Officer wins DOJ Hero Award

JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville Police Department officer Elyse Hand has won the Department of Justice’s 2026 Hometown Hero Award after she was shot in Nov. 2025. Hand and a Jacksonville PD K-9 were injured while she was serving warrants for a then-wanted fugitive who opened fire as Hand called out to him at his home. Hand is now on the road to recovery with help from her young son and her husband, who’s a Texas State Trooper.

U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs of the Eastern District of Texas announced Hand as their district’s recipient of the 2026 Hometown Hero Award on Friday. According to our news partner KETK, the awards are being given out to law enforcement members around the country this year as part of President Donald Trump’s Freedom250 initiative for the United States’ 250th anniversary.
Photo of Elyse Hand, courtesy of U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs’ Office.

“The Hometown Hero award recognizes one of our law enforcement partners who best embodies the spirit upon which our Nation was founded and reflects a steadfast commitment to the enduring ideals of liberty, service and civic responsibility,” Combs’ office said in a press release.

Combs’ office also held a charity drive in Hand’s honor to raise money for donations to several local children’s advocacy centers including the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County in Plano, the Grayson County Children’s Advocacy Center in Sherman, the Texarkana Children’s Advocacy Center in Texarkana, the Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County in Tyler, Harold’s House East Texas Alliance for Children in Lufkin and the Garth House in Beaumont.

“As the Eastern District of Texas’ Hometown Hero, Officer Hand represents the sacrifices made by law enforcement officers across the nation every day. We salute Officer Hand and her bravery and wish her a speedy recovery,” Combs’ office said.