LINDEN &8212; For his efforts in stopping a potentially dangerous person during a routine traffic stop, Linden Police Officer Ronald Bright received the WAKA Channel 8 Serve and Protect award for the month of April.

According to Police Chief Scott McClure, Bright&8217;s persistence is what kept the situation from getting out of hand.

The first weekend in March, Bright and the police department were on heavy patrol as part of the first of a series of increased police presence days. After stopping a man on a routine traffic stop, Bright discovered a bag of cocaine along with a .38 caliber pistol.

A search of the man&8217;s car found two bullets for the gun. Bright also found a detailed murder/suicide note in the man&8217;s pocket describing his intent to kill another man and himself with the two bullets in gun.

The award is part of a program where sheriffs, police, fire and rescue officers nominate their best officers for their service on the job. They choose one officer from their nominations &8212; which are taken all over from the state &8212; for each month.

Last week, Bright was in the spotlight as Ashley Paige of WAKA and her camera team filmed him for a short television spot. The spot will run throughout the month of April, showcasing Bright accepting his award.

Bright has been on the force for the last several months after first working with the department several years ago. Since rejoining the LPD, McClure said Bright has brought maturity and knowledge to his position.

Bright joins the ranks of three other Linden Police Officers to receive the monthly award since 2000.