Dionte Hall
Officer
California Highway Patrol
2/19/2020
Special Act Award (Gold)
On February 19, 2020, at approximately 6:28 p.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Dionte Hall conducted an enforcement stop on a sports car for multiple traffic violations. The sports car pulled to the right shoulder and stopped. As Officer Hall exited the patrol vehicle, and approached the sports car, the driver fled. Officer Hall quickly returned to his patrol vehicle, advised the Los Angeles Communications Center, and immediately initiated a pursuit.
Officer Hall briefly lost sight of the car and observed traffic ahead rapidly slowing and noticed a crash had recently occurred. Upon arrival, Officer Hall observed the sports car and two other vehicles had been involved in a crash. Due to the sports car’s unsafe speed and unsafe passing on the right shoulder to elude Officer Hall, it crashed into the right side of the first vehicle, continued straight and crashed into the rear of the second vehicle. This impact caused the driver of the second vehicle to lose control and crash into the center divider wall.
Officer Hall quickly detained the driver and passenger of the sports car. Officer Hall suddenly observed one of the vehicles catch fire with the driver still inside and unresponsive. The flames were rapidly spreading throughout the vehicle, but Officer Hall could not open the locked driver side door. Officer Hall used his baton to break the driver side window, reached inside to cut the seatbelt, and pulled the driver out of the burning vehicle. Passing motorists helped move the unresponsive driver to safety. The vehicle was fully engulfed by flames in less than 45 seconds.
Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel arrived on scene and extinguished the vehicle fire. The driver was transported to a nearby hospital with multiple injuries. Officer Hall suffered a minor injury to his right hand as a result of breaking the window to gain access to the burning vehicle. Officer Hall placed himself in extreme danger and risked his life to save the injured driver from certain death.
With no regard for his own safety, Officer Hall 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 Dionte Hall.