Sergeant

California Highway Patrol

7/21/2005

Special Act Award (Gold)

California Highway Patrol Sergeant Kirk Van Orsdel, on July 21, 2005 performed an act of heroism at risk to his personal safety by apprehending a violent criminal, and saving the lives of several people. At approximately 7:43 a.m., in an unincorporated area of Riverside County, Sergeant Kirk Van Orsdel observed a vehicle that may have been involved in a freeway violence confrontation. Contact with the vehicle resulted in the suspect firing upon the officer with a high powered, fully automatic AK-47 assault rifle. The suspect entered the freeway with Sergeant Van Orsdel in pursuit. The suspect stopped on the freeway, and both engaged in a second exchange of gunfire. The suspect traveled the wrong way on the freeway as Sergeant Van Orsdel followed in reverse. As the suspect entered the city streets he observed his intended female victim who ran to a Shell gas/Mini store station for cover. The market manager locked the doors after the female victim entered the store, with 20 innocent parties. The suspect was not able to follow the female victim into the store because Sergeant Van Orsdel was approaching the suspect’s location. However, a round was located in the gas pump near the front door of the store indicating the suspect fired at the fleeing victim. The suspect was lying in wait, utilizing the cement rail for cover and engaged Sergeant Van Ordsdel in a third exchange of gunfire. The Sergeant responded to the attack and returned fire upon the assailant. After the heated exchange of gunfire, the suspect re-entered his vehicle and the pursuit continued west at 100 miles per hour. After engaging the suspect three times prior in combat shootings, Sergeant Van Orsdel confronted the suspect at a final location. The suspect exited his vehicle and suddenly fired upon the patrol vehicle, trapping the sergeant inside with automatic weapon fire. Sergeant Van Orsdel lay across the seat to avoid being shot, but received a superficial wound in the arm and sustained cuts to his face and scalp from exploding glass. As the suspect’s vehicle rolled back, the suspect walked along the vehicle for cover and popped over the hood of the rolling vehicle to fire upon the sergeant. Down to his last seven rounds in his handgun, Sergeant Van Orsdel immediately started to fire upon the suspect with his H-bar rifle to allow himself the ability to exit the patrol vehicle and engaged the suspect in battle. In this exchange of gunfire, the suspect was incapacitated. The sergeant’s actions during continued pursuits and engagement in numerous battles with an extremely dangerous individual were responsible for saving the lives of people within the store, as well as his original victim.