Police Heroism Award

Oliver Grant
Santa Ana Police Department

On July 19, 2008, at approximately 1500 hours, Officer Grant was off-duty and with his wife traveling on the 73 Freeway, south of El Toro, when they came upon a serious traffic collision. There was debris  scattered throughout the traffic lanes and the involved vehicle, a BMW, was flipped on its left side. There were no emergency personnel on scene so Grant directed his wife to stop to render aid to possible injured occupants.

Grant ran to the overturned vehicle and climbed on top. He looked through the passenger window and saw an unconscious male bleeding from a large laceration on his forehead. He scanned the vehicle for additional victims and did not locate any. About the same time, two other citizens stopped to assist. To make matters urgent, one of the citizens informed Grant the car was beginning to catch fire near the engine compartment. Grant tried to open the door, but it was severely damaged and wouldn’t open. Grant quickly directed the citizen to get his medic bag and fire extinguisher from his vehicle. The citizen returned seconds later with the items requested by Grant. Grant knew he needed to extinguish the fire to prevent the injured man from burning inside the vehicle. Grant completely emptied the fire extinguisher on the flames in the engine compartment but was not able to completely put out the fire. Grant acted quickly and organized the citizens to help him roll the car back onto its wheels in order to get the injured man out of the car before it became fully engulfed in flames. As Grant and the citizens rolled the car over, they noticed the fire had grown more intense. Without hesitation, Grant reached into the burning vehicle and removed the injured driver and carried him to a safe distance. Grant utilized his extensive medical training he received in the military to stabilize the victim. Grant made sure the man’s head and neck were stabilized and applied a dressing to the victim’s wound to stop the bleeding. Officer Grant attended to the victim until the paramedics and police arrived. Laguna Beach Police Sergeant Wallock who arrived on scene observed that the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. He advised the Santa Ana Police Department the Grant calmly organized the other citizens to help him roll the vehicle back onto its wheels. He also reported the Grant pulled the injured motorist from the vehicle and carried him to a safe location then he rendered first air until paramedics arrived. Sgt. Wallock stated that had Officer Grant not acted quickly, the injured motorist  would have certainly burned to death.

Office Grant remained calm while handling the emergency situation and performed well under pressure. Grant took charge and organized the two citizens to help him save the injured man from burning inside the vehicle. For his unselfish actions to save an injured man from a burning vehicle all while placing himself a risk and demonstrating personal courage, it is an honor for the Golden Badge Foundation to present Office Grant with the Police Heroism Award.

Police Heroism Award

Deputy Rick Olszynski
Orange County Sheriff’s Department

Deputy Gary Lewellyn
Orange County Sheriff’s Department

In the late afternoon, on Sunday, March 9 2008, Mission Viejo Deputies Gary Lewellyn and Richard Olszunski were working assigned patrol shifts when an armed robbery of a jewelry store occurred at the Mission Viejo Mall. The suspect was armed with a loaded, high-powered handgun along with several clips containing armor piercing rounds. During the robbery, the suspect pointed and waved his handgun at employees as well as other shoppers. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department was alerted to the ongoing incident by numerous 911 calls coming in from witnesses at the scene.

The suspect took a large quantity of jewelry and fled across a foot bridge that connected the mall to an adjacent parking structure. As he was leaving, the suspect turned and fired one round back in the direction of the mall but did not strike anyone. Deputies Lewellyn and Olszynski arrived on scene within a few minutes of the first 911 call, and saw the suspect as he fled across the foot bridge into the parking structure. Deputy Olszynski grabbed the shotgun from his patrol vehicle and both deputies made a tactical approach into the parking structure.

Deputies Lewellyn and Olszynski proceeded to the second floor and encountered the heavily armed suspect across the span of the parking area filled with cars but without bystanders. The suspect fired one round at the approaching deputies then doubled-back around a row of parked cars. Using the vehicles as cover and concealment, Deputy Olszynski and Deputy Lewellyn continued their tactical approach. They came upon the suspect as stepped out from behind a parked car, still stalking the deputies with his deadly, armor piercing weapon. Deputy Olszynski shot the suspect with his shotgun and the suspect fell to the ground. He was treated by Orange County Fire Department paramedics at the scene then transported to Mission Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Deputy Lewellyn and Deputy Olszynski exhibited bravery and heroism in the confrontation with a potentially deadly suspect and utilized outstanding tactics in their calm, professional approach and capture of this heavily armed suspect. For this, the Golden Badge Foundation is proud to present Deputy Sheriffs Olszynski and Lewellyn the Police Heroism Award.

Police Heroism Award

Corrections Officer Debbie Martinez
Calif. Dept. of Corrections

On April 3, 2008 at approximately 1304 hours, two inmates of the California Department of Corrections & Rehabilitation, Tehachapi CA entered into the IVA Unit Office occupied by Lieutenant Matzen, Sergeant Siva, Sergeant Slankard and Officer Cacciola.

Using inmate manufactured weapons; the inmates began assaulting the staff with stabbing weapons attempting to murder the staff. A struggle ensued during which multiple force options were used including physical force, expandable baton and OC pepper spray.

Officer Martinez heard a struggle inside the Unit Office responded and announced a Code One staff assault while she rushed into the office and rendered assistance to overcome the attackers. During the struggle she sustained an injury to her knee which required treatment at a local hospital. Her actions helped bring responding staff quickly to the incident and saved staff from more serious injury.

