Officer receives valor medal

For Susan Rizk, the day brought back difficult memories.

For officer Ric Martinez, the day was not about his actions but the teamwork used in saving a woman's life.

For the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, the day marked a rare opportunity in awarding one of its own its highest honor.

On Tuesday the department held its annual awards ceremony honoring four employees who went above and beyond the call of duty in certain areas of law enforcement.

The star of the day was the Medal of Valor, awarded to Martinez for his actions on Oct. 25 by interrupting a domestic violence incident where a man used a 2-foot long sword in allegedly attacking, and possibly trying to kill, Rizk inside her apartment along San Francisco Avenue.

Steve Wasserman, Rizk's ex-boyfriend and father of her 4-year-old daughter who witnessed the slashing, was arrested and is awaiting a summer trial.

Rizk underwent five surgeries during a two-month hospital stay in Reno. A devout Christian, she credited a higher power in guiding Martinez, whom she calls "Ricky," and others to help save her life.

"I believe the Lord met him there as well as the fire people," Rizk said. "I'm eternally gratefully."

"Susan always calls me her hero and I always call her my angel," Martinez said.

As only the eighth officer to receive the distinguished Medal of Valor in the department's 39-year history, Martinez shrugged off his heroics and admitted he felt guilty in being in such rarefied company. Instead, he credited the actions of responding officers, paramedics and doctors in keeping Rizk alive.

"This award is an honor but we all deserved it that day," he said.

Still, Martinez, an officer with the department for seven years, entered the apartment into a dangerous situation without backup.

"Time sped up," he said. "When I heard voices from the back room I knew I didn't have time to put it on the air. I had to get in there."

Martinez wouldn't divulge what he heard or saw, citing Wasserman's trial, scheduled for jury selection in late June.

"It was the most miserable day of my life," he said. "It's something I don't want to see again for as long as I live. It was real bad."

Sgt. Brian Williams, head of the awards selection committee, provided plenty of credit to Martinez.

"He went in immediately to save somebody's life at the risk of his own," Williams said. "He was fully aware that he didn't have somebody to cover him ... Ric could very easily have been killed. It just reflects the calling of his heart."

Williams described the Medal of Valor as a "very big honor," "very prestigious" and "highly coveted." The last Medal of Valor was awarded six years ago to Chuck Owens.

"We don't give these out easily," Williams said.

Other award recipients were:

-- Bob Albertazzi, Community Service Award

Albertazzi, the department's lead community service officer and former Army colonel, leads a small staff in the mundane operations of the department. Williams praised Albertazzi for his discipline, organization and people skills in undergoing such duties as fingerprinting, sex offender registration, removing abandoned vehicles and enforcing a sign ordinance.

"He has brought our community service officer unit to heights we had never even thought we would reach because of his skill, "Williams said.

-- John George, Recovery of Stolen Vehicle Award

An officer with the department for about four months after being hired from a Southern California law enforcement agency, George recovered four stolen vehicles and helped put two criminals behind bars for auto thefts, Williams said.

"We're very fortunate to get him at our agency," Williams said.

-- Shannon Laney, Distinguished Service Award

A traffic enforcement officer, Laney made 100 arrests of suspected drunken drivers in 2005 and received recognition from the National Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

As part of the department's participation in the national seat belt campaign, "Click it or Ticket," Laney has given numerous citations. Williams said Laney does such work with discretion and does not generate public complaints.

"The guy's a star," Williams said. "We'd love to have 100 of him."



Medal of Valor recipients



Only eight Medal of Valor awards, the top honor at the South Lake Tahoe Police Department, have been given in the agency's 39-year history. Below is a list of recipients, the year the medal was given and description of their heroics.



-- 1985 - Officer Dan Gann (retired) Officer Gann, whose son, Rhett Gann, is an officer with the department, responded to Trout Creek with South Lake Tahoe firefighters in search of a girl reportedly drowning in the early spring. Trout Creek was running swiftly with ice and snow melt. Gann saw a glint of color in the water and thought it might be the clothing of the 6-year-old girl. He removed his gun belt, ran upstream about 15 yards and dove into the rushing water. He spotted the young girl's body caught in debris at the bottom of the creek. He worked underwater to free the child and was swept downstream while holding the girl. Firefighters caught hold of Gann and pulled him out of the creek, along with the girl he was clutching. Firefighters administered CPR to the unconscious girl. They revived her and she survived the incident.

