NORFOLK, Va. — Several lives changed on Dec. 28, 2023.
Deputy Ryan Moore, like many other law enforcement officers in the City of Norfolk, was working a normal shift when gunshots rang out downtown.
It was around 10:40 p.m. when an HRT Light Rail driver flagged down police in the 100 block of Bank St., reporting that a teenager had been shot while on the train.
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Working just around the corner, Deputy Moore was of the first to arrive on scene and help. He tells me that he applied a tourniquet on the teenager’s leg to control the bleeding.
“We just do as we're trained and thankfully, I didn't think about it too much, I just did what had to be done,” he says.
Deputy Moore saved the teen that day, though his actions didn't surprise Sheriff Joe Baron.
“When I first heard that we had a Deputy that saved somebody's life I said, ‘well, who was it? […] I need to know more about that,” he says. “When I found out was Moore, I was like, ‘oh, okay, well, yeah, that sounds like something he would do.’”
This also isn’t Deputy Moore’s first time dealing with a gunshot wound.
“He was shot a couple of years ago on the street doing his job, trying to keep our community safe,” says Sheriff Baron. “And then he's back out there -- not afraid to get back out on the streets and do what he can.”
More than deserving of the recognition, Sheriff Baron organized a special celebration and invited our cameras.
When Deputy Moore walked into the room at the sheriff’s administration building, he was greeted with a standing ovation from his peers.
“We work very hard to value our employees because we know how important that is," says Sheriff Baron.
The Sheriff goes on to say that “when we talk about our vision, our purpose of making a difference, you know, it's basically given permission to everybody in the organization to look for opportunities to help people."
Deputy Moore was honored with a Lifesaving Award and Deputy of the Year Award.
News 3 also wanted to show our appreciation by awarding him an Everyday Hero Award and a $300 gift certificate from our partners at Southern Bank.
With a smile Deputy Moore says, “I was told I was coming to teach survival mindset today to the academy class and I walk into this […] Thank you very much for everybody who came and supported me on this and you guys, Channel 3, thank you very much for all the awards. I really do appreciate it.”
If you know somebody doing a lot of good behind the scenes when nobody’s looking, nominate them for an Everyday Hero Award!
