St. Paul officer to receive medal for risking life during shooting investigation

St. Paul police officer David Longbehn will receive a Medal of Valor at a ceremony this evening.

Longbehn shot and killed the man who killed Maplewood Police Sgt. Joseph Bergeron during an incident May 1. Longbehn struggled with Jason John Jones, who hit Longbehn in the face, breaking his nose and eye sockets.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Police Chief Thomas Smith, Maplewood Police Chief David Thomalla and St. Paul Police Federation President David Titus will all be at tonight's ceremony at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.

The Medal of Valor is the police department's highest honor.

Here's what the department had to say about Longbehn's efforts:

Officer Longbehn was among scores of law enforcement officers who rushed to the scene to help track down the suspects responsible for murdering Maplewood Sergeant Joseph Bergeron on May 1, 2010. After Officer Longbehn confronted one of the suspects and asked for identification, the man attacked him, hitting him in the face with a heavy metal object wrapped in cloth. Although seriously injured and in a struggle over his own gun, Officer Longbehn did not panic. When a small space opened between the two men, Officer Longbehn fired his weapon striking the suspect and ending the attack.

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