Contra Costa County Sheriff David O. Livingston recently awarded the Medal of Valor to several employees for their courageous and selfless actions:
Sergeant Oscar Aranda – Silver Medal of Valor
Sergeant Melissa Klawuhn – Silver Medal of Valor
On Feb 10, 2015, Delta station Deputies were dispatched to a suspicious suspect on the Antioch Bridge.
The subject had stopped on the bridge and simulated having a firearm and acting erratically. Aranda began communications with the subject who was making threats to jump off the bridge and stepped over the ledge.
When the subject reached through the guard rail, Aranda reached for his hand. The subject pulled back and flung off the bridge.
The man dangled 130 feet above the water as Aranda held his arm. The subject was brought back to the ledge and negotiations continued with Klawuhn leading the negotiations.
When the subject turned their backs to law enforcement, they charged at the man and wrapped their arms around him and brought back over the ledge and was detained without any further incident.
Click here for more photographs of the February 10 incident.
Deputy Anthony Coniglio – Bronze Medal of Valor
On March 24, 2015, Deputy Coniglio was on his way to work an overtime shift in Danville when he noticed a bus on fire. He notified dispatch of the emergency and dispatch. He noticed the back of the bus was starting to catch fire and the bus driver was unsuccessful in putting out the flames. Deputy Coniglio ordered everyone off the bus.
Without regard for his own safety, he boarded the bus to inspect the bus to ensure all passengers were off the bus. While on the bus, flames at reached the cabin but he checked every seat and verified it was empty prior exiting. The passengers on the bus were students from Arizona. Once outside, he coordinated efforts to receive medical treatment for the students and when CHP and Fire arrived on scene they initiated a tier one mass casualty incident.
The ceremony took place during the Oath of Rank/Oath of Office ceremony, where the newly promoted and newly hired took the oath. The recipients were presented by Captain Dan Hoffman, Commander of the Patrol Division.
Here is the video from the ceremony:
