Mahnomen Co. Deputies are recognized during National Night Out

Mahnomen, Minn. (WDAY TV) - Nearly six months ago, tragedy struck the Mahnomen County Sheriff's Department. For the first time, one of its own was shot. While Deputy Chris Dewey continues to recover in Denver, Colorado, tonight during the annual National Night Out, the department celebrated and honored the men and women who were first on the scene and helped save Dewey’s life.

WDAY 6 Reporter Christina Vaughn joins us live tonight with more from the ceremony.

Usually there are only about 40 people who show up for Mahnomen’s National Night Out, but tonight more than 300 crowded the park. All of them came to support each and every person who showed so much courage and dedication on that day.

February 18th, 2009, is a day no one on the Mahnomen County Sheriff's Department will ever forget.

“Held his hand and I said hang in there, don't you give up on us.”

Especially Deputy Ben Bruce; at the time, he'd only been with the department for six months. He was the second person on scene the morning Dewey was shot.

“It was kind of a bad morning, something I never want to go through again.”

Now, six months later, he and the other 19 members of the department are being honored. Each member of the small, but mighty force came in that day, willing and ready to work.

“Really is like a close knit family, I mean, they fight like brothers and sisters, but when something like this happens, they stick together like brothers and sisters.”

“We know everybody and can tell you a lot about everybody that works here, so when something like that does happen, yeah, it's hard.”

Tonight, no one was forgotten, even people behind the scenes like secretaries and dispatchers.

“They’re the ones that started calling people out, and called for assistance from other agencies and they're the ones that got the ball rolling, and they're the ones you don't see.”

Bruce says it's an honor to have a ceremony like this and for so many people show up, but he doesn't think what he did is really something to be recognized.

“I guess that just kind of comes with the job. You realize that you're going to have to go through those things, and I guess none of us would have got into the profession if we weren't prepared to do it.”

Two officers, Deputy Ben Bruce, and Deputy Chris Peterson were also given an extra honor tonight. Each was awarded the Life-Saving medal.

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