Awards highlight bravery of police, civilians

When Las Vegas Police officer John Pelletier was traveling on Summerlin Parkway in 2007, a driver headed toward him lost control of her sport utility vehicle and flipped it several times.

The off-duty officer's instincts took over that night in July.

He stopped his car and ran toward the burning vehicle where a woman was trapped in the front seat. She appeared to be unconscious.

Pelletier took a folding knife from his pocket and sliced through the seat belt. With the help of another man, he pulled the woman out of the car about 30 seconds before the vehicle exploded.

"I did what any cop would do under the same set of circumstances," said Pelletier, who is now a police sergeant.

The woman he saved on the parkway near Anasazi Way was married with two children.

Pelletier was one of more than a dozen officers honored for extraordinary acts at a Wednesday ceremony at the Clark County Library on Flamingo Road near Maryland Parkway.

Sheriff Doug Gillespie said the officers and civilians who received awards went beyond the call of duty. Their bravery was put into perspective by the recent death of officer James Manor, Gillespie said.

Manor died May 7 in a car accident responding to a domestic violence call.

"We tend to take for granted the great risks that each and every one of you face each and every day," Gillespie told the gathered honorees and their families. "Weeks like last week remind us just how dangerous our job is."

The acts of bravery honored ranged from a detective who went under cover to infiltrate an organized crime organization for more than a year to instances of officers performing life-saving CPR on children and adults.

Four officers each received a Medal of Valor for their actions during a February domestic violence call in which a baby was pulled away from gunfire. Sgt. Tom Melton received a Purple Heart for being wounded during the incident in the northwest valley.

As for Pelletier, he said the real story in the accident he assisted with was the woman's survival. Pelletier said the crash peeled the woman's scalp back. He had to pull her skin into place and hold it until paramedics arrived. He said she was in the hospital for three months. He has seen her and she's doing fine.

"She's a miracle," Pelletier said. "In my opinion, she's the hero."

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@review journal.com or 702-383-4638.