Gold Badge of Courage Award

Bruce Hunt
Los Angeles Police Department

The Gold Badge of Courage Award is presented to law enforcement officers who, while during the scope of their duties, suffered life-threatening injuries, yet recovered and returned to duty. It is an award that no one sets out to get, but one that the recipient is grateful to receive, and the law enforcement community is proud to give.

On June 29, 2002, at approximately 11:35 p.m., Officer Bruce Hunt and Eduardo Perez from LAPD Metropolitan Division were traveling northbound on the Antelope Valley Freeway when they spotted a Lincoln Mark VIII that had been involved in a single-car accident with injuries to both people inside.

Officer Hunt, who is EMT-trained, was tending to the injured passenger, when suddenly the screeching tires and sounds of a second accident were heard coming from the direction of ongoing traffic. The second collision involved three vehicles, one of which crashed into the Lincoln’s front right passenger’s door, smashing Officer Hunt and throwing the injured woman out of the driver’s door and onto the freeway. Hunt’s right leg was fractured between the knee and ankle, and was bent under the Lincoln. His right arm was pinned behind and over his head and the rest of his body was disfigured from the crushing impact.

Officers Flores and Perez tended to Hunt, who was non-responsive and had stopped breathing. Feeling a carotid pulse, they opted to attempt a rescue, knowing that in seconds Hunt would most likely succumb to his injuries. They relocated Hunt’s right arm into the shoulder joint, which allowed them to extract Hunt from the vehicle. Using precaution, they unfolded his twisted body and laid him on the freeway. Officers Flores and Perez conducted CPR on Hunt and attempted to control his bleeding until paramedics arrived.

Officer Hunt suffered two punctured lungs, a lacerated kidney, a fractured pelvis, compound fractures to the right tibia and fibula, a partially amputated right foot, massive head injuries and multiple abrasions to his left leg.

After numerous surgeries, Hunt was released from the hospital on October 17, 2002, nearly four months after sustaining his injuries. He has undergone two additional surgeries and extensive physical therapy since his release, with several other surgeries scheduled for the future.

Nine months after sustaining his life-threatening injuries, Officer Hunt amazed his colleagues by returning to work. His will to live, his fight for survival and recovery, and the fact that he maintained himself at a very high level of physical fitness are the reasons Officer Hunt succeeded his goal of returning to his unit. We are pleased to present Officer Bruce Hunt with the Gold Badge of Courage Award.

Gold Badge of Courage Award

Nicholas “Nick” Ferrando
San Francisco Police Department

On June 12, 2002, Officers David Lee and Nick Ferrando were on patrol in their marked police unit. They received a dispatch to respond to a call regarding a felon who “gouged out his girlfriend’s eye.” They responded Code 3, using lights and siren. While responding to this call, they were involved in a serious traffic collision at the intersection at 17th and Dolores Streets with another marked San Francisco police unit who was responding Code 3 to the same call. Officer Jon Cook, who was inside the unit that collided with them, was killed.

Officer Nick Ferrando was ejected through the unit’s windshield and his body was propelled headfirst into the wall of a building. Officers and paramedics arriving on scene were shocked and could not believe the carnage they were witnessing. Officer Ferrando was unconscious and suffered massive head and body trauma from the collision. He was transported to San Francisco General Hospital in extreme critical condition.

The Chief Neural Trauma Surgeon, Doctor Jeffrey Manley, advised that Nick was in grave condition. He described his injuries as “very, very bad.” Doctor Manley stated Nick had dilated pupils and his brain stem was not working — he had Glasgow coma scale three, which was extremely high. On three different occasions over a few days’ period, Nick’s family was advised that he would not make it and that they should consider unplugging him from life-support. The Ferrando family refused to give up on Nick, praying and hoping for his recovery. A few days later, their prayers were answered. The hospital staff noticed reaction in Nick’s eyes, indicating that his brain stem, for whatever miraculous reason, was functioning again to some degree. Eventually, Nick came out of his coma and started down his road to recovery.

Nick spent the next several months in physical rehabilitation and had to learn how to walk all over again. He beat all odds. He not only recovered from his injuries but also returned to full police duties. His recovery astounded all in the medical field. The injuries that Nick received and recovered from are now discussed at conferences throughout the world regarding head trauma and recovery.

Officer Nick Ferrando’s family is to be credited for not giving up on him when told that he had NO CHANCE to survive. They gave Nick that extra time that he needed to fight back from his injuries and fully recover. Nick’s will to survive and his courage to never give up makes him a worthy recipient for the Gold Badge of Courage Award.