Rookie Officer Taylor Brandt of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPDC) was awarded the “Back the Blue” award at Fox Nation’s Patriot Awards for her heroic feats saving nine people in her first year on the job.

The “Back the Blue” award goes to outstanding law enforcement officers who uphold their duty to protect and serve.

Brandt, a resident from Arlington, Virginia, joined the DC police in December 2019. Just two weeks into her training, she was already saving lives, providing on-scene emergency medical care to a gunshot wound victim. Over the rest of the year, she attended to eight more victims of violence.

Commander of MPD Academy training, Ralph Ennis, said Brandt’s career is remarkable. “I would challenge you to find one other police officer in this country that has saved nine people. It just doesn’t happen. She truly understands that policing is about helping people,” he said.

At the Fox Nation Patriot Awards event hosted in Florida, Fox host Nancy Grace awarded Brandt with the first-ever “Back the Blue” award. Introducing Brandt, she said: “‘I spent my entire career working shoulder to shoulder with police … always seeking justice. This makes me especially proud, honored, and humbled to be here tonight presenting the ‘Back the Blue’ award to an amazing officer.”

“Thank you all so much for this award, it’s incredibly humbling to get this recognition so early in my career,” Brandt told the audience.

She then thanked her fellow officers, saying they “bring comfort through all the tense situations.” At last, Brandt dedicated the award to the officers who died or were injured on January 6, referring to them as “true patriots.” 

The ceremony was Fox Nation’s third annual Patriot Awards, described as a way to honor everyday heroes across the United States who show dedication to the nation and its values.