OKC Police Office To Receive Medal Of Honor

Sgt. Dan Godsil is a 12 year veteran police officer and says he knows he is lucky to be alive and even luckier that he and others were not hit when bullets started flying.

Thursday, May 1st 2014, 1:03 pm

By: News 9


He came face to face with a man pointing a rifle right at him and several other people. Now, an Oklahoma City police officer will receive the Medal of Honor for shooting and killing the gunman before he could harm anyone in his path.

Sgt. Dan Godsil is a 12 year veteran police officer and says he knows he is lucky to be alive and even luckier that he and others were not hit when bullets started flying.

6/20/2014 Related Story: Police Identify Officer Involved, Victim In NE OKC Shooting

It happened on the afternoon of June 19, 2013, after police got a call about a disturbance in the 2400 block of N.E. 26th Street. Police say 46-year-old Kenneth Cooper came out of the bushes and started firing.

"I heard the first shot," said Sgt. Godsil. "I saw him shoulder the rifle. I saw a puff of smoke, I heard the first shot."

Sgt. Godsil was with the first unit to respond to the scene and can't believe Cooper started shooting with him standing right there.

"Once I realized he was trying to shoot me, I drew my weapon and returned fire," he said.

Sgt. Godsil says, at first, the suspect dropped to the ground, but then sprang up and started running. Police caught him shortly after and he was rushed to a hospital where he later died. Sgt. Godsil had been involved in an officer involved shooting back in 2010 and couldn't believe it was happening again. However, he credits his OCPD training for knowing exactly what to do.

"We have some of the best training in the nation and being able to rely on that was helpful and really just the grace of God," he said.

This grandfather of six is also humbled to be receiving this year's Medal of Honor and says there has never been a time that he did not want to be a police officer.

"I work with great people and it's an honor every day to just come to work and work with the people I work with," he said.

Sgt. Godsil fortunately was not hurt during the shooting and neither was the people standing around him that day. Many credit him with saving their lives during his effort to protect and serve.

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