DEPUTIES AMONG THE BEST AS "TOP COPS"
HONORED IN NEW YORK CITY

On September 11, 2002, three Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputies were honored in New York City along with other officers selected as our nation's "TOP COPS." The "TOP COPS" award is presented annually to law enforcement professionals from across the nation who have displayed exceptionally heroic acts, going far above and beyond the call of duty. The event, hosted by the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), honored law enforcement heroes and memorialized the victims of the September 11th attacks.

California was proudly represented by three deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department who were nominated for this prestigious award. Deputies Bernadette Gambino, Sean Carrion, and Gerardo Verdugo, assigned to Compton Station, are also recipients of their Department's 2002 Medal of Valor awards. They were selected for the "Honorable Mention" award at the "TOP COPS" ceremony for their heroic actions in rescuing a victim, trapped in a burning building.

On December 16, 2001, the three deputies were dispatched to a house fire and found a converted garage fully engulfed in flames. Alerted by residents that a man was trapped inside, they rushed to the building and found thick, black, noxious smoke emitting from every avenue of escape. Deputy Verdugo began to break open a window in an effort to gain entry despite the oppressive heat. Meanwhile, Deputies Carrion and Gambino found a pickax and began to pry open a heavy iron frame and wooden door, locked with a dead bolt, adjacent to the window. It took Deputy Gambino and Deputy Carrion several attempts to bend the door frame open. Deputy Carrion used this opportunity to kick open the wooden door, and was forced to low crawl into the makeshift residence in search of the trapped victim. Deputy Gambino followed Carrion into the muck, holding onto her partner's uniform shirt to avoid separation in the blinding smoke and expedite any retreat.

Deputy Carrion found the victim, semiconscious on the floor. He yelled to the others that he had the victim, and for the others to begin to pull them out. Deputy Verdugo joined his partners and he and Deputy Gambino tried to drag themselves, Deputy Carrion, and the victim from the fire, but the victim's leg became entangled in the furniture and was stuck. Deputy Verdugo crawled into the fiery hallway, and half blinded by heat and smoke, successfully freed the victim's leg.

As the building was about to collapse on top of them, the deputies managed to pull the victim and each other out of the building. The victim and all three deputies suffered from smoke inhalation, but they have all recovered from their injuries.

The Deputies presented two Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department uniform shirts to the New York Police Department and the Port Authority Police Department. The uniform shirts were signed by Sheriff Lee Baca and all 26 recipients of the 2002 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Medal of Valor. Sheriff Baca, who was disappointed he could not attend the ceremony remarked, "These shirts are tokens of respect from our heroes to their heroes."

SHB-73A-02

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September 13, 2002