Officer

California Highway Patrol

4/11/2020

Special Act Award (Gold)

On April 11, 2020, at approximately 10:28 a.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Michael Qualls responded to a call reporting a possibly suicidal male pedestrian sitting on the 3-foot concrete wall on the edge of southbound Interstate 5 overcrossing at Garfield Avenue. Officer Qualls performed a traffic break and brought all the traffic to a halt. He observed the man sitting on the concrete wall with both feet hanging over the edge of the 24-foot drop onto Garfield Avenue. As Officer Qualls approached him, the man repositioned himself and used both hands to hang over Garfield Avenue. Officer Qualls ran towards him to prevent him from falling. By the time Officer Qualls reached the man, he was hanging over the edge by one hand. Officer Qualls courageously, and at great risk to himself, leaned over the edge of the concrete wall and grabbed the man’s arm with both hands to prevent him from falling. Once Officer Qualls established a secure grip, he used his left hand to request that dispatch send additional officers. Officer Qualls continued to hang onto the man as he dangled over Garfield Avenue. A motorcyclist stopped to assist Officer Qualls and leaned over the concrete wall to grab the man’s other arm. Together, Officer Qualls and the motorcyclist were able to pull the man back over the edge to safety. Officer Qualls placed the man in handcuffs, but he was physically resistive, kicking and moving sporadically. Three more officers arrived on scene and they worked together to restrain the man and to keep him from harming himself. Officer Qualls transported the man to a nearby hospital. With no regard for his own safety, Officer Qualls went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of California takes great pride in presenting the Gold Medal of Valor to California Highway Patrol Officer Michael Qualls.