Monrovia Police Department Honors Employees

UPDATED: The Monrovia Police Department honored 11 employees today at 5 p.m. Some details:

~ Medal of Valor winner, Officer Pacheco, won this highest award during an incident on Myrtle in which a man held a gun to a woman's head. Pacheco got out of his car, approached the man while demanding he put the gun down. Instead the man (the woman's ex-husband) put the gun to his head and shot himself.

~ Mary Taylor worked with the phone company to find a suicidal man she had on the phone by the location of his cell phone. Police arrived just after he passed out by breathing carbon monoxide, and he survived.

~ The Monrovia members of the Foothills Special Enforcement Team were honored for rescuing a badly wounded person during the shooting at the Southern California Edison plant in Irwindale. Without their quick help the victim would not have survived.

~ Officer John Donchig was honored for his initiative in creating a technical training program and Officer William Burkhalter for his work obtaining and managing a grant for alcohol enforcement training.

~ Officer Richard Schneider was named Officer of the Year for his work expanding the Explorer Program from 10 to 20 participants and for his skill and dedication in detecting and arresting drunk drivers.

The Honorees were:

Medal of Valor 
Officer Jose Pacheco

Officer of the Year
Officer Richard Schneider

Distinguished Service Medal
Sergeant Nicholas Manfredi
Detective Heath Harvey
Agent Luis Villalobos
Agent Javier Leon
Officer William Burkhalter
Officer Gerald DeHart
Officer John Donchig (Two Awards)
Officer John Jefferson
Officer Jose Pacheco
Communications Operator Mary Taylor

- Brad Haugaard