The Jacksonville Police officers who provided life-saving care for K9 Officer Elyse Hand after she was shot in the line of duty were honored with the Valor Award by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE).

Five officers were recognized Friday for their response following Hand’s encounter. Hand, Sgt. Michael Torres and Officers Christopher Blas, Matthew Michael Goldman and Sabrina Rodgers were among this year’s 35 Valor Award recipients.

“I hope our community looks up to our police officers more now than ever, realizes that their job is dangerous, that there’s a lot about their job we don’t know,” Jacksonville City Manager James Hubbard said.

In November 2025, Hand was shot twice while serving a warrant against suspect Bobby Michael Dennis. Torres, Goldman and Blas applied multiple tourniquets to Hand following the shooting.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Hubbard said. “Several of those officers that responded to her call for aid were relatively new to JPD, and a few of them relatively new to law enforcement, and so that’s an eye-opening moment when you’re early in your career. The way that they carried themselves saved a life.”

Rodgers rendered aid to Hand’s K9 unit Renzo, and transported him 30 miles to a veterinary facility, and ultimately survived his injuries.

“What happened to her is something that they probably try to mentally prepare for, but hope it never happens,” Mayor Randy Gorham said. “She was just doing her call to duty. And then, among all the gunfire, those four officers got the call. They knew they were entering ‘a battlefield,’ but they took an oath to do that. They went and put their lives on the line to save her life.”

Dennis is currently charged with attempted capital murder of a peace officer and two counts of obstruction or retaliation in connection with the incident.

Hand was also honored in May by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the Hometown Hero award.

“Valor” includes an act of personal heroism or bravery that exceeds the normal expectations of job performance, including placing one’s own life in jeopardy to save another person’s life, to prevent serious bodily injury to another, or to prevent the consequences of a criminal act, according to TCOLE.

Longview Police officer Rachel Duraso also received the Valor Award for her part in responding to a shooting in a public park while off-duty. Duraso confronted an armed individual while in the park with her husband, and directed her husband to move the children to safety while she ran toward the gunfire. She successfully talked the subject down and rendered first aid to the individuals on scene.

Tyler Police officer Sgt. Charles G. Boyce was recognized with the Public Service Award for his involvement in the Blue Santa Program, which he expanded from fewer than 10 children to nearly 300. Boyce transformed the program into a two-day event with over 100 first responders from multiple jurisdictions.

Boyce also organizes the annual First Responder Family Day, and has conducted nearly 300 “Stop the Bleed” training sessions in his role as leader of the East Texas Critical Incident Stress Management team.

“Public service” includes an instance in which an individual through initiative creates or participates in a program or system that has a significant positive impact on the general population of a community that exceeds the normal expectations of job performance, according to TCOLE.