State Park Peace Officer

Department of Parks and Recreation

5/4/2019

Special Service Award (Silver)

On May 4, 2019, shortly before midnight, State Park Peace Officer Chris Hendricks and his K-9 partner, Janko, were on duty at Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area with State Park Peace Officer Brett Weber. While they were on patrol, dispatch advised them of an active shooting in the beach camping area. Multiple shots had been fired from what appeared to be an automatic weapon. Numerous victims were down with gunshot wounds and dozens of others were attempting to flee to safety. Officers Hendricks and Weber immediately responded to the scene to assist the victims. When Officers Hendricks and Weber arrived on scene, they found pure chaos. Over 300 people were crying and running for safety, while others flagged down the officers to plead for assistance for friends who had been shot. Officers Hendricks and Weber deployed their weapons and attempted to locate the shooter. While they searched, someone flagged down the officers and directed them to a victim with gunshot wounds. They quickly assessed that the wounds were not life-threatening and instructed bystanders to keep applying direct pressure. They continued their search for the shooter. The officers asked people if they knew where the shooter was and were directed toward a trailer. They entered the trailer, but the shooter was not inside. At this point, the officers realized that the active shooting had ceased and they transitioned from finding the shooter to treating the injured victims. One victim had at least two gunshot wounds, one to the upper chest and one to the back. While the officers were treating these wounds, a group of people ran to them screaming that there was another victim nearby with a serious gunshot wound to his upper leg. Realizing the seriousness of the second victim’s wound location, Officer Hendricks advised Officer Weber to continue treating the first victim while he ran to the second victim to begin assessing his wound. As Officer Hendricks arrived, the gunshot victim was screaming in agony. Several dozen bystanders were crowding around the victim and acting out of control, causing Officer Hendricks to fear for his own safety. He ordered everyone to get back so he could help the victim. He applied a tourniquet to the victim’s left leg and was able to stop the bleeding. Officer Hendricks loaded the victim into a CAL FIRE truck that had arrived and the CAL FIRE medics transported the victim off the beach. While this event was unfolding, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department deputies working in the Oceano area responded to the scene. An hours-long manhunt ensued through the night, with multiple state park peace officers and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff deputies searching the area. Through this collaborative effort, the sheriff’s department was able to locate and arrest the suspect the following day. The courage and bravery Officer Hendricks displayed was nothing short of heroic. His courageous actions helped to rescue dozens of innocent people, prevent more from being shot and save the lives of two gunshot victims. With no regard for his own safety, Officer Hendricks went above and beyond the call of duty. The State of California takes great pride in presenting this Silver Medal of Valor to Department of Parks and Recreation State Park Peace Officer Chris Hendricks.