ROCKINGHAM — In recognition of the “bravery and courage” he displayed while apprehending an armed suspect in July, James Hooks of the Rockingham Police Department received a Medal of Valor during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

On July 2, following a standoff in which law enforcement employed their de-escalation techniques to calm down an armed suspect who was aiming his firearm at police officers, Hooks charged the suspect and tackled him. The suspect, Reginald Deon Wall, fired an errant shot in the process, which missed Hooks.

“I was proud to be able to serve my community in an event that could have resulted in a much worse outcome,” Hooks said in a statement. “It is an honor to receive an award for my efforts but just knowing that my actions and the actions of the other officers involved may have saved one or more lives is award enough.”

Rockingham Police Chief Billy Kelly presented Hooks with the award. Kelly said Hooks’ actions “very well saved the life of (Wall), and quite possibly the lives of the other officers that were involved.”

Several members of City Council commended Hooks for how he handled the confrontation with the armed suspect. Mayor Steven Morris said that, in roughly 20 years on City Council, he’d never before seen someone receive a Medal of Valor.

“It’s truly rare that someone has the bravery and courage that you do,” Morris told Hooks.

“It’s so frustrating to continue to see law enforcement get condemned and beat up in the media,” Councilman Bennett Deane said. “And you don’t hear about situations like Officer Hooks’ in the media — someone who risked his life, not just for himself or the other officers involved, but also for the assailant. You saved his life.

“It would’ve been really easy not to use the strength that you used, and the training and the duress that you had under that difficult situation, and (you could’ve) pulled the trigger and eliminated him,” Deane continued. “And then we would probably be on the news for all the wrong reasons again, when that might’ve been the easy way out of this situation.”

Anne Edwards asked Hooks how he felt when he confronted the suspect.

“It’s just like they say, the training kicks in,” Hooks responded.

Reach Brandon Tester at [email protected] or 910-817-2671. Follow him on Twitter @BrandonTester.