LOS ANGELES – Awards and recognition continue to pour in for the Lancaster residents who saved a deputy from being attacked on the side of the road this past January.
Gale Smith, Mario Barrera, and Tyson Ray Beers received Courageous Citizen Awards Friday from Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley.
Courageous Citizen Awards are presented several times a year to residents who have performed extraordinary acts of valor and selflessness in aiding victims, preventing crime, capturing suspects and assisting in criminal prosecutions.
On January 31, 2012, Deputy Kimberly Boissier was in the process of detaining an attempted car-jacking suspect, near the Antelope Valley courthouse, when the suspect attacked Bossier, tried to push her in front of a bus, and attempted to grab her gun.
Smith, 63, was the first to help the deputy, grabbing the suspect in a headlock and trying to remove his hands from the deputy’s weapon.
Barrera, 48, and Beers, 40, saw the struggle, stopped their vehicles and assisted in bringing the suspect to the ground. Barrera grabbed the suspect’s right arm and pried his fingers from the deputy’s weapon. The honorees held the suspect until additional deputies took him into custody.
District Attorney Cooley also presented Daniel Perugini, 61, of Tujunga, and Daniel Plascencia, 66, of Sylmar, with Courageous Citizen Awards.
Perugini subdued a disgruntled workers’ compensation claimant who stabbed a lawyer in a downtown courtroom on May 20, 2010. While many people in the building ran away, Perugini rushed to the courtroom and held the defendant down with a chair.
Plascencia came to the aid of a neighbor who was attacked by one of three men who were burglarizing her home on June 10, 2011. Plascencia broke his arm while stopping the attack.
Lancaster residents Smith, Barrera, and Beers were also recognized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on March 6. Supervisor Michael Antonovich presented the trio with commendation certificates.
(Information via press release from the Los Angeles District Attorneys Office.)
See previous related stories here:
Antonovich honors ‘Good Samaritans’ for helping Lancaster deputy
Man attacks female deputy, citizens come to her aid
Justice Callout says
Didn’t Ron Smith get one of those awards for his heroism as a baliff?
Aaron P. says
Is that the one were Ron Smith ran out of the courtroom in Van Nuys when violence erupted?
Justice Callout says
I think thats the one! But you know how excitable he can get. Hes better suited carrying Rex’s brief case and nodding yes.
... says
Sure, I can claim the perp also if he is of me. Queen is just a term of endearment. Most of the references made about blacks seems to be negative on this site,so I was just pointing out that, there are upstanding blacks in this valley also. Right is right and wrong is wrong is the color I see. Ms Smith could have observed and reported, she did not have to physically intervene.
... says
For those that want to think all African Americans are, on welfare and section 8. Look at our Queen!!!! Brave and strong.
dealwithit says
Attention racist moron…
It’s not that we hate people of different colors, it’s that we hate ghetto rats of ALL races! YOU are the only idiot lumping everyone together!
... says
If this doesn’t apply to you,why are you responding?
moron!!Like I said look at our Queen!
Passerby says
better look at WHO your “Queen” had to apprehend too!
dealwithit says
LOL, Passerby.
AV'er says
In the world of …,
one is called a “queen” for doing what every honest citizen should do. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud Ms. Smith for assisting that deputy, but like I said, I would expect us all to do the same.
Since you’re claiming Ms. Smith as your own obviously due to her race, are you going to claim the perp as your own too …?
... says
Passerby and dealwithit , you guys are taking things out of context. Obviously you guys are bitter hateful people.
Facts says
Come on folks, lets keep this on point and not let some fool hijack such an inspirational story. Congratulations and thank you to all three citizen heroes!
Stinger says
For once, I concur. This story is about how different citizens answered the call to help. They are very much worthy of thanks and recognition without our usual political slantings.
Congratulations and deep thanks to these citizens, as well as to all of those whose brave deeds were not recognized when they occurred.
Mary P says
Congratulations! Chivalry is NOT dead!
James Stouvenel says
Congratulations are in order for these brave citizens, once again it proves you can always count on people to do the right thing, when crime occurs, and thats to stop it, kudos to them.