GLOUCESTER CO., Va. - After leaving the military when he was wounded overseas, Gloucester Co. Deputy Jon Holt felt like something was missing.
It's what led him to join the sheriff's office seven years ago, a decision that's been life-changing for people in his community.
His actions over the past year recently earned him Crime Line's Top Cop award for the entire region.
One of the incidents he was recognized for was a house fire in which he saved two peoples' lives.
Holt was on patrol when he heard a call for a fire about a mile away. Dispatchers believed there were people trapped inside, possibly including an infant.
He made a hard U-turn and raced to the scene. Inside the smoke-filled house, he found a woman just inside the door and pulled her to safety.
"She was burned pretty badly," Holt said. "I pulled her from the structure first."
He then went in again and rescued one of her kids.
Determined to find the baby believed to still be inside, he went in again, crawling on the floor.
"Anything you can find that that might hold a child, I’m trying to find," Holt said.
On a fourth trip in, just as the heat and smoke were becoming too much, the baby was found already safely outside.
"It was a great relief," Holt said.
Sheriff Darrell Warren says it's not the first time Holt has been in the right place at the right time, but it's not just by chance.
"He’s one of the guys that’s proactive," Warren said. "He’s always putting others before himself."
"You don’t do this job for the money," Holt said. "You do it because you want to help people, and that’s the biggest reward: Being able to help somebody."
Related: Virginia State Police Trooper helps bring unresponsive man back to life
Along with the fire, there were other incidents he played a part in that earned him Crime Line's top honor.
Last year he also played a big part in capturing a suspect in a multi-city car theft ring, and a couple years ago he saved a VDOT worker's life by performing CPR.
