Medal of Valor and Meritorious Conduct Medal - Los Angeles ...

YEAR IN REVIEW 2004Deputy Rick V. CalderonDeputy Mark C. LeachYEAR IN REVIEW 2004MEDAL OF VALOR & MERITORIOUS CONDUCT MEDALDeputy Kris L. ClevelandDeputy David A. PowellDeputy Osvaldo Santa AnaMEDAL OF VALOR & MERITORIOUS CONDUCT MEDALIn the early morning hours of March 14, 2002, Deputy Cleveland was patrolling the waterfront area near theCity of Avalon, Santa Catalina Island. Across the choppy waters of the bay, Deputy Cleveland heard a faint, hoarse cryfor help. Exiting his patrol vehicle, Cleveland began searching desperately.Shining his light over the brine, he observed someone hanging onto a skiff line, being thrown around by thewater’s chop. Deputy Cleveland immediately called for assistance, and began stripping off his gun belt and his uniformshirt.Entering the sub-50-degree water, Cleveland lost sight of the victim as ocean swells carried him up and down.At the top of a swell, Cleveland pinpointed the victim’s location and reached the man, pulling him back toward the shore.Met by assisting units when they reached dry land, the victim (too weak to stand without help) repeated to DeputyCleveland, "Thank you. You saved my life."For placing the welfare of an elderly victim in immediate danger of drowning before his own and entering thecold, dark, choppy waters of Avalon Bay without hesitation to save another human being, Deputy Kris Cleveland wasawarded the Meritorious Conduct Medal-Gold.On May 25, 2002, Lakewood Station deputies were monitoring a Long Beach Police Department stolen vehiclepursuit. After the pursuit had been terminated they heard a collision, drove to the scene, and found one of the vehicleson fire. One occupant had been ejected, but another had his legs pinned underneath the auto. The Long Beach Officersforced the passenger door apart and lifted the vehicle allowing Deputy Powell to extricate the occupant. DeputyCastaneda then administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to the critically injured man.To extricate the driver Deputy Powell, assisted by Long Beach Officers, climbed into the backseat, cut the seatbelt, and cleared a path. Deputies Leach, Calderon, and Santa Ana reached through the shattered glass of the driver’sand passenger’s side windows, to assist. Finally, the driver was pulled to safety.For applying CPR to an unconscious, non-breathing car accident victim, Deputy Daniel Castaneda was awardedthe Department’s Lifesaving Award.For risking their lives to save the driver and passenger of the vehicle Deputies Osvaldo Santa Ana, Mark Leach,and Rick Calderon were awarded the Meritorious Conduct Medal-Gold.For twice ignoring the immediate peril to his own safety to assist in saving both trapped occupants,Deputy David Powell was posthumously awarded the Meritorious Conduct Medal-Gold.4041