The 2021 winners are as follows:

  • RISE Officer
    • School Resource Officer Joreeca Dinnall, Hendersonville (North Carolina) Police Department
    • Sergeant Anthony Shea, Orange County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office
    • Deputy Shawn Hearn, Bell County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office (Texas)

Hear the inspirational stories of the RISE Officer winners:



  • RISE Agency
    • Tye Police Department (Texas)
  • RISE Community
    • Building Bridges Program, Niagara Falls, NY

Finalists were selected from over 150 nominees by nearly 17,000 community votes during a two-week voting period. The winners were then chosen by a panel of judges. Officer winners each received a trip to Axon’s 2021 Accelerate conference and were recognized at a special event during the conference.

Both Agency and Community winners will receive a $7,500 Axon grant to be put towards their foundation in support of community programs. The prize funds received by the Tye Police Department will go toward Operation Brown Bag.

“Axon’s RISE Awards showcase the extraordinary courage, compassion and dedication to community demonstrated by officers, agencies and community organizations across the country,” said Axon CEO and founder Rick Smith. “From the individual officers who put their lives on the line each day, to public safety agencies who work tirelessly to protect and enhance their communities, to community organizations who work hand in hand with public safety leaders to build a better future, Axon is incredibly proud to highlight those doing inspiring work in the world. Our hope is that the stories of heroism and valor highlighted through these awards will inspire others as much as they inspire us.”

Axon also announced the relaunch of the Jack Cover Medal of Heroism award and presented Deputy Charles Williams from the Hillsborough County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office with this prestigious award at Axon Accelerate. This award recognizes officers who save a life. See Deputy Charles Williams’s story here:


Axon is accepting stories year-round of officers and community partners who show extraordinary courage, ingenuity and compassion. To nominate an officer for a RISE or Jack Cover Medal of Heroism award, please share your story at stories@axon.com.