H2K candidate Justin Conley

On January 3, 2010, Officer Justin Conley of the Mt. Orab Police Department had cleared a DUI arrest by releasing the suspect to his wife. When Officer Conley went out to the police station parking lot to retrieve something from his cruiser, the male from the DUI arrest was waiting in ambush.

The assailant shot Officer Conley with a .357 Magnum in the back, 1.5” from the bottom edge of his ABA XT2-9 armor. Officer Conley immediately returned fire while moving to cover and his partner engaged the assailant from inside the station.

The running gunfight moved across the parking lot, where both Officer Conley and his partner were able to fatally wound the assailant. Officer Conley was treated and released from the hospital that same day. He is now the Commander of the Brown County Drug & Major Crimes Task Force in Georgetown, Ohio.

Ben Wolfgram