Medal of Valor Luncheon Will Honor 11 Police Officers, 2 Firefighters

Eleven police officers and two firefighters will be honored for heroism and distinguished service today at South Bay’s 18th annual Medal of Valor luncheon.

Six medal recipients are members of the Inglewood Police Department. They are Sgts. John S. Knapp and John W. Bell, and Officers Richard L. Steward Jr., Neil J. Murray, Lionel Garrett and Anthony Lopez.

Torrance Police Officer William J. Dornan and four Redondo Beach officers also will receive medals of valor. The Redondo Beach recipients are Officers Fernando F. Mata, Paul D. Hellinga, Thomas R. MacIsaac and Richard N. Mansfield.

Distinguished Service Awards will go to Torrance Firefighter Timothy J. McAtee and Gardena Firefighter/Paramedic Charles D. Reade.

Inglewood officers Knapp, Murray and Steward will be honored for their bravery in rescuing a 19-year-old woman from a flaming car in which two other people died. At about 4:30 a.m. May 12, 1991, while dining at a Century Boulevard restaurant, the three officers heard a crash and rushed outside to find a car engulfed in flames. Hearing screams coming from inside the car, Knapp broke a side window, enabling Murray and Steward to pull Gwendolyn Tanyi to safety through a door window.

Torrance Motorcycle Officer William J. Dornan also braved fire in an attempt to rescue people he thought were trapped in a burning house on West 230th Street in Torrance. After crawling through flames and smoke to find the source of what he thought were sounds made by someone trapped inside, Dornan was forced to retreat. Later it was learned that the house was empty and the sounds were the muffled sounds of shotgun shells exploding from the heat.

The Redondo Beach officers were honored for their performance during a reverse sting operation at Alpine Village in Torrance that escalated into a gun battle. After being shown cocaine by Richard N. Mansfield, a Redondo Beach undercover officer, the suspects pulled out their guns.

Sheriff’s Deputy Robin Townley alerted Mansfield that another suspect was coming up behind him and the deputy exchanged gunfire with the man. Two other suspects began to fire and Mansfield was wounded. Townley then signaled other officers waiting in a van about 30 yards away and recovered the discarded bag of cocaine.

Officers Fernando F. Mata, Thomas R. MacIsaac and Paul D. Hellinga immediately went after the suspects. More than 80 shots were exchanged, with one suspect killed and one critically wounded. It was later learned that the suspects had never planned to pay for the cocaine. The “money bag” contained phone books and newspapers.

Deputy Townley has already received a medal of valor from the Sheriff’s Department.

The Inglewood Police Department’s Bell, Garrett and Lopez were successful in apprehending two armed men involved in an armed robbery of a Florence Avenue restaurant. One suspect was shot in the shoulder after he ignored police orders to freeze and pulled a gun from his waistband. He tried to escape by running to a furniture store, but was arrested after he climbed out an open window and fell from a tree. A second suspect surrendered to police, but the third man was never found. Two discarded guns were recovered.

Because of the quick action of Gardena Firefighter/Paramedic Charles D. Reade, an 11-year-old boy is alive today. Reade was off duty and watching his son play in a flag football game when Matthew Ruiz, a boy on the opposing team, collapsed. Reade told bystanders to call 911, then determined that the boy’s heart and breathing had stopped. After five minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Matthew began breathing and a pulse was detected. The boy spent three days in the hospital and appears to have suffered no ill effects but is taking medication.

Torrance Firefighter Timothy J. McAtee was off duty and driving in Lakewood when he saw a motorcyclist lying near his overturned cycle, his face against the ground in a pool of blood. McAtee directed three bystanders to roll the victim over in a way that would protect a possibly broken spine and then administered aid until a Los Angeles County Fire Department unit arrived.

Today’s Medal of Valor luncheon is set for 11 a.m. at the Torrance Marriott Hotel.