As soon as Prescott retired, he applied for and received a concealed weapons permit and he "routinely" carries a weapon wherever he goes. If faced with the same situation as Hammond (who is allowed to carry his weapon while off duty), Prescott said he hopes he would do the "right thing," which for Prescott means acting on a "moral habit" of protecting people.

"If I saw someone being injured, I would step up to the plate," Prescott said. "Here's a man who stepped up to the plate.

"He honored law enforcement with his actions," Prescott said. "That's where he has an obligation to let people know who police officers really are."

At the same time, Prescott said Hammond may need to look out for his own well being, perhaps with some counseling. When Prescott took down Draper, he had been in law enforcement about 20 years, having pulled his gun on people before. Although Prescott, a self-described private person, reluctantly went to only one session with a counselor in 1994, he said, "I think it's good to talk things out. ... When you're forced to take a life, that's very hard, emotionally."

But the attention Hammond is getting could help offset stories that surface about law enforcement officers caught up in scandal, theft and dishonesty, according to Prescott. "I think this is his chance to help law enforcement by letting people know that law enforcement officers are primarily good people."

Prescott warned that the recognition could get "overwhelming" for Hammond. "You're never trained on how to handle all that attention," he said.

In the end, Prescott thinks of Hammond's actions as heroic.

"He didn't have to do that," Prescott said. "I think that shows moral character, heroism.

"He went there with one handgun and eight bullets, facing an unknown threat," Prescott added. "When his peers single him out and applaud him for his bravery, that in itself is overwhelming. I suspect, like all officers who do (what Hammond did), that they feel like it's their duty to do it, that they just did their duty."

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E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com