North Carolina

Fallen NC police officer, three colleagues receive Medal of Valor from President Biden

Four Charlotte-area police officers — including one who lost his life in the line of duty — received the Medal of Valor from President Joe Biden on Monday for their work during a hostage situation in 2020.

Concord Police Officer Jason Shuping was killed when he and Officer Kaleb Robinson confronted a carjacking suspect in a restaurant parking lot on Dec. 16, 2020. Shuping, 25, had been with the department for less than two years.

Officer Jason Shuping, Concord Police Department
Officer Jason Shuping, Concord Police Department Concord Police Department

Robinson, who suffered minor injuries, and Officers Kyle Baker and Paul Stackenwalt also received medals from Biden.

The officers “fired at the suspect to turn attention away from their colleagues and shielding each other with their own bodies – until they ended the threat,” according to a White House news release. “During the gunfight, Officer Shuping paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

Haylee Shuping, the wife of fallen Concord, N.C., Police Officer Jason Shuping, stands with President Joe Biden as he awards her late husband the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor in the East Room of the White House on Monday, May 16, 2022.
Haylee Shuping, the wife of fallen Concord, N.C., Police Officer Jason Shuping, stands with President Joe Biden as he awards her late husband the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor in the East Room of the White House on Monday, May 16, 2022. Andrew Harnik AP

Haylee Shuping accepted the award on her husband’s behalf.

Biden paid a special tribute to Shuping’s family and that of New York firefighter Lt. Jared Lloyd of Spring Valley. Lloyd repeatedly rushed into a burning nursing home to carry out elderly residents in April 2021. Lloyd and his team rescued 112 residents. He died when the building collapsed.

Nine police officers and six firefighters received the award Monday for acts of bravery in the line of duty.

From left, Concord, N.C., Police Officers Kaleb Robinson, Paul Stackenwalt, and Kyle Baker, watch as Haylee Shuping, the wife of fallen Officer Jason Shuping, hugs President Joe Biden. The president awarded the four officers the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor for their heroism during a gunfight with a carjacking suspect in December 2020.
From left, Concord, N.C., Police Officers Kaleb Robinson, Paul Stackenwalt, and Kyle Baker, watch as Haylee Shuping, the wife of fallen Officer Jason Shuping, hugs President Joe Biden. The president awarded the four officers the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor for their heroism during a gunfight with a carjacking suspect in December 2020. Andrew Harnik AP

This story was originally published May 16, 2022 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Fallen NC police officer, three colleagues receive Medal of Valor from President Biden."

Kallie Cox
The Charlotte Observer
Kallie Cox covers public safety for The Charlotte Observer. They grew up in Springfield, Illinois and attended school at SIU Carbondale. They reported on police accountability and LGBTQ immigration barriers for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. And, they previously worked at The Southern Illinoisan before moving to Charlotte. Support my work with a digital subscription
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