3 receive Lombard police’s highest honor

Three Lombard police employees received the department’s highest honor for efforts to subdue and bring into custody an armed man.

Sgt. William Collins and officers Paul Coy and Alex Rojas were given the Award of Valor, which hasn’t been awarded since 2004, by Lombard Police Chief Ray Byrne.

The men deserved the award because they showed bravery and heroism when confronted with a man who aimed one gun at Coy and concealed another, Byrne said.

Coy, Rojas and Collins encountered the man about midnight July 17 after he walked away from his family’s home and family notified police he had medical problems that could cause danger to himself or others.

When Coy found the man standing in front of a garage, the man pointed a gun at Coy, Byrne said. Instead of pulling his service weapon, Coy got into a safe position and radioed for backup.

When Rojas and Collins arrived, the three ordered the man to drop his weapon. But Rojas saw him hide another weapon. Rojas tackled the man, and police brought him into custody with out injuring him or suffering any wounds themselves, Byrne said.