JCPD officer's service earns purple heart

Jefferson City Police Officer Jason Sederwall was awarded a purple heart for his service in the line of duty.
Jefferson City Police Officer Jason Sederwall was awarded a purple heart for his service in the line of duty.

On a weekday in June, officer Jason Sederwall was doing routine traffic enforcement on West Edgewood when he noticed a vehicle traveling at a high speed. What happened next led to a purple heart awarded for his service in the line of duty.

It was Thursday afternoon, June 16, and Sederwall had been assigned to motorcycle duties for traffic enforcement. He saw a vehicle traveling 57 miles per hour in an area with a speed limit of 40. He began pursuit while communicating with the 911 Center to provide description of the vehicle.

The vehicle refused to stop and, after some pursuit, it made an abrupt stop.

Sederwall said he was wary at the time because often when someone who refuses to stop initially makes such an abrupt stop, they are planning to either drive away when the officer is out of his vehicle or flee on foot.

Sederwall stopped his motorcycle and began shouting commands at the driver to turn off his engine and put his hands up. As he put the kickstand down on his bike, and before he could get off the bike, the driver began accelerating in reverse toward him.

"There was really no time for me to react," Sederwall said.