An officer with the Pentagon Force Protection Agency’s K-9 unit received an award for stopping a fight between two men at a Clinton convenience store.

Officer Alex Thomas received the Medal for Valor during an award ceremony Feb. 13.

On Aug. 12, 2011, Thomas saw two men fighting at a convenience store in Clinton when he identified himself as a police officer and told one of the men to drop his handgun, according to a Pentagon Force Protection Agency news release.

The man allegedly ignored the commands and turned toward Thomas, who then fired shots at the man and struck him, according to the release. The man was later pronounced dead while the other man in the fight was uninjured, the release stated.

To date, the Secretary of Defense has awarded 55 Medals for Valor and 26 have been awarded to officers at the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, according to the release.