Medal Recipient Search
Jared W. Debrecht, Iron County Sheriff's Department
2012 Class
Awarded on: 10/12/2013
Medal of Valor
Just before 1 a.m. on Oct. 28, 2012, Deputy Debrecht was dispatched to a mobile home fire to assist the Pilot Knob Fire Protection District. A trainee was riding with Debrecht and the two were first on the scene. When radio traffic made it clear the fire department was having trouble finding the residence, Debrecht instructed the trainee to drive the patrol car to Highway 21 to direct fire responders. In the meantime, as flames and thick smoke were coming from the entrance to the home, a woman shouted that her husband was trapped inside. Knowing that firefighters were delayed, and without breathing apparatus or protective gear, Debrecht entered the smoke-filled trailer on his knees and crawled toward the front, where he could hear noise. He continued to call out the victim's name, but did not get a response. The fire was growing. Eventually, he saw a man appear and then disappear around a corner. Debrecht then saw the victim's arm near the floor, as if he were searching for a way out. Debrecht grabbed the arm and was able to slowly drag the victim back to the rear of the trailer and outside. Once outside, Debrecht and the victim's wife got the victim away from the burning mobile home, which was now fully engulfed in flames. The victim was treated and made a full recovery because of Deputy Debrecht's willingness to courageously battle smoke and fire without protection.
Robert D. Bratcher, Liberty Police Department
2012 Class
Awarded on: 10/12/2013
Medal of Valor
At about 3 a.m. on Dec. 12, 2012, firefighters, Liberty Police and the Clay County Sheriff's Department were dispatched to a large fire at the Days Inn Motel on Highway 291 in Liberty. Police and sheriff's deputies immediately began going door to door to evacuate guests, as some first floor units were completely engulfed in flames and the second floor was covered in thick, dark smoke. After hearing a family was trapped on the second floor, Bratcher and a sheriff's deputy climbed the stairs to the second floor. The smoke was so thick the deputy could not go any further. Bratcher crawled to room 213, where he found an infant, a 4-year-old, and a man and woman suffering from smoke inhalation. Realizing that conditions were rapidly deteriorating and that there would soon be no chance of escape, Bratcher picked up the woman, took the 4-year-old by the hand and instructed the man to take the baby. One they were out of the room and on the landing, where the thick smoke had intensified, Bratcher instructed the adults and 4-year-old to crawl to the stairway. At the stairs, the sheriff's deputy grabbed the infant and helped Bratcher lead the family to safety. Officer Bratcher's fast action and disregard for his own safety saved the lives of four people.
Joseph G. Heath, St. John’s Ambulance Service, and Jeffrey S. Elliot, Springfield Fire Department
2011 Class
Awarded on: 10/11/2012
Medal of Valor
On Jan. 15, 2011, fire crews and EMS were dispatched to a Springfield house fire as heavy black smoke poured out of the structure. A young woman raced to the responders, telling them her two daughters were trapped in a bedroom. Medic Heath immediately pulled himself into the burning structure through a broken out window. Despite the intense heat and thick smoke, and his lack of protective clothing or breathing apparatus, Heath was able to find one of the children and pass her through the window to safety. A battalion chief ordered Heath to exit the structure due to the increasing danger. Springfield Fire Department Rescue 1 had arrived on scene and was able to make entry to the house through the back door. Rescue Specialist Elliot entered the burning house and, despite the smoke and heat, was able to conduct a search and locate the second child, who was on the floor in the bedroom. Elliot cradled the child in his arms and carried her outside to awaiting medical personnel. Both girls were treated immediately for second and third-degree burns and survived.
Thomas R. Bacon, Jr., Pattonville Fire Protection District
2011 Class
Awarded on: 10/11/2012
Medal of Valor
On April 22, 2011, Pvt. Bacon and other Pattonville Station #1 firefighters sighted a powerful EF-4 tornado bearing down on the station; firefighters were ordered to take cover in a storage closet inside the station. Bacon hesitated because he saw powerful winds blow a small sedan onto the firehouse ramp. The tornado’s debris field was already swirling several hundred yards away; an electrical substation exploded across the street. Despite these life-threatening conditions, Bacon left his position of safety, fighting through the increasing winds to get to the car. He found a frightened husband, wife and three children, and directed them to the firehouse shelter area. Bacon grabbed the last of the children from the car and, fighting the fierce wind and debris, got the child inside as the storm threw him into the engine bay. There, the family took cover with Bacon and the firefighters already inside.
