11-17-2009, 07:20 AM
http://firelink.monster.com/news/articles/9470-firefighter-honored-for-saving-officers-life
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL – One of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office’s combat crosses given out Friday went to an unlikely candidate: a firefighter.
It was the first combat cross the agency has given to someone who isn’t a law enforcement officer. That’s because County Fire-Rescue Capt. Edwin O’Berry helped stop an armed suspect who nearly beat a police officer to death. He stopped suspect Mauricio Cruz by shooting him.
But it was also with the help of 13 firefighters that the officer was rescued. Those 12 men and one woman were honored with Samaritan awards at the Sheriff’s Office annual awards ceremony
On April 8 around 7:20 a.m. Fire-Rescue Station 31 in Palm Springs was going through a shift change and O’Berry was just getting to work when the firefighters saw Cruz, 35, beating Palm Springs Police Officer Douglas Rua in the head with a ceramic flower pot, then switch to Rua’s gun. A fence separated the firefighters from the officer in the 3300 block of Second Avenue North, so they shouted to get Cruz’s attention while scaling the fence.
One of the first was paramedic Blum Desravins.
“I couldn’t let this man die in front of me,” he said Friday.
Cruz saw him and pointed the gun toward him. "I thought, ‘If this man is a good shot, I’m dead.’ "
But Cruz didn’t fire. Though Rua stripped the magazine from his gun during the struggle, there was still a round in the chamber.
The firefighters continued to distract Cruz. O’Berry went to his car and got his Glock .40 and ran after Cruz as the paramedics attended to Rua, who suffered a broken arm and fractured skull. Cruz pointed Rua’s gun but O’Berry fired, striking him several times. Police Officer Joseph DeRogatis also fired at Cruz. The paramedics rushed to tend to Cruz after he was shot, but he later died.
O’Berry, who’s worked as a firefighter for 20 years, said receiving the combat cross was an honor.
“My fear was for the officer,” O’Berry said. “He was in a bad situation, we thought he was dead.”
Cruz was released from jail just four days earlier on a charge of attacking a Rivera Beach police officer but was stopped in that case with a stun gun.
“The firefighter used his firearm and probably saved the officer’s life,” Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. “You just don’t expect that.”
Fire-Rescue Chief Steve Jerauld said firefighters are trained to save lives, not take them, but he’s glad the officer was rescued and no one else was injured.
“It could have turned out much differently,” Jerauld said. “It could have turned out having to attend a firefighter’s funeral and a police officer’s funeral.”
http://www.wptv.com/content/news/centralpbc/story/samaritan-award-oberry-palm-springs-police-office/WFBUNv7ofUePs4D22cHXVA.cspx
Sheriff honors Palm Beach Co. heroes
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL--Every year the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office honors those who go beyond the call of duty.
Several award winners this year are firefighters who, during a shift change, came to the aid of a Palm Springs Police Officer in April.
"In an open field in front of our station we observed someone running across the field and the police officer chasing him and he was tased, and pulled the taser wires out, basically overpowered the officer," said Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Captain Ed O'Berry
The sheriff's office says the suspect grabbed the officer's gun and pointed it at him.
That's when Captain O'Berry grabbed his own personal gun and fired at the suspect, killing him.
"Basically we didn't want any more harm coming to him (the officer), so we worked together to clear the field, get him out of the field and get him the medical treatment he needed, O'Berry said.
Friday members of O'Berry's team received the Samaritan Award and O'Berry received the Combat Cross Award.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says O'Berry deserves the award. "He did the right thing and he did it without regard to his own personal safety so we were more than happy to recognize him today as part of our partners in public safety."
More than 50 people were honored at today's ceremony.
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL – One of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office’s combat crosses given out Friday went to an unlikely candidate: a firefighter.
It was the first combat cross the agency has given to someone who isn’t a law enforcement officer. That’s because County Fire-Rescue Capt. Edwin O’Berry helped stop an armed suspect who nearly beat a police officer to death. He stopped suspect Mauricio Cruz by shooting him.
But it was also with the help of 13 firefighters that the officer was rescued. Those 12 men and one woman were honored with Samaritan awards at the Sheriff’s Office annual awards ceremony
On April 8 around 7:20 a.m. Fire-Rescue Station 31 in Palm Springs was going through a shift change and O’Berry was just getting to work when the firefighters saw Cruz, 35, beating Palm Springs Police Officer Douglas Rua in the head with a ceramic flower pot, then switch to Rua’s gun. A fence separated the firefighters from the officer in the 3300 block of Second Avenue North, so they shouted to get Cruz’s attention while scaling the fence.
One of the first was paramedic Blum Desravins.
“I couldn’t let this man die in front of me,” he said Friday.
Cruz saw him and pointed the gun toward him. "I thought, ‘If this man is a good shot, I’m dead.’ "
But Cruz didn’t fire. Though Rua stripped the magazine from his gun during the struggle, there was still a round in the chamber.
The firefighters continued to distract Cruz. O’Berry went to his car and got his Glock .40 and ran after Cruz as the paramedics attended to Rua, who suffered a broken arm and fractured skull. Cruz pointed Rua’s gun but O’Berry fired, striking him several times. Police Officer Joseph DeRogatis also fired at Cruz. The paramedics rushed to tend to Cruz after he was shot, but he later died.
O’Berry, who’s worked as a firefighter for 20 years, said receiving the combat cross was an honor.
“My fear was for the officer,” O’Berry said. “He was in a bad situation, we thought he was dead.”
Cruz was released from jail just four days earlier on a charge of attacking a Rivera Beach police officer but was stopped in that case with a stun gun.
“The firefighter used his firearm and probably saved the officer’s life,” Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said. “You just don’t expect that.”
Fire-Rescue Chief Steve Jerauld said firefighters are trained to save lives, not take them, but he’s glad the officer was rescued and no one else was injured.
“It could have turned out much differently,” Jerauld said. “It could have turned out having to attend a firefighter’s funeral and a police officer’s funeral.”
http://www.wptv.com/content/news/centralpbc/story/samaritan-award-oberry-palm-springs-police-office/WFBUNv7ofUePs4D22cHXVA.cspx
Sheriff honors Palm Beach Co. heroes
PALM BEACH COUNTY, FL--Every year the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office honors those who go beyond the call of duty.
Several award winners this year are firefighters who, during a shift change, came to the aid of a Palm Springs Police Officer in April.
"In an open field in front of our station we observed someone running across the field and the police officer chasing him and he was tased, and pulled the taser wires out, basically overpowered the officer," said Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Captain Ed O'Berry
The sheriff's office says the suspect grabbed the officer's gun and pointed it at him.
That's when Captain O'Berry grabbed his own personal gun and fired at the suspect, killing him.
"Basically we didn't want any more harm coming to him (the officer), so we worked together to clear the field, get him out of the field and get him the medical treatment he needed, O'Berry said.
Friday members of O'Berry's team received the Samaritan Award and O'Berry received the Combat Cross Award.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says O'Berry deserves the award. "He did the right thing and he did it without regard to his own personal safety so we were more than happy to recognize him today as part of our partners in public safety."
More than 50 people were honored at today's ceremony.