Lee’s Summit police officer honored by Jon Stewart in Times Square ceremony

Lee’s Summit police officer Cameron Price always had a protective nature, even as a child growing up in the community he would someday serve and protect.

“When I was in elementary school, kids would get bullied, and I would try to stick up for them and fight the bullies,” he said, “so I just had an internal drive to protect people.”

So it was no surprise to his family when he joined the Lee’s Summit Police Department in 2015.

That instinct and his courageous actions on May 15, 2024, during a burglary in progress led to the local officer being among 15 first responders presented with a Hero Award during the National First Responders Day Roll Call of Heroes on Tuesday in New York City’s Times Square.

During the award presentations on Tuesday, stories about each honoree were shared by Jon Stewart, the late-night talk show host, comedian and longtime first-responder advocate.

“When Officer Price pulled up to the house that day there was no time to think, only time to act,” Stewart said. “A woman was screaming inside and he told dispatch he was going in. He didn’t know how far away backup was. He knew someone inside needed saving and that it was up to him. He broke through the garage door. Inside was chaos. A mother under attack, two children only feet away.”

Price said he knew he needed to get the suspect in custody and immediately began struggling with him.

“I ended up getting him off balance and then I got on top of him and grabbed his arms and said ‘this is done,’” he said. “Literally as I was getting ready to put him in handcuffs, that’s when my backup arrived and took him into custody.”

As Price was recognized on stage, Stewart continued, “In those two minutes, a mother was protected, two children were spared and a violent offender was removed from the community.”

A celebration of heroes

The annual ceremony, which was livestreamed online, and the award is sponsored by the First Responders Children’s Foundation (FRCF), a nonprofit, and presenting sponsor SERVPRO. The FRCF is dedicated to supporting the children of US first responders, including firefighters, police officers, paramedics, EMTs, corrections officers and 911 dispatchers.

“Officer Price’s actions reflect the best of what it means to protect and serve in law enforcement,” said Jillian Crane, FRCF president and CEO. “On National First Responders Day, we honor individuals like him to stand for the many who protect our communities and the families who make that service possible.

“Our role is to turn gratitude into action for those families through scholarships, mental health support, natural disaster relief, bereavement support and more. Recognizing Officer Price is part of that commitment.”

The Lee’s Summit police officer received the Hero Medal on a stage with dozens of American flags as the backdrop, surrounded by Times Square’s iconic structures, massive digital billboards and high-energy atmosphere.

Through the nonprofit, Price and his wife, Lee’s Summit Police Officer Sydni Beeman-Price, received an all-expense-paid trip to New York City, complete with their own personal tour guides from the New York City Police Department (NYPD).

“NYPD is going to pick us up tomorrow (Sunday),” said Price on Saturday. “On Monday they are going to give us a tour of New York, Times Square and NYPD precincts and FDNY (Fire Department of the City of New York) precincts and we’re going to the harbor so they’re going to give us all the sightseeing stuff.”

A Lee’s Summit native

Price grew up in Lee’s Summit, attending Cedar Creek Elementary and Summit Lakes Middle School before graduating from Lee’s Summit West High School.

He also met his wife while on the job at LSPD.

“I saw her in the report writing room, and I thought ‘holy cow, this woman is beautiful,’” he said.

The couple’s first date was in November 2017, and they married in October 2020. They have a 3-year-old son.

The nomination for Price’s Hero Award was submitted by Lee’s Summit Police Major Nicole Walters.

“I was really caught off guard when I was told that I was getting this award,” Price said. “It’s kind of surreal. There’s a lot of other cops out there who have done a lot more amazing things.”

Price added that he is glad to be able to represent the Midwest and Lee’s Summit.

“On one hand I don’t really feel like a hero,” he said. “Like every other cop I do this, this is my job, this is what I’m paid to do. I may be put into situations where not a lot of other people are put in. I may see things not a lot of people see. But then you look at the other side of the picture. The person I’m helping may look at me as the hero.”

Here’s where you can watch a video recapping the National First Responders Day Roll Call of Heroes.