Daryl A. Hall, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
2011 Class
Awarded on: 10/11/2012
Medal of Valor
On April 24, 2011, Officer Hall was off-duty in a downtown St. Louis nightclub when he heard gunshots being fired outside. Hall ran outside to investigate and witnessed a gunman firing shots into the air near a group of people. Hall identified himself as a police officer and ordered the gunman to drop his weapon. The gunman then began firing at Hall, who returned fire, striking the gunman several times and killing him. Tragically, Hall was also shot and killed. Although off-duty and without time to call for help, Officer Hall, responded bravely and without hesitation to protect innocent bystanders.
James C. Cooksey Jr., Missouri State Highway Patrol
2011 Class
Awarded on: 10/11/2012
Medal of Valor
On June 21, 2011, Trooper Cooksey responded when a sport utility vehicle ran off Route P into a flooded drainage ditch in New Madrid County. The SUV, submerged up to the luggage rack, was rapidly being swept downstream in St. John’s Bayou. Cooksey joined two civilians attempting to reach the driver and free her from the vehicle. The swiftly moving water was murky, and submerged and floating debris posed additional hazards. Cooksey assisted the civilians in getting the victim out of the vehicle and then swam, pulling her toward the bank. Cooksey and another trooper performed CPR until an ambulance arrived. Unfortunately, despite the heroic efforts of Cooksey and the other men in the dangerous conditions, the victim did not survive.
Robert C. Siscel, Sunset Hills Police Department
2011 Class
Awarded on: 10/11/2012
Medal of Valor
On Oct. 26, 2011, Detective Sgt. Siscel and Patrolman Dan Thompson responded to a 911 call about a home invasion/robbery then in progress. Siscel responded to the rear of the house, where he immediately identified a masked gunman holding an elderly woman hostage. Siscel alerted Thompson and, through the kitchen window, Thompson commanded the gunman to release the victim. The gunman released the woman but moved toward the family room. Siscel ran into the family room through the broken out glass sliding door as he identified himself as a police officer. The gunman entered the doorway between the kitchen and family room aiming his pistol at Siscel from a distance of 10 feet. Siscel ordered him to drop the gun. When he did not, Siscel had no alternative but to use deadly force; he fired a single shot, incapacitating the gunman, who was taken into custody. Soon after, other responding officers arrested a second gunman outside the residence.
Curtis B. Bohanan II, Jefferson City Police Department, and Christopher J. Suchanek, Cole County Sheriff
2011 Class
Awarded on: 10/11/2012
Medal of Valor
On Dec. 10, 2011, a high-speed pursuit of a man suspected of murdering two people in Dent County moved toward Jefferson City on Highway 50/63. Officer Bohanan positioned his patrol car as the second pursuit vehicle. As the pursuit continued in Jefferson City, spike strips were deployed and the suspect’s vehicle struck the strips. Eventually, the suspect was forced to pull over and he entered the Capitol Plaza Hotel parking lot. Bohanan followed the suspect into the hotel lobby, where the suspect fired toward him. Bohanan was forced to return fire.
Mathew R. Crosby and Jorden G. Lewis, Rock Hill Police Department
2010 Class
Awarded on: 11/02/2011
Medal of Valor
On April 8, 2010, Patrolman Crosby and Lt. Lewis responded to a violent domestic dispute in an apartment complex. While trying to make contact with the suspect, a man appeared at the top of a stairway blocking the officers in the narrow stairwell below. The man raised a gun and fired two shots at the officers. The first shot grazed Crosby in the head and the second shot entered his shoulder. The bullet lodged in his spine, paralyzing him from the waist down. Despite his injuries, Crosby returned fire, as did Lewis. Both officers' shots struck the gunman, causing him to fall from the stairway onto Crosby. Despite his wounds, the gunman continued to struggle with Lewis, attempted to retrieve his pistol and threatened, "I'm going to kill you all."
Donald L. Doza, Missouri State Highway Patrol
2010 Class
Awarded on: 11/02/2011
Medal of Valor
On April 28, 2010, Trooper Doza responded to an injury accident on Interstate 70 in Cooper County. A van with a camper attached had crashed into a guardrail, causing extreme damage to the vehicle; smoke from the camper was filling the van. Two medics and a firefighter were on the scene but fire trucks were stuck in traffic. The driver was unconscious inside the van. The van doors would not open, so Doza broke the driver's window with his baton. Doza tried to pull the driver out through the window, but the driver's legs were wedged underneath the steering wheel. Doza called for assistance but none was forthcoming. Propane tanks inside the camper began exploding, fueling the fire. Doza broke the front windshield, but the smoke and flames made it impossible to get to the victim from this direction. He returned to the driver's window and was now joined by a firefighter. As gasoline flowed around their feet, the firefighter pulled the victim's arms and Doza now managed to free his legs. The victim was pulled from the van moments before the camper exploded. The 80-year-old victim continues to recover.