North Miami Police Officer Honored For His Bravery

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - It's been a really good week for North Miami police Officer Niel Johnson and it's only Wednesday.

On Monday he, along with Miami-Dade police Officer Mario Gutierrez, was presented a Medal of Valor by President Barack Obama at a special White House ceremony which honored law enforcement officers who exhibited exceptional courage, regardless of personal safety, in the attempt to save or protect others from harm.

Last year, Johnson pursued and caught a man who had shot a Miami police officer and two innocent bystanders, withstanding fire from an assault weapon.

"The suspect engaged officer Johnson and fired multiple high powered rounds at him from a very close range," said North Miami Assistant Police Chief Larry Juraga. "Reverting to this tactical training and survivor instincts, Officer Johnson precisely returned fire, striking and neutralizing the subject."

On Wednesday, North Miami Mayor Smith Joseph proclaimed it "Officer Niel Johnson Day."

A humbled Johnson recalled what it was like when he was confronted by the gunman.

"My very first instinct was, this is how I die. The very next thought was 'no, I'm not dying' and you respond from that. It happens in nanoseconds," said Johnson.

While the Medal of Valor is quite prestigious, a more valuable praise Johnson came from his family.

"He's a hero, but he's been a hero every day. It doesn't take something like this to prove that he's a hero," said Johnson's daughter Megan Dominguez.

Gutierrez and Johnson were two of the thirteen police officers awarded the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor by President Obama.

Officer Gutierrez sustained multiple stab wounds while subduing a knife-wielding assailant who attempted to set off an explosion at a gas station. He was honored for his bravery and his composure during the violent attack.