Michael Leonard, the police officer who apprehended the suspect in the killing of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, does not consider himself a hero, the SunSentinel is reporting.
"It's not about me," he said. "It's about my brothers and sisters in law enforcement, fire rescue, first responders. We all had a role that day. I'm honored to wear the badge."
Nikolas Cruz, 19, is charged with 17 premeditated murders at the school in Parkland, Florida.
The Broward County Commission on Tuesday honored Leonard for finding and arresting Cruz.
Leonard, who has two children, ages 18 and 13, works for nearby Coconut Creek police and maintained: "I was just doing my job that day."
"When you come against evil like that and you have children at home that are about that age, it's very close to my heart," he said. "It was difficult, but I'm so honored that I was able to be a part and do my part and take this killer into custody."
He arrested Cruz without incident.
"Based on some radio traffic, I was able to determine who he was," the officer said. "I knew that there were individuals that had passed away already at this killer's hands."
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