Medal Recipient Search
Daniel J. Johnson and Jason W. Philpott, Missouri State Highway Patrol
2013 Class
Awarded on: 12/18/2014
Medal of Valor
In the early morning hours of April 18, 2013, Douglas County was inundated following prolonged and heavy rainfall. Flash flooding swamped low-lying areas. At 8:10 a.m., Troopers Johnson and Philpott responded to a call for an elderly couple trapped in the mobile home near Route A and County Road 409. Water was entering the residence and quickly rising. Troopers Johnson and Philpott launched a Patrol boat, got to the home, outfitted the couple with personal flotation devices and placed them into the rescue boat. As they pulled away, the vessel’s motor stalled after the propeller became entangled in barbed wire. The vessel began turning and taking on water in the swift current. The troopers paddled vigorously, attempting to get to a nearby outbuilding, but the boat capsized. All four occupants began drifting downstream in the swift moving water, headed toward a certain crash into a flooded concrete bridge. Troopers Johnson and Philpott each swam to and retrieved the elderly couple. Once they had them, they swam against the swift current and brought them to shore, just a few feet from the edge of the concrete bridge. In turbulent and swirling waters, Troopers Johnson and Philpott remained steady, calm and vigilant, saving the lives of the couple they had been dispatched to rescue.
Justin Glen Wooten, Scott County Sheriff’s Department
2013 Class
Awarded on: 12/18/2014
Medal of Valor
At approximately 2:30 a.m. on May 25, 2013, Deputy Wooten responded to a chaotic scene: two freight trains had collided and derailed, collapsing the Route M overpass near Rockview in Scott County. A diesel fire lit the night sky for miles around. A total of seven people were injured in both automobiles on the buckled overpass and the engine of one of the trains, which was burning. The two-man train crew was trapped inside the crumpled engine with the fire growing. Without hesitation or regard for his own safety, Deputy Wooten climbed into the overturned engine and single handedly extricated the engineer and conductor, who were unable to get out on their own. Freeing one of the men, a diabetic, who was immobile, required locating an alternate exit as flames neared the train’s fuel tanks. With the victims out, Deputy Wooten and arriving medical personnel moved them down a steep incline to a safe area away from the crash scene. In a perilous situation, with a train on fire and victims trapped, Deputy Sheriff Wooten calmly and with great dispatch located and, despite all obstacles, pulled two men out of harm’s way to safety.
Kyle M. Weiss, Pevely Police Department; and Nina M. Osia and Michael T. Toombs, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office
2013 Class
Awarded on: 12/18/2014
Medal of Valor
In the early morning hours of Oct. 11, 2013, Sheriff’s Deputies Osia and Toombs received permission to search a residence in rural Jefferson County where a man was wanted for a felony and fugitive warrant. As Deputy Osia walked down the stairs into the basement, she spotted a gunman crouched with an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle. Deputy Osia attempted to push Deputy Toombs, who was behind her, and yelled, “He’s got a gun!” The gunman began firing at both deputies, hitting Deputy Osia in her leg and knocking her to the floor. Deputy Toombs quickly began to drag Deputy Osia out of the line of fire while returning fire at the gunman. Deputy Toombs was then struck in the left arm by at least two bullets from the gunman. Both deputies worked to cover one another as they returned fire, and they administered first aid to each other. They radioed for backup units, but the gunman escaped. Six hours later, Pevely Police Officer Kyle Weiss was one of five officers who responded to a residence just a few blocks away from the original scene after receiving a tip. Officer (now Sergeant) Weiss was stationed in front of the house. As an entry team cleared a barricaded room, the gunman broke out a window and ran out of the house. Officer Weiss saw the gunman approaching and ordered him to stop and drop his weapon. Instead, he turned toward Weiss and raised his weapon to fire. To protect his own life and the safety of others, Officer Weiss fired two shots, fatally wounding the gunman. While under fire and wounded, deputies Oh-she and Toombs, who combined had just 12 months experience as deputies, acted as a team to protect each other and responding officers. Hours later, Officer Weiss did not retreat to cover but instead eliminated an immediate threat to him and the public.
