Chief Michel Moore Honors 29 Officers with the Distinguished Medal of Valor, Purple Heart & Preservation of Life Awards

WHAT:
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Chief Michel Moore will present the Department’s highest honors to 29 recipients at the “Above & Beyond” Medal of Valor, Purple Heart and Preservation of Life Awards Ceremony”. Josh Mankiewicz will emcee the event and vividly narrate this year’s stories of heroism.

WHEN:
Thursday, September 27, 2018
11:30 a.m. Program 12:15 p.m.
Luncheon 12:45 p.m. Awards Ceremony

WHERE:
Westin Bonaventure Hotel (California Ballroom)
404 S. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, California 90071

WHO:
Los Angeles Chief of Police Michel Moore Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin Los Angeles Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, Council District 13 Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners President Steve Soboroff Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners Dale Bonner Master of Ceremonies Josh Mankiewicz

WHY:
To recognize real-life events that exemplify exceptional stories of bravery and heroism.

During the awards presentation, audience members will hear about officers facing harrowing, deadly circumstances in the line of duty as they protect and serve. These larger-than-life encounters include:

* On the early morning of January 2, 2018, Southeast Officers Evan Mott, Sal Obaidee, and Anthony Valenzuela were on patrol when they observed a structure fire of a two-story complex. An apartment on the second was engulfed in flames. Without hesitation, Officers began knocking on the doors of the apartment complex to alert residents to evacuate. The officers evacuated and cleared the building of the final four occupants. Without the help of the officers, the lives of the four would have been in imminent peril.

* On the evening of August 31, 2017, Harbor Officer Jeromy Paciorkowski, was conducting crime suppression activities with his partner when they observed a cloud of black smoke two block west of their location. Officer Paciorkowski responded to the scene and observed a two-story duplex on fire with thick black smoke pouring from the front door and second story windows. After hearing a man yell a child was trapped inside, Officer Paciorkowski climbed a ladder to the second story roof landing, where he fought flames and black smoke. He met with two other bystanders who helped him pull the security bars off the window. Fighting the deep smoke and intense heat, he courageously reached in and pulled the child out of the apartment through the window onto the roof. The child sustained significant burns to her body and was not breathing. Officer Paciorkowski began CPR and the child began breathing again.

* On the night of July 19, 2016, Officer Paul Razo was off-duty, driving with his brothers in the City of Glendora when he observed a vehicle with the front end smashed in and smoking. Sadly, Officer Razo observed the driver was killed on impact. He immediately made his attempt to render aid to the passenger. With intense smoke and flames billowing from the vehicle, Officer Razo courageously reached into the vehicle, unbuckled the passenger, pulling him out of the burning vehicle to safety.

* On December 2, 2014, Police Officers Juan Lopez, Thomas Schoonyan, Lloyd De Charmoy Bouchet, and Andrew Paxton responded to a 911 radio call of a screaming woman in a Downtown Los Angeles apartment. Upon arrive, they could hear the victim’s repeated screams for help. They breached the front door and entered and observed the suspect, the victim’s boyfriend, in a drug-fueled rage, standing over the bloodied victim with a knife raised over the victim. Officers ordered the suspect to move back, but the suspect ignored the officers. Fearing for the victim’s life, an officer fired one round at the suspect while another officer simultaneously deployed the Taser, stopping the attack. The officers quickly rendered aid to the victim to stop the profuse bleeding from her neck. When the ambulance arrived, the victim was treated for multiple stab wounds and lacerations and survived.

* One the morning of January 1, 2016, Metropolitan K9 Platoon Officers Hans Almaraz, Steven Carnevale, Nhut Huyhn, and Steven Jenkins responded to the end of a pursuit in the City of Long Beach initiated by Harbor Area officers pursuing two suspects who had committed a violent carjacking and were responsible for a series of armed robberies and a homicide in the San Fernando Valley. At the termination of the pursuit, the suspect forced his way into a residence, terrorizing the family. The suspect stabbed the father, and shot two of his sons. The father and two sons escaped. The K9 officers responded, breached the door while confronted with gunfire. As the officers entered, they heard a single gunshot from close-proximity. K9 Edo went directly to the two wounded hostages, quickly turned to an adjoining room and located the suspect, who had sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

ADDITIONAL:
The mission of the Los Angeles Police Foundation (LAPF) is to create partnerships to provide resources and programs that help the LAPD perform at their highest level and to enhance LAPD-community relations. Since its founding in 1998, the LAPF has invested nearly $28 million in grants to the LAPD in the areas of equipment and technology upgrades, specialized training, community outreach, and youth programs.

INTERVIEWS:
Medal of Valor, Purple Heart and Preservation of Life honorees will be available for print and television broadcast interviews on Thursday, September 27, 2018. To make advance arrangements for interviews, please contact Police Officer Jeffrey Lee, LAPD Media Relations Section, at (213) 486-5910. Officer Lee will be available to facilitate interviews on the day of the event.

CONTACT:
For more information, please contact Police Officer Nguyet Amancio, LAPD Community Outreach and Development Division, at (213) 486-6000 or (213) 841-2075. For information about the Los Angeles Police Foundation, please call Cecilia Glassman at (213) 489-4636 or visit: www.lapolicefoundation.org.