California Highway Patrol Sergeant

California Highway Patrol

3/19/2011

Special Service Award (Silver)

On March 19, 2011, at approximately 5:00 p.m., California Highway Patrol Sergeant Michael Brush II was off-duty and inside his home in Modesto when he heard his neighbor’s alarm go off and his wife told him someone was breaking into their neighbor’s house. He immediately grabbed his firearm, told his daughter to call 911, and went to investigate. When Sergeant Brush opened his front door, he saw the suspect attempting to remove the glass from the neighbor’s window. The neighbors were home and screaming “Get out of our house!” at the suspect. Sergeant Brush crossed the street and yelled out to the suspect who immediately stopped. He turned towards Sergeant Brush and began to approach in a threatening manner, holding a shard of glass in one hand and a pair of pruning shears in the other. Sergeant Brush displayed his badge, drew his weapon, and commanded the suspect to stop. The suspect, however, ignored his commands and continued towards him. Sergeant Brush attempted to disarm the suspect by kicking his hand, but he still continued to move towards the officer. Fearing for his life, Sergeant Brush raised his firearm and fired, mortally wounding the suspect.

The ensuing investigation revealed the suspect had an extensive history of violent behavior and had recently assaulted sheriff deputies.