Officer

California Highway Patrol

5/3/2004

Special Act Award (Gold)

California Highway Patrol Officer Willard O’Diear, on May 3, 2004, performed an extraordinary act of heroism at great risk to his personal safety when he left a position of cover to shoot at a suspect that had a deputy sheriff pinned down with a semi-automatic rifle. At approximately 10:30 p.m. two Crescent City, California police officers attempted to make an enforcement stop on a subject in connection with a domestic violence incident. The subject, identified as Mr. Loya, failed to yield and a lengthy pursuit ensured. The pursuit entered United States Route 101, traveling southbound and the CHP were asked to assume the pursuit. During the course of the pursuit, the suspect fired multiple rounds and at one point, rounds struck a CHP sergeant’s patrol vehicle. The sergeant received facial cuts from the flying glass. Allied agencies in the area had been alerted to the pursuit and the fact that shots were being fired at law enforcement. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) and the York Tribal Police were notified. Due to the subject’s aggressive tactics, the remote mountainous roadway, and the late hour, the decision was made not to pursue the suspect. At 1:33 a.m., the suspect passed officers, began firing at officers again and continued to use similar tactics of stopping and waiting to ambush law enforcement officers. The suspect once again was successful in evading law enforcement. Additional CHP resources were then called out to assist and responded at 2:30 a.m. At 6:53 a.m. CHP, HCSO and Hoopa Tribal Police were standing by on State Route 169. The suspect approached the officers in his vehicle from an adjacent dirt road and immediately began firing at the officers with a high powered, semi-automatic rifle. Officers took covering positions, however, one HCSO deputy was pinned in his patrol vehicle by heavy rifle fire from the suspect. The deputy had no avenue of escape. CHP Officer O’Diear observed the deputy taking multiple rounds. Officer O’Diear strongly felt that the deputy would be killed if the suspect continued to fire at the deputy. Officer O’Diear swiftly and courageously, with little regard for his own personnel safety, made the conscious decision to leave cover and fire at the suspect. Officer O’Diear fired two rounds. The suspect immediately ceased firing and fled the area. The suspect was able to elude capture and eventually escaped to Mexico. Officer O’Diear by his selfless act clearly prevented a tragedy from occurring. Deputy Fred Filyau, the deputy trapped by gunfire, strongly feels that Officer O’Diear saved his life. Had it not been for Officer O'Diear’s courageous, selfless actions, Deputy Fred Filyau would have been seriously injured, if not killed.