ON the eve of his birthday last year, Jamaican-born Deputy Sheriff Bradley Chang and his colleagues at the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office came face to face with death while responding to a call about armed squatters at an abandoned house in Doral, Florida.

The intruders opened gunfire on the law enforcers, striking one in the face, neck, arm, and hand, and another in his shoulder. Chang, who miraculously was not hit, quickly responded, neutralising the target. He then provided life-saving medical aid to the wounded officers in the January 17, 2024 incident.

For his bravery Chang, along with his colleagues, was presented with the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) 2025 Top Cops Award at its annual celebratory dinner in Washington, DC, in May. Chang also received the Gold Medal of Valor and the departmental Lifesaving Award last year.

Each year, NAPO — a collective of law enforcement officers and associations in the US — selects members of federal, state, county, tribal, and local agencies nationwide who have been nominated for actions above and beyond the call of duty during the preceding year. An independent committee of national law enforcement representatives selects the finalists from the hundreds nominated, and the top 10 cases are named Top Cops Award winners. Additional officers receive honourable mentions.

Chang told the Jamaica Observer that he was both honoured and humbled to receive the awards.

“I didn’t think any of that stuff was possible. I didn’t even know that the NAPO division existed. I was just doing simply what we’re trained to do, and what comes with the job, but it was very nice for them to give me the awards.

“I had great leadership that knew about these channels of appreciation and decided to put me in for it, and from them putting me in for it, that’s how I received all the awards,” he shared with the Sunday Observer.

“…It’s nice to be appreciated and rewarded. The experience of going to Washington, DC, and going to the Capitol…meeting with the attorney general, and having coffee with the…Speaker of the House is a real big deal,” he added.

The deputy sheriff stated that the January 2024 incident that made him look death in the face is not one he will soon forget due to the intensity of the interaction with the armed squatters.

“When I initially went in, my whole life flashed before [my] eyes — kind of like in the movies where you see yourself being born, and your childhood, and then your family, your career, all the way up to that point. I didn’t have time for any emotions, because everything happened so fast. But, [in] the end, I was just grateful that we made it through, and happy that my co-workers are just injured, and not seriously injured,” he recounted.

Born and raised in Kingston, Chang moved to the United States at just 12 years old in 1992. He shared that his transition was rocky, with his Jamaican accent making conversations difficult, However, he quickly learned to adapt and made a life for himself in the North American country.

During his final year of high school exposure to a US Army recruitment drive sparked his interest in service, and he decided to enlist. He recalled that, even as a child, he was naturally courageous and always wanted to use that bravery in a meaningful way. Chang served in the US Army from 1997 to 2001, before leaving to join the police force to have what he described as a more citizen-based approach to service.

While his time in the army was short, he shared that the skills learned, in addition to his police training, gave him all the tools he needed to successfully de-escalate the situation when they faced the armed squatters.

As he carries out his duty as deputy sheriff of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Chang said the most rewarding part of his job is not the awards but the lives he has changed as he strives to make a difference. He shared that there are many people who have thanked him for arresting them because it positively changed the trajectory of their lives.

He recalled one incident during a traffic stop, about 13 years ago, when a female driver’s car, which he said smelled like marijuana, had roaches crawling all over it. She had two babies in a car seat in the back seat of the motor vehicle.

Chang said he arrested the woman, and her children were placed in State care.

“I really put her in a bad spot, obviously, for the safety of the children. Two years later I walked into the station to get some paperwork and there was a lady in the lobby. The lady goes, ‘It’s you.’ I look at her and I said, ‘Excuse me?’ [and] she’s like, ‘You arrested me. You don’t remember me?’ ” he recounted.

In that moment Chang thought the situation would escalate, but what came next left him stunned.

“She said, ‘I want to come and give you a hug and tell you, Thank you.’ You changed my life, and you gave me a lot of time to think, and I’ve gotten my life together. I don’t smoke weed [marijuana] any more, and there are no roaches in my car. The kids are doing great,’ ” he recalled.

According to Chang, “It’s just little things like that” that make the job worth it.”

He shared, too, that the interaction allowed him to truly understand the weight of the responsibility placed on him as a law enforcer, and the impact he can have on people’s lives. Chang said it is a privilege he will never abuse.

“I choose to help people and change their lives for the better, with nothing in return… It’s not really about the reward, it’s all about the service,” he told the Sunday Observer.

However, he is not short of accolades for his exemplary service. In addition to his awards for Top Cop and his Gold Medal of Valor, Chang was also listed as the Distinguished Officer of the Month for March 2024 and Distinguished Officer of the Year for 2024. He also received the Distinguished Officer of the Year Award from the Police Benevolent Association of South Florida.

With 24 years’ service under his belt as a police officer, Chang charged budding law enforcers to face their fears and give their all in carrying out their duty, no matter how small.

“Together we can accomplish a lot of things versus by ourselves. You just have to step up and do what it takes to make a difference,” said Chang.

Jamaican-born deputy sheriff of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Bradley Chang displays his 2024 Distinguished Officer of the Year Award.

Deputy Sheriff Bradley Chang (second right) and his colleagues who responded to a call regarding armed squatters received the 2025 Top Cops Award from the National Association of Police Organization (NAPO). Chang is joined by (from left) Sergeant Jonathan Burdette; Deputy Sheriff Nikolas Infante, who was injured during the incident; Deputy Sheriff Jocelyn Arevalo; and Deputy Sheriff Mario Bianchi, who also sustained injury.