Special Episode to Air Saturday, June 4, on FOX
May 12, 2011 – Officer Tommy Norman of the North Little Rock (Arkansas) Police Department has been chosen as the grand prize winner of the 2011 AMERICA’S MOST WANTED All-Star Contest. AMERICA’S MOST WANTED (AMW) will feature Officer Norman’s story Saturday, June 4 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.
The contest, sponsored by Sprint (NYSE: S) and presented by AMW, recognizes the bravery of our nation’s first responders. Officer Norman was one of more than 1000 first responders nominated by members of the public in the AMW All-Star Contest, and he was chosen by online voting as one of eight weekly finalists. Then, through votes cast by the public at AMW.com and via text-message from Sprint phones, he was chosen as the grand prize winner.
“Officer Norman has given so much of his personal time to helping children,†said AMW host John Walsh. “He is a wonderful, true role model and one good cop.â€
“We congratulate Officer Norman on winning the 2011 AMW All-Star Contest and we’re humbled by his service to the community,†said Dan Gillison, national director for public safety at Sprint. “We at Sprint are proud to service the public safety community and our frontline responders, and we’re pleased to have the opportunity to sponsor the All-Star Contest for the seventh year.â€
Walsh will present Norman with a check for $10,000 this Saturday, May 14 at a ceremony during Police Week in Washington, D.C. Officer Norman will also receive a trip to the NASCAR SPRINT Cup Seriesâ„¢ All-Star Challenge at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, NC.
Tommy Norman, referred to as “Officer Friendly†by fellow officers, has been a patrol officer since 1998. Norman is well-known around town for his community service. Local children know him from the yearly back-to-school event where he distributes backpacks and sneakers and as the lead officer for the Star Student Program at local schools. During the holidays, Norman coordinates community-service programs, including “Shop with a Cop†and “Season of Giving.†He recently received the Chief’s Award for his ongoing efforts with community-outreach programs, which are done mostly while he is off-duty. When he is not patrolling the streets, Norman spends his time volunteering, fundraising or helping others. His chief says what is remarkable is that Officer Norman continues to handle as many – and sometimes more – police calls, investigations and arrests than is expected of him. His supervisors say he builds lasting relationships with residents and is a remarkable role model for children. The far-reaching word on the street about Officer Norman even compelled a murder suspect in a neighboring city to surrender himself.
Norman’s biography, along with profiles of all the courageous first responders who were nominated, can be found at www.amw.com/allstar.