COUNTYWIDE : Deputy Receives Medal of Valor

A sheriff’s deputy who shot and killed an armed robbery suspect was awarded a law-enforcement group’s Medal of Valor at a dinner in Ventura on Saturday evening.

Fifteen other officers and citizens were also honored for bravery.

The Peace Officers’ Assn. of Ventura County awarded the medal to Deputy Rol land Ogawa, 23, a four-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, who broke up a robbery at an Oxnard fast-food restaurant in January while he was off duty.

After Ogawa identified himself as an officer, the suspect shot at him twice but missed. The deputy shot once and killed the suspect.

The commendation, which honors Ogawa’s “extraordinary heroism and bravery” while “incurring great personal risk,” reads: “While Ogawa was not required to take an active role in the apprehension of the suspect in such a volatile and dangerous situation, he chose to act immediately.”

In other awards, the association honored Michael Graves, Patrick Walton and Ivan Mangan with a Citizen’s Medal of Merit for helping catch a purse snatcher armed with a knife in Camarillo in October.