Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and officers from other departments were honored at the 2023 Valor Awards Ceremony Thursday at Bob Hope Patriotic Hall.
Deputies Claudia Apolinar and Emmanuel Perez-Perez of the Sheriff’s Transit Services Bureau were among the honorees.
Perez-Perez was awarded a gold Meritorious Conduct Medal, while Apolinar received a Medal of Valor and a Purple Heart award.
They were patrolling the Metro Blue Line’s Compton Station in September 2020 when they were ambushed by an armed male suspect in “an unprovoked attack that left them both critically injured,” a sheriff’s statement said.
“Throughout this harrowing ordeal, these deputies’ actions were nothing short of heroic,” a sheriff’s department statement said.
“They knowingly disregarded personal safety to protect not only their own lives but also the lives of the public. Their fearless decisiveness and exceptional courage in the face of danger were truly remarkable.”
Retired Detective David Finn of the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station was awarded a Medal of Valor. Finn, who was off duty, drove his girlfriend’s son to Saugus High School on Nov. 14, 2019.
“While on the phone with his partner, he saw students fleeing in panic,” the statement said.
“Despite the personal risk, Detective Finn’s selfless act in this chaotic situation, prioritizing the welfare of others, is an extraordinary display of bravery, placing himself in immediate life-threatening danger.”
Additional Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station award recipients were Sgt. James M. Callahan, who was awarded a gold Meritorious Conduct Medal, along with Detective Gus Ramirez and Officer Sean C. Yanez who were both given Humanitarian Awards.
More than a dozen other deputies were also honored, along with one officer each from the Los Angeles, Whittier and Inglewood police departments.
Deputy Bryanna M. Nunez and Demetrius A. Sanchez of the Lomita Sheriff’s Station were both awarded Medals of Valor. The station’s other honorees were Sgt. Taylor M. Wells, Deputy Antonio Mendoza and Deputy Kyle A. Sullivan, who all received gold Meritorious Conduct Medals, while Sgt. Keelan K. Chan, Deputy Christopher R. Andrews and Deputy Carlos A. Gonzalez were awarded Lifesaving Awards.
Deputy Roberto Solorio Jr. and Officer Nick Fernandez from the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station were awarded silver Meritorious Conduct Medals, while Custody Assistant Terri L. McCray received a Purple Heart.
Sgts. Patrick J. Hayes and Mitchell R. Jones and Deputies Rene C. Diaz and Raymond Johnson of the South Los Angeles Station were awarded silver Meritorious Conduct Medals.