Schwarzenegger to give state Medals of Valor to wounded El Segundo officers

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Officers Bryan Paul and Joe Romeo, Los Gatos/Monte Sereno Police Department
On October 17, 2008 Officer's Paul and Romeo received a call that a car had left a
driveway and gone backwards down a steep embankment on an isolated hillside. The

older couple in the car was uninjured, but the driver, now holding the brake, was unable
to leave the car without it sliding further down the hill. Officer's Paul and Romeo had to
first scale a locked gate and then search for the car in the dark. Footing was treacherous
when the officers located the vehicle, and when the victim attempted to exit the car, it
started to slide further down the hill. There was no way to brace the car, so Officer
Romeo held the driver's door while Officer Paul continued pressure on the brake with
his hands, exposing his body to a rollover threat, but relieving the exhausted driver.
Officer Paul and Romeo held these positions for over a half hour as fire personnel
worked to set up rigging to stabilize the car. When the officers themselves began to tire,
they devised a plan to extricate the driver in a sudden move pulling him free. As this
plan was deployed, the driver was rescued, but Officer Romeo was dragged down the
hill by the now released car as he continued to hold the door for the rescue. Fortunately
no one was injured in the incident.

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Sergeant Dave Peruzzaro, San Mateo Police Department
On November 25, 2008, at roughly 9:30 AM, numerous San Mateo police officers were
dispatched to a residential robbery in progress. Sergeant Dave Peruzzaro, one of the
first to arrive, approached the front door and saw the male suspect walking down a
hallway in the residence carrying a handgun. It was determined that the 24-year-old
female resident and her two children, ages three years and one year, were being held
against their will by the armed suspect. The victim spoke with negotiators over a
cellular telephone and stated the suspect was trying to break down the door to the
bedroom. She told negotiators that she was going to drop her two children from the
bedroom window to safety.
An armored rescue vehicle was driven to the scene to attempt the rescue of the victim
and her children. Sergeant Peruzzaro climbed onto the exposed roof of the armored
rescue vehicle and it was driven to a position directly below the bedroom window.
Sergeant Peruzzaro placed himself in a precarious and defenseless position in order to
accept the children from the victim. Sergeant Peruzzaro leaned toward the window
frame and placed both his hands against the building. The mother of the children
handed Sergeant Peruzzaro the first child who was quickly and safely passed on to other
officers on the ground. As the second child was handed to Sergeant Peruzzaro, the
suspect fired 10 rounds through a wall into the room where the victim was standing.
Three rounds struck the victim while four struck the frame around the window where
Sergeant Peruzzaro was accepting the last child. As the bullets tore through the
bedroom walls, Sergeant Peruzzaro kept his grasp on the child, but lost his ability to
support himself and fell to the ground from the roof of the armored rescue vehicle. As
Sergeant Peruzzaro fell, he placed his arms around the child and twisted his own body to
protect the child. Sergeant Peruzzaro, stunned by the fall, got to his feet and ran with the
child to safety, believing he was shot due to a burning pain in his upper body.
Ultimately, upon medical examination, Sergeant Peruzzaro was determined not to have
been struck by a bullet. Tragically, the mother of the two children was fatally wounded
by the suspect. The suspect was also located, deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot
wound.

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Officer Roger Smith, California Highway Patrol

Tuesday December 2, 2008 CHP Officer Roger Smith responded to a domestic violence
call to provide backup to Tehama County Sheriff's Deputies and another CHP officer
already on the scene. Officer Smith picked up radio traffic indicating that the other
officers had come under shotgun fire from the subject, and that one of the officers was
injured. While rushing to assist, Officer Smith relayed critical information to the
communications center. The injured officer, wounded in the femoral artery and bleeding
profusely, advised that he was still pinned down and feeling faint. Upon arrival, and
realizing the urgency of the situation, Officer Smith positioned his car, rear doors open
and still under fire, so as to facilitate the extraction of the injured officer. Having
rescued the bleeding officer from the scene, Officer Smith drove him to awaiting
medical personnel.

As you will see from the enclosed nomination forms, these six public safety officers
put their own lives directly in jeopardy. The State of California, and particularly their
communities, should be proud of these individuals for their bravery, character,
professionalism and willingness to serve with such uncommon valor.

Therefore, I request that you award the Medal of Valor to the aforementioned public
safety officers. Tom Sawyer, your Public Safety Liaison Officer, has notified the Board that
the date of September 10, 2009 and a time from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Governor's
Council Room has been reserved by your office for the 2008 Medal of Valor Ceremony. The
Department of Justice will have the awards prepared and notifications sent to the award
recipients, their families and the Medal of Valor Review Board members.

Thank you for your consideration of this very worthy recognition of California's top
public safety officers.

Sincerely,

EDMUND G. BROWN JR.
Attorney General