Attorney General Jeff Sessions Announces Public Safety Officers to Be Awarded Medal of Valor

Today Attorney General Jeff Sessions is honored to award the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor to the following law enforcement officers and first responders for their heroic and extraordinary services:

• Special Agents David Bailey and Crystal Griner of the United States Capitol Police and Officers Nicole Battaglia, Kevin Jobe, and Alexander Jensen of the Alexandria Police Department for their heroic efforts on the morning of June 14, 2017. President Donald J. Trump presented these officers with the medals today at a White House ceremony.

Recipients approved by the Attorney General to receive the 2015-2016 Medal of Valor at a future ceremony are:

• Corporals Rafael Ixco and Chad Johnson and Deputies Shaun Wallen and Bruce Southworth (San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department), and Officers Nicholas Koahou and Brian Olvera (San Bernardino Police Department) for their heroic efforts to end the December 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California.
• Lieutenant William Buchanan (Avery County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina) and Emergency Medical Technician Sean Ochsenbein (Putnam County Rescue Squad, Tennessee) for their poise in rescuing a trapped driver from a burning car in February 2016.
• Firefighter/Harbor Patrol Officer David Poirier Jr. (Redondo Beach Fire Department, California) for single-handedly rescuing three injured people from dangerous surf in February 2016.
• Chief Douglas Schroeder (Hesston Police Department, Kansas) for ending a deadly workplace assault by a gunman in February 2016.
• Engineer Stephen Gunn (Peoria Fire-Medical Department, Arizona) for rescuing a man from a burning house without regard for his own safety in April 2016.
• Patrolman Andrew Hopfensperger Jr. (Antigo Police Department, Wisconsin) for saving many lives during a gunman’s assault on students at a prom in April 2016.

These recipients were recommended by the Medal of Valor Review Board and approved by the Attorney General. The Medal of Valor is the highest national award for public safety officers and is given to recognize an act of extraordinary valor above and beyond the call duty.

The Bureau of Justice Assistance will continue receiving nominations for the 2016-2017 class through Monday, July 31, 2017. Nominations may be submitted here: https://www.bja.gov/programs/medalofvalor/index.html.