OAK HILL — Their uniforms could be black, green, blue or brown. Their badges may be stars or shields. Their paychecks could come from a state, county, municipality or the federal government.

But Monday night, law enforcement officers said they are a family, regardless of their appearances. Members of this family would gladly give their lives to save another officer’s — even for one they had never met.

The Fraternal Order of Police, Fayette County Memorial Lodge No. 118, honored the county’s top officers Monday night at the Oak Hill Holiday Inn. Some shared the stage with officers in other agencies when recognized for their teamwork on cases and incidents.

Fayette County sheriff’s Detective Rod Perdue II was named Officer of the Year. Detective Lt. J.K. Sizemore said Perdue worked for multiple Fayette municipal agencies before coming to the sheriff’s department four years ago. For his first case as a detective, he assisted on a murder investigation and has investigated multiple homicides since.

Perdue, a 15-year law enforcement officer, was quick to praise everyone else but himself.

“I’ll be the last person to tell you I know it all,” he said. “At any time of day, there’s some kind of mountain you have to climb. It takes more than one person to climb it.”

A nearly two-page list of fellow officers were also recognized Monday night. According to Sizemore’s remarks, they included two who yanked a man attempting suicide from the New River Gorge Bridge’s railing, an officer who risked his own safety while trying to save a stabbing victim, two officers whose intuition helped solve more than 50 business break-ins and an officer whose chief has received calls complimenting her kindness and politeness — the day after she had arrested those callers for DUI.

Col. Timothy Pack, State Police superintendent, addressed the audience. Officers are quick to shove aside any agency or personal divisions when the chips are down. This is especially true when another officer is hurt or killed.

Some people may consider someone like a professional athlete making millions a hero, but for Pack, he considers the ones patrolling the streets for far less pay the real heroes.

“You are the heroes of this state, and I don’t want you to forget that,” he said. “...You can be the old man on the porch at the nursing home sitting in silence, or you can be the one with the stories.”

Chuck Canterbury, national FOP president, also addressed the crowd. He recalled speaking with a fire chief in a larger city about public safety personnel who had performed acts of heroism. The chief said one particular firefighter’s actions violated various policies, and the man should have been suspended.

Canterbury, though, had a different take. This firefighter, he said, ran into a burning building, carried out seven people and went back inside to save a dog and cat. Law enforcement officers must act when faced with a dangerous situation.

“You do not have the ability to do nothing,” he said. “...If you’re the only person there and see action that needs to be taken, you take it.”

Stress is also a way of life for both officers and their families, he said. He never realized how much it was for the latter until his son became a police officer.

“I didn’t realize how bad it was until my son worked his first midnight shift,” Canterbury said. “I was waiting for the phone to ring. The minute my kid put that badge on, I changed my perspective. I have a renewed understanding, and I want to thank the families.”

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