Oregon State Police Trooper Nic Cederberg received the National Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor this week, presented in Washington, D.C., by the president of the United States. This is the highest national award for valor a public safety officer can receive.
Trooper Cederberg was awarded this honor for his bravery shown on Christmas night in 2016, when he was shot 12 times while attempting to arrest a man who had killed his wife. Nic, alone and without cover, engaged the suspect in a close-quarters gun battle that left him clinging to life. In the face of impossible odds, and in what was surely received as a Christmas miracle to his family, friends and OSP colleagues, Trooper Cederberg survived.
Nic, a U.S. Army veteran and who was a seven year veteran of the Oregon State Police at the time, has not yet been able to return to work due to the injuries he sustained two and a half years ago. Nic initially spent 48 long days in the hospital and continues to fight for a full recovery.
“The greatest gift the Oregon State Police has received is Nic’s pure determination to survive,” said OSP Superintendent Travis Hampton. “Trooper Cederberg typifies the grit and perseverance of an OSP Trooper, humbly serving with distinction in the face of difficult circumstances. Nic, we love you and honor your service. All of Oregon celebrates your award of the Medal of Valor and the personal story it symbolizes.”
Every day, public safety officers risk their lives to protect America’s citizens and communities. To honor that commitment, Congress passed The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001, which created the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor, the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer. The medal is awarded annually to public safety officers who have exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect human life.