From a shootout with a gun-wielding criminal to a treacherous underwater rescue, the actions of the 2008 Heroes of Denton County award winners showed they took their sworn oaths seriously, and a crowd at the annual affair Thursday applauded their valor.

Each year, the countywide event honors men and women who have been nominated by their peers for outstanding service at a dinner at Texas Motor Speedway on a day of heroes, Sept. 11.

It is a way to remember those who died on that day in 2001 while illustrating the dedication that goes on every day.

Denton County Sheriff’s Investigator Larry Kish was named Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.

Larry Kish

On June 26, Kish was on his way to work when he heard radio traffic on his police radio. An unintelligible 911 call had just come in, and it came from a small mobile home community close to the road Kish was driving on. A deputy had been dispatched to investigate, and Kish decided to back him up.

Kish arrived first. He got out of his car and approached a man standing behind a fence. The man said something and then opened fire at the investigator.

Kish took cover behind his car, which was taking fire, and called in to warn the other arriving officer and to ask for help. The man continued to shoot at him and at the deputy who arrive moments later, keeping them pinned behind vehicles that are not especially good at stopping bullets.

“He displayed extreme bravery and maintained a level of calmness so that the situation could be relayed to the incoming units as well as communications in a clear and precise manner.

Throughout the entire incident he took charge and instructed the incoming units on where to go and how to set up, all while being shot at. He was able to keep the entire scene safe and under control until the suspect finally ran out of ammunition,” according to his nomination.

Several officers arrived and were able to take the man into custody. He injured himself with a knife, but no other injuries were reported.

The deputies learned that the man had kidnapped a former girlfriend, sexually assaulted and beat her and then assaulted his mother. The girlfriend told police that he planned to kill her.

Family violence calls often prove the most dangerous to officers. Kish remained calm and set up a plan of action that resulted in the safe ending to a potentially fatal situation, according to the nomination.

Denton firefighter Michael Schmidt was named 2008 Firefighter of the Year.

Michael Schmidt

Schmidt fishes to relieve the stress of a dangerous job. He was fishing on Lewisville Lake about 11 p.m. June 6 when he heard a loud noise and saw the headlights of a vehicle nearby in the lake.

A 10-foot fence and a stretch of water lay between him and a rapidly sinking Jeep, but he scaled the fence, jumped into water 25 feet deep and crawled onto the hood. Inside the vehicle, a terrified young woman was trapped because the water held her door closed.

Schmidt knew he had to wait until the Jeep was submerged before the doors would open. He rode the hood to the bottom and then opened the door and pulled the girl out.

The friend who was fishing with him helped him get her to shore, and a 911 call brought reinforcements. The victim suffered only minor injuries.

She told Schmidt she had just left a club on the lake and had taken a wrong turn. On the dark road, she missed a turn and drove off a dock.

No one knew where she was. Most likely, she would have remained in her Jeep underwater and would have been listed as a missing person.

“Firefighter Schmidt performed an act far beyond the call of duty in which grave personal harm was imminent for him as well as the trapped victim. He did not hesitate to place another person’s life above his own,” according to the nomination.

Gwinna Pedigo was named 2008 Telecommunicator of the Year.

According to her nomination, Pedigo has been a communications officer for Lewisville fire and police for 23 years. She uses her vast experience to train new dispatchers as well as serving as a supervisor. She serves with integrity, and despite her years of service, she has not lost her compassion for helping people.

“Callers may not know it at the time, but they are getting the best of the best when they hear her voice on the other end of that 911 call,” according to her nomination.

Tim and Kari Lindt were honored with the Troy LaGrone Award for Community Service.

In August 2006, the Lindts’ daughter, Britteny Sage Lindt, 15, was killed by a drunken boater on Lewisville Lake.

Three days later, they set up a fund in her name and began using the money to lobby for boating safety laws. Later, the money bought a boat for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission for its “Nobody’s Waterproof” campaign.

“Since that personal tragedy, Tim and Kari have channeled their grief into working tirelessly with Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Legislature to strengthen boating safety laws on inland lakes and to raise awareness of drunk driving on all motorized vehicles.  Through their successful lobbying, a new law from the 80th session of the Texas Legislature has given those law enforcement agencies whose jurisdictions are adjacent to a lake the authority to enforce the state’s water safety act,” according to their nomination.  “The Lindts’ contribution to community safety around the state has led to increased boater safety and has almost certainly saved additional lives.”

DONNA FIELDER can be reached at 940-566-6885. Her e-mail address is

dfielder@dentonrc.com.