Fifteen Los Angeles police officers involved in the standoff that ended Feb. 7, 2008, with the shooting death of a colleague were honored at the White House on Tuesday.
The top 10 nominees for the National Association of Police Organizations' Top Cops award - the Los Angeles officers were nominated as a group - were invited to the White House, and the top award was to be announced Tuesday night during a dinner in the capital.
Special Weapons and Tactics Officer James Veenstra, who was wounded in the standoff in which his partner, Randy Simmons, was killed, was among the officers who met with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in the Rose Garden.
Veenstra, who was shot in the jaw during the 2008 standoff, received a Medal of Valor award in 1999 for his role in a 1997 shooting in which Detective Charles Lazzaretto was killed.
The other officers nominated were David Keortge, Floyd Curry, Tom Chinappi, Mike Barker, Mike Odle, Richard Alba, Mark Nee, Daniel Sanchez, Douglas Dingman, Charles Buttitta, German Hurtado, George Ryan, Anthony Samuelson and Steve Scallon.
"It's not a difficult thing for a president, or a vice president, or anyone of us to praise you. You deserve it," Obama told the group. "You've rescued hostages held at gunpoint. You've ended violent standoffs. You've taken on gunmen in the face of grave danger, refusing to give up or back down even after suffering serious injuries ... and you've literally walked through the fire to help your neighbors escape disaster."
"That's what police officers do. You step into harm's way to form - officer by officer, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood - the line between safety and violence, calm and chaos, hope and despair," he said.
The officers were all nominated for the award by the Los Angeles Police Protective League, the union representing rank-and-file officers. "Their focus and courage under fire epitomizes what it means to be a police officer," said union president Paul Weber. "Modern-day heroes are a rare commodity and these officers live up to the highest standards of the LAPD."
Edwin Rivera, 20, had fatally shot two brothers and his father in his Winnetka home in the 19800 block of Welby Way, which was soon surrounded by SWAT officers.
After a long standoff, Simmons, 51, was shot as he and other officers entered the home, which was filling with tear gas shot in by police. Rivera was killed by a sniper as he fled the home.
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Los Angeles, was at the ceremony.
"As this tragic standoff last year in Los Angeles shows all too clearly, police officers put their lives on the line with each call for help, never knowing what awaits them behind every closed door," she said.
