MEDAL OF COURAGE & LIFESAVING: Deputies rescue woman from man wielding knife
On March 16, 2019 at 11:46 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a residence in Laguna Niguel for a domestic violence call in which it was reported that a man struck a female but then the call abruptly ended.
Upon arrival, Deputies MacDonald and Skutvik were approached by a neighbor who said the couple’s children had run to his home, and their father was now holding a knife to the throat of their mother. At the same time, Deputies Prado and Rombough arrived on scene. As the four deputies approached the residence, they could hear crying coming from inside the house.
The deputies entered the house through the open front door and made their way to second floor master bedroom. From the doorway, they could see the suspect seated on the bed pinning the female victim to the wall. The suspect had a six-inch knife in his hand and the deputies could see blood on both the suspect and victim. Deputies entered the room with their guns drawn and ordered the suspect to drop the knife. He refused to drop the knife and told the deputies, “Shoot me.”
The victim’s face was the only part of her body they could see. The suspect reached over his shoulder with the knife, positioning it even closer to the neck and upper torso of the victim. Deputies tased the suspect, causing him to drop the knife, and took the man into custody.
The victim was rescued, and both were evaluated by paramedics and received treatment for their wounds.
The deputies were honored at this year’s ceremony with the Medal of Courage and the Medal for Lifesaving.
