Officers’ actions recognized at City Council meeting
Two officers from the Buena Park Police Department were recognized April 24 at the Buena Park City Council meeting for their heroic actions at the scene of a traffic accident which occurred in Dec. 2017. Officer Oscar Gonzalez and Officer Oscar Perez were presented with the department’s Lifesaving Award by Chief Corey Sianez, and the gentleman they saved, Derrick Evans of Inglewood, was there to see the presentation.
The incident occurred in the early morning hours of Dec. 3, 2017. Officers Gonzalez and Perez were conducting an unrelated investigation in the area of the 91 Freeway and Orangethorpe Avenue when a traffic accident involving a passenger bus occurred nearby on the freeway. Officers Gonzalez and Perez rushed to the scene, and found Evans (driver) severely injured within the bus. The officers stabilized Evans as best they could, and applied a tourniquet to a serious leg wound that was bleeding profusely before the arrival of paramedics and other emergency personnel. The bus did not have any passengers at the time, and there were no other vehicles involved. Evans was soon rushed to a trauma center with major injuries.
It was later confirmed with medical personnel that the actions of Gonzalez and Perez certainly played a role in saving Evans’ life. Additionally, their actions also saved Evans from losing his severely injured leg. Evans expressed his gratitude to the officers in a brief but emotional speech that was received with a standing ovation from the audience at the City Council meeting. Evans is making a slow, but determined, recovery. The officers stated that they were simply doing what they were trained to do in such instances, humbly saying that they were “just doing their jobs.”
Officers Gonzalez and Perez at right, with Derrick Evans at center, and Chief Corey Sianez looking on.
