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On November 26, 2010, Deputy Daniel Torres and his partner responded to assist with an assault with a deadly weapon call at an apartment in the unincorporated area of Rowland Heights. The informant stated that a stabbing had occurred at the location and the suspect and victim were still fighting inside the residence.

Deputy Torres and assisting units entered the apartment and observed the male suspect on the floor straddling a second man who was lying on his back. The suspect was repeatedly stabbing the victim with a hatchet. Deputies noticed the victim had already been stabbed several times and was bleeding profusely from his head and torso.

The deputies immediately drew their firearms and pointed them at the suspect, as Deputy Torres ordered the suspect to stop. The suspect looked at the deputies for a quick second, yelled, then continued his violent attack on the victim. Fearing the victim was in imminent danger of being killed, Deputy Torres fired three rounds at the suspect, striking him in the torso. The suspect then stood up and walked into the kitchen, out of view of the deputies.

Even though he was facing an extreme situation, Deputy Torres maintained excellent tactical demeanor while never losing focus of the suspect. He advised the other deputies to maintain cover at the open doorways of the residence in case there were additional suspects in other rooms. Deputy Torres continued to maintain his focus on the suspect in case he was retrieving a weapon from the kitchen. The suspect suddenly reappeared and collapsed on the floor, succumbing to his injuries. The deputies searched the rest of the home, and no additional suspects were found. Paramedics soon arrived and transported the stabbing victim to a local hospital, where he survived his injuries.

For displaying great bravery in the face of immediate life-threatening danger, with complete disregard for his own personal safety, Deputy Daniel Torres is awarded the Meritorious Conduct Medal, Gold.

Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau – Newsroom
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Leroy D. Baca, Sheriff
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

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