Phoenix Officer Honored as one of Nations's “TOP COPS”
What actions brought Officer Fabian Gonzalez such notable recognition?
During the early morning hours of April 27, 2008, Maryvale Precinct Officer Fabian Gonzalez was off-duty and visiting with a friend at Westgate Plaza. Suddenly, a known and armed offender went on a rampage and began damaging several vehicles in the theater parking lot. The man then got in his own vehicle and tried to flee the area at a very high rate of speed. He collided with another vehicle in the lot and then got out as a crowd gathered around him. He quickly returned to his car and retrieved a handgun and began shooting toward the crowd. He struggled with a security guard and held him in a headlock with the gun aimed at the guard’s head. Gonzalez, who was armed but not wearing body armor, knew that the guard’s life was in danger. Without regard for his own safety, Officer Gonzalez confronted the suspect from a distance of approximately ten feet. With no cover and no backup, Gonzalez yelled several commands to drop the weapon but the suspect would not comply. Fearing that the security guard was going to be shot, Officer Gonzalez took action and shot the offender, freeing the guard and preventing any harm to innocent by-standers.
On May 12, 2009 during National Police Week activities in Washington, D.C., Phoenix Police Officer Fabian Gonzalez was honored by the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) for his selfless actions while protecting citizens. The TOP COPS are selected by an Awards Selection Committee comprised of national law enforecement representatives who choose one TOP COPS case from each state and U.S. territory. The cases are then ranked and the top ten case winners are flown to Washington, D.C. where they are honored. Attendees at TOP COPS ceremonies throughout the years have included politicians and entertainment celebrities such as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Barry McCaffrey, Christopher Meloni, Mariska Hargitay, William Sessions, Jerry Orbach, Thomas Constantine, Dianne Feinstein, and a host of others.