By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – Governor Jay Nixon today awarded Missouri's Medal of Valor to seven law enforcement officers, including the first female officer to receive the honor.
St. Louis police officer Isabella Lovadina, 28, received the Medal of Valor for actions she took last year during a home invasion robbery.
Lovadina was off-duty on October 5th, 2009, when she and an acquaintance were forced by two gunmen to return to a dwelling they had just left. According to police, the suspects robbed and terrorized several people present, then directed them at gunpoint toward the basement.
Lovadina then tried to disarm one of the gunmen.
"If I didn't, I was gonna die and other people (were) gonna die, and you might as well go down with a fight," Lovadina said.
Lovadina was shot several times and critically wounded, and another victim was fatally shot. Police say the gunmen fled after that, and were later captured.
Lovadina has since recovered from her gunshot wounds.
"I take things one day at a time, just getting myself healthy, mentally and physically, a hundred percent," Lovadina said.
Public Safety Director John Britt says Lovadina's actions likely saved the lives of others there that night. She has since returned to work.
The six other officers who received the Medal of Valor today were:
* George Ball, Dent County Sheriff's Office and Steve Lawhead, formerly of the Fort Leonard Wood Police Department (now with the Waynesville Police Department), for rescuing a woman from a frozen lake.
* Cody Dunfee, Troop A, Missouri State Highway Patrol, for safely evacuating officers from a building after being shot by a suspect (Dunfee's bullet-proof vest stopped the bullet).
* Larry Ellard, Warrenton Police Department, for rescuing a suicidal man from an interstate overpass.
* Chris Harris, Troop F, Missouri State Highway Patrol, for safely bringing to an end a high-speed chase involving a heavily-armed man on a motorcycle.
* Timmy Shoop, Troop B, Missouri State Highway Patrol, for rescuing a man from a submerged vehicle.