Police Heroism Award

Deputy Michael Winter
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

On Sunday, October 25, 2007, while working an overtime assignment at the Crescenta Valley Station. At approximately 0200 hours, Deputy Winter advised Crescenta Valley desk personnel that he was going to conduct patrol checks along the Angeles Crest Highway and various connection roads in response to well-known and continuous problems of speeding vehicles and vehicle racing along the mountain roads.

After citing two drivers for unsafe speed, Deputy Winter proceeded to Red Box Gap Road, which is a winding mountain road and the only road that leads to Mount Wilson. An experienced mountaineer and tenured patrol deputy, Deputy Winter was proceeding up the canyon road in his usual manner of patrolling with his driver side window rolled sown, despite the 5700 foot elevation and 30 degree outdoor temperature. He drove approximately 3-4 miles up the road when believed he heard someone yell for “HELP!” Deputy Winter stopped his patrol vehicle, a full-sized SUV, and listened in an effort to locate the voice and to determine that it was not a hoax by someone partying in the canyon. He exited his vehicle and walked for a few hundred yards up and down the canyon yelling out for whoever might be in distress. When no reply was heard, Deputy Winter retrieved the topographic maps that he always carries when he works at Crescenta Valley Station and coordinated his exact location via terrain association and the use of his personal global positional system device in an attempt to locate any trail, footpath or mountain road nearby.

Determining his exact position, he re-entered his vehicle and proceeded to the top of Mount Wilson driving slowly along the edge of the treacherous canyon road, at times coasting to limit the noise and periodically activating his siren while listening intently with his head out the window hoping to either find a victim, see a vehicle over the side, or locate the source of a hoax. In addition, Deputy Winter communicated with Crescenta Valley desk to see if there had been any reports by CHP or Forestry Service of any vehicles/persons missing or reported over-the-side there were none. During a second series of driving attempts he heard a second distress call for help.

Deputy Winter immediately exited his patrol vehicle and illuminated an extremely steep cliff where he heard the voice of a victim describing injuries and at least two other victims trapped somewhere off the edge. A full mountain rescue response and patrol unit was nearly an hour away. So after assessing his options took immediate action to find and rescue the victim and help others who may have been badly injured. Because Deputy Winter is an experienced climber he always carries his personal mountain rescue equipment. He then donned his equipment, tied on a 180 foot rope to his SUV and repelled over the side
seeking to rescue a 19-year old male victim who was badly injured.

Thanks to the dedication, skill and quick response of Deputy Winter, that 19-year-old will get to see his 20th birthday.

Police Heroism Award

Officer Jesse Avila
Los Angeles County Probation Department

On June 25th 2008 at approximately 8:30 PM all 118 minors in custody at camp Glen Rocky were apparently engaged in a gang riot. At the time there was only six Staff on duty when the riot began. Fighting had broken out all over the camp, inside every conceivable area and the violence began to spill outside of the camp. The sheriff’s department was called to help gain control of the camp, however, before they could arrive, Deputy Avila went outside to try and regain order. As Deputy Avila exited the camp he began the assent down the stairs that lead to the field and school area, he observed minors were beating each other with rocks, sticks, and other make-shift weapons. In addition, minors were breaking into the school using scissors and other items that could be used as deadly weapons.

Deputy Avila broke up one fight, then another. As he approached a third group of several minors engaged in violently beating an African American minor, he was rushed by a group of minors. Deputy Avila suffered a broken tibia, a bruised shoulder, and a sprained wrist, yet he remained on his feet another 3 to 5 minutes protecting other minors who were being brutalized and separating as many fighters as he could before he went to the ground. As a result of the injuries, deputy Avila required surgery. Since then he has suffered two medical setbacks but still wishes to return to the camp and “make a difference.”

Police Heroism Award

Officer Aldin Tatley
Los Angeles County Probation Department

On October 23rd, 2008 Deputy Probation Office Aldin Tatley was assigned to the Compton Sherriff’s station OSS team. Office Tatley, Sergeant Dana Ellison and Detective Jose Sandoval were working a gang suppression unit. While driving east on Alondra Blvd. their attention was drawn to a group of four your males walking wet on the south side of the street. One of the males had a bulge in the area of his waist band which is consistent with a concealed firearm. The group was stopped for questioning and asked to raise their shirts to determine if they were armed. One suspect refused and began running from the area south on McKinley Avenue. Officer Tatley and Detective Sandoval gave chase, the suspect removed a black revolver from his waist band and continued to ignore the verbal orders to drop his weapon and stop running.

The suspect ran into a yard and apparently encountered a dog, as he made a hasty exit back toward the street the suspect encountered Deputy Probation Officer Tatley. The suspect still had the loaded black revolver in his right hand, again Deputy Tatley ordered the suspect to drop the weapon, but instead the suspect pointed the revolver at deputy Tatley. Fearing for his life and the life of his partners Office Tately fired two rounds at the suspect. The suspect suffered two gunshot wounds to the upper torso. He survived, but more importantly Deputy Tatley, Sergeant Ellison, and Detective Sandoval went home that night unharmed. Deputy Tatley’s action resulted in the saving of three lives, and his ongoing dedication to the O.S.S. program keeps the streets of Compton safer for the community and all of our brothers and sisters in Law enforcement.