Six San Bernardino County law enforcement officers on Tuesday were awarded the Public Safety Medal of Valor by President Donald Trump for their dynamic action in response to the December 2, 2015 shooting massacre at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino.
During the February 20 ceremony at the White House, Redlands Police Officer Nick Koahou, San Bernardino Sheriff’s Corporal Rafael Ixco, San Bernardino Sheriff’s Corporal Chad Johnson, San Bernardino Sheriff’s deputies Shaun Wallen and Bruce Southworth, and San Bernardino Police Officer Brian Olvera were each presented with a medal in recognition of their decisive action and bravery that brought to a close the mayhem perpetrated by Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, which ended with 14 dead and 22 wounded.
“Six of the heroes with us today chased down (Farook and Malik) and put an end to their sinister rampage, which was going to get a lot worse,” said President Trump. “During the attack, officer Koahou was shot in the leg, but he continued to fight back despite a really horrific wound. Today, we are fortunate to honor him and the rest of that amazing team.”
At the time of the incident Koahou was an officer with the San Bernardino Police Department, His heroics came in the aftermath of the mass shootings at the Inland Regional Center, where on that morning staff members with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health were holding a joint training session/holiday party. Farook was a health inspector with the department, and after participating in the session with his colleagues earlier in the morning, departed briefly and then returned at around 11 a.m. with his wife, Malik. Armed with two .223-caliber semi-automatic rifles, which were variants of the AR-15, and two 9 mm caliber semi-automatic pistols, the couple in less than four minutes fired between 65 and 75 rounds into the meeting room where Farook’s colleagues were gathered and then left before police arrived, returning to their home in Redlands.
Four hours after the attack, police spotted Farook and Malik and gave chase. A relatively brief pursuit ended on a San Bernardino street 2 miles east of the Inland Regional Center. A gun battle ensued, with law enforcement officers discharging 440 rounds and Farook and Malik firing roughly 80 rifle and handgun rounds at the officers. During the firefight, Wallen was wounded and was pinned behind a vehicle. Koahou, leaving his position of cover while returning fire, vaulted to assist Wallen, and was shot in the leg while doing so. Ultimately, Farook was shot no fewer than 26 times. His wife sustained at least 15 gunshot wounds. Both died on the scene.
At Tuesday’s ceremony, President Trump presented the medals of valor to a dozen people from across the county who had shown exemplary courage in the face of emergencies and dire circumstances.
“The 12 patriots we honor come from many places and serve in many different roles,” President Trump said. “But they all share one thing in common – when faced with danger, they each put the lives of others before their own. There are some very brave people I’m standing with.”