Metro officer Devitte voted nation’s Top Cop

Monday, Aug. 7, 2000 | 11:30 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Metro Police Officer Dennis Devitte on Saturday learned he had been voted the nation's very top officer in the National Association of Police Organizations' annual Top Cop award. Officers nationwide voted Devitte the highest honor.

Devitte attended the organization's seventh annual award ceremony along with other award winners at the Warner Theatre in the nation's capital Saturday night.

Other winners included a cyber-crime sleuth, a trooper involved in a rescue in Alaska, an undercover agent who infiltrated a biker gang and a detective who broke up a prostitution ring involving young girls.

The organization represents more than 220,000 sworn officers nationwide.

Officers mingled with actors who play cops on television. Vice President Gore and Attorney General Janet Reno attended.

Devitte, a 20-year police veteran who attended the ceremony with his wife, Jan, was lauded for exchanging gunfire with an armed robber at Mr. D's sports bar on Dec. 5. Devitte, who had been off-duty when the robbers entered the tavern, was shot eight times. Devitte shot and killed one of the robbers.

"This is the proudest day of my life," Devitte told the Washington Post on Saturday after learning that he had been voted the top Top Cop.

Devitte has collected other awards, including the Metro Police Department's Purple Heart and Medal of Valor and the city of Las Vegas' medal of honor.