Police Commission and SFPD honor officers with Medals of Valor for rescues, armed confrontations and tiger mauling response

The San Francisco Police Commission and the San Francisco Police Department presented Medals of Valor to 13 officers at a City Hall ceremony on April 7, recognizing acts described by commission and department officials as bravery "above and beyond that which is expected in the line of duty."

Commission President Teresa Sparks, Police Chief Heather Fong and Police Commission staff attended the ceremony; Lieutenant Joe Riley of the commission opened the program and described the multi‑stage review process used to evaluate awards. "These are the types of officers that all of us want to emulate on a daily basis," Chief Heather Fong said.

Medals were presented for distinct incidents summarized below:

- Fire rescue evacuation (bronze medal): Officers Andrew Froines, Edward Castillo, Melvin Manoux and Jeffrey Aloise (Northern Station) entered a smoke‑filled stairwell during a building fire and evacuated occupants, including a resident who could not find an exit, suffering smoke inhalation while facilitating removal of residents. The four received bronze medals of valor.

- Armed attacker / attempted murders (silver medal): Officers Joseph Salazar and Monique McDonald (Southern Station) confronted and fired on an assailant who had attacked occupants of a parked car and, later found to have murdered another person nearby, advanced on the officers brandishing two large butcher knives. Both…