Eastern District of Texas honors Jacksonville Police Officer with Hometown Hero Award

TYLER, Texas – U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs of the Eastern District of Texas announced Officer Elyse Hand of the Jacksonville Police Department as the district’s 2026 Hometown Hero Award recipient.

 

The Hometown Hero Award is sponsored by the Department of Justice in honor of the United States of America’s 250th year of celebrating its independence. 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.

 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office recognizes Officer Hand for her courageous actions on the evening of Sunday, November 2, 2025.  On this day, Officer Hand was shot twice in the line of duty while attempting to apprehend a wanted fugitive. Today, she is on the road to recovery, supported by her husband, a Texas State Trooper, and their young son.

 

In honor of Officer Hand, employees of the U.S. Attorney’s Office held a gift-in-kind charity drive to benefit local child advocacy centers in the Eastern District of Texas.  Those centers include 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, 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.

 

To learn more about the Hometown Hero award and Freedom 250, please visit https://freedom250.org/.