Three Vacaville officers among 148 honored by the CDCR

Three Vacaville employees were among 148 California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation members recognized Friday during CDCR’s 2021 Medal of Valor
ceremony.

“These employees’ dedication to public service, their willingness to put themselves in harm’s way to save others and the work they do to improve our institutions and our communities exemplify the best in CDCR,” CDCR Secretary Kathleen Allison said in a press statement.

Correctional Officer Earl Cooper, with California State Prison, Solano, received a Silver Star medal awarded for acts of bravery under extraordinary or unusual circumstances while displaying courage in the face of potential peril while saving or attempting to save the life of another person.

Last October, the California Highway Patrol was responding to an incident involving a suspect who had led officers on a high-speed chase on Interstate 80 and then intentionally drove his vehicle into a tree. The suspect refused to exit the vehicle and it caught fire.

Cooper happened to be in the area and saw a CHP officer struggling to remove the suspect from the vehicle. He ran to aid the officer and removed the suspect. The responding CHP officer said he would not have been able to save the man’s life without Cooper’s assistance.

Correctional Officer Cody Greer, with the California Medical Facility, was awarded a Bronze Star medal, awarded for saving a life without placing oneself in peril, using proper training and tactics in a professional manner to save, or clearly contribute to saving, the life of another person.

In July 2020, Greer and some friends were fishing for halibut in the San Francisco Bay when they witnessed a boat capsize. Greer told his friends to reel in their fishing lines and he drove his boat to the capsized vessel. While on his way, a charter boat in the area called the U.S. Coast Guard. Greer later found three men holding on to the capsized boat.

While one of his friends steered his boat, Greer pulled each man from the water and into his boat. After a U.S. Coast Guard cutter arrived, the three men were transferred there.

CMF Correctional Officer Steven Duncan was one of two people honored as the Rehabilitation Professional of the Year, given to an employee who helps facilitate the successful reintegration of incarcerated people to their communities.

Duncan helps provide the safety and security needed for a successful learning environment at CMF and plays a pivotal role in ensuring incarcerated students get to class. He is a positive role model for students and education staff alike, advises teachers on how best to deal with security challenges, and helps with extra tasks.