The selection of Trooper Kenton J. Gibson, 32, is in recognition of outstanding service during 2022 at the Lima Post. Fellow officers stationed at the Lima Post, chose Trooper Gibson based on leadership abilities, professional ethics, courteous treatment of others, enthusiastic work attitude, and cooperation with supervisors, peers, and the public.

Around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the Ohio State Highway Patrol Lima Post says one of their troopers, 29-year-old Kenton Gibson, was dispatched to investigate a reckless driver complaint. The reckless vehicle was heading west on State Route 117, near the Allen and Auglaize County line. The trooper saw the reckless driver and tried to turn around to catch up to it. The trooper's dodge charger was struck by a separate vehicle, driven by 54-year-old Min Zhao, damaging and injuring both vehicles and drivers.