-- 1987 - Officer Joe Franzoia (retired) Officer Franzoia was called to investigate a traffic collision in the Tahoe Keys area. When he arrived on scene, he discovered a vehicle had driven off the roadway and into Lake Tahoe. Franzoia immediately removed his gun belt and dove into the frigid water. He located the injured man inside the submerged vehicle and struggled to free him. Franzoia was able to free the man from the submerged wreckage and brought him to the surface. Franzoia saved the victim from drowning and from succumbing to injuries from the initial crash.



-- 1990 - Sgt. Brad WilliamsSgt. Williams was a patrol officer in 1990, assigned to the traffic division. In the area of Highway 50 and Fremont Avenue an elderly driver made an illegal left turn. This forced another driver into a head-on collision with Williams' patrol car. Williams sustained life-long injuries to his back during the collision. The patrol vehicle was totaled and the car driven by a young woman caught fire. The woman was unconscious behind her steering wheel and sustained severe injuries. Williams struggled out of the broken driver's window and limped to the woman's car. He pulled her out of the burning vehicle to the side of the highway where he collapsed from his own injuries. The young woman recovered.



-- 1994 - Officer Pat Walsh (now a police sergeant in Pleasanton) Officer Walsh was dispatched to a possible drowning at a swimming pool. After his swift response, Walsh found a motionless elderly man at the bottom of the pool. Removing his gun belt, Walsh dove into the water and struggled to retrieve the man without help. The man was not breathing and had no pulse. Walsh heaved the man out of the pool alone and immediately began resuscitation efforts. Walsh was able to revive the man, who was turned over to fire and ambulance personnel.

-- 1994 - Sgt. Rick Canale (retired) Sgt. Canale was a member of the police department's dive team and had always been an avid and strong swimmer. While off duty, and preparing a deep-sea dive off the coast of California, Canale witnessed a man being swept out to sea in a rip tide. The man was exhausted from trying to escape the current and was in imminent danger of drowning. Canale jumped off the boat and was able to reach the drowning man, who was so exhausted he gave no effort to save himself. Canale rescued the man and returned him safely to shore.



-- 1995 - Sgt. Jeff Reagan Prior to his promotion to sergeant, Officer Reagan was dispatched to the area of the Ski Run Marina in response to two children lost in the cold waters of Lake Tahoe. He responded with Sgt. Steve O'Brien, now retired. The children had not been seen for at least five minutes when the officers arrived. Reagan swam into the lake in a desperate effort to locate and save the children. He found both youths motionless in the water and pulled them to safety as Reagan and O'Brien performed CPR on the unconscious, breathless and pulseless children. Both children were revived and survived the incident.



-- 2000 - Detective Charles OwensWhile assigned as a patrol officer in the winter months, Officer Owens was assisting a stranded woman standing in front of her car on Pioneer Trail near Al Tahoe Boulevard. Before Owens could suggest a safer place for her, a pick-up truck approaching from the rear lost control on the icy roadway. Owens saw the truck was on a collision course with the rear of the woman's vehicle and the only hope for the woman's survival was for Owens to sacrifice his safety. In a quick decision, Owens rushed to the front of the woman's car and pushed her to safety but was struck by the woman's car when the truck slammed into it. Owens survived but was hospitalized after sustaining life-long injuries from the impact.



-- 2006 - Officer Ric MartinezWhile assigned to patrol duties on Oct. 25, 2005, Martinez was the first responding officer to a domestic violence call. On his way he learned the suspect was possibly armed with a sword and had reportedly forced entry into the woman's apartment. Lights and siren blaring, he arrived without backup and went into the apartment alone. Martinez found and confronted the armed suspect, Steven Wasserman, allegedly attempting to kill the woman, Susan Rizk. Rizk had been gravely wounded. She laid on the floor, unable to help herself or her 4-year-old daughter, whose father is Wasserman, witnessing the event. With his gun drawn, Martinez confronted Wasserman, who reportedly surrendered the sword and was arrested. Martinez immediately began coordinating and assisting officers and medical units to help save Rizk's life. While waiting, he comforted and encouraged Rizk to survive until she was taken from the scene by medical units.

Source: Sgt. Brian Williams