CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A Chesapeake Sheriff's deputy who was injured in a shootout with a homicide suspect in January has received a top honor from the Virginia Sheriff's Association.
Investigator Scott Chambers was named the "2023 Deputy Sheriff of the Year" for his "dedication, bravery, and professionalism under fire" in relation to the Hampton shooting, which put him in the hospital, a VSA press release stated.
On January 11, Chambers and other members of a U.S. Marshals task force were tracking a man who had been on the run for two weeks, accused of murdering his wife on Christmas Day.
The suspect, Lamont Lewis, "was the passenger in a vehicle when the task force initiated a vehicle takedown," the release stated.
Task force officers surrounded the vehicle and tried to pin the doors closed so they could capture Lewis and as Chambers was getting the driver out of the vehicle, Lewis "hopped into the driver's seat and exited the car firing two pistols," the VSA statement said.
"He took on fire, he returned fire. It was just a heroic act," said John Jones, the VSA's Executive Director.
Chambers was shot three times. He and other law enforcement officers returned fire and shot Lewis, who later died at the hospital.
Critically injured, Chambers used his training as a certified EMT to apply his own tourniquet before being taken to a nearby hospital. He went through two surgeries and was able to leave the hospital two weeks later.
According to Jones, Chambers was one of several nominations across the state, before he was ultimately given the honor by sheriffs across the Commonwealth.
"I think it epitomizes what deputy sheriffs do every day," Jones said.
“Scott Chambers is a hero,” said Chesapeake Sheriff Jim O’Sullivan. “He puts on his badge every day to go out and get the worst of the worst off the streets.”
Chambers is a former Army Ranger and a "lifelong law enforcement officer," according to the VSA release. He's been with the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office for four years and is a member of its Criminal Apprehension Unit and a sworn Special Deputy with the United States Marshals Service.
The "Deputy of the Year" award will be presented to Chambers at a ceremony in September.
“This prestigious award recognizes the height of professional service and dedication to the citizens of Chesapeake," John W. Jones, Executive Director of the Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, said in a statement. "The VSA counts Investigator Chambers as one of the finest examples of law enforcement and we are proud to call him a member of the VSA."