An Arkansas State Police trooper who was shot while chasing a fugitive in December was named National Trooper of the Year on Thursday night in a Seattle ceremony, according to a statement from the state policing agency.
Trooper Spencer Morris, 34, is the first Arkansas trooper since 1997 to be given the award by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Morris will also be awarded the Arkansas State Police Medal of Valor during the agency's award ceremony May 25, where he will also be eligible for the 2021 Trooper of the Year award, state police spokesman Bill Sadler wrote in an email.
"Trooper Spencer Morris is just one example of more than 500 other Arkansas state troopers, just like him, who set aside awesome risks to themselves each day to make their state a safer and better place to call home," Arkansas State Police Director Bill Bryant said in remarks to the crowd of law enforcement officers in Seattle.
"You represent the great men and women who patrol our highways and serve our communities," Gov. Asa Hutchinson wrote in a tweet about Morris' actions. "Thank you for the sacrifices you have made to keep Arkansas a safe place to call home." On the afternoon of Dec. 16, 2021, Morris, who is assigned to Troop D out of Forrest City, was patrolling near West Memphis when a report came in of a fugitive from South Carolina believed to be armed and dangerous heading for Memphis on Interstate 55.
Morris, the closest available officer, tried to pull over the suspect vehicle when someone in the fugitive's vehicle opened fire on Morris, hitting him in the chest. Morris's body armor slowed the bullet and he suffered a minor wound.
Morris reportedly drew his weapon and returned fire at the suspect vehicle, which eventually slowed and stopped near the I-55 McLemore interchange in Memphis. Morris radioed for help and got into a defensive position outside his vehicle.
Local police and SWAT officers arrived and took over, with paramedics taking Morris to an area hospital for treatment. SWAT officers approached the vehicle and found the fugitive and another person dead inside.
Morris' wounds were not life-threatening and he was released the same day. He has returned to active duty in and around Crittenden County.