Jay Brad King and Jason D. Sederwall, Jefferson City Police Department
2013 Class
Awarded on: 12/18/2014
Medal of Valor
On Dec. 10, 2013, a Jeep involved in a two-car collision on Highway 94 burst into flames, trapping the driver. Her legs and hips pinned and her legs were burning. Officer King (now a deputy with the Washington County (Ore.) Sheriff’s Department) was first on the scene, encountering flames shooting 10 feet above the car. He and Officer Sederwall (Cedar-wall), second on the scene, attempted to put out the blaze with their fire extinguishers. With no fire personnel on scene, the officers concentrated on protecting the victim’s legs as their extinguishers ran dry. Unable to open either of the driver’s side doors due to damage, Officer King used his ASP baton to break out the windows to evacuate the smoke from the passenger compartment so the victim could breathe. Entering from the right rear door, Officer King, despite his 7-foot-1 and 320-pound frame, crawled into the back of the Jeep, alternating between attempting to extricate and comfort the victim. Officer Sederwall continued assisting while positioned at the rear passenger door until firefighters arrived, extinguished the blaze and cut the victim from the wreckage. She had suffered third-degree burns to almost half her body, fractured bones, a collapsed lung and pneumonia. Firefighters agreed that if not for the efforts of officers King and Sederwall, she would not have survived.
David W. Crank, Missouri State Highway Patrol
2013 Class
Awarded on: 10/12/2013
Medal of Valor
On the night of March 10, 2012, Trooper Crank initiated a traffic stop of an SUV on I-55 in New Madrid County. There was a strong odor of raw marijuana in the SUV, which had four occupants. The driver was cooperative and exited the vehicle and accompanied Crank to his patrol car. Crank returned to the SUV to obtain IDs from the three passengers, but they denied having IDs. Crank then requested backup. When Corporal Jeremy Stewart arrived, he and Crank approached the SUV and requested the passengers exit the vehicle one at a time. One did so. The passenger in the front passenger seat refused to comply and immediately locked the door. Crank saw the front seat passenger reach between the seat and center console. Crank alerted Stewart and drew his service weapon. Stewart opened the driver's side door and the passenger fired a single shot, striking Stewart in the neck. To protect Corporal Stewart and himself, Trooper Crank fired repeatedly at the passenger, killing the gunman. On a dark highway, in a perilous situation, Trooper Crank acted swiftly to eliminate a deadly threat and protect his wounded colleague. Corporal Stewart underwent surgery, made a full recovery and returned to duty.
Angela N. Hawkins, and Michael W. Betz, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
2012 Class
Awarded on: 10/12/2013
Medal of Valor
On the night of March 29, 2012, detectives Hawkins and Betz were traveling in an unmarked police vehicle when they heard multiple gunshots not far from their location in north St. Louis. As they moved quickly to investigate, the detectives heard additional gunshots and in the distance saw a suspect running from a uniformed police officer as the two exchanged gunfire. The two detectives pursued the gunman in their vehicle into an alley, where he collapsed to the ground. As they stopped about 30 feet from the downed gunman, he pointed a large gun with an extended magazine at detectives Hawkins and Betz. Hawkins fired five shots at the gunman, killing him and ending the threat. It was later learned that the gunman's extensive criminal history included murder and armed criminal action charges.
Thomas M. Kenyon, O'Fallon Police Department
2012 Class
Awarded on: 10/12/2013
Medal of Valor
At about 2:15 a.m. on April 18, 2012, Police Officer Kenyon was dispatched to a residence for a disturbance involving a man on drugs with a weapon. Upon arrival, Kenyon observed a naked man viciously assaulting a woman. Kenyon's presence immediately ended the assault - which had included a large club spiked with metal - and distracted the attacker from the victim. As Kenyon tried to engage the enraged man, he suddenly charged the officer; Kenyon discharged his Taser but to no effect. Kenyon and the man struggled violently, with the man striking Kenyon in the head, biting him in the face and forcing him to the ground. The man jumped on Kenyon's back, choked him and punched him in the head, threatening to kill him. The man repeatedly attempted to get Kenyon's duty weapon. Kenyon, concerned that he would lose consciousness, removed his service weapon and fired over his left shoulder at the gunman, striking him in the arm. The man stumbled backward, but again charged Kenyon, forcing the officer to fire a second time, striking the man in the leg. Officer Kenyon had bravely ended the attack, inserted himself into harm's way and risked his own life to end a threat to the public.
Michael W. Vernon, Florissant Police Department
2012 Class
Awarded on: 10/12/2013
Medal of Valor
In the early morning hours of May 28, 2012, Florissant police officers responded to a residential burglar alarm call and discovered the rear door of a home had been forced open. Officers at the scene observed a suspect fleeing toward a shopping center. Officer Vernon responded to the shopping center and noticed an article of clothing near a dumpster. While investigating, he heard noise coming from the dumpster. As Vernon turned toward the dumpster, the lid opened and a gunman fired multiple shots, hitting the officer in the right shoulder, lower left leg and the spinal cord, paralyzing him from the waist down. The suspect then fled on foot. Despite his extensive wounds and bleeding profusely, Officer Vernon managed to relay a detailed description and direction of travel to officers. They were able to seal off a nearby subdivision and capture the armed and extremely dangerous gunman. Michael Vernon remains paralyzed and has retired from the police department.
Kevin A. Bacon, West County EMS and Fire Protection District
2012 Class
Awarded on: 10/12/2013
Medal of Valor
On July 29, 2012, Firefighter/Paramedics Bacon and Cody Jennemann responded to a vehicle crash in which an SUV ran off the highway, rolled, and ended up overturned and on fire in the backyard of a residence. Bacon went to the aid of the driver as Jennemann went to the front of the house to direct incoming firefighters with the necessary equipment. The driver was partially ejected and trapped under the vehicle as the fire encroached on the passenger compartment. The driver had no pulse and was not breathing. The fire was growing larger and time running out. Bacon, without regard for his own safety, entered the extremely hazardous fire area, managed to lift the overturned vehicle from the victim and roll it onto its side. Bacon then pulled the patient away from the fire. Bacon and Jennemann began advanced life support intervention, resuscitating the patient. He was transported to a hospital and, amazingly, made a complete recovery. Firefighter/Paramedic Bacon's heroic efforts undoubtedly saved the man's life.
Gerad G. Gonzalez, Manchester Police Department
2012 Class
Awarded on: 10/12/2013
Medal of Valor
On Aug. 14, 2012, while patrolling, Officer Gonzalez arrived at the scene of a serious vehicle crash at the intersection of Carman and Dougherty Ferry roads in Manchester. He found two heavily damaged SUVs, one fully engulfed in fire with flames rising 20 feet in the air. Gonzalez requested assistance and ran to aid the occupants of the two vehicles. The driver of the burning vehicle had gotten out on her own, so Gonzalez turned his attention to the other vehicle. With the fire raging and in danger of spreading to this vehicle, Gonzalez and a civilian tried to rescue the driver, who was a large man and was unconscious. Because the flames and heat made it impossible to get to the driver through the driver's door, Gonzalez quickly entered from the front passenger's door, and was able to pull the unresponsive driver over the center console. With automobile glass shattering from the heat, Gonzales and the civilian raced to pull the victim out of the vehicle and away from the encroaching fire. The victim survived and was taken to a hospital. By battling through the smoke and intense fire and ignoring the risk of an explosion, Officer Gonzalez was responsible for saving the man's life.