Two area state troopers have been honored for valor.

At the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s annual banquet Saturday, Troopers Walter L. “Corky” Burr III and Grant H. Hendrix were recognized for their actions in two different shooting incidents in Neosho.

On Aug. 12, Burr was called at home and asked to respond to First Congregational Church in Neosho, as a male suspect had entered the church, shot an unknown number of people, and had taken several hostages.

Upon arrival, Burr began gathering information from the other police officers, church pastor Tom Thorne, and a relative of the shooting suspect.

Neosho Police Chief Dave McCracken, who was positioned in the church basement, requested four officers provide cover so he could begin negotiations. Newton County Sheriff Ken Copeland, who was outside of the church, asked which officers were on special response or special weapons and tactics teams. Burr, a member of Troop D’s SWAT squad, volunteered to assist.

Burr, along with Neosho officers McCracken and Cameron Kruse and Newton County deputies Donn Hall, David Trimble, Chris Jennings and Dale Brashers, assembled in the church basement. While determining the best place to enter, a gunshot was heard overhead, changing the circumstances to an active shooter situation. The officers entered the church sanctuary, finding the suspect, later identified as Eiken Elam Saimon, holding a female hostage around the neck. Thirty other hostages were seated on the floor, and three men lay dying: Micronesian pastors Kernal Rehobson, 43; his uncle, Intenson Rehobson, 44; and Kuhpes “Jesse” Ikosia, 53.

Burr ordered the suspect to drop his weapon and surrender. After several moments, the man did so and was taken into custody.

In the early morning hours of March 16, the Missouri State Highway Patrol was advised that Neosho police officers Sgt. Dan Cook and Patrolman Mike Sharp were shot during a routine traffic stop. Cook was shot in the arm while making the stop, while Sharp was shot in the face while in pursuit of the suspect.

Hendrix was dispatched to the last known location of the suspect, and met a vehicle matching the description of a red Chevrolet Blazer the suspect was driving.

The vehicle attempted to elude Hendrix. A short distance later, Hendrix crested a hill to find the suspect’s vehicle stopped in the road. The suspect, later identified as Adam Bridgewater, ambushed Hendrix and opened fire, striking the trooper’s car at least five times. One of the bullets struck Hendrix’s radar detector, which is commonly mounted in the center of the dashboard of law enforcement vehicles.

The suspect then accelerated before stopping in the roadway again, with Hendrix stopping about 50 yards away. The suspect opened fire a second time, with Hendrix returning fire while seated in his patrol car. Hendrix then left the car, moving to the rear of the vehicle for cover.

Bridgewater then again fled, with Hendrix returning to his patrol car and continuing pursuit, prepared for another ambush. Bridgewater turned into a wooded area.

A pair of deputies with the McDonald County Sheriff’s Department spotted the SUV on a road east of Goodman in the McNatt area. Authorities said Bridgewater rammed the deputies’ Jeep with his Blazer, and then opened fire. The deputies returned fire and Bridgewater then fled on foot.

Bridgewater was arrested at about 3:30 p.m. that afternoon after a brief scuffle with law enforcement agents. He was armed with a handgun, authorities said, but did not fire on the officers.

A tip led law enforcement agents to a residence at 21695 Palm Road, eight to 10 miles east of McNatt. Although Bridgewater was not in the residence at the time, some officers saw him running across a field, according to Copeland.

Sometime during the four shoot-outs with officers, Bridgewater sustained a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. He was taken to a Freeman Health Systems emergency room for treatment.

The arrest concluded a 13-hour manhunt for Bridgewater. Between 50 and 65 law enforcement officers converged on the Palm Road residence, including local authorities, troopers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and federal agents.

“I think about how fortunate Southwest Missouri is to have the cooperation,” said Sgt. Dan Bracker, a highway patrol spokesman. “For all of us, it was not a Neosho police officer who was shot, it was a fellow officer.”

Trooper Kelsey J. Rutledge, a member of Troop D who serves as a road officer assigned to Jasper County, was named the patrol’s officer of the year.

In 2007, Rutledge conducted traffic stops which yielded 248 pounds of marijuana, 12 pounds of heroin, more than 10 pounds of methamphetamine, two kilograms of cocaine, more than $670,000 in cash and the arrest of two people for trafficking in stolen identities. An investigation the trooper conducted reveled 30 victims of identity theft. Another probe yielded 79 jars of psilocybin (hallucinogenic) mushrooms and an indoor marijuana growing operation.

In November 2007, Rutledge conducted a traffic stop that resulted in the arrest of the driver on three counts of forgery and the seizure of numerous items purchased with false checks from Wal-Mart.

Others honored during the banquet included Sgt. Richard E. Buttram, Troop F; Sutin Berry, Troop A; Andrew Henry, Troop H; Brian McCrary, Troop A; Cpl. Terry Lee, Troop E; Sgt. Nathan Ahern, Troop A; Andrew Cheaney and Mark Bielawski, of the highway patrol’s gaming division; Sgt. Jeffery Creech, Troop B; Casey Utterback, Troop A; and Sandra K. Cole, a traffic safety analyst who won the patrol’s civilian of the year award.