President Obama will award Medals of Valor to 13 public safety officers in a ceremony at the White House Monday.
The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor is the highest national award given to law enforcement officers who showed exceptional courage in life-threatening situations.
Obama will be commending the following two years’ worth of recipients who were selected by the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs:
? Officer Mario Gutierrez of Miami-Dade sustained multiple stab wounds while taking down an assailant who had attempted to set off a gas explosion.
? Patrolman Louis Cioci of Johnson City, N.Y., witnessed a gunman murder his partner, then overtook the gunman, who was at a hospital and could have shot others.
? Captain Raymond Bottenfield and Officers Jason Salas and Robert Sparks of Santa Monica, Calif., jumped in to help students and faculty during a school shooting at Santa Monica College.
? Major David Huff of Midwest City, Okla., saved a 2-year-old’s life after officers were unable to resolve a negotiation with a man holding the toddler hostage.
? Officer Donald Thompson of Los Angeles was off-duty when he rescued two freeway drivers from a burning car.
? Officer Coral Walker of Omaha, Neb., exchanged gunfire with an active shooter and later single-handedly subdued him.
? Officer Gregory Stevens of Garland, Texas, took down two heavily armed gunman and prevented a mass shooting.
? Fallen Sergeant Robert Wilson III of Philadelphia gave his life to others during an armed robbery and paid the ultimate price.
? Officer Niel Johnson of North Miami went after a man who had shot a Miami police officer and two civilians. He was shot during the ordeal, but apprehended the assailant.
? Special Agent Tyler Call of the FBI was off-duty, but stepped in to rescue a woman being held at gunpoint by her husband.
? Deputy Joey Tortorella of Niagara County, N.Y., subdued a gunman who had shot his parents, possibly preventing the assailant from hurting children at a nearby school.
The 11 a.m. ceremony will take place in the East Room of the White House.
