Two Metro officers awarded Medal of Honor

Keith Paul

Wednesday, March 13, 2002 | 8:24 a.m.

Sheriff Jerry Keller on Tuesday presented two Metro Police officers with the department's second-highest commendation.

Sgt. Richard Barela and Officer Timothy Gross received the Medal of Honor for actions performed during life-threatening incidents.

Barela and another officer on July 21 were called to a home on Del Amo Drive near Charleston and Lamb boulevards in response to reports that a man was threatening a woman and two children with a hammer.

Police said Barela found Ronnie Russell in a bedroom holding a knife; a little girl was on the bed. Russell was hit with several beanbag rounds, but he did not drop the knife. Barela then fired several shots at Russell, who was accused of raising the weapon and moving toward the girl.

"My first action was to stop him from hurting the child," Barela said.

The man was hit by several gunshots. Barela then called for medical assistance.

"My intent was to stop him and, after he stopped, my intent was to save his life," he said.

Russell survived his wounds and faces several charges stemming from the incident.

Gross was awarded the Medal of Honor for ramming a fleeing suspect's car after the suspect ran over Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Bobby Kintzel and headed toward another motorist on U.S. 95 during a high-speed chase April 21.

Vornelius Phillips was taken into custody after Gross rammed the stolen car used in the getaway. Phillips is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is competent to stand trial in connection with the attempted murder of Kintzel and the murder of woman found slain in a motel.

Keller presented various awards to 11 other officers during the ceremony.

"These awards honor all of you for the citizens who don't know your name and don't know your face, but appreciate the difference you have made in their lives," Keller told the officers.

Officer Samuel Solorio received the Meritorious Service Award after chasing down a suspect who fired shots that struck the officer's car during a Sept. 6 fast food restaurant robbery.

Solorio then continued to chase the subject in his car and used the vehicle to pin the man against a sign behind the restaurant in the 4300 block of Las Vegas Boulevard North.

Solorio fired a shot through the windshield of his police car, hitting Roy Philson, whom police said was raising a gun. Philson survived the gunshot wound and faces robbery and other charges.

Sgt. Kevin Skehan and Officer Luis Araujo were given the Exemplary Service Award for assisting robbery detectives in identifying the suspect in a series of armored car robberies and the deadly robbery of two armored car guards in Henderson.

Eight officers were given the Life Saving Award for their actions in various incidents to help injured people.

Officer Ivan Chatman was honored for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a 21-year-old woman who was found in her garage. She had no pulse and was not breathing. He continued CPR until paramedics took her to a hospital.

Officer Gene Holm was recognized for responding to a report of a drowning and resuscitating a 2 1/2-year-old boy. The boy's lips were blue and he was not breathing. Holm gave the boy two compressions under his sternum, causing a large amount of water to be forced out through the child's mouth. Holm continued until the boy started to breathe.

Officer James Rogan was honored for pulling a man off the ledge from which he was threatening to jump. When another officer distracted the man, Rogan sprinted about 15 feet to the man, grabbed him around the waist and pulled him to safety.

Officer Nick Bachman was commended for trying to save an 18-month-old boy who fell into a pool. Bachman found the boy unconscious and began mouth-to-mouth resuscitation until paramedics arrived.

Officers Mark Baumann and Orlando Avecilla were recognized for performing CPR when responding to a medical assistance call. The officers found the victim unconscious and the victim's nurse performing CPR. The officers assisted her.

Officers Matthew Sanford and Carlos Cruz were awarded for helping to save a woman who was threatening to kill herself. The woman had been throwing her belongings out of her second-floor apartment window and then put a sharp, metal bottle opener to her throat and threatened to commit suicide. The woman then threatened to jump. When other officers distracted the women, Sanford and Cruz entered the apartment, grabbed her and pulled her back in.