroism and exceptional courage".
On October 20, three suspects, one of them armed with a handgun, had entered a store in Yuma County in the southwestern corner of the US state of Arizona.
As the armed suspect walked by Kilcer while pointing the weapon at the cashier, the former officer reacted without hesitation, quickly disarming the suspect and taking him to the ground.
He was able to immediately gain control of the gun and detain the suspect until the local police arrived at the spot. As a result, no victims were injured and no property loss was sustained.
The CCTV footage of the incident had taken the internet by storm.
The Yuma County Sheriff's Office hosted a recognition ceremony for Kilcer with Sheriff Leon Wilmot presenting him with the Citizen's Valour Award "for extraordinary heroism and exceptional courage while voluntarily coming to the aid of another citizen during an incident involving criminal activity at extreme, life threatening, personal risk in an attempt to save or protect human life."
According to the information released by the County Sheriff's Office, the YCSO Citizen's Valour Award is the highest award for citizens whose actions warrant recognition.
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