In the early hours of 16 June 1981, Sgt. John Reid, of the Hamilton-Wentworth Police, displayed a very high degree of professionalism and daring when he disarmed a distraught and hostile man. As police constables arrived to investigate a complaint of random gunfire, they were shot at several times from the second-floor window of a duplex located in a residential area. Soon after the neighbourhood had been cordoned off, Sgt. Reid, a hostage negotiator, was briefed on the situation. After a long, often-interrupted conversation on the telephone with the man he convinced him to talk face-to-face. Then, acting beyond the call of duty, of his own volition, he went to the house and entered, unarmed. Although continually threatened with a fully-loaded rifle for more than two hours, Sgt. Reid persuaded the man to surrender himself.