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Sergeant earns state’s highest honor
Published May 20, 2009
CLUTE — Almost being crushed by two cars didn’t seem very rewarding at the time, but almost two years later, Clute Police Sgt. Phillip Hester is being honored for the bravery he displayed while trying to catch two burglars.
On June 11, Hester and 12 other Texas officers will be awarded the 2008 State of Texas Law Enforcement Achievement Award for Valor. They were chosen out of more than 40 nominees, said Laura Le Blanc, spokeswoman for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
Another eight officers will be awarded for professional achievement or public service.
“This is a big deal,” Police Chief Mark Wicker said. Hester is being recognized for the work he does and his commitment to law enforcement, he said.
“We’re proud to see a Clute officer recognized and proud of Sgt. Hester,” Wicker said.
This is the first time a Clute officer has received this state award, the highest honor that can be given to an officer in Texas, he said.
Hester’s nomination stemmed from an incident in November 2007 when he shot at a suspected burglar who was attempting to run him down.
Hester responded to a call from an apartment complex where a resident reported seeing two men going through cars, he said. He parked his patrol car away from the apartment so he could walk up to the two men without scaring them away.
“Anyone can scare a burglar away,” Hester said. “It’s our job to catch them.”
When the two burglars saw Hester walking their way, they ran to their car, Hester said. He chased them on foot even as they were trying to get away, trying to make them stop and to get a better look at their faces, he said.
The burglars turned, hitting him with their car, and continued to push him toward another car, he said.
“I couldn’t get out of the way fast enough,” Hester said.
Hester shot two rounds into the car and the burglars drove away, one with a severe injury to his face, he said. Other officers later caught up with the two men, arresting one and sending the wounded man to the hospital.
Hester was on administrative leave for a few weeks while an internal investigation was conducted to decide if he was justified in shooting his gun, standard procedure for when an officer shoots someone. Hester was not injured that night.
At that point, Hester never would have guessed he would be nominated for and receive a medal of valor, he said.
“It’s my job to do whatever I can to protect people’s property,” Hester said. “I know how it feels when you go outside and your car has been burglarized.”
Though it might seem like a harmless crime to some, it is the police department’s responsibility to make sure all criminals are caught, he said.
Detective Scotty Harris nominated Hester for the Medal of Valor, not telling him until he became a finalist a month ago, Harris said.
“He was being faced with a 2,000-pound vehicle, and he still maintained his professionalism and training,” Harris said.
“We’re trained not to give up,” Harris said. Hester lived up to that training, he said.
“I thought that was very brave of him,” Harris said.
Hester said he is honored as much by the nomination as he is by the award.
“For one of my co-workers to see something I’ve done and say it was above and beyond is an honor in itself,” Hester said.
Hester’s family is excited about the reward he soon will receive.
“He deserves it,” said his wife, Rachel Hester. She said she worries about her husband when he works nights and keeps him in her prayers.
“He’s very good at what he does,” Rachel Hester said. “He cares about it.”
Phillip Hester is a North Carolina native. He spent four years in the Navy and nine years working in the prison system, he said. It is his fifth year with Clute Police Department.
He will receive a medal to wear with his dress uniform and a ribbon to wear with his regular uniform, he said.
Katlynn Lanham covers Clute for The Facts. Contact her at (979) 237-0150.
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