The OPP Commissioner's citation for bravery was bestowed on slain Constable Vu Pham in Wingham on Friday.
Pham's three sons and his wife Heather accepted the award on his behalf.
At the ceremony she said "I know Vu would have just shrugged this off and said he was just doing his job that day, but all who knew him know that bravery was embedded in his character."
Pham was on a routine patrol when he was shot and killed near Seaforth on March 8, 2010, during a shootout with Fred Preston.
The 70-year-old was reportedly in Huron County and there were concerns he intended to harm his sister-in-law. Preston was shot by Pham's partner, Const. Dell Mercey, and died in hospital.
The other three officers being honoured, including Pham's partner, were also looking for Preston that day.
Pham was a 15-year veteran of the OPP's Huron County detachment when he was killed.
The ceremony was held at the same Wingham-area arena where Pham coached hockey, and where more than 5,000 officers gathered for his funeral.
The honour is one of the highest bestowed by the OPP.
