Police Officer to Be Honored for Heroism

LAPD Officer Ryan Clark, a former Moorpark resident, will soon be honored by both the Los Angeles Police Department and President Bill Clinton for his heroic efforts in a standoff with a gunman.

Clark, 26, will receive the Medal of Valor, the civilian equivalent of the military’s Medal of Honor, from the LAPD on Wednesday before traveling to Washington, D.C., in October, when the president will present him with the “Top Cop” award, given to 10 outstanding American law enforcement officers each year.

The incident Clark will be recognized for took place in May 1997 when several LAPD officers, including Clark and his partner, responded to a call from an officer who had been shot by a man suspected of attempted murder.

Clark and five other officers entered a dark warehouse in Canoga Park to rescue their fallen comrade, lying wounded in a narrow hallway. The gunman had barricaded himself at the end of the dark passage only a few feet from the wounded officer.

The officers stormed the hallway in an attempt to reach their fallen comrade and pull him to safety. The result was an all-out gunfight between the officers and the suspect, who returned fire with a pair of handguns from 10 feet away.

The gunman wounded two more officers, including the one nearest Clark. The officers were forced to pull back, but not before Clark rescued his wounded partner.

“As soon as he hit the ground, he was screaming, ‘I’m hit,’ ” Clark said. “I stepped over him, returned as much fire as I could and then dragged him to safety.”

The officers eventually rescued the officer who was initially wounded, but he died a short time later.

The gunman was also killed.