Philadelphia Police Officer Damien Stevenson, the partner of Sgt. Robert Wilson III, who was shot to death in the line of duty when he walked in on a robbery last March, received the honor of "top cop" at a national ceremony this weekend.

Stevenson's honor came just before Wilson was to be presented posthumously with the Medal of Valor by President Obama on Monday.

The National Association of Police Organizations selected Stevenson as one of the top 10 law-enforcement officers in the nation, and Stevenson received the "Top Cops" Award during NAPO's annual awards banquet on Saturday in Washington, D.C.

"The purpose of the Top Cops Awards is to educate the American public about our nation's heroes and pay tribute to law enforcement officers in federal, state, county, and local agencies from across the country for actions above and beyond the call of duty during the preceding year," NAPO wrote in a statement about the awards.

Officers who win the awards are nominated by their colleagues.

Stevenson and Wilson were partners in North Philadelphia's rough-and-tumble 22nd District in March 2015 when they stopped at a GameStop store on Lehigh Avenue near 22nd Street in a snowstorm so that Wilson could buy his son a birthday gift.

Wilson was in the store when two armed robbers walked in, announced a stickup, and opened fire when they saw Wilson in uniform.

Wilson returned fire at both gunmen, managing to keep their gunfire away from store customers and employees.

Stevenson was outside the store when the gun battle erupted and chased down one of the suspects, later identified as Carlton Hipps, outside. Police have said that Hipps fired a shot at Stevenson, and Stevenson returned fire, wounding Hipps, and held him until backup arrived.

Both Hipps and Ramone Williams have been charged in Wilson's murder. Both are scheduled to appear in court for a pre-trial conference July 21.

Philadelphia Police Sgt. Robert Wilson III, the officer killed in the line of duty last year during a botched robbery at a North Philadelphia store, received the Medal of Valor posthumously on Monday.

Wilson's family accepted the medal for him from President Obama during a ceremony at the White House.

Wilson is one of 13 officers to receive the medal this year, but the lone fallen officer honored. His partner, Officer Damien Stevenson, was honored with a "Top Cop" award presented by the National Association of Police Organizations over the weekend.

The medal was commissioned by Congress in 2001 to honor first responders who showed exceptional courage while working to preserve human life.

Wilson, a 30-year-old father, was killed on March 5, 2015 when two men attempted to rob a North Philadelphia GameStop store. Wilson was inside the store in full uniform buying his son a birthday gift when the two armed robbers entered and announced a holdup.

The officer got into a shoot out with the two gunmen, diverting gunfire away from store staff and customers. Wilson was struck six times by gunfire and later died.

The officer's alleged killers, 29-year-old Carlton Hipps and 25-year-old Ramone Williams, have been charged with murder and a slew of related offenses in his death. Both are scheduled to appear in court again in July.

Rescue crews worked to pull a person believed trapped in a vehicle in water in Delaware County.

SkyForce10 was over the scene and assisting rescuers as they worked to pull a driver from a pick-up truck in a marshy area of water in a creek that leads to the Delaware River around 12:30 Monday.

The area where the truck was submerged is along Stevens Road off off Route 291 in Tinicum Township.

Officials told NBC10 the driver was exiting from 95 North onto 291 when it seems he lost control. The truck struck a utility pole before plunging into the marshy water.

The man was rescued and taken to the hospital. There was no word on his condition.

Firefighters battled a fire at a chicken coop in Gloucester County, New Jersey.

The fire started Monday shortly after 3 p.m. at a coop along the 400 block of Harding Highway in Franklin Township. SkyForce10 was overhead as firefighters worked to put out hot spots. They were able to bring the fire under control around 3:35 p.m.

Officials have not yet revealed whether any chickens were killed in the blaze.

The engineer driving the Amtrak train that derailed in Philadelphia last year, killing eight people, may have been distracted by radio traffic, sources close to the investigation told NBC News.

Sources told NBC News that NTSB investigators believe Amtrak 188 engineer Brandon Bostian was likely distracted by radio dispatchers prior to the May 12, 2015, crash in Philadelphia.

The train, headed from Washington, D.C. to New York, entered a sharp curve at 106 mph — more than twice the posted speed limit — when it crashed. Eight people died and more than 200 were injured.

The NTSB will hold a hearing in Washington, D.C., Tuesday where board members will vote on the final report in the investigation of the deadly derailment.

NBC News reports the probable cause for the crash may change during the meeting.

The NTSB released 160 documents earlier this year detailing the crash, including two interviews with Bostian in which he described the events leading up to it. In one interview, Bostian told investigators he had a "dream-like" memory of the train going too fast around the curve and hitting the brakes once he realized it was going to tip over.

"I remember holding onto the controls tightly and feeling like, okay well this is it, I'm going over," Bostian said.

Bostian made no mention in either interview however about being distracted by radio dispatch moments before the crash.

Police are searching for a man who they say was caught on video taking an “upskirt” photo of a woman inside an Upper Darby store. 

Police say the man followed the woman as she walked inside the Philly Pretzel Factory store on 54 S. 69th Street at 11:47 a.m. and stood behind her on line. The man then took out his cell phone and took several photographs up the woman’s skirt, according to investigators. Police say the woman felt the man brush her leg and turned to confront him.

“You can see her actually take a swing at the guy,” said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. “It’s a shame she didn’t knock him out. The thing that bothers me about these dirtballs is that if they can do this what can they do beyond that?”

The man then left the store and fled. He was last seen running on Walnut Street towards Barrington Road.

“I have two nieces, a sister and a mother and I’d be irate if this happened to them,” said Eric Aubrey of Lansdowne. “It’s a violation.”

The suspect is described as a man with a medium build standing between 5-foot-9 and 5-foot-10 in his early 20s with a goatee and beard. He was last seen wearing all black clothing and a North Face jacket. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call the Upper Darby Township Police Department Investigations Division at 610-734-7677.

WARNING: The details of this story are extremely graphic and could be disturbing to some readers.

A Bucks County couple was arrested after they allegedly abused their baby twin daughters, causing severe injuries, including fractures and lacerations.

Melissa Shales, 25, and her husband Michael Shales, 30, are both charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy to aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children and recklessly endangering another person.

The investigation began the night of March 21 when police received a call reporting one of the couple’s 2-month-old twin daughters was experiencing breathing problems inside their apartment on the 500 block of Main Street in Tullytown. When police arrived they were met by the couple who told them the child had some type of cloth lodged in her throat, according to the affidavit. Police say their apartment was also in deplorable condition with clothes, toys, tools, soiled diapers and dirty dishes scattered across the living room, kitchen floor and bedrooms. Police also say they found several rounds of ammunition from a .223 rifle lying on the floor that was easily accessible.

The couple’s twin daughters as well as their 3-year-old son were all taken to St. Mary’s Hospital for evaluation. Police then spoke to the couple’s two neighbors, including Carmen Serrano, who told NBC10 she had offered to watch the twins that day because Melissa Shales wasn’t feeling well.

“When she ended up leaving I heard gurgling in the baby,” Serrano said. “When I looked at the baby the baby had blood coming out of her nose and out of her mouth. I said, ‘you need to call 911 or I’m calling 911.’”

One of the neighbors told police she also noticed the baby’s face was blue and the girl was gasping for air as her eyes rolled back into her head.  When the neighbor asked what was wrong with the girl, Michael Shales came out of the bathroom and told them the baby was choking on cotton and he had stuck a pair of pliers down the girl’s throat to get it out, according to the affidavit.

Doctors at St. Mary’s told investigators the injuries to the first child were so severe that she needed to be transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children for further treatment. Dr. Maria McColgan of St. Christopher’s said the baby girl had several injuries, including a fractured thigh, fractured rib, damaged upper cervical spine and lacerations to her genitals and mouth. According to Dr. McColgan, the child could have died without treatment to her leg fracture.

The girl’s twin sister also suffered fractures to her left tibia and femur. Dr. McColgan told investigators that she did not believe any of the injuries to the twins were accidental and many were likely caused by pulling, shaking or twisting. Doctors also determined both babies were undernourished.

Police interviewed both parents. Michael Shales told police the day his daughter was taken to the hospital he had tried to grab a piece of cotton that was lodged in her throat and finally pulled it out with his fingers after four to five attempts, according to the affidavit. Shales claimed he noticed a small amount of blood on the girl’s mouth and believed he had accidentally cut it with his fingernails, police said. Investigators said they noticed his fingernails were extremely short however and he also admitted to frequently biting his nails. Shales also allegedly told police the girl’s genital injuries were caused by him wiping too hard while he was changing her diaper. Dr. McColgan told police the child’s injuries were not consistent with Shales’ claims however.

Melissa Shales allegedly told investigators that about a week and a half before their daughter’s hospitalization, she had grabbed her leg while they were inside their apartment and heard the leg “pop out.” Shales told police she and her husband frequently tried to pop the leg back in place by “twisting it” but never went to the hospital or doctor, according to the affidavit. Shales also allegedly admitted she had dropped her daughter on at least two occasions, causing injuries to the girl’s leg and back.

In regards to the baby’s leg injury, a neighbor told police she noticed the girl’s leg was red and extremely swollen. She also claimed she was told by Melissa Shales that the baby was wearing pants that were meant for a 1-year-old child even though she was less than 2-months-old at the time. Despite this, the baby’s thigh was so swollen that the pants were tight on her, according to the neighbor.

During her interview with police, Melissa Shales allegedly admitted that she often aggressively handled her two daughters in front of her husband because she was angry at him and wanted to get a reaction out of him. During an argument with her husband that occurred on March 20, Melissa said she was holding her daughter in a burping position against her shoulder and got so angry that she threw the child into her swing causing her to land hard on her side, according to the affidavit.

Both parents were arraigned Sunday and placed in the Bucks County Jail. The first twin girl remains at the hospital for treatment. The second twin girl and the 3-year-old boy were placed in protective custody. Officials told NBC10 they were already in protective custody before their parents were charged.

A police investigation is underway after a video was released showing a bouncer punching and knocking a man unconscious outside a Center City club.

Police say the 25-year-old man was outside the Coda nightclub on 1712 Walnut Street around 3:30 a.m. Sunday when the incident took place.

In the video, which was posted on YouTube Monday but later removed, the man approaches the bouncer and asks him a question though it's unclear what exactly he says. He then asks the bouncer, "Now if you hit me and you swing and you miss can I still go inside?"

The bouncer then shakes his head. As the man continues talking the bouncer suddenly swings and punches him in the face. The man falls down on the sidewalk and lies unconscious. The video then ends.

Officials confirmed with NBC10 the 25-year-old man reported the incident to police though at the time they were not aware of the video showing the assault. They are currently investigating the incident. So far no charges have been filed.

After years of delays, the new Wesmont New Jersey Transit train station in Wood-Ridge has opened. 

The station, which was supposed to be completed in 2011, opened Sunday. Commuters will pay $5.75 to ride into New York on the NJ Transit Bergen line. 

"I have to come into the city all the time, and usually I just take the bus but this will be much shorter, especially in the mornings," said resident Lynn Mendelsohn.

The Wesmont station was built as part of NJ Transit's first-ever public-private partnership, with NJ Transit paying $6 million for the new station, and Somerset Development adding the other $12 million. 

Somerset is developing the former Curtiss-Wright engine factory into a 78-acre mixed-use residential-retail complex, and Wesmont has the potential to add to Wood-Ridge's reputation as a commuter-friendly town. Hundreds of people have already moved in, attracted by the promise of an easy commute, officials say. 

NJ Transit predicts that 800 riders a day will eventually take the train from the station, but not more than four people were seen waiting at one time there all day Monday. Station workers estimated just 75 people took the train to work Monday morning.

Part of the issue is the station's location. It's not visible from Pascack Avenue and commuters have to drive almost three-quarters of a mile to get to the parking lot. From there, they have to walk another 215 yards to reach the station. 

But town officials are optimistic. They estimate home values have already risen 15 to 20 percent from Wood-Ridge -- a town of just 8,400 -- now having two New Jersey Transit stations on both the Bergen and Pascack Valley lines. 

"It's all about Manhattan, it's about millenials who want to use mass transit," said Democratic state senator Paul Sarlo, who represents the Bergen district. 

Now that trains are running, NJ Transit officials just have to finish construction of the parking lot, which only has 28 spots at the moment. It will soon add another 100 spaces. 

A Philadelphia Police officer wound up hospitalized after colliding with a bread truck while responding to pursuit along a popular part of South Street Tuesday morning.

“This male ran from police and there was a foot pursuit broadcasted over the radio and that’s when this female officer got involved in the accident,” said Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small.

The female officer’s cruiser collided with the bakery truck along South Street near 11th Street while she rushed to join the pursuit of a man who investigators say began punching people along the 300 block of South Street – that’s the block with Lorenzo’s and Sons Pizza and the TLA on it – around 2 a.m.

“The passenger side of her police vehicle was struck by the front end of a bread truck that was traveling north on 11th Street,” said Small.

The impact caused air bags to go off in the officer’s cruiser. Fellow officers rushed their injured 45-year-old colleague to Jefferson University Hospital.

“She was bleeding from her mouth and she had some pain to the left side of her body,” said Small. “She is presently in stable condition, she’s walking, talking, she’s conscious, she’s going to be OK.”

Small said the crash appeared to be a simple accident. The 29-year-old Aversa’s Bakery truck driver remained on the scene and cooperated with investigators, said police.

Officers nabbed the assault suspect from the call that the officer was responding to at the time of the wreck about two blocks away on the 600 block of S Randolph Street, said police.

“Two civilians that were assaulted by another person and when police responded to that scene they saw someone who fit the description and they got into a foot pursuit,” said Small.

The suspect had knocked out a 26-year-old male landing him at Jefferson in stable condition and knocked the tooth out of another man as he exited Primo's Hoagies on South Street, said police.

Eagles fans can flock online Tuesday as the Birds release single-game tickets for all 10 regular and preseason games.

The Eagles will release tickets at 10 a.m.

Some of the biggest tickets up for grabs include the Sept. 25 showdown with cross-state-rival Pittsburgh Steelers, a Monday night showdown on Nov. 28 against the Green Bay Packers and the final three home games against NFC East rivals including the Dallas Cowboys on New Year’s Day.

Standing-room only tickets (you can pick them up online or over the phone) start at just $27.50 a piece and seats start at $37.50 and go up to $156, said the team.

Fans can only grab four tickets per household, said the team.