It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon in May 2023, the perfect kind of weather for Texas families to get out of their houses and run some weekend errands. 

Allen police officer Dominique Akins was chatting with a few of those families in the parking lot of Allen Premium Outlets, handing out police stickers and reminding two young boys to wear their seatbelts. 

That’s when the gunshots started. 

A mass shooter had opened fire inside of the mall. Officer Akins immediately sprung into action, calling it in for backup, getting his rifle, and running toward the sounds of chaos and gunfire. 

About four minutes and three gunshots later, Akins had killed the assailant – who had over 500 additional rounds of ammunition on his body and 2,000 in his car. 

Eight people were killed that day, including children. Seven people were wounded. But thanks to the swift actions of Officer Akins, countless lives were spared. This unspeakable tragedy could have been exponentially larger in scope. 

More than two years later, Office Akins was named the first-ever recipient of the Shield of Valor award at a law enforcement luncheon in McKinney, TX. More than 300 officers gave a standing ovation, but – ever humble – Akin wasn’t there.  

Allen Police Chief Steven Dye accepted the award on his behalf, telling the crowd, “While he is very grateful for his recognition, his words, as you know, ‘Hey, anybody would have done the same thing I did.'”

Not everyone would run toward danger, prepared to sacrifice their own life for the protection of others. Not everyone feels a duty to place themselves between evil and an innocent stranger. 

That is the selfless, unspoken promise of a police officer. Dominique Akins kept that promise in May 2023, and he’s been keeping it ever since.