The Clermont Police Department is proud to announce that Sgt. Nicholas Bloom was recognized at the 2018 L.E.O. Awards hosted by the Orlando Chapter of ASIS International held on May 24, 2018, and was presented an award for Valor and Heroism for his role in an incident that occurred in March of 2017. The ASIS Foundation is dedicated to supporting their members, their profession, and their communities. With the support of ASIS International, member and chapter donations and corporate support, the Foundation is able to invest in elevating security practice through scholarship, research, and service. The detail of his nomination are as follows:
On March 21, 2017, at 11:30 p.m., members of the Clermont Police Department’s Bravo Platoon responded to the Kings Ridge subdivision in reference to a well-being check for one of their residents. Information was received that this person was acting abnormally and hostile, making threats and references to shooting an acquaintance. He also made reference to the type of bullets he was going to use by calling the bullets “cop killers.” With the subject’s recent hostile history towards law enforcement in mind and his possession of multiple guns, Sergeant Bloom coordinated a response to perform a well-being check. Officers positioned themselves around the home, and Sgt. Bloom attempted contact at the front door. Within moments, Sergeant Bloom could hear the subject yelling in the home and suddenly a gunshot was fired through the front door towards Sergeant Bloom. The bullet penetrated the front door, glass storm door, and a downspout gutter that Sgt. Bloom was standing next to. The bullet missed Sgt. Bloom by inches, due to his instinct to reposition himself just seconds before the shot was fired.
Sergeant Bloom immediately and tactfully retreated and all officers obtained cover to now deal with a violent, barricaded suspect. A perimeter was established, additional officers were requested and SRT and negotiators were called to respond.
After approximately one and a half hours, the subject surrendered himself, was taken into custody without incident and ultimately charged with attempted homicide of a Law Enforcement Officer.
I would like to take this opportunity to nominate Sergeant Bloom for the Valor or Heroism category for his exceptional bravery under imminent risk of serious bodily injury. Not only was he faced with an extremely dangerous situation, he performed his supervisory duties under great duress without fail. After being fired upon, he was able to ensure his own and his officers’ safety, coordinate a perimeter, establish a staging area for responding units, stage EMS and ensure safe ingress and egress from the scene, all while seamlessly communicating the available information to the incident commander and responding officers and resources from multiple agencies.
Sergeant Bloom demonstrated bravery, competence, and excellent supervisory skills during a high-risk incident. He and the Bravo Platoon successfully brought a critical and volatile situation to a peaceful resolution. Again, I would like to personally recognize Sergeant Bloom for his leadership during this critical incident.
Sgt. Nicholas Bloom personified the Clermont Police Department’s core values of Courage, Honor, Integrity, Professionalism, and Service Above Self. We would like to publicly congratulate Sergeant Bloom on his well-deserved recognition!
