The Medal of Valor recognizes officers who display extraordinary courage under difficult - often life-threatening - circumstances. This year saw the highest number of female recipients so far, five.
The Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday bestowed its highest honor for bravery in the line of duty on 25 officers. Five of the recipients were women - more than in any previous year in the department's history.
The annual Medal of Valor ceremony is one of the department's proudest: a chance to highlight moments of crisis when officers "performed an act displaying extreme courage while consciously facing imminent peril," according to the award guidelines.
This year's group included a 30-year veteran and a rookie officer who faced off with a heavily armed jewelry robber, an officer who pulled a man from a burning car and 16 officers involved in a controversial shootout with a suicidal and deranged man who took his 19-month-old daughter hostage.
That incident ended tragically when officers tried to rescue the little girl and inadvertently killed her during a fierce firefight with her father. One officer was shot by the man but survived. At the time, the department came under heavy criticism for its response, and Chief William J. Bratton later used the event as an impetus to reform the department's elite SWAT unit.
The 25 Medal of Valor recipients line up at the conclusion of Thursday's ceremony. (photo by Anne Cusack/Los Angeles Times)
"I remember the controversy back then," Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said in his remarks during the event, held at a glitzy ballroom in Hollywood. "I couldn't be prouder of you, and it's great to be able to finally recognize your heroism."
The 25 officers were chosen for their handling of six incidents.
With the officers standing at attention on stage, Bratton draped medals over their bowed heads.
"All 10,000 of the officers in this department put on their uniforms understanding that there may be a moment in their day when they will be challenged. And we wonder whether we will be up to the challenge," Bratton said. "Today we honor 25 men and women who, when forced with that moment, rose to the challenge."
One of the women, Officer Jeanette Flores, was recognized for coming to the aid of her partner, who was attacked by a suspect in 2007. Jumping onto the suspect's back in an effort to restrain him, Flores ultimately shot and killed the man when she feared that he was reaching for her partner's weapon.
Four officers - Heriberto Salazar, Laura Gonzalez, Vincent Rojas and Haley Smith - last year came upon a Chatsworth-area apartment complex engulfed in fire. Before firefighters arrived, the officers rushed into the smoke-filled building and evacuated several residents.
Sgt. Christopher Gomez smashed the window of a car that had crashed and exploded in flames on a freeway to pull out the trapped driver.
Like many of the officers Thursday, Gomez struck a humble note in accepting the award and credited his response to the extensive training officers undergo.
"I don't think there is a conscious thought of 'Should I or shouldn't I?' " he said. "You just react."
The other recipients were: Jesus Carrillo, Gina Holstrom, Maura Tercero, Sean Kinchla, Jeffrey Ennis, Lyman Doster, Benjamin Santero, Enrique Anzaldo, Daniel Sanchez, Eduardo Perez, Dennis O'Sullivan, Robert Gallegos, Chester McMillion, David Stambaugh, William Casey, Todd Rheingold, Joseph Rubert, Peter Vanderburgh, and Fernando Avila.
