(KAIR)--Two gold valor awards were presented this week to Atchison Police for actions taken during a hostage standoff last year.

According to a release from Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson, the awards were presented during the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police Valor Awards Program Wednesday evening in Mulvane. Master Patrol Officer Wyatt Richardson and the Atchison Police Department Special Response Team each received gold awards tied to a January 24, 2025 incident in the 500 block of North 9th Street.

Wilson says officers responded to a reported armed break-in at an apartment complex, with Richardson the first officer on the scene. As he exited his patrol vehicle, police say multiple shots were fired at him from a suspect on a second-story porch, striking Richardson’s vehicle multiple times, though he was not hit. Wilson says Richardson held position to secure the perimeter and helped multiple residents, including a small child, get out of an adjoining apartment and out of harm’s way.

Wilson says the suspect then barricaded inside an apartment and it was later determined a person known to the suspect was being held hostage. Atchison Police activated its Special Response Team and worked alongside Kansas Highway Patrol and Kansas Bureau of Investigation special response teams to evacuate more residents and negotiate a surrender. Wilson says after additional gunfire during the hours-long standoff, officers rescued the hostage shortly after 2:00 the next morning, and the suspect was shot following a confrontation during the rescue.

Wilson says Atchison Police, the KHP, and the KBI special response teams were each recognized with gold awards, with the ceremony noting the collaborative effort that resulted in the safe rescue of the hostage and residents.