The sound of gun powder igniting echoes in the air. Officer Megan Gates, badge number 5534, thinks to herself, “Oh no, it can’t be.”

Making her way around the caddy-cornered houses, she witnesses shots being fired into a van. The shooter’s girlfriend screams, giving a warning of the officers’ presence.

The gunman faces the officers, his eyes fixed on Gates and her partner Kevin Colhour.

Immediately, the officers demand the shooter to drop the gun but instead he turns to run.

For the safety of nearby residents, Gates said, the officers let loose bullet rounds. Casings fall and the suspect drops to the ground.

“It was hard to shoot him with his family members right there,” said Gates.

“I felt bad to take the [shot] but he made decisions leading up to that and I was glad no one was seriously hurt…he could have killed someone.”

Gates, who is a 2007 Park University graduate in criminal justice, received an email after the incident from her Sergeant nominating her for an award to commend her service.

The award committee had other plans by promoting her nomination to the Medal of Valor, which is the Kansas City Police Department’s highest award only given to officers “for performing an exceptionally valorous act far above that which is normally expected while aware of the imminent threat of personal danger.”

The ceremonial was held on Dec. 16, 2014. Gates was honored along with partner.

“I had never been to an [awards ceremony] so it was nice to hear people being awarded,” said Gates. “It’s just unfortunate someone had to get hurt in order for me to receive the award.”

Gates has always been interested in police work.

“Nothing outside has interested [me] because there are so many things to do in the police field,” she said. “There is job security because there are always people making bad decisions and they need to be put in jail.”

Worst moments in careers tend to stick out and perhaps the life of a cop is never easy, with each decision possibly altering the life of another.

Recalling a particularly dark memory, Gates said she is aware that sometimes she can’t do everything.

“Sometimes there is nothing you can do,” said Gates. “We responded to a domestic abuse call where the boyfriend threatened the girlfriend with a knife. We gave the woman precautions she should take but she didn’t take them. After I got off work, [the boyfriend] murdered the girlfriend and her mother, leaving their children with no parents.”

Currently 31 years of age, Gates remains on the reserve forces, working on the general squad and dog watch by night.

By day, she is a mother to daughter Scarlett and son Garen. Even with motherhood going well for her, she does have desires to get back on the force in two years.

A compromise she has had to make with husband Captain Daniel Gates after he thought “she was kind of a magnet for danger.”

Desiring her safety, he said he thinks she should wait at least three years and move on from patrols towards work in the field of investigation or mounted patrols.

Despite it all, Gates said if she had to do it all over again she would.