Submitted photos Former Elkins resident Melody Burrows, above left, was honored with a Certificate of Recognition from West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice during a ceremony at Brighton Park in Moorefield on Saturday. Lynn Phillips, at right, a representative for the governor, presented Burrows with the certificate.

Melody Burrows, a police officer with the Moorefield Police Department, was recognized for her response during an incident in which a fellow officer was shot.

MOOREFIELD — Former Elkins resident Melody A. Burrows received a Certificate of Recognition from West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice Saturday during a ceremony at Brighton Park.

Justice’s Regional Representative, Lynn Phillips, presented the certificate to Burrows as family, friends and law enforcement personnel gathered for the celebration.

Burrows, who is a lieutenant with the Moorefield Police Department, was honored for her heroic actions during an incident in which a fellow officer was shot during an arrest.

The shooting incident took place in November 2021, when Burrows and Cpl. Tyler Robinette attempted to take a sex offender into custody after he was observed outside a residence in the area of Clay Street in Moorefield.

When confronted, the individual pulled a 9 mm handgun and fired a shot that hit Robinette in the arm, police said. During a struggle to get the weapon from the wanted individual, Burrows was forced to fire a shot that struck the suspect in the abdomen and disabled him.

“I have drawn my weapon a lot and been shot at several times during my career, but this was the first time I ever had to return fire,” Burrows, who has been a police officer for 22 years, told The Inter-Mountain this week.

“You always hope as a police officer that you never have to discharge your weapon, so it was a pretty scary moment. It was very intense and the emotions you go through not only at the time of the incident, but some time after, is an eye-opener. ”

Burrows said firing at another individual is something police officers never want to do. But with her co-workers’ life, her life, and other bystanders’ lives in jeopardy, she did what she had to do.

“When I shot the guy, my partner was on top of him fighting for the gun,” said Burrows. “The individual had already shot Tyler and God knows what would have happened to everyone on the scene if we hadn’t stopped him. It was a pretty scary situation.”

Moorefield Police Chief Stephen W. Riggleman said the day after the incident that Borrows “did what she needed to do and probably saved lives because there were bystanders involved who could have been hurt or killed.”

Burrows said she has seen many changes during her 22 years as a police officer.

“Things are just so different now than they were when I first started out,” said Burrows. “The way we police, and the crimes, which are getting way worse and more violent. It definitely is a lot different than the way it was when I was just getting started in law enforcement.”

Burrows says urging from her uncle, Dale Kelley, was instrumental in her becoming a police officer. Kelley was a former chief of police with the Elkins Police Department, where he served close to 50 years

“He was always encouraging me to do it,” said Burrows. “Back then, women were honestly frowned upon when it comes to law enforcement, because it’s a male-dominated field and it still is. So other than me telling my uncle Dale that I wanted to do it, I kind of kept it secret. I kind of kept it to myself because I thought I would never get to do it because I was a girl. But he always told me I could and he was right.”

Thinking she would never get a shot to become a police officer, Burrows enrolled to take college nursing classes. After two years of nursing school, she realized her heart just wasn’t in it. So she quit the nursing program and later changed her major to criminal justice, where she received a degree from Fairmont State.

After graduating, it wasn’t long before she landed a job as a police officer in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She eventually left that post and took a job with the Petersburg Police, before accepting a position in Moorefield.

Burrows has seemingly been doing things “girls” aren’t supposed to do for most of her life. While at Elkins High School, she not only played on the girls basketball team, but also was a member of the boys baseball team.

“As far as I know, I’m the only female to play on the boys baseball team at Elkins High,” said Burrows. “Coach (Dick) Casey really pushed me and was a huge supporter of me being on the team. And all the guys I played ball with were just awesome to me the entire time.”

Burrows said she doesn’t see herself stepping away from the job she loves anytime soon.

“I lay my head down at night and sleep very well knowing I love what I do,” she said. “I’m still healthy and fit and I’ve been blessed that I haven’t had any illnesses.

“I’m still very active, so as long as my mind and my body keep going and I can do the job safely, I’m going to keep doing it.”

Burrows’ parents, Paul and Nancy Carver, still reside in Randolph County on Leading Creek Road.