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| Joe Funk of the Association of Former Agents of the U.S. Secret Service; DFC Blaine Gaskill; Daniel Kurz, from the Baltimore Field Office of the Secret Service; Barbara Dinsenbacher, Harry E. Neal Jr. and Sheriff Tim Cameron |
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| DFC Blaine Gaskill and the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office Color Guard |
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| Barbara Dinsenbacher, DFC Blaine Gaskill and Harry E. Neal Jr. |
Deputy First Class Blaine Gaskill of
the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office was honored with the Harry E. Neal Award
on Wednesday at Historic St. Mary’s City. The award, presented by the
Association of Former Agents U.S. Secret Service, is given to several law enforcement
officers annually who have performed outstanding service to the community in
the form of a heroic act or extraordinary investigation.
Each officer awarded receives a
plaque and a check for $1,000 from the Foundation of the Association of Former
Agents of the U.S. Secret Service.
DFC Gaskill, Great Mills High
School’s School Resource Officer, responded to a student shooting at the school
on March 20, 2018. Gaskill confronted the armed subject and prevented any
further loss of life.
Sheriff Tim Cameron noted the other
accomplished law enforcement officials who had been awarded with the Harry A.
Neal Award in the past such as the Texas Rangers, the U.S. Capitol Police
Department officers and Alexandria, Virginia Police Department officers who
responded to an attack at a Republican congressional baseball practice, and
Secret Service Agent Jerry Parr, who helped save President Ronald Reagan’s life
in a 1981 assassination attempt.
With past award recipients, “Gaskill is in outstanding company,”
Cameron said.
“The company that Gaskill keeps is inspiring,” Capt. Steve Hall, Special Operations Division Commander, said.
DFC Gaskill began his career with the
St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office in 2009 as a Corrections Officer and became
a Deputy Sheriff in August 2012.
