Correctional Officer

California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

5/24/2017

Special Act Award (Gold)

On May 24, 2017, at 10:20 a.m., in the Pelican Bay State Prison outdoor exercise yard, holding approximately three hundred inmates, a one-on-one fight started. Correctional officers responded to the fight to stop the incident. While responding staff were attempting to quell the incident, approximately 130 inmates began rushing and attacking the officers. Officer John Franz, working in the exercise yard, braced himself in order to defend himself, but was quickly overrun by a large crowd of inmates. Officer Franz was knocked to the ground, but immediately realized he needed to recover if he was to survive this attack. When he got back to his feet he saw a group of inmates beating Officer Paul Hicks who was on the ground. Officer Franz partnered with Officer Michael Humphrey and they fought their way toward Officer Hicks through attacking inmates in order to stop the attack on Officer Hicks. The attacking inmates were so large in numbers that Officer Franz and Officer Humphrey could not reach Officer Hicks to help him. With no regard for his own safety, Officer Franz’s heroic act saved the lives of fellow officers and inmates in the face of a large prison fight. The State of California takes great pride in presenting this Gold Medal of Valor to California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Correctional Officer John Franz.