Police sergeant gets medal of honor for saving woman, dog from fire

Friday, Oct. 15, 2004 | 8:34 a.m.

Metro Police Sgt. John Faulis' quiet heroism earned him a medal of honor Thursday for rescuing a senior citizen and her dog from a burning apartment in April.

Faulis' award was one of 29 distributed Thursday by Sheriff Bill Young during a commendations ceremony in Las Vegas City Council chambers.

Faulis went to an apartment at 5010 Indian River Drive to investigate an unspecified problem on April 29 and found the apartment on fire. Flames were coming from the roof, around the door frames and the balcony, police said.

He kicked in the door and found the woman and her dog inside. She said she awoke to find smoke and flames around her her door. She wasn't able to unlock it because of the intense heat.

Faulis never told anyone about what he did, police said. His heroic actions were discovered when he filed a worker's compensation claim for smoke inhalation.

Officer Damian Walburn also received a medal of honor for using his police cruiser March 14 to ram a suspect's vehicle, keeping another officer from getting struck, police said.

Two units received meritorious service awards.

The gang crime section's No. 2 investigative services team was honored for how they handled a shooting June 16, 2003.

During the incident, a man shot at some North Las Vegas Police officers with an automatic weapon. The suspect was shot during a gun battle with police, then he barricaded himself in an apartment. After five hours he surrendered.

Detectives Andrew Burnett, Gary Douglas, James Fink, Russell Laws, Mark Linebarger and Patricia Spencer were given the award.

The homeland security bureau was also given a meritorious service award for maintaining a seven-day a week, 24-hour investigative schedule during the 2003 Christmas holiday season and New Year's Eve celebration.

The team consists of Capt. Michael McClary, Lt. Keith Carter, Sgt. Shawn Anderson, Sgt. Jeffrey Russo, Sgt. Gregory Damarin, and Detectives Daniel New, Michael Quick, Michael Game, Christine Payson, Kenneth Lindsey, Kurt Gurbrodt, James Bozek, Ricky Umbarger and Scott Neilson.

Meritorious service awards were given to Officers Chris Jeter, Noe Larios, James Parker, Anthony Archer, Rodney Mitchell, Timothy O'Neill and David Vershall; Detective Todd Hendrix; Sgts. Jay Roberts, Prokopios Ziros and Steven Custer.

Exemplary service awards were given to Lts. Lorin Bitsko, Craig Klatt, Robert Sebby; civilians Linda Errichetto, Tracy Birch and Troy Howe and dispatch specialist Michael Bemis.

Lifesaving awards were given to Lt. James Moses, Detectives Scott Kniffen, Jose Hernandez, Ernest Morgan; Sgts. Glen Becker, Gary Driscoll, Clint Robison and John Storey; Officers Donald Evans, Randy Miller, Mitchell Dosch, Timothy Fletcher, Robert Bell, Byron Gray, Lance Hardman, David Schofield; Corrections Officers Margarita Cortes, Patricia Sailor, Erica Shipton, Oyanna Travis and Raul Herrera.

Certificates of appreciation were given to North Las Vegas Sgt. Justin Roberts and civilians Joel Cardona, Stacy Niva and Kelly Loucks.