Wounded marshal awarded medal

Deputy U.S. Marshal Richard "Joe" Gardner was checking his email two years ago when he heard a shotgun blast in the lobby of the Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse.

For his actions in the moments that followed, Gardner was honored Thursday at the same courthouse with a Congressional Badge of Bravery.

U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., said Gardner acted instinctively to defend the lives of others that day, without regard for his own safety. In the process, Gardner was struck by pellets from the assailant's shotgun.

"I'm glad to have only been shot once in a lifetime, and my goal is to make that experience sufficient for one lifetime," Gardner joked during the ceremony.

Gardner, who has worked for the U.S. Marshals Service for 21 years, said he also was pleased that he and other officers "have effectively protected the judiciary and its family so successfully for so many years, and that we were able to do so that day."

After the ceremony, Gardner recounted some of the details of Jan. 4, 2010 -- the first work day after a holiday weekend.

"It's a little shocking when you hear a shotgun blast," he said.

Gardner, who was working on the second floor of the courthouse that morning, knew the sound had come from the lobby. He peered over the railing and saw the body of court security officer Stan Cooper on the ground below.

Gardner had known Cooper for 15 years.

The deputy U.S. marshal went down a stairway, exited through a door on the west side of the building and immediately encountered the gunman, Johnny Lee Wicks.

Gardner fired four rounds at Wicks.

Pellets from Wicks' 12-gauge shotgun struck Gardner in the torso, arm, hand and head but missed his vital organs. Gardner later underwent surgery but said four pellets remain in his body.

Authorities think Wicks held a grudge against the government. He recently had lost a federal lawsuit in which he sought to reinstate some disability benefits that were cut when he moved to Nevada from California.

Cooper, 72, was sitting in a chair at the courthouse entrance when Wicks entered the building shortly after 8 a.m. and fatally shot the officer through the opening of a metal detector.

Seven other officers fired a total of 85 shots that morning. Wicks, 66, died across the street after being struck by 14 bullets.

Gardner, who has worked in Las Vegas for 18 years, has spent most of his career serving arrest warrants on fugitives.

"I always thought if I was going to get shot, it would be going through a door -- not at a courthouse," Gardner said during an interview Thursday.

Gardner, 50, said the incident two years ago marked the only time he has fired his gun in the line of duty.

Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., presented the Congressional Badge of Bravery to Gardner in the courthouse's jury assembly room. Dozens of people, including several federal judges, attended the ceremony.

The award was created when Congress passed the Law Enforcement Congressional Badge of Bravery Act of 2008 to honor exceptional acts of bravery in the line of duty.

Gardner said his award represents all the work performed by the U.S. Marshals Service.

"We don't look for the recognition, but it brings to the forefront that we do work very hard to protect the community day in and day out," he said.

Other officers who took action during the 2010 shooting received certificates of commendation Thursday.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.