Class title: Unknown

Employment Development Department

6/30/1986

Special Service Award (Silver)

On June 30, 1986, in the San Francisco Office of the Employment Development Department, unemployment insurance division, employee John Valinch, along with three additional EDD personnel, struggled with an armed gunman, at a great threat to his safety and life, helped manage to disarm the distraught man who was trying to shoot another EDD employee within their vicinity. Mr. Valinch's courage to tackle a highly emotional, potentially explosive individual brandishing a gun put his life in jeopardy. Not only was he instrumental in saving the life of the intended shooting victim, but also prevented the threat of additional injuries or death to all the other employees